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Crockpot Chipotle Pot Roast Tacos with spicy red verde sauce and tangy jalapeño yogurt. Because loaded tacos are just better. Slow-cooked beef seasoned with a smoky chipotle chili spice mix. Then braised with fresh orange juice until caramelized and falling apart. Shred the meat, then stuff it into warm taco shells with a quick red salsa verde sauce, jalapeño yogurt, and crumbled cotija cheese. These tacos are saucy, spicy, cheesy, and so yummy! You’ll love these pot roast tacos any time of year.
Taco Tuesday is more of a thing, but this week we’ve got Wednesday night tacos, and we are here for it. I’ve been so excited to share this recipe. These are currently some of our most favorite tacos!
It’s the shredded chipotle beef – SO GOOD.
I know I’ve spoken about my dad’s tacos many times over. But for those of you who may be new, my Dad made tacos at least once a week. They were a staple when my brothers and I were growing up, and my dad had them down to a T.
He’d make his tacos with ground beef and store-bought taco seasoning. Then he’d stuff the meat into tortillas with a little cheddar cheese, maybe some lettuce, and nothing else. No beans, no avocado, not even cilantro or a squeeze of lime. Very, very basic, but to this day, they were one of our most loved dinners.
Now I’m the one making tacos all the time. My tacos are typically crispy like dads. But today’s tacos are a little switch-up. They’re made in soft shells and we absolutely love them. It’s all about the shredded chipotle beef!
Here are the details
Step 1: the seasoning
My go-to taco seasoning blend is chipotle chili powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, Mexican oregano, and salt.
I use this for my weeknight tacos, it’s my favorite blend.
Step 2: slow-cook the meat
You can braise the meat in the oven or use the crockpot. Both methods are almost identical and equally delicious.
Arrange lots of sliced onions in the bottom of your pot. Add orange juice and a small bit of honey, then water. Slow braise the meat for 2-3 hours in the oven or 5 hours in the crockpot. As the meat is slowly cooking, the braising liquid turns into a yummy red sauce. Save this sauce, and we’ll make a dipping sauce with it!
Step 3: shred the meat
When the roast is falling apart, remove it from the pot and shred the meat.
Step 4: the sauce
Now take the red sauce in the pot and mix it with salsa verde. This is your dipping/drizzling sauce for the tacos. It’s spicy and smoky. Make sure to season with salt.
For this jalapeño lime yogurt, simply add everything to a bowl – the yogurt, garlic, pickled jalapeños, lime, and salt. Then mix until creamy. The recipe is in the notes!
Step 5: assemble
Originally, I was going to make these crispy tacos, which you can still totally do. But I didn’t have the right tortillas. So I used some soft shells tortillas from Caramelo Tortillas that I had on hand. We ended up loving them. Using good tortillas is the key to great soft-shell tacos, and theirs are the best. I like the pork and duck fat options.
Stuff the meat into the charred tortillas. Then take the red verde sauce and spoon it over the meat. Add avocado, cilantro, and lots of sharp cheddar cheese and/or cojita cheese.
The bonus is that these tacos are simple to make, which makes them even better!
Looking for more simple weeknight recipes? Here are a few favorites:
Crispy Cider Braised White Chili Chicken Tacos
Crispy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Lastly, if you make these Crockpot Chipotle Pot Roast Tacos, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Chipotle Honey Pot Roast Tacos
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 203 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- 1 (4 pound) chuck roast
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 12 hard or soft taco shells, warmed
- cilantro, green onion, avocado, and crumbled cotija cheese, for serving
Instructions
Oven
- 1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. 2. Arrange the onions in the bottom of a large, oven-safe Dutch oven. 3. In a bowl, mix the chipotle, chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and season with 1 tablespoon of salt. Rub the roast all over with the spice mix, then place on top of the onions. Pour over the orange juice, 3/4 cup water, and the honey. Cover and roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until very tender.4. Crank the heat on the oven up to 425° F. Uncover and cook for 10 minutes, until deeply caramelized on top. Remove the meat from the pot and shred it using two forks. 5. Mix the salsa verde with 1 cup of the braising sauce – season with salt.6. Stuff the beef and onions into the warmed taco shells and top with cilantro, avocado, and cheese. Serve with salsa verde. Enjoy!
- Crockpot
- 1. Arrange the onions in the bottom of the crockpot bowl. 3. In a bowl, mix the chipotle, chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and season with 1 tablespoon of salt. Place the roast over the onions, then rub all over with the spice mix. Pour over the orange juice, 3/4 cup water, and the honey. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours.4. Remove the meat from the crockpot and shred it using two forks. 5. Mix the salsa verde with 1 cup of the braising sauce – season with salt.6. Stuff the beef and onions into the warmed taco shells and top with cilantro, avocado, and cheese. Serve with salsa verde. Enjoy!
