What's Gaby Cooking is home to many incredible meat recipes but one request I keep seeing is for a chuck roast! Chuck roast is an incredibly flavorful part of beef that is also very economical. It feels a crowd and it does best with low and slow cooking. So let's make Chuck Roast Tacos!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
These chuck roast tacos are fall apart in your mouth perfection. This recipe has some serious barbacoa vibes, gives a subtle nod to our favorite carnitas and feels very tex-mex / southwestern. It's also incredibly easy. You'll find two ways to make this recipe, either using a Dutch Oven or the Instant Pot. Both result in perfectly tender fall apart meat that shreds beautifully into tacos. Serve it up with some guacamole and charred tortillas and you're in business.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Boneless Beef Chuck Roast
- Dalkin&Co Taco Seasoning
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper freshly cracked
- Yellow or Red Onions
- Orange Juice
- Guacamole
- Flour or Corn Tortillas
- Your favorite salsa - this is my favorite homemade salsa!
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Chuck Roast Tacos
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325F and season your roast generously on both sides with salt, pepper and the taco seasoning. Place the chuck roast into a Dutch Oven along with the orange juice, beef stock and onions.
Step 2: Secure the lid on the dutch oven and transfer into the oven to bake for 3.5 - 4 hours. After 3.5 - 4 hours, remove the roast from the oven and it should easily shred it into large chunks using two forks. If it's not quite falling apart, place it back into the oven for an additional 30 minutes with the lid on.
Step 3: Increase the oven heat to 425F. Toss the shredded pieces of meat with the onions and a sprinkle of more taco seasoning onto a baking sheet and place it back in the oven, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes until it starts to caramelize and get crispy on some parts.
Step 4: Make the guacamole while the roast is getting caramelized. Char your tortillas over an open flame and assemble your tacos by adding a dollop of guacamole, a large spoonful of the shredded meat, and your favorite taco toppings or salsa.
How to Store Chuck Roast Tacos
You can store the meat in the fridge for 3-4 days. Assemble your tacos fresh as you are eating them.
How to Freeze Chuck Roast Tacos
This roast chuck freezes well. Once completely cooled, you can freeze it in meal-size portions in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. It is best to thaw this in the fridge a day or few hours in advance, depending on the portion size.
Tips & Tricks
Alternatively: this recipe is great in an instant pot. If you opt for that route of cooking, cut the chuck roast in half. Place into the Instant Pot and cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes with ½ cup orange juice and the quartered onions. Once the timer is up, remove and transfer to a sheet pan. Tear the meat into pieces, it should shred incredibly easily, then transfer under a broil to caramelize.
FAQs
What is a chuck roast?
A chuck roast is a cut of beef that comes from the shoulder area of the cow. It's best cooked with low and slow heat.
What's the best way to cook a chuck roast?
Slow cooking a chuck roast in a Dutch Oven or crockpot is the best way to cook it. An instant pot will also replicate the same shredded fall-apart beef results.
Is chuck roast a tender cut of beef?
Yes, chuck roast is a tender cut of beef when cooked properly! The best way to get a tender chuck roast is to cook it low and slow and really let the meat tenderize and fall apart.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Chuck Roast Tacos
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
- 4 tablespoons Dalkin&Co Taco Seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 onions cut into quarters, paper removed
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1 recipe guacamole
- small flour tortillas
- your favorite salsa
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325F and season your roast generously on both sides with salt, pepper and the taco seasoning. Place the chuck roast into a Dutch Oven along with the orange juice, beef stock and onions. Secure the lid on the dutch oven and transfer into the oven to bake for 3.5 - 4 hours.
- After 3.5 - 4 hours, remove the roast from the oven and it should easily shred it into large chunks using two forks. If it's not quite falling apart, place it back into the oven for an additional 30 minutes with the lid on.
- Increase the oven heat to 425F. Toss the shredded pieces of meat with the onions and a sprinkle of more taco seasoning onto a baking sheet and place it back in the oven, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes until it starts to caramelize and get crispy on some parts.
- Make the guacamole while the roast is getting caramelized.
- Char your tortillas over an open flame and assemble your tacos by adding a dollop of guacamole, a large spoonful of the shredded meat, and your favorite taco toppings or salsa.
The chuck meat comes out so flavorful and most of the fat melted away. I put mine in a taco bowl and it was delicious. Will definitely make this recipe again.
Delicious! Making it for the second time now (testing it out in the slow cooker) and I can't wait for dinner time!
How did the slow cooker method turn around? I want to try it today!
LOVED THIS RECIPE! Great for
Parties! Could I also cook it in a crock pot?
Instructions for that? Tips?
Hi Gaby! I couldn’t find 1 piece of 4# chuck roast so instead I gave a 2.03# and 2.33# and put them in my le creuset…but added 3/4’s cups each of oj and beef broth…should it cook shorter time because it’s 2 smaller hunks of meat? If so what time? Thank you! Love your recipes❤️Sarah
just seeing this! sorry! You'll want to cook it until the meat is falling apart 🙂
SO GOOD. And really not hard at all to make. I used 2 taco seasoning packets in lieu of that taco seasoning mentioned in the recipe. My husband is also v picky and he loved this! 10/10
This was amazing! So easy and so flavorfull, even the kids loved it! I also added liquid smoke when cooking it in the oven and it added a rich smokiness. We served it with pickled red onions and guacamole, cheese and sour cream. Served with a side in cinnamon sweet potato.
According to your notes we only use orange juice and onion if using instant pot?!?
This was insanely good. Made it for 5 of us and only had a small amount of beef left over! Did a taco bar with red cabbage slaw, cilantro, onions, salsa, guac, cheese, radishes. Great for a crowd. Incredible flavors on the beef and loved the crispy parts. 4 hours was perfect to shred it!