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Slow Cooker Honey Chipotle Shredded Beef Tacos

Slow cooker honey chipotle shredded beef tacos with tender, glossy shreds coated in sweet and smoky adobo sauce. Warm corn tortillas make the sauce hug every bite.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
rest 10 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck roast
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast
Chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
Honey
  • 0.25 cup honey
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 3 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
Adobo sauce
  • 2 tbsp adobo sauce
Garlic
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin
Salt
  • 1 tsp salt
Black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Corn tortillas
  • 12 corn tortillas
Diced onion
  • 0.33 cup diced onion
Cilantro
  • 0.33 cup cilantro
Lime
  • 1 lime
Salsa
  • 0.5 cup salsa

Equipment

  • 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method
 

Cook the beef
  1. Place the beef chuck roast in a 6-quart slow cooker. Set it so the roast sits flat for even sauce coverage.
  2. Combine the chicken broth, honey, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a bowl or measuring jug, then stir until cohesive. The mixture should look glossy and evenly speckled.
  3. Pour the sauce mixture over the beef. Make sure the top is well coated so it steams as it cooks.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, until the beef is very tender and shreds easily with a fork. It should pull apart with almost no resistance.
Shred and coat
  1. Remove the beef from the slow cooker and let it rest for 10 minutes. During the rest, it should firm slightly so shredding stays glossy instead of watery.
  2. Shred the beef with two forks. Separate it into strands while keeping an even mix of fat and sauce.
  3. Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and stir to coat in the sauce. The beef should look glossy and saucy throughout.
Warm and assemble tacos
  1. Warm the corn tortillas until flexible and heated through. They should feel pliable without cracking.
  2. Fill each tortilla with the shredded beef. Spoon in enough sauce so the beef glistens.
  3. Top the tacos with diced onion and cilantro. Add them generously for fresh crunch and green color.
  4. Serve with salsa and lime wedges. Squeeze lime over the top right before eating for brightness.

Notes

For the most tender shreds, let the roast rest the full 10 minutes before shredding—this keeps the strands juicy. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm in the microwave or in the slow cooker on low until hot. Freeze the shredded beef (with sauce) up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat. For a milder taco, reduce the chipotle peppers to 1 tbsp and keep the adobo sauce at 2 tbsp.