Spicy Beef Tacos - Slow Cooker Recipe

Have you finally gotten through all your holiday leftovers? They can seem endless sometimes, especially if you have a lot of people to feed. We still have a few bags of raviolis in our deep freezer to savor on a lazy night. It gives us a taste of Christmas a few more times after it’s over. If you’re ready (or forced) to get back to cooking fresh meals again, we’ve got our first recipe of 2017! It feels weird to say that. Anyone else struggling with the year change still? Anyway, the first recipe of the year is an easy one that only requires a slow cooker. Pop all of the ingredients into this magical piece of equipment, let it slow cook all day long and come home to a delicious meal that smells so good your mouth will water when you walk in the door.

WARNING: if you have a furbaby, chances are they will be very mad at you for making this. Our Lou Lou gave the silent treatment for hours since she was forced to smell this meaty dish all day long.

Tacos are always a hit in our house and what’s great is that you can stuff them with anything. This recipe is a bit more traditional featuring a spicy beef roast shredded and tossed with a few ingredients. Chuck or Round roasts will work well. It’s always best to stick within your budget when buying cuts of meat as long as they work with the recipe you’re using. If you choose a cut that doesn’t shred easily, roughly cut up the meat on a cutting board after it’s cooked. Two jalapenos and a fresno pepper plus all of the spices make for a taco with kick so if you want spicy but maybe not so much, omit the fresno pepper or one of the jalapenos. The heat lies in the seeds and ribs of the pepper so make sure to clean them well while prepping. Otherwise, you’ll have tacos with a ton of heat.

SPICY BEEF TACOS
Ingredients:
1.5 - 2lbs. Beef Roast (round, chuck or shoulder work well)
2 Jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, diced
1 Fresno Pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
1 White Onion, diced
2 tbsp. Chili Powder
2 tbsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
28oz. Diced Tomatoes
½ Cup Beef Stock
16 Flour Tortillas

Directions:
1. Add beef, jalapenos, fresno pepper, onion, spices, garlic, tomatoes and beef stock in a slow cooker. Cook 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. When the beef is finished cooking, shred apart using two forks or roughly chop. Serve on tortillas with your choice of garnish.

Yields 16 Tacos, 8 servings

What are you cooking in the new year?