Crockpot Shredded Beef Tacos & Spanish Rice

Last night we had some delicious shredded beef tacos. We've had all kinds of tacos, regular ground beef, chicken, fish, even pork, so why not try shredded beef, too? They turned out pretty good if I say so myself. They're super easy! You could use the meat to make chimichangas, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, or pretty much any other kind of food. Jess always says that all Mexican food has the same ingredients, just tossed together differently and I tend to agree. And I agree to the fact that I LOVE ALL OF IT! Have you seen that meme with the most interesting man in the world and it says "I don't always eat chips and salsa, but when I do I do it until I hate myself"? Yea, well that is me. I can go through a whole bag of chips and jar of salsa in no time...and then run to the store for more.

So, shredded Mexican beef! I got the idea for this recipe from Key Ingredient Key Ingredient - which of course I got to via Pinterest which is my kryptonite. Except that it is good and I love it.
What you need:
Beef Roast - so in the directions it said to use 1 1/2 lb Chuck roast, but I only had a 2 lb Rump roast, so that is what I used.
1/2 large or 1 small onion, minced
1 cup beef broth
Taco seasoning - I use about 2 tablespoons of my own mixture, but you can use a packet, too. (Easy to make your own! Equal parts Cumin, Chili Powder, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder with 1/4 part Cayenne Pepper.)
8 oz taco sauce
7 oz diced green chiles

My taco seasoning mix in a cute little jar!

First, put your roast in the crockpot along with the diced up onion. Mix one cup of beef broth with the taco seasoning and pour over the meat and onions. Cook on low 4-6 hours, mine was done after about 4 1/2.

The roast taking a little bath in some beef broth and onions.

Side note about beef broth: I use "Better than Bouillon" for most of my beef broth needs. It comes in a jar by the broth and once it is opened you keep it in the fridge. It is one teaspoon for every cup/8 oz of water. I recommend it!

After your beef is cooked, take it out and shred it. I don't have a picture of this step because my hands were a little busy. But use forks, your hands, whatever your preferred shredding method is. Return to crockpot and turn it down to warm. Add in the taco sauce and diced green chiles and mix up. I used mild taco sauce and then ended up adding a couple dashes of cayenne pepper, so next time I'll probably use medium or hot taco sauce. Let it all warm up and dish it up when you're ready! We just used them on regular taco shells with cheese, lettuce, sour cream, etc. Enjoy!

The possibilities are pretty much endless to what you
could put in here really...

The rice at Mexican restaurants is my favorite. I'm not sure what they put in it, but it is delicious. This is similar, but not quite there. It is quite good though. Quick cheat sheet about Minute Rice, always use a 1:1 rice to liquid ratio. So here, I'm making 1.5 cups (dry) rice and I know I want to use a small can of tomato sauce which is 8 oz (1 cup), so that means I only need 1/2 cup chicken broth. If I were making more rice I would just add more chicken broth to even out the ratio. Easy peasy!
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1.5 cups Minute Rice
1 heaping teaspoon Cumin
1 Dash of Cayenne
8 oz tomato sauce (small can)
1/2 cup chicken broth

Heat up the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.

This is actually a tiny pan...it looks huge in this photo!

Add dry rice, cumin, and cayenne. Brown the rice, stirring frequently. I know it is kind of hard to tell when it starts to brown because the cumin colors the rice, but you'll be able see a difference, I promise. This takes maybe 5-6 minutes. Don't let it scorch!

Keep stirring!

Spices!

Add in the chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, which doesn't take long. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for abotu 5 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Love these little $0.69 cans! 

Put a lid on it and forget it...until
you're hungry, that is.

If you like more dry, sticky rice, you can put it back on heat for a little bit and fry it similar to Fried Rice. Add more cumin/cayenne to taste and enjoy!

All done!

So while it doesn't completely satisfy my craving for good American-Mexican restaurant food, it comes pretty darn close.  Enjoy!