• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Mexico In My Kitchen
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Español
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Español
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Español
×
You are here: Home » Recipes » Beef

Ancho Pepper Shredded Beef for Tacos

Published: Jun 20, 2019 · Updated: Oct 24, 2019 by Mely Martínez

JUMP TO RECIPE

This Ancho Pepper Shredded Beef for tacos is loaded with tons of flavor, and is incredibly easy to make. It’s perfect in dishes for all hours, from breakfast tacos to dinner tostadas!

Shredded beef with ancho pepper tacos

Shredded beef (or pork) meat that is prepared in an Ancho pepper sauce is a dish used in some areas of the northeastern part of Mexico. Tamales and flour tortilla tacos are filled with this delicious and hearty stuffing. This same preparation is found in Texas, too, where it is also used for tamales, morning tacos, and their famous burritos. Some people also add diced potatoes to the beef version of this dish.

As some of you may know, my family and I moved to Texas 3 years ago. It was a big change for all of us, and it took us more than a year to get used to the Texan landscape and weather. However, what we quickly appreciated about this state was the food it has to offer. The Mexican food, barbecues, and beef steaks are big and bold, just like everything else in Texas!

Ancho Pepper Shredded Beef for Tacos

ancho pepper shredded beef for tacos

I love the fact that Texans love Mexican food, and to my surprise, they’re into breakfast tacos as much as any person in northern Mexico! You can find breakfast tacos with all sorts of fillings, like this Shredded Beef in Ancho Pepper Sauce, just like it’s prepared in Nuevo León or in Tamaulipas. What makes this dish so hearty is its delicious beef.

This probably explains why Texans love it so much! From brisket to burgers, Texans consume beef more often than the rest of the US (up to three times a week), and Texas produces more cattle than any other state in the country.

One thing that was new to me was how in Texas they like to top their tacos with Mexican queso fresco and some Pico de Gallo salsa. In Mexico, we would only add a good spicy salsa (like Salsa Verde or an Arbol pepper salsa), but the addition of fresh cheese is a good idea!

Texas is a very welcoming state, and it’s nice to see how they not only welcome different people, but different kinds of foods as well, and make them all feel right at home!

This recipe was created in partnership with Beef Loving Texans. All opinions, as always, are my own.

How to make Ancho Pepper Shredded Beef for Tacos

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS:

  • 20 oz. Flank Steak, cut into large cubes
  • ¼ Medium white onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 Ancho peppers, cleaned and with the seeds removed
  • 1 slice white onion (½-inch thick)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste

NOTES:

  • I use the Instant Pot to cook the meat, and finish the dish in a frying pan. If you use a regular pot to cook the meat, it will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook the meat until tender. However, you can also use your slow cooker and cook it overnight for 6 hours on a low setting.
  • Ancho Peppers are very mild peppers; this is not a spicy dish at all and everyone in the family can enjoy it.
  • This is a great recipe to make in double or triple batches to freeze; it freezes well for up to 2 months.
  • In some areas of the northern states of Mexico (as well as in some parts of Texas), the use of cumin is very popular for these types of stews that use dried peppers. You are welcome to use more or less of it. The same applies to the oregano, season to adjust to your taste.
Flank steak in ancho pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Place the meat pieces in the pot and add the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Cover with 8 cups of water and close the pot. Set the cooking time to the Meat setting. This will take 45 minutes in the Instant Pot.

Ancho pepper salsa Preparation

  • While the meat is cooking, add the peppers to a bowl or saucepan with warm water to soak. After 20 minutes the peppers will be soft.
  • Remove the peppers from the soaking water and place them into your blender along with the slice of onion, small garlic clove, and 2 cups of water. Process until you have a fine salsa. Set aside.
shredded beef ancho pepper tacos
  • Once the meat is cooked, remove from the pot and place in a large container and wait until it is cool enough to handle. Once it has cooled down, finely shred it using a pair of forks.
  • Warm the oil in a frying pan at medium-low heat, then pour the salsa in and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes and then reduce the heat to low. Add the shredded meat, and season with cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Keep cooking for another 5 minutes. Check the seasoning again, in case it needs any adjustments. Now, it is ready to serve and enjoy with warm flour tortillas, a hot tomatillo Salsa Verde, or the salsa of your choice. Enjoy!

