You’re gonna love delicious slow cooker carne asada style Mexican shredded beef! An easy filling for tacos, burritos, nachos, and enchiladas! The possibilities for using this tasty shredded beef are endless!
Traditional carne asada (which means “grilled meat”) is typically made using flank steak or skirt steak. I stumbled upon this variation recipe on Pinterest which uses stew meat (a less expensive type of beef), and since I had some already in our freezer, decided to try this particular recipe.
Oh. My. Goodness. The Southwestern flavor of the meat is incredible, and the beef turns out so tender it shreds easily!! The recipe is very easy to prepare and only involves a couple of simple “prep” steps. After that, turn on your crock pot and let it do all the rest of the work for you, while you go about your day! Easy Peasy!
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How To Make Slow Cooker Carne Asada
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat (I lightly sprayed my skillet with non-stick spray before heating). Cook the stew meat cubes on all sides. This took about 10 minutes. If you need to, cook the beef in two batches, to not overcrowd the pan. Once beef is browned nicely, transfer it to slow cooker.
Once the meat has cooked, your skillet will probably look like the first photo below, with lots of remaining little bits of charred meat. Add 1/3 cup of water to skillet. Cook on medium heat for a couple minutes, to de-glaze the skillet.
Be sure to scrape all the browned bits up off the bottom of the skillet into the water. It will blend to make a thin flavor-filled sauce. Pour this liquid over the meat in the slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Set aside.
Make The Sauce
Mix up the carne asada sauce ingredients in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk until thoroughly combined and the brown sugar has dissolved. Pour the marinade over the beef. The meat should be almost completely submerged. If not, add a little bit more water to slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Time For The Slow Cooker
Put lid on slow cooker, turn to the HIGH setting, and cook the meat for 4 hours, covered. TIP: Do not open lid of slow cooker during the cooking time, so you don’t lose any heat! Your kitchen should start to smell really good about halfway through the cooking time!
Shred The Slow Cooker Carne Asada
After meat has fully cooked, remove lid. Shred the meat (it should shred VERY easily) using two forks to pull the meat apart. Shred it right back into the juices in the slow cooker.
The meat is now ready to serve! Whatever you don’t eat right away can be frozen in food storage bags (once it’s cooled down), to save for other meals.
What Else Can The Shredded Meat Be Used For?
I’ve prepared several dishes with the meat (it went a long way since there are only two of us at home these days). I made shredded carne asada enchiladas (below). They were a HUGE hit with my husband and I.
The meat is so tender and is totally packed with flavor. I also used the last bit of meat to make a big plate of nachos for my husband, myself and our son. That’s another great way to use the shredded beef (sorry, no pics, they were eaten too fast)! YUMMO!
We also used the carne asada to make some simple street tacos with chopped onion, cilantro, freshly made guacamole… and lime slices! They were absolutely fantastic! I’m telling you, the flavor of this slow cooker carne asada is wonderful!
There are so many ways to use this meat! I’ve already bought more stew meat to make this recipe again. I’m planning to make some shredded beef burritos and possibly a couple tostadas with it this time! I can hardly wait! I hope you try this delicious version of carne asada. The flavor is OUTSTANDING, and I think you will LOVE it. Have a great day, and please come back soon for more great recipes.
Looking For More Mexican-Style Recipes?
You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few Mexican-inspired recipes there, including:
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Original recipe source: https://lifecurentsblog.com/crock-pot-carne-asada/
You're gonna love this delicious slow cooker carne asada style Mexican shredded beef, an easy, perfect filling for tacos, burritos, nachos, and enchiladas!
- 3 pounds stew meat , cut in 2" cubes
- 1 cup water , divided
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 4 green onions , cut in thin slices
- 2 limes (juice only)
- 6 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes , or more, if you like it spicy!
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat (I lightly sprayed my skillet with non-stick spray before heating). Cook the stew meat cubes on all sides. This took about 10 minutes. If you need to, cook the beef in two batches, to not overcrowd the pan. Once beef is browned nicely, remove and transfer it to slow cooker.
Add 1/3 cup of water to skillet you cooked the beef in. Cook on medium heat for a couple minutes, to de-glaze the skillet. Be sure to scrape all the browned bits up off the bottom of the skillet into the water. It will make a thin flavor-filled sauce. Pour this over the meat in the slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Set aside.
- Mix up the carne asada sauce ingredients in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk until thoroughly combined and the brown sugar has dissolved. Pour the marinade over the beef. The meat should be almost completely submerged. If not, add a little bit more water to slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Put lid on slow cooker, turn to the HIGH setting, and cook the meat for 4 hours, covered. After meat has fully cooked, remove lid. Shred the meat (it should shred VERY easily) using two forks to pull the meat apart. The meat is now ready to serve, and can be used for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, nachos, etc. Enjoy!!!
Caloric calculation is only for carne asada. Any other additions (tortillas, etc.) are not included.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!