Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

about a secret ingredient that will make your recipes for shredded beef or pork go even faster in a slow cooker? Coca-Cola serves as a perfect marinade to help keep your meats oh-so-tender during the slow cooking process. It can also take the place of sugar in many recipes. It’s important to use regular Coke and not diet. The sugar from the soda will caramelize and combine with the chipotle for a rich smoky flavor. The acid from the soda will help break down the meat to make it extremely tender.

So enter the 3 ingredient slow cooker shredded beef recipe. Technically 4 if adding salt and pepper. It doesn’t get much easier than this! 

Dr. Pepper works well as a substitute for Coke giving the meat a little more tang.  

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos with Spanish Rice 

Beef Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 lb. chuck or cross rib roast
• 1-1/2 TB. olive oil
• Onion salt and freshly ground pepper
• Coke Classic -12 oz. or Dr. Pepper
• 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce  

Taco Ingredients:

• Warmed corn of fresh flour tortillas
• Chopped romaine lettuce
• Shredded Mexican Four Cheeses
•  Guacamole or diced avocados
• Sour cream 
• Fresh pico de gallo or diced tomatoes
• Freshly squeezed lime juice 
• Hot sauce

Beef Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Dab both sides of meat dry with paper towels. Season meat with onion salt and pepper. Sear in pot until brown on both sides about 3 minutes a side. 
• Place meat in slow cooker. 
• Finely mince up the peppers. Use 2-3, depending on your spice preference. These will give the meat a rich, smoky flavor. Stir them into 12 ounces of Coca-Cola Classic along with 1-2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce.  Pour adobe sauce with peppers and coke over meat.    
• Cook on low 6 hours. Turn roast over a few times during cooking process. Remove meat and shred with two forks. Return meat back to sauce in pot for 10 minutes more. Drain meat, set aside to keep warm by tenting tin foil over it. 
• Serve with suggested taco ingredients above.

The night sky with a full moon over the Santa Rita Mountains near a golf course certainly caught my attention.

Advice from the Night Sky

See the big picture

Be a star 

Keep looking up

Don't be afraid of the dark

Stay full of wonder

Expand your horizons
Turn off the lights.