ancho pepper shredded beef for tacos

OTHER RECIPES USING SHREDDED BEEF:

  • CRISPY BEEF TACOS
  • SALPICON, A SHREDDED BEEF SALAD 
  • "ROPA VIEJA" SHREDDED BEEF IN TOMATO SAUCE
  • SHREDDED BEEF TOSTADAS
  • TACOS ARABES RECIPE

📖 Recipe

ancho pepper shredded beef for tacos

Ancho Pepper Shredded Beef for Tacos

Mely Martínez
This Ancho Pepper Shredded Beef for tacos is loaded with tons of flavor, and is incredibly easy to make. It’s perfect in dishes for all hours, from breakfast tacos to dinner tostadas!
4.91 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Beef
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4
Calories 414 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 20 oz. Flank Steak cut into large cubes
  • ¼ Medium white onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 Ancho peppers cleaned and with the seeds removed
  • 1 slice white onion ½-inch thick
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place the meat pieces in the pot and add the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Cover with 8 cups of water and close the pot. Set the cooking time to the Meat setting. This will take 45 minutes in the Instant Pot. Ancho pepper salsa Preparation
  • While the meat is cooking, add the peppers to a bowl or saucepan with warm water to soak. After 20 minutes the peppers will be soft.
  • Remove the peppers from the soaking water and place them into your blender along with the slice of onion, small garlic clove, and 2 cups of water. Process until you have a fine salsa. Set aside.
  • Once the meat is cooked, remove from the pot and place in a large container and wait until it is cool enough to handle. Once it has cooled down, finely shred it using a pair of forks.
  • Warm the oil in a frying pan at medium-low heat, then pour the salsa in and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes and then reduce the heat to low. Add the shredded meat, and season with cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Keep cooking for another 5 minutes. Check the seasoning again, in case it needs any adjustments. Now, it is ready to serve and enjoy with warm flour tortillas, a hot tomatillo Salsa Verde, or the salsa of your choice. Enjoy!

Notes

  • I use the Instant Pot to cook the meat, and finish the dish in a frying pan. If you use a regular pot to cook the meat, it will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook the meat until tender. However, you can also use your slow cooker and cook it overnight for 6 hours on a low setting.
  • Ancho Peppers are very mild peppers; this is not a spicy dish at all and everyone in the family can enjoy it.
  • This is a great recipe to make in double or triple batches to freeze; it freezes well for up to 2 months.
  • In some areas of the northern states of Mexico (as well as in some parts of Texas), the use of cumin is very popular for these types of stews that use dried peppers. You are welcome to use more or less of it. The same applies to the oregano, season to adjust to your taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 414kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 35gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 110mgPotassium: 1185mgFiber: 11gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 9305IUVitamin C: 12.5mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 5.6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Beef

  • Meat & rice vegetable soup
    Vegetable Beef Soup With Rice (Carne Picada Con Arroz)
  • beef tomato stew recipe
    Beef in Tomato Sauce with Swiss Chard
  • liver and onions recipe
    Liver and Onions
  • easy mexican ground beef recipe
    Mexican Ground Beef

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply & Rating Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Kim Gaudreau

    November 21, 2022 at 2:25 pm

    4 stars
    We LOVE barbacoa, and I was excited to see a "quicker version" for a shredded meat. It wasn't bad, but definitely lacked the flavors you'll get by cooking the meat low and slow vs. the pressure cooker.
    We like our Mexican food with a spicy kick, but not so hot that you loose all those great Mexican flavors. I added chili powder, Guajillo chili flakes, and garlic to spice it up a bit. But that's definitely personal preference. Thank you for all these great recipes!!

    Reply
  2. Tracy Schellhorn

    June 17, 2022 at 8:49 am

    Looking forward to trying this - I too have a lot of guajillo peppers to use. How many of each would you use and what would you add to spice it up some? Also, you said chuck roast would be good as a beef sub what pork cuts would be good?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      June 20, 2022 at 3:35 pm

      Hello Tracy,
      You can add 2 guajillos and 2 arbol peppers.

