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Mexican Shredded Beef in a sope next to a bowl full of meat.
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Shredded Beef Recipe

Shredded beef, undoubtedly the key ingredient to many and most popular dishes in Mexico, called “antojitos”. Easy to prepare at home and with infinite ways of preparing meals. Learn how to make it and impress your guests in your next get-together. 
Course Beef, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword mexican shredded beef recipes, Shredded Beef Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 254kcal

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

  • First, cut the meat into large chunks.
  • Then, place the meat, onion, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until it starts boiling. Once it starts boiling, cover the pot and reduce heat to simmer.Total cooking time will be about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Cook until meat is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork. 
  • Remove from pot and place in a bowl, draining any excess liquid.
  • Once the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it using two forks, pulling the meat with the forks in opposite directions until you break it 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 and enjoy in your favorite antojito and favorite toppings. 

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.
  • If you are cooking in a pressure cooker, cook for 45 minutes.
  • In a slow cooker, cook for about 5 hours in a high heat setting.
  • If you are cooking your meat in your Instant Pot, place the chunks of meat in your Instapot with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and set the lid to “Sealing.” Pressure cook on “Manual” for 45 minutes, followed by a quick release.  If the meat is still tough after 45 minutes, repeat the process for 5-10 minutes. 

Nutrition

Serving: 4oz | Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 477mg | Potassium: 536mg | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2.4mg