The Easiest Mexican Meat

Want a meal that’s affordable AND delicious? This Mexican Meat recipe is all that and more! Loaded with big flavor, it’s a set-it-and-forget-it crockpot recipe. Plus, you can use this cooked Mexican beef in so many tasty ways.

This Mexican Meat recipe is a favorite of mine because it is easy, has incredible flavor, and can be used in so many different ways. Did I mention how affordable it is? With food costs rising, I can buy an inexpensive chunk of meat and let the slow cooker do all the hard work. A few hours later and we’re ready to feast!

This is an simple crockpot recipe, and you can even prep it all the night before and then pop all the ingredients into the crockpot, set it, and come home to an amazing meal. 

I love that it makes a fairly big batch of meat. I sometimes freeze portions for meals later in the month, or I divvy it up and use it for meals during the week. 

Did I mention that you can make Mexican chicken and Mexican pork the same way? Just swap the beef for another protein, and you’re good to go!

Ingredients

  • Beef – Use an inexpensive cut like chuck roast or any cut you’d make pot roast with.
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Onion – Yellow or white onion, chopped.
  • Canned green chili peppers – You’ll need 3 7-ounce cans.
  • Chili powder – Fresh spices make all the difference!
  • Ground cumin
  • Garlic powder
  • Hot sauce – I like Frank’s Hot Sauce or Cholula.
  • Water

What Kind of Beef Makes The Best Mexican Beef?

Inexpensive beef is the tastiest, honestly! Taking an inexpensive cut like chuck, rump or blade and letting it cook low and slow breaks down all the connective tissue and melts the fat. This infuses flavor into every bite, and the meat is tender, juicy, and oh-so-good! Similar to barbacoa, this recipe is amazing!

How To Make The Best Mexican Meat

This Mexican beef recipe is super simple. Just make sure you have enough time because this recipe needs to cook on low for about 8 hours.

  1. Trim the meat of excess fat and season it well on both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the beef on all sides.
  3. Transfer the meat to a slow cooker and top it with the diced onion, green chilis (liquid and all), chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and hot pepper sauce.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until the meat is super tender and falling apart. Add more water if needed to make sure there’s always some liquid in the crockpot.
  5. Transfer the cooked meat to a bowl and shred it with 2 forks or meat claws.Season, serve, and enjoy it in all your favorite recipes!

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • Use an equal amount of chicken or pork to switch up this recipe.
  • You can prep everything the night before and then just add it to the slow cooker in the morning.
  • Buy the meat when it is on sale to make this dish even less expensive.
  • This meat freezes well! Portion it in freezer-safe containers and freeze it for up to a month. To keep it longer, use a vacuum sealer to freeze portions.
  • Like it spicier? Add a chopped jalapeno to the crockpot!
  • You can strain the meat and discard the juice or serve it with juice.

Serving Suggestions

Wondering how to serve Mexican Meat? Sometimes we eat this tasty Mexican stew just as it is on top of rice or with potatoes, other times, I use it in a variety of different ways. Here are some of my favorite uses for Mexican beef:

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftovers. Pack them with the juice in a freezer-safe container for up to a month, or vacuum seal portions to keep them for up to 6 months.

Mexican Style Meat – A Base for a TON of Meals!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds of beef pork, or chicken (cheap cuts of meat work well for this)
  • good amount of salt & pepper to season meat with
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 3 7oz diced green chile peppers, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 5 ounce bottle hot pepper sauce (I like Frank’s hot sauce or Cholula)
  • 1/4 cup of water

Instructions

  • Trim the meat of any excess fat, and season well with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the meat in the hot skillet, and sear it quickly on all sides.
  • Transfer the meat to a slow cooker and top it with the chopped onion. Season with chopped green chiles, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, & hot pepper sauce.
  • Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender & falling apart, checking to make sure there is always at least a small amount of liquid in the bottom of the cooker (add more liquid if need be).
  • Transfer the meat to a bowl and shred it using two forks.

Notes

If the meat comes out ‘wetter’ than your tastes, feel free to strain any extra juice. While I love mine with the extra juice, I know not everyone likes it that way. However; if you’re going to freeze any of the meat – add the strained juice back to the portion you’re going to freeze for best results.

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