These Copycat Cafe Rio Shredded Beef Tacos are tender, saucy and so full of flavor, and your slow cooker does almost all the work! This Cafe Rio shredded beef recipe simmers a chuck roast with cumin, garlic and green enchilada sauce until it falls apart, then gets piled into warm tortillas with all your favorite toppings.
If you've ever had Cafe Rio beef, you know why people love it. It's savory and a little tangy, and it stays juicy in a taco, burrito or salad. You only need about 15 minutes of hands-on time, so it's a great pick for busy weeknights, game days and potlucks. Looking for more ideas like this one? Check out our easy Mexican recipes too.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Beef chuck roast. Chuck is the best cut for this recipe. It has enough fat and connective tissue to turn super tender after hours in the slow cooker, and it shreds easily with two forks. A boneless chuck roast is easiest, but a bottom round or brisket works too. Lean cuts like eye of round tend to come out dry, so I'd skip those.
- Green enchilada sauce. This is where the chiles come in, and it's what gives Cafe Rio beef its signature tang. Most canned green enchilada sauces are made from mild green chiles and tomatillos. I like La Victoria green enchilada sauce, but any brand you like will work. Red enchilada sauce works too if that's what you have. The flavor is just a little deeper and earthier.
- Green chiles and other chiles. For more chile flavor, stir in a small can of diced green chiles with the enchilada sauce. If you like it smoky, add one or two minced chipotle peppers in adobo. A fresh jalapeno or poblano, diced and tucked under the roast, is another easy option.
- Beef broth, tomato sauce and tomato paste. The broth and tomato sauce keep the roast moist while it cooks, and a spoonful of tomato paste at the end thickens the sauce and makes it richer. Low-sodium broth gives you more control over the salt.
- Cumin and garlic. These two are the main seasonings. Start with a tablespoon of cumin and add more to taste at the end. Fresh garlic tastes best, but jarred minced garlic is fine.
- Creamy tomatillo dressing. Cafe Rio is famous for its creamy tomatillo ranch, and this homemade version is so easy. You blend a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk dressing mix with buttermilk, mayo, tomatillos, cilantro, lime and a little jalapeno. It's optional, but it's amazing drizzled over the tacos.
Helpful Tips
Don't skip the onion layer. The thick onion slices under the roast lift it off the bottom of the crock so it doesn't stick or scorch. They also melt into the cooking juices and add a nice sweetness.
Cook it low and slow. LOW for 6 to 8 hours gives you the most tender beef. You can cook it on HIGH for about 4 to 5 hours if you're short on time, but the meat won't be quite as soft. It's ready when it pulls apart easily with a fork.
Save the cooking juices. Strain the liquid from the slow cooker before you add the shredded beef back in, then pour some of it back over the meat. Add it a little at a time. You want the beef moist and saucy, not soupy, especially if you're making burritos.
Season at the end. Taste the beef after you stir in the enchilada sauce and tomato paste, then add salt and extra cumin as needed. Enchilada sauces vary a lot in saltiness, so it's best to adjust once everything is together.
Make cleanup easy. A slow cooker liner makes cleanup so much easier after a long cook. If you're taking the beef to a potluck or tailgate, a slow cooker travel bag keeps it hot and keeps the lid from sliding around in the car.
Variations
- Cafe Rio-style salads. Skip the tortillas and pile the beef over chopped romaine with rice, black beans, pico de gallo and cheese. Drizzle on the tomatillo dressing and add crushed tortilla strips for crunch.
- Burritos. Wrap the beef in large flour tortillas with rice, beans and cheese. For an "enchilada-style" burrito, top them with extra green enchilada sauce and cheese and bake at 400°F until bubbly.
- Barbacoa-style beef. Add 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, a pinch of ground cloves, a teaspoon of oregano and a splash of apple cider vinegar to the slow cooker. You'll get a smokier, spicier shredded beef that's a lot like restaurant barbacoa.
- Quesadillas and nachos. Leftover beef is great tucked into quesadillas with lots of melty cheese or piled on tortilla chips for loaded nachos.
- Other proteins. The same method works with chicken thighs or pork shoulder. For more ideas, try our Mexican slow cooker shredded chicken or slow cooker carnitas.
- Instant Pot version. Cook the roast with the broth, tomato sauce and seasonings on high pressure for 60 to 70 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before shredding.
Serving Ideas
Serve the beef in warm corn or flour tortillas with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, salsa and a sprinkle of cheese. Crumbled feta or cotija is a fun swap for the shredded cheese, and a drizzle of the creamy tomatillo dressing pulls it all together.
For sides, you can't go wrong with cilantro lime rice, Spanish rice or slow cooker pinto beans. Some chips and salsa or a bowl of roasted corn salsa makes it feel like a real Cafe Rio night at home.
Feeding a crowd? Set up a taco bar and keep the beef warm in the slow cooker on the WARM setting. Everyone can build their own tacos, burritos or salad bowls.
Storing & Freezing
Let the beef cool, then store it with some of its juices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The tomatillo dressing keeps in a covered jar in the fridge for about 5 days. Give it a good shake before using.
The shredded beef freezes really well. Pack it into freezer bags with a little of the cooking liquid, press out the air and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if it looks dry. The dressing doesn't freeze well, so make it fresh.
This also makes a great make-ahead meal. Cook the beef a day early and reheat it right before your party or busy weeknight.
More Copycat Recipes
If you loved this Cafe Rio beef, here are a few more restaurant favorites you can make at home:
- Copycat Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Copycat Texas Roadhouse Chili
- Copycat Famous Dave's Ribs
- Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Copycat P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef
- 55 Restaurant Copycat Recipes
Recipe
Copycat Cafe Rio Shredded Beef Tacos
Equipment
- slow cooker (crock pot) 6-quart
- Blender or food processor, for the dressing
Ingredients
For the shredded beef
- 1 onion small
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast boneless
- 1 cup beef broth low-sodium
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin plus extra to taste
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic minced
- 8 oz tomato sauce one 8 oz can
- 14 oz green enchilada sauce mild or medium
- 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- salt to taste
For the creamy tomatillo dressing (optional)
- ½ packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix buttermilk recipe mix, 0.4 oz packet
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 medium tomatillos husks removed and rinsed well
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ small bunch cilantro
- juice of ½ a lime
- ½ small jalapeno with seeds removed
For serving
- soft tortillas corn or flour
- black or pinto beans
- spanish rice
- tomato diced
- salsa
- cilantro chopped
- Feta cheese
- shredded Monterey or Cheddar cheese
- avocado
Instructions
For the shredded beef
- Cut the onion into thick, chunky slices and spread them over the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Place the chuck roast on top of the onions.
- In a bowl, stir together the beef broth, 1 tablespoon cumin, garlic and tomato sauce. Pour it over the roast.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Transfer the beef to a cutting board and shred it with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
- Strain the juices from the slow cooker into a bowl and save them. Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker.
- Pour some of the strained juices over the beef, a little at a time, until it is moist but not soupy.
- Stir in the green enchilada sauce and tomato paste. Season with salt and extra cumin to taste, then cover and let it heat through on LOW for about 15 minutes.
- Serve in warm soft tortillas with your favorite toppings and a drizzle of the tomatillo dressing.
For the creamy tomatillo dressing
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the lime, salt or jalapeno as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
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