Slow Cooker Beef Tacos with Mango-Citrus Salsa

Super tender Slow Cooker Beef Tacos made with lots of jalapeños, garlic, and oregano then topped with a vibrant mango and citrus salsa. Add all the ingredients for the beef in the slow cooker and just wait for it to cook. An easy meal to throw together; not to mention, your whole family will LOVE this recipe!

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slow cooker beef tacos are winning game day food

No matter what team you’re rooting for on Sunday—49ers, ahem—isn’t it really all about the food and margaritas? Some may argue otherwise, but I’m pretty sure if you set up a solid spread even the most devout fans will pull away from the TV for some stellar beef tacos.

The secret to making these shredded beef tacos drool-worthy is a hefty cup of Rio Luna Organics Nacho Sliced Jalapeños. I’ve long been dedicated to Rio Luna Organics because they are the highest quality organic peppers that have been used by professional chefs for years.

Their peppers and chiles are certified organic and GMO-free with exceptional flavor. If you’re looking for an effortless way to elevate your Mexican food recipes, Rio Luna is it. Rio Luna Peppers are available at Whole Foods nationwide. For my California readers, you can also find them at Ralphs, Vons, or Safeway.

what kind of beef is best for shredded beef tacos?

The best taco meat recipe always starts with a well-marbled cut, meaning a large, piece of meat with strands of white fat swirled throughout.

A bone-in roast will have more flavor but also take a bit longer to cook. Boneless roasts are much more common and cook faster.

When making beef tacos, especially ones that you are slow cooking, you want to use chuck roast or blade roast, also sometimes labeled as pot roast. Another delicious option are short ribs!

what you need

This may seem like a lot of ingredients, especially if you plan on making the Mango-Citrus salsa but remember everything just get tossed in the slow cooker, so don’t stress. Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

Beef Chuck Roast. See above for more info on why this is the best cut of meat to use. I add it in whole, but you can cut it into small pieces for faster cooking.

Homemade Taco Seasoning. A combination of ground cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper are my go-to seasoning for the meat.

Aromatics. Onions and garlic because well—essential.

Beer! I love the yeasty, malty flavor it adds. If you are not into it, use beef broth instead. What kind of beer? The kind you have in your fridge! Because that’s the kind of beer you like and the kind that will taste the best to you in this recipe.

Jalapeños. I used sliced jarred jalapeños which are more mild than fresh. So don’t be afraid that this will be too spicy. My kids gladly eat this with no problem. If you want more heat, use fresh jalapeños. Or you can use canned green chiles as well.

Red Wine Vinegar. A touch of tang is always good for balance.

Bay Leaf and Oregano. Use fresh oregano leaves or dried. If you have Mexican oregano that would be great here.

Salsa Ingredients:

• Ripe Mango
• Red Onion
• Jalapeños
• Oranges
• Tangerines
• Lime
• Cilantro
• Salt

how to make it!

The hands-on time for this recipe is really minimal but the cooking time is long so start this recipe in the morning and by dinner you’ll have luscious tacos ready to eat!

The first step is to combine the salt, spices, and oregano in a small bowl. This is our seasoning mix. If you have a favorite taco seasoning you can use that instead.

Season the meat on all sides with this mixture. Use all the spice mix. Let it sit at least 20 minutes or up to a day in advance for extra flavor.

Next we brown the beef. Heat oil in the slow cooker or Instant Pot insert (if your machine has a sauté function) if not, do this in a frying pan on the stove. Add the beef to the hot oil and brown on all sides, this should take about 15 minutes.

Then switch the crock pot to the slow cooker function and add the remaining taco ingredients. Cook the meat on low for 6 hours or high for 4.

While the meat is cooking, make the Mango-Citrus salsa by chopping up all the ingredients and mixing them together in a bowl. Make sure to taste the salsa and add more salt and lime juice as needed. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

Once the meat is tender, shred into bite-sized pieces and return to the juices in the slow cooker. You can keep it warm in the slow cooker for an hour or so.

Serve the tacos with warm corn tortillas and garnishes like the mango salsa, sour cream, charred scallions, and hot sauce.

get a jumpstart on prep

The nice thing about making these beef tacos in the slow cooker is you can throw everything together first thing in the morning and just heat the tortillas before serving. Here are a few other helpful tips:

• I actually use the slow cooker setting on my multi-function pressure cooker. This means I can also brown the beef in there too. If your machine doesn’t have a sauté setting, brown the beef in a frying pan.
• Season the meat up to a day in advance for extra flavor.
• No crock pot? No problem. Throw everything in a Dutch Oven instead and cook at 300°F in the oven for 3-4 hours.

freezing instructions

This is an awesome meal-prep recipe. It can be made up to 4-5 days in advance and then eaten all week in tacos, burrito bowls, enchiladas, flautas, and more.

If you want to freeze any leftover meat, let the beef cool completely in the juices. Transfer to a freezer-safe container in the juice, seal tightly, and freeze for up to 6 months.

To reheat, let meat defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Then heat slowly in its juices on the stove covered in a frying pan until it is hot.

what to serve with this beef taco recipe

Along with the Mango-Citrus Salsa I like to serve these tacos with charred scallions, hot sauce, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime juice from fresh cut lime wedges.

Round out the menu with a few other easy recipes:

• Mezcal Ginger Pineapple Punch
• The Best Ever Canned Black Beans
• Chicharrones de Harina {Fried Mexican Wheat Crisps}
• Cucumber Mezcal Margaritas
• La Mulita {Tequila Moscow Mule}
• Cauliflower Ceviche Tostadas
• Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus

show some team spirit

Show me how you celebrate this Sunday. If you try this beef tacos recipe, let me know OK? Share a photo and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so that I can see what you made with it or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) !

In support of this small business, ¡Hola! Jalapeño earns revenue in a few different ways. Several sponsored posts are published each month, such as this one here which is sponsored by Rio Luna Organics. I also earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products I link to— there are a few of those links in this post. I only feature items I genuinely love and personally use on a regular basis. This commission is an arrangement between the retailer and ¡Hola! Jalapeño (readers never pay more for products). This income allows me to run the site. Thank you for reading!