Some of the most popular dishes in Mexico, called “antojitos”, have shredded beef or chicken as the main ingredient (there are a few that use pork). Therefore, I find it always good to make a big batch of it and have it ready for those nights when you’re in a hurry and want to make your favorite Mexican dinner at home. Once cooked and shredded, you can store it for a couple of days in the fridge or even for some weeks in the freezer.
Shredded Beef for tacos and more…
Dishes like fried tacos (flautas), sopes, tostadas, tamales even stews and our famous beef salpicon salad use shredded beef. Here are the basic steps in which we prepare and season the meat at home. You can use any leftovers for other uses like morning tacos, or as a gordita filling. Enjoy this recipe for shredded beef.
How to make Shredded Beef
NOTES:
- Adding the beef bouillon renders a really flavorful meat and broth, you can add up to 2 cubes of the beef bouillon for this amount of meat. You can also add soup bones to have a delicious and substantial beef broth.
- Usually, the meat is just cooked and shredded, but I add an extra step using the oil to give a great kick to the meat’s final taste. You can skip step 4 if you want, but I highly recommend it.
DIRECTIONS:
- Place the meat, onion, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot, and cover with water. Cook over a medium-high heat until it starts boiling. One it starts boiling, covers the pot and reduces heat to simmer.
Total cooking time will be about 1 hr and 30 minutes. Cook until meat is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork. 45 minutes in a pressure cooker, or about 5 hours in a slow cooker in a high heat setting. - Once cooked, remove from pot and place in a bowl, draining any excess broth.
- Once the meat is cool enough to handle, shred the meat using 2 forks, pulling the meat with the forks in opposite directions, until you break the meat into strands. Discard any bits of fat or gristle you find in the meat. Continue this process until all the meat is shredded.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the meat and stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Add a little bit of the cooking broth to moisten the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
Now, you are ready to enjoy your shredded meat in tacos, sopes, enchiladas, and any other creative ideas you might have.
Provecho!
Mely,
Thank you, Knorr® and Mirum Shopper for selecting me as your Brand Ambassador! All this month of July, I will be sharing recipes using Knorr, this little secret of many Mexican cooks
Leave a comment and share your experience with the recipe.
If you are on Pinterest, check our boards with hundreds of delicious ideas I'm pinning for you!
Shredded Beef Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. skirt or flank steak cut into cubes (about 2-in)
- ½ medium white onion cut into quarters
- 4 large garlic cloves peeled and cut in half
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cube Knorr Beef Bouillon
- Water to cook
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil*
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the meat, onion, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot, and cover with water. Cook over a medium-high heat until it starts boiling. One it starts boiling, covers the pot and reduces heat to simmer.
- Total cooking time will be about 1 hr and 30 minutes. Cook until meat is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork. 45 minutes in a pressure cooker, or about 5 hours in a slow cooker in a high heat setting.
- Once cooked, remove from pot and place in a bowl, draining any excess broth.
- Once the meat is cool enough to handle, shred the meat using 2 forks, pulling the meat with the forks in opposite directions, until you break the meat into strands. Discard any bits of fat or gristle you find in the meat. Continue this process until all the meat is shredded.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the meat and stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Add a little bit of the cooking broth to moisten the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Adding the beef bouillon renders a really flavorful meat and broth, you can add up to 2 cubes of the beef bouillon for this amount of meat. You can also add soup bones to have a delicious and substantial beef broth.
- Usually, the meat is just cooked and shredded, but I add an extra step using the oil to give a great kick to the meat’s final taste. You can skip that if you want, but I highly recommend it.
Cris E.
Dear Mely: I have enjoyed so much reading and making your recepies! My mother was born of an American father and mexican mother, so she came to live in Tampico, Mx; and grew up with the mexican flavors as so did I. So now that I'm preparing your recepies I feel and remember my Mom in so many ways. This beef tacos recipie is great and easy to do; I've have also made the pozole rojo, and the guacamole salsa: they are great! Thank you for making this blog and for sharing your meals. 🙂
Mely Martínez
Hello, Cris,
Thank you for trying the recipe, It is so good to know that these recipes bring you memories of your mom. Keep the recipes alive, that way the ones that came before us can keep living with our cooking!
Pam
This is how I was taught to make my beef taco meat except that I use Knorr Caldo De Tomato Con Sabor De Pollo Tomato Bouillon with Chicken Flavor cubes gives the meat a great flavor, So glad I found your blog, great recipes
Angelica
This is THE best shredded beef recipe I have found and the closest to my late grandmother's. So delicious and my family ate every last bit.
Robart Lnee
lovely recipe, very flavorful. Thanks!
loves2spin
Oh... I LOVE cooking in my pressure cooker. I can make soup that is just as good or better than what I could get from several hours of simmering!