Easy Slow Cooker Chili Lime Mexican Shredded Beef takes mere minutes to prepare before letting the slow cooker do all of the work! This super simple meal is ridiculously tasty and so versatile. Serve it up plain, or enjoy it in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and more!
Easy slow cooker recipes are always a favorite. You can throw it in the crockpot in the morning and then spend the next 8 hours deciding what you’ll have with it for dinner. Leftovers? Guess you’re already set for a completely different dinner tomorrow night. This shredded beef is great plain, on tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas…well, you get the point. It’s great on absolutely everything. We love how this recipe uses whole, real ingredients. Well, calling soda a whole, real ingredient is walking a thin line. However, we love the way soda flavors and tenderizes beef. It’s really amazing what it can do. The sugar and carbonation break down that tough roast and produce a tender, moist, and tasty shredded beef. It’s easy, and totally delicious.
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Lime Juice:
We alway say that fresh is best, and we stand by that. However, in a recipe like this you could get away with bottled lime juice.
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Garlic Options:
You can use either minced garlic, garlic granules or garlic powder. Sticking to garlic granules or garlic powder keeps the prep time super quick and easy. If you choose to use either granules or powder, you’ll need 1/2 teaspoon.
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Searing Your Roast:
Searing your roast on the stovetop is completely optional, however we find that it gives it the shredded beef a bit more flavor. If you have the time to sear, we highly recommend it!
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Why is there soda in Easy Slow Cooker Chili Lime Mexican Shredded Beef?
The sugar and carbonation in the soda break down the meat to produce the most tender, moist, and tasty shredded beef. It is absolutely needed in this recipe. However, you can feel free to use whichever lemon-lime soda you prefer: Sprite, 7-Up, generic brand, Sierra Mist, anything! We highly recommend you use a soda with regular sugar in it rather than diet. However, you could use diet soda in a pinch.
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Storage and Reheating Instructions:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through, or in a microwave in 30 second increments for a total of approximately 90 seconds.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious Mexican-inspired recipes:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
I prepared last night was delicious everyone enjoyed so much that my daughter in low wants the recipe.
Thanks Rachel for all your delicious recipes. You are a beautiful clever girl 😘
Oh my goodness! This is the absolutely delicious! I am so excited to get home tonight and east leftovers! I added the lime juice and cilantro after cooking as some people are not crazy about those ingredients. I also made up the tacos, added sautéed yellow, red and orange peppers, chees and top and put in the oven on the broiler setting for a few minutes to melt the cheese. The little metal zig zag taco holders worked well.
This was delicious! It will be in our menu rotation for sure.
Hello: Have you ever tried this with chicken instead of beef?
I’m sure it would taste great.
I am trying this recipe tonight. Wondering if you are supposed to drain liquid prior to shredding or at All? Thanks!
I prefer to shred it in the liquid to absorb more flavor. You wouldn’t serve it in the liquid though.
I accidentally put lime in in the beginning I didn’t realize it’s after do you think it will be ok? 🙁
Should be! I’d add in extra at the end as slow cookers tend to dull flavors.
Thank you! It’s still delicious!
I’m starting with a 5 pound chuck roast, should I double the ingredients as well? My thought was to cut the roast into smaller pieces and set the slow cooker on high for 5 to 6 hours due to time constraints. Any thoughts?
Cutting the roast into smaller pieces will certainly help it cook faster. It can be a challenge to cook it tender enough when you are only cooking it on high for 5-6 hours. You will be cutting it close.
As for ingredients, double everything except the soda. 4-6 cups will suffice.
Thanks Rachel,
I’m hoping that cutting into smaller pieces will help. We’re doing a “World food day” at work and I didn’t want to cook it the day before or overnight because I wasn’t sure how it would taste sitting in the crock pot for an additional 7 or 8 hours on warm and I definitely didn’t want to reheat it in the microwave.
Can I cook it half way on slow and then resume when I get to work?
So I’ve made this twice now. First time I followed the directions to a T, and used Serra Mist. The meat was moist and shredded beautifully, but it was very bland.
The second time I doubled the Chili powder. Added Cumin powder and Onion powder but used 7-up instead of the Mist.
The roast came out a little bit on the dry side and I ended up cutting it in cubes instead of shredding it. It would have shredded if I really wanted it to, but it was cutting fine. The most disappointing thing was that the meat was almost too sweet I’m assuming from the 7-up..
For my 3rd time I think I’ll keep the Chili, Cumin and Onion powder like I had it but maybe go back to Serra Mist, or maybe try another lemon lime soda that isn’t as sweet. Has anyone has any great luck with another lemon lime soda that didn’t cause the meat to be too sweet?
I don’t mind that being a bit of sweetness, because the lime will kind of even it out, but this last attempt the meat was way to sweet.
maybe try 1/2 or so 7 up, the other 1/2 use just Lime soda water? Or soad water w/ some lemon &/or lime juice added for flavor? JustI have yet to try, but I’d prefer sticking to 7-up to avoid chemicals…
I would say try ginger ale or just one of the carbonated waters that are on the market now…
Is there meant to be heaps of liquid at the end? Do you just throw it out? My other slow cooker meals tend to absorb the liquid or become thick so I’m a bit worried about this one.
Yes, it’s kind of like a marinade. The amount of liquid you have leftover will vary depending on the meat you used and how much water was added to the meat (yes, this is a common practice).
Do you think substituting pork like a butt would work also?
Absolutely!