Mexican Pot Roast Recipe

a mexican beef chuck roast in a green bowl with limes

5 from 1 vote

Mexican Pot Roast Recipe

Mexican Pot Roast is a cozy, flavor-packed twist on classic pot roast, slow-cooked until fall-apart tender in a rich, spiced chile and tomato broth inspired by birria. Comforting, savory, and perfect for serving with beans, rice, or tortillas — with leftovers that are even better the next day.

Course Beef, Main Course, Main Dishes, Tex Mex Recipes, Texas Recipes

Cuisine Mexican, Tex Mex

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 483kcal

Author Sarah Penrod

Equipment

1 Instant Pot
1 Slow Cooker
1 Dutch Oven

Ingredients

Chuck Roast Searing

2 Tbsp oil
3-4 pound beef chuck roast
Kosher salt & black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder

Broth and Spice Base For The Braise

3 beef bouillon cubes or 3 tsp of powder
1 tomato bouillon cube
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
2 allspice berries
6 whole black peppercorns or 1 tsp cracked
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tbsp tomato paste
10 dried guajillo chiles stemmed & seeded
2 tomatoes large dice
4 garlic cloves minced
3/4 cup white onion chopped
1 lime juice of
1 1/2 quarts water

Optional Garnishes

1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
3 fresh limes for squeezing
queso fresco crumbled
flour tortillas or corn tortillas warm

Instructions

Season and Sear

Pat the chuck roast dry. Season generously on all sides with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat and sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned. About 3-4 minutes per side. This is to brown all sides of the roast which adds to the flavor. (It will be raw inside and that is fine.)
Transfer the browned chuck roast into the Instant Pot (or one of the other methods of cooking listed above slow cooker, dutch-oven method)

Cleaning The Dried Chiles

Using scissors, cut the stems off and empty the chile pods of any seeds. You may use scissors to cut open the dried chiles. Discard any seeds or debri. Only the cut up dried chile body is needed for this recipe.

Build the Braise

Add beef bouillon cubes, tomato bouillon, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves, tomato paste, tomato, onion, garlic cloves, and cleaned guajillo chiles over the top of the roast.
Add the water, kosher salt, and juice of one lime.

Cook

Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (High) for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release for best texture.
Slow Cooker: Cook on Low 8–10 hours until fork-tender.

Finish & Serve

Remove the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, and whole spices if desired. Shred the beef directly in the pot and mix well with the broth.
Serve with refried beans, rice, and warm flour tortillas if desired. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Notes

Alternative Methods for Cooking:

Dutch Oven (Oven-Braised)

Season and sear the chuck roast in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add all spices, chiles, aromatics, and water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to a 300°F oven. Braise for 3½–4 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and shreds easily.

Slow Cooker/ Crock Pot

Season and sear the chuck roast in a skillet, then transfer to the slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients.
Cook on LOW for 8–9 hours or HIGH for 5–6 hours, until the meat is fall-apart tender.

Stovetop

Season and sear the chuck roast in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 3–4 hours, turning the roast occasionally and adding water if needed to keep the meat partially submerged.

This mexican pot roast takes one of the larger cuts of beef and braises until tender in a flavorful tomato-based sauce that is useful for enjoy as a hearty stew, the base of shredded tacos, or as tender meat on a taco salad.

Nutrition