Notes
Jalapeño Lime Yogurt
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 cup pickled jalapeños
2 tablespoons lime juice Combine all in a bowl, mixing until creamy. Season with salt. For Easy Homemade Hard Shells: Warm 8-12 corn tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each flat and then layer evenly with cheese and beef. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see above photo). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 cup pickled jalapeños
2 tablespoons lime juice Combine all in a bowl, mixing until creamy. Season with salt. For Easy Homemade Hard Shells: Warm 8-12 corn tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each flat and then layer evenly with cheese and beef. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see above photo). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.
Yummmy! My husband and I made this this weekend exactly as the recipe was written except we cut it in half since it’s just the two of us. Flavor was so good, not too spicy but a great kick. Only issue was that the meat did not shred so we had to cut it into 3/4” pieces. We slow-cooked for 4 hours on low and then one hour on high because we checked on it at hour 4 and it wouldn’t shred. Any suggestions on the shredability? Did it just need longer to cook? Regardless, will make again because the meat tasted great!
Hi Brooke,
So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! Yes, it definitely needed to cook longer:) Xx
This looks amazing! I am planning to make this for a dinner tomorrow evening. I notice you specify Pink Himalayan Salt for the 1 tsp but I wondered if you use regular salt for the 1 Tbsp that goes into the rub or do you use the Himalayan salt? I hope you see this and can reply soon! I have made several of your recipes and love everything you do! Many thanks!!
Hi Wanda,
Yes, regular salt is just fine for you to use:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know how it turns out! Xx
Assume this could be made in an Instant Pot as well? Approximately 30 minutes under pressure? Or would you make other adjustments?
Hi Brian,
You bet! I would do 20 minutes on high pressure. I hope you love this recipe! xT
In my experience I would probably go 50 to 55 depending on the quantity of meat, I have went an hr 10m under pressure an that is after a nice sear. Mexican is my favorite cuisine an this spice rub is top tier.
Do you use all the spice mix? I thoroughly rubbed mix all over my roast and it looks very well seasoned but I still have extra spice mix. Should I still add it all in?
Hi Miranda,
I used all of the spice mix, but if you feel as though the roast is seasoned enough you can use your best judgement:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
Flavor was great!
Thanks so much Valerie!!
Is this recipe doable in an Instant Pot?
Hey Dee,
Totally, I would do 20 minutes in the instant pot! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
I want to try the homemade hard shells! What oven temperature should I use when baking the filled tortillas?
Hi Natalie,
You can bake at 350F. I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out! xT
Dang these were DELICIOUS!! 10/10 would make again.
Thanks so much, Mattie!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! Have a great week! xT
Hello- if I double the amount of meat, how does it change the cooking time?
Thanks!!
Hi Gracia,
You will want to double the entire recipe and I would highly recommend cooking in 2 pots for best results. I hope you love this recipe! xT
This sounds amazing! I was wondering if you could cook this in a instant pot and for how long.
Thank you
Thanks so much Tammy! Sure, I would do 20 minutes in the instant pot! I hope you love this recipe! xT
How much salt? The ingredients list says 1 tsp – but the instructions say add 1 Tbsp of salt to the spice rub. Which is the correct amt? Thx!
Hi John,
You are going to use 1 tablespoon in the spice rub and then 1 teaspoon in step 5. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Dear Tieghan,
“Mix the salsa verde with 1 cup of the braising sauce – season with salt” – does that mean to mix the meat with that sauce or is this the salsa verde to top the tacos with in the end? I’m sorry, no native speaker here.
Hi Missy,
Sorry for any confusion, I like to mix with the meat sauce and then use this for serving at the end:) I hope this makes more sense! xT
This came out great! The only thing I changed was searing the beef first and cooking on low for 8 hrs.
Hey Emily,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this dish, so glad to hear it was enjoyed:) xx
Made the crockpot version – I was gone all day at my daughters volleyball tournament, needed something easy for dinner. It simmered on low for about 10 hours since I was gone and WOW. Everyone loved dinner, I did add extra OJ and water because my roast was a little larger, but the end results was amazing. Super flavor, and the sipping sauce we perfect!
Hey Melissa,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out and your feedback! Love to hear it turned out well! xT
Curious, with the OJ and the honey – does the meat end up with a sweet taste? Not big on sweet so… !
Thanks!
Hi Stephanie,
The meat isn’t sweet, the OJ and honey really help to balance out all of the spices:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hi! I can’t find what type of meat to use and the ratio of “roast” vs spices? 5lbs? 2lbs? And will it be good with beef?
Hi Amanda,
This recipe calls for 4lbs of chuck roast, which is beef:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx