Salpicon de Res is a refreshing and savory Shredded Beef salad with crispy lettuce, tomato, onion, and a zesty dressing. There is nothing like eating authentic Mexican flavors in a tasty salad on a busy day. Perfect for lunch or dinner, this dish is a great way to get your daily intake of protein and veggies while enjoying a delicious and healthy meal.
Mexican Shredded Beef Salad
This shredded salad is basically a tossed salad with a Mexican flare. Some people like their salpicon salads cold, enhancing their refreshing quality. This makes them ideal for a chilled, appetizing meal on a scorching summer day. Another advantage of this salad is its versatility, allowing you to use various ingredients based on personal preferences and what's in season.
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Salpicon is a very practical dish for those busy days when you don’t want to spend a great deal of time in the kitchen... just make sure you cook the meat the night before in your crock pot or pressure cooker; the next day, shred the meat and reserve for later use. Perfect for your next picnic or family party.
Frequently asked questions about Salpicon de Res.
Before I share my recipe, I will answer the questions I usually get about this homemade recipe.
What is Salpicón?
Salpicon is the preparation or technique where the meat is shredded or finely chopped. There are several dishes with the name salpicón in México, where the meat can be either deer or fish in the south or beef and rabbit in other regions of the country. Sometimes, the name is modified with the type of meat used, e.g., crab salpicon for a seafood salpicon.
What is Salpicón de Res made of?
For this Salpicon de Res salad, the recipe typically includes shredded beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, radishes, olives, and a dressing. The beef is cooked with onion, garlic, and bay leaf until tender and easily shredded with a fork. The dressing contains oil, vinegar, Mexican oregano, salt, and pepper. This salad can be prepared ahead of time and served as a whole meal or as an entry for picnics or parties. Know that depending on the meat, the salad's ingredients will vary.
How long is Salpicon good for in the fridge?
This salad can be made hours ahead of time and will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a whole day without the dressing. The salpicon meat should be good for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. However, it's always a good idea to check for any signs of spoilage before consuming it.
What is the best Salpicón cut?
For this beef recipe, the best cut of meat is skirt steak, followed by flank steak, eye of round roast, and chuck roast. However, some people have mentioned to have good luck with the brisket cut.
Where does Salpicón originate from?
The technique of chopping and shredding meat originated in Spain and was introduced to Mexico and Latin America during the colonization period. Over time, the blending of local ingredients changed the recipe to what it is today.
How to make Salpicón de Res Recipe
Ingredients:
TO COOK THE MEAT:
- Skirt steak or eye-round roast cut into large cubes
- white onion
- garlic cloves
- Bay leaf
- Salt to season
FOR THE DRESSING:
- Vegetable oil
- Distilled white vinegar* (See notes below)
- Mexican oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE SALAD:
- Romaine lettuce finely sliced
- White onion sliced into rings
- Radishes finely sliced
- Tomato diced
- Pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives sliced
- Avocado peeled and sliced
TO SERVE:
- Corn tostadas
- Pickled carrots and jalapeño peppers
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
DIRECTIONS:
To make things easier for you, I will break down the directions for this recipe into sections.
How to cook the meat
- First, place meat, onion, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot; cover with water and boil over medium-high heat. Then, when it starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork (about 2 ½ hours).
- Once cooled enough to handle, shred the beef using 2 forks and season with salt.
Note: You can cook the meat in your slow cooker in high settings for about 6 hours. If you cook it in a pressure cooker, cook it for 45 minutes, or in an Instant Pot for about 35 minutes. (Please check the ingredients list below)
How to make your dressing
- Mix the oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Crush the oregano with your fingers, add it to the dressing, and season with salt and pepper. Reserve for serving time.
Note: this is a very simple dressing to which you can always add some of your favorite ingredients, like lemon juice and other herbs.
How to make the Salpicon de Res salad
- Place shredded beef in a large bowl and gently toss in the lettuce, onion, radishes, tomatoes, and olives.
- Transfer the Shredded Beef Mexican Salad to a large serving plate if you wish. Garnish with the avocado slices and drizzle with the dressing.
