Slow Cooker Beef Machaca
Updated Nov 02, 2026
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This savory slow cooker beef machaca is perfect if you’re looking for a satisfying Mexican dinner option that’s a little out of the ordinary. Plus, it stores really well, so it’s perfect for meal prep! Whether you like your beef spicy, mild, or hot, this is the recipe for you.
Savory Beef Machaca in the Crockpot!
Beef machaca is a traditional Mexican dish chock-full of amazing flavors and spices. The tender beef is shredded and can then be served in all kinds of ways: with rice, with eggs, in tacos, you name it. It’s like the cousin of beef barbacoa or beef ragu, and chilorio, too! Machaca is often found in authentic Mexican restaurants, but luckily for us, it’s also possible to make a tasty homemade version that you can season and change to your heart’s content.
For the most succulent beef, make this recipe in your crockpot! While I use beef for this recipe, you can use pork or even chicken. You can also adjust the spices, seasonings, and other ingredients to suit your taste, so feel free to experiment! Even if it’s not totally authentic, it will still be a hearty, flavorful main course.
What’s the Difference Between Machaca and Shredded Beef?
Traditionally, machaca was a form of dried, spiced beef that would stay good for a long time, unrefrigerated, making it perfect for taking on journeys or out on a hard day’s work. You could simmer it and rehydrate it as needed.
These days, the drying and rehydrating steps aren’t as necessary, so machaca is much more similar to shredded beef, but it still has that characteristic spice and seasoning blend that gives it an extra-special flavor.
Ingredients for Machaca Beef
- Beef: Chuck roast is my favorite for that classic beef taste, and it’s very forgiving. Unlike leaner cuts, chuck roast usually turns out tender and moist, even if you go over the cooking time. It’s the same cut I use for my Chili Colorado, where the beef simmers until it’s fall-apart tender. Other good options include rump roast, brisket, and skirt steak, like the one I use in my crockpot carne asada.
- Spices: My personal machaca spice blend includes chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
- Cooking oil: A little olive oil for sautéing, or use vegetable or avocado oil.
- Bell Pepper: Dice up a bell pepper. Any color is fine.
- Chipotle and Adobo: You’ll need a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – some of the peppers will go into the dish, along with some of the adobo sauce from the can. If you don’t like spicy food, skip this.
- Onion: I like to use yellow onions, but any kind of onion will work.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is great, or you can substitute a little extra garlic powder.
- Tomatoes: Canned, diced tomatoes with chilies add a nice, spicy touch and plenty of tangy goodness. If you don’t have canned tomatoes with chilies, you can substitute regular canned tomatoes instead.
- Broth: Beef broth is great for slow-cooking this beef dish. Homemade or store-bought is fine. I typically use low-sodium broth.
- Lime: The juice of one lime balances out the flavors in this dish, and adds a touch of tropical flavor as well.
- For Serving: A simple way to serve your machaca is with corn or flour tortillas, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and sour cream.
How to Make Beef Machaca in the Crockpot
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is a slow cooker recipe. The crockpot does nearly all of the work! You can let this one simmer away all day while you get other things done. Perfection!
- Prepare the beef. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. If you want, cut it into about 6 chunks to make it easier to shred later. Combine the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper in a small mixing bowl. Then rub the chuck roast all over with the seasoning mix.
- Brown the meat. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chuck roast to the pan and sear on all sides. Transfer the browned beef to the insert of your slow cooker.
- Add the other ingredients and cook. Add the diced bell peppers, onions, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, diced tomatoes with chilies, broth, and lime juice to your slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker with the lid, and cook the beef on low for 6 to 8 hours. The meat should be very tender and falling apart by the end of the cooking time. The goal for perfectly tender beef is an internal temperature of 205˚F to 215˚F. You’ll know it’s ready when the meat falls apart as you pierce it with a fork. If it feels tight, keep cooking it until it’s tender.
- Shred the beef. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Shred it with two forks.
- Blend the sauce and return the beef to the crockpot. Using an immersion blender, blend the cooking liquid in the slow cooker until it is smooth and thickened. Place the shredded beef back into the pot, and gently toss it to coat.
- Serve. Taste the machaca for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly. Serve with corn or flour tortillas, topped with cheese, lettuce, and sour cream.
Recipe Tips
- Make it crispy: If you want the beef drier and crisper, spread it on a sheet pan and broil for a few minutes. You can also toss it in a hot skillet to dry it out a little and make it crispy.
- Control the heat: The main spicy elements in this machaca beef recipe are the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomatoes with chilies, and cayenne. If you need to dial down the spice, use fewer chipotle peppers and less sauce, omit the cayenne, and swap the tomatoes with chilies for regular canned tomatoes.
- Make it ahead: You may find that you enjoy machaca even more the next day, after the flavors have had even more time to blend and meld, so feel free to cook this a day in advance. It stores very well!
Tasty Serving Suggestions
Machaca is great served simply with tortillas and toppings, but it’s also versatile and pairs well with all kinds of side dishes! These are just a few of the options out there:
- Coleslaw: This classic Southern coleslaw recipe is not a Mexican dish, but you can’t beat its cool, creamy tanginess with hot, spicy machaca served alongside your tacos.
- Corn: Corn on the cob, creamed corn, corn kernels… all of them are great, but in this case, I have to vote for Elote, also known as Mexican street corn. This recipe is a mouthwatering side dish for any Mexican meal.
- Guacamole: I’m always up for any excuse to serve this fresh mango guacamole! Serve it with your slow-cooked machaca, and you’ve got the makings of one fine fiesta.
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Slow Cooker Beef Machaca
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Ingredients
- 2.5 to 3 pounds chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
- 10 ounces can of diced tomatoes with chilies
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 whole lime, juiced
For Serving (optional)
- corn or flour tortillas
- shredded Mexican style blend cheese
- diced onions
- shredded lettuce
- sour cream
Instructions
- Prepare the beef. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels and set aside.
- Mix the seasonings. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, salt, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chuck roast.
- Sear the beef. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned chuck roast and sear on all sides until browned.
- Fill the slow cooker. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker. Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, diced tomatoes with chilies, beef broth, and lime juice.
- Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beef is very tender and falls apart easily with a fork. The goal for perfectly tender beef is an internal temperature of 205˚F to 215˚F. You’ll know it’s ready when the meat falls apart as you pierce it with a fork.
- Shred the beef. Remove the chuck roast from the slow cooker and transfer it to a cutting board. Shred the meat using two forks and set aside.
- Blend the sauce. Using an immersion blender, blend the cooking liquid and vegetables in the slow cooker until smooth and thickened. Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve. Spoon the machaca beef into corn or flour tortillas and top with shredded cheese, onions, lettuce, and sour cream, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator. To store your beef machaca, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezer. To freeze this recipe, pack the completely cooled machaca into an airtight container or freezer bag, and keep it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheat. To reheat, place the shredded meat in a skillet and set it over low heat on the stovetop, stirring often until heated through.
can you make this in an instapot
Hi! Yes you can. Sear the meat first using the sauté function. I would also give the veggies a quick sear. Then, for a 3-pound chuck roast, pressure cook on HIGH for about 60 minutes (about 20 minutes per pound) for fork-tender meat, and allow a 10-15 minute natural pressure release.