Copycat Cafe Rio Shredded Beef Tacos
Tender slow cooker shredded beef simmered with cumin, garlic and green enchilada sauce, just like Cafe Rio. Pile it into warm tortillas with creamy tomatillo dressing and your favorite toppings.
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
Adapted from: Eat Cake for Dinner
Cooking time: LOW for 6 to 8 hours gives the most tender beef. HIGH for 4 to 5 hours works in a pinch.
Juices: add the strained cooking liquid back a little at a time so the beef is moist but not soupy, especially for burritos.
Storage: refrigerate the beef with some of its juices for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. The dressing keeps about 5 days in the fridge and doesn't freeze well.
Nutrition
Calories: 357kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 24gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 1022mgPotassium: 585mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 570IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
