Sonoran Shredded Beef Tacos – Culinary Ginger

Sonoran Shredded Beef Tacos couldn’t be easier to make—and they’re always a hit at dinnertime. The beef is slowly simmered in a rich, flavorful sauce made with onion, garlic, spices, tomatoes, and beef stock. Once tender, it’s shredded and served on corn tortillas with New Mexico Hatch Chile Sauce—a nod to traditional Mexican barbacoa. Slow cooker instructions included, too.

Ingredients

• Ancho chile powder
• Smoked paprika
• Ground cumin
• Salt
• Beef chuck roast
• Oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Beef stock
• Corn starch

What is Sonoran?

Sonoran refers to things that come from or are related to the Sonoran Desert region, which spans parts of southern Arizona, southeastern California, and northwestern Mexico (mainly the Mexican state of Sonora, where the name comes from).

In Food Terms:

When you hear “Sonoran” in relation to cuisine, it usually means:

• Sonoran-style Mexican food, which is distinct from other regional styles in Mexico.
• Dishes that are common in northern Mexican states (especially Sonora) and the U.S. Southwest, especially Arizona.

Key Sonoran Food Traits:

• Flour tortillas instead of corn (big, soft, and often handmade).
• Grilled meats, especially carne asada and machaca (dried shredded beef).
• Sonoran hot dogs – a famous street food from Hermosillo, Sonora, wrapped in bacon and loaded with toppings.
• Use of beans, chile verde, queso fresco, and roasted green chiles like Hatch or Anaheim.
• Less spicy, but deeply flavorful—more smoky, grilled, and roasted flavors.

More Sonoran inspired recipes

Craving bold, smoky, borderland flavor? These Sonoran-style dishes bring the heat (and the bacon). Try the iconic Southwest Sonoran Hot Dogs, bacon wrapped and loaded with all the toppings. Jalapeño Lime Sauce is a tasty, multi-purpose condiment—perfect as a marinade, dressing, or finishing drizzle. And wake up right with a hearty Sausage and Bacon Breakfast Skillet. This is desert comfort food at its finest.

Best cut of beef for shredding beef

Chuck roast is ideal for low and slow cooking—it practically tells you when it’s ready by falling apart at the touch of a fork. For me, about 2 hours does the trick.

If you’re a fan of Pulled Pork (which, by the way, is a great option if you don’t eat beef—just use pork shoulder), you’re going to fall in love with these tacos.

The spices used in this recipe range from ancho chile powder to cumin and smoked paprika—a delicious, non-spicy combination that creates a rich, flavorful sauce once the beef is finished cooking. The recipe includes instructions on how to thicken the sauce, which is fantastic on the tacos. If you prefer more heat, you can add chipotle chile powder to the spice mix.

Hatch chile sauce

Hatch chiles are native to New Mexico and only in season from August to September. I made an easy Hatch Chile Sauce (pictured below) that’s perfect for topping these tacos. It’s also great on just about any Mexican dish—or simply for snacking with tortilla chips.

Sonoran Shredded Beef Tacos – Step by Step

Mix ancho chile powder, smoked paprika, cumin and salt.

Rub the spice mix all over beef chuck roast pieces.

Brown the beef on all sides. Remove from the pan.

To the same pan, sauté onion and garlic until the onions are softened.

Add diced tomatoes to the onions and garlic and mix.

Stir in beef stock to the onions, garlic and tomatoes.

Add the beef back to the pan, cover and simmer for 2 hours.
Chefs tip: Cut the beef into large 5 large pieces, it will cook faster as well as fitting better in the pan.

Use 2 forks to shred the beef.

Slow cooker shredded beef

Alternatively, for convenience, you can cook the beef in the slow cooker. Simply follow the recipe to step 4 and instead of adding the beef back to the pan, transfer everything to a pre-heated slow cooker. Cook on high for 3–4 hours or low for 6–7 hours.

Instant pot option

Follow the recipe to step 4 (add the beef back into the pot). Set the instant pot to pressure cook and cook on high for 60-80 minutes.

Salsas for tacos

Salsa is always a great idea for topping tacos. Here are a few deliciously different options in addition to the Hatch Chile Salsa: Restaurant-Style Salsa, Easy Corn Salsa and Grilled Salsa Verde.

If you’ve made my Sonoran Shredded Beef Tacos, please leave a star rating in the recipe card. You can also leave a comment below or ask a question.

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Janette is a professionally trained chef based in California who channels her passion for cooking into thoughtfully crafted recipes. Her culinary creations are inspired by her English heritage as well as her favorite global cuisines, including Indian and Italian. Connect with her on  Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for more delicious inspiration. More About Janette…