- Serve with corn tostadas, and enjoy!
My family loves this Shredded Beef Mexican Salad so much that there are no leftovers every time I make it. I hope that your family will enjoy it as much as we do!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
What to Serve with Beef Salpicon (Salpicón de Res)
This salad is a simple but nutritious and filling meal; and perfect with corn tostadas shells or corn tortillas. You can also pair your salad with a soup like Cream of corn soup or a sandwich like pork leg to make it a more substantial meal. However, you decide to enjoy your salad, whether as a whole meal or as an entry for Summer picnics or parties, Salpicón de res is a delicious and practical dish that is perfect for any day of the week.
More Authentic Mexican Food Recipes
And in case you would like to try other Mexican food recipes besides this delicious beef salpicon, you can check my other recipes:
If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment below and tell us all about it!
-Mely
For more recipes, follow Us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. In español Visit Us at Mexico en mi cocina
📖 Recipe
Salpicon de Res, Shredded Beef Mexican Salad
Ingredients
TO COOK THE MEAT:
- 1- ½ pound of skirt steak or eye round roast cut into large cubes
- ½ medium white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to season
FOR THE DRESSING:
- 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar*
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE SALAD:
- 3 cups romaine lettuce finely sliced
- ¼ white onion sliced into rings
- 4 radishes finely sliced
- 1 large tomato diced
- 8 pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives sliced
- 1 avocado peeled and sliced
TO SERVE:
- 12 corn tostadas
- Pickled carrots and jalapeño peppers
Instructions
How to cook the meat
- First, place meat, onion, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot; cover with water and boil over medium-high heat. Then, when it starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork (about 2 ½ hours).
- Once cooled enough to handle, shred the beef using 2 forks and season with salt.
- Note: You can cook the meat in your slow cooker in high settings for about 6 hours. If you cook it in a pressure cooker, cook it for 45 minutes, or in an Instant Pot for about 35 minutes.
How to make your dressing
- Mix the oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Crush the oregano with your fingers, add it to the dressing, and season with salt and pepper. Reserve for serving time.
- Note: this is a very simple dressing to which you can always add some of your favorite ingredients, like lemon juice and other herbs.
How to make the salad
- Place shredded beef in a large bowl and gently toss in the lettuce, onion, radishes, tomatoes, and olives.
- Transfer the Shredded Beef Mexican Salad to a large serving plate if you wish. Garnish with the avocado slices and drizzle with the dressing.
- Serve with corn tostadas, and enjoy!
J. D. the Tejano
While Mely's recipes, instructions, and insights are just about the "best in the business" among all the foodie websites I visit on a regular basis, for me the highest accomplishment of her website is the astounding food staging and the absolutely remarkable photos she sends with her email newsletters. How come all these other food "experts" can't even come close to the artistic, high quality, and appetizing pictures of the great food Mely shows to us. Keep up the good work, Sister. We're all glad you came to the USA to rescue us and to show us (in words and beautiful pictures) what real food is.
Becky
Looking for your recipe for albondigas. Will you please tell me how to find it?
Thank you for the delicious foods you have posted!
Mely Martínez
Hello Becky,
Sure, here is the link to the Albondigas recipe:https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/mexican-meatball-soup-recipe/
Happy cooking!
German Bones-lopez
Very helpful and well explaine thank you.
Mely Martínez
Hello German,
Thank you for trying the Salpicón recipe! Enjoy it!
maria mora
Can I use Flank Steak instead?
Mely Martínez
Hello Maria,
Yes, flank steak is great for this recipe, too!
Taina
Se ve delicioso, se me antojo con unas tostadas y demasiada crema jeje.
Helena Jones
It's my favorite Mexican dish. It brings so many memories.
More Cowbell
I've never heard of cherry vinegar. Is this something I could order, or do you make your own.?
That salad looks delicious, and anything that can be done in the crockpot this time of year is a plus. Thanks!
mmartinez
Hello More Cowbell,
Sorry, my mistake, it should say Sherry vinegar (Jerez). I just added a link for people to check it out. Thanks for pointing that out. Happy cooking!