      Reply
  3. Bob

    May 05, 2020 at 7:52 pm

    5 stars
    Righteous recipe! I grew up eating shredded beef tacos and anything else just isn't the same. This recipe reminds me of the great tacos of my youth in Texas. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      May 06, 2020 at 9:11 am

      Hi Bob,
      I'm glad to know you like it! Happy cooking!

      Reply
  4. Yas

    May 03, 2020 at 9:18 am

    Hi,
    It was my first time that I used dried ancho chile to make a sauce. It is kinda bitter. Any suggestion you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      May 03, 2020 at 4:16 pm

      Hello Yas,
      Sometimes, when peppers are old or if toasted a little too much, they acquire a bitter taste. You can boil 2 medium size tomatoes, place in the blender, process with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the cooking water until you have a very smooth sauce. The pour into the stew and simmer again. I hope this helps.

      Reply
  5. Marilyn

    May 02, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    Can this be made in a crockpot? I don't have flank steak. Will a Chuck roast work?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      May 02, 2020 at 3:19 pm

      Hello Marilyn,
      Yes, chuck roast will be really tasty, and yes to use the crockpot.

      Reply
  6. Claudia

    January 15, 2020 at 11:50 am

    Ahorita mismo me pongo! Se me antojo al cien % jajajaja gracias por compartir tu talento con nosotros .

    Reply
  7. Barbara

    July 27, 2019 at 7:05 pm

    I will make this tomorrow. I have all the ingredients except I will be using top round instead of flank. It will need a bit of fat because it is way too lean. Wish me luck.

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      July 27, 2019 at 9:10 pm

      Hello Barbara,
      Enjoy your tacos!

      Reply
      • Barbara

        August 01, 2019 at 8:02 pm

        5 stars
        I thought I had everything for the recipes but I didn't have anchos so I used guajillos. It turned out delicious and left a nice pint of beef broth that I used for soup.
        I did put in a teaspoon of Knorr Suiza along with a pinch of salt. Warm flour tortillas and added a dash of Tapatio sauce. Yummy. Froze enough for another meal.
        Thank you.

      • mmartinez

        August 02, 2019 at 7:40 am

        Hello Barbara,
        So glad to know you like the recipe for shredded beef for tacos and that you added you were able to make it with guajillo instead of anchos. I know a lot of people will find this tip helpful. I had some leftover the other day and used as a filling for a small batch of tamales.

  8. Laura C.

    July 06, 2019 at 11:20 am

    Que otro corte de carne se puede hacer o recomiendas. El "flank" es sabroso pero caro cuando hay que servir muchos. Gracias.

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      July 07, 2019 at 3:51 pm

      Hola Laura,
      Compra Chuck, aparte de tener de ser más ecónomico es más sabroso para preparar estos tacos con salsa de Chile Ancho.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

About me

Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.
Read more...

Order your copy now!

Mexican Cookbook
The Mexican Home Kitchen Cookbook

Aguas Frescas

  • Two glasses with pitaya agua fresca next to fresh pitayas.
    Pitaya Agua Fresca
  • Two glasses with Mexican plum agua fresca.
    Mexican Plum Agua Fresca
  • Agua de tamarindo (Tamarind drink) served in a glass with ice.
    Agua de Tamarindo
  • Guava guayaba Drink
    Guava Agua Fresca Drink

Recipes for tamales

  • Vegan tamales served in a platter
    Vegan Tamales
  • Beef Tamales recipe
    Homemade Beef Tamales Recipe
  • Chocolate Tamal recipe - 1
    Chocolate Tamales
  • Savory Sweet Corn Tamales -1
    Sweet Corn Tamales With Pork

As featured in:

Footer

About

ABOUT
PRIVACY POLICY
USER SERVICE AGREEMENT
ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

Newsletter

SIGN UP FOR EMAILS AND UPDATES!

Follow / Contact

FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
PINTEREST
CONTACT

COPYRIGHT © 2023 · MEXICO IN MY KITCHEN