Description
This Beef Carnitas recipe slow-cooks tender beef chuck roast with a blend of bold spices, pineapple juice, and fresh vegetables, resulting in flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth shredded beef perfect for tacos, burritos, salads, or bowls.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast
Vegetables & Spices
- 1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces diced green chiles (1 can)
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon salt
Liquids
- 1½ cups pineapple juice
Instructions
- Prepare the Beef: Trim off any excess fat from the beef chuck roast, leaving a small amount for flavor. Optionally, cut the roast into large chunks for easier handling after cooking and to remove interior fat.
- Season the Meat: Place the beef roast or chunks into the slow cooker. Evenly sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, ground cumin, and salt over the beef to ensure full flavor penetration.
- Add Pineapple Juice and Vegetables: Pour the pineapple juice over the seasoned beef so some juice soaks into the spices. Layer diced green chiles, coarsely chopped onion, and both bell peppers on top of the beef in the slow cooker.
- Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until the roast is very tender and can be easily shredded with forks.
- Remove Fat and Shred Beef: Spoon off any visible excess fat from the surface and discard. Remove most of the cooking juices and set aside in a bowl. Using two forks, shred the beef directly in the slow cooker.
- Moisten, Serve, and Enjoy: If the shredded beef seems dry, add a small amount of the reserved juices back until the desired consistency is reached. Serve the carnitas in tacos, burritos, salads, or bowls as preferred.
Notes
- Leaving some fat on the roast enhances flavor but remove thick pieces to avoid excess grease.
- Reserve some cooking juices to moisten the shredded beef if needed.
- Cook on low heat for maximum tenderness and flavor development.
- This recipe is versatile – use the shredded beef in tacos, burritos, salads, or bowls.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
