Chuck Roast Tacos

5 from 2 votes

These chuck roast tacos are slow-braised in the oven with orange juice, garlic, and taco seasoning until fall-apart tender, then caramelized at high heat for crispy, flavor-packed edges.

Prep Time10

Cook Time3 15

Total Time3 25

Servings:

Calories: 435kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
3 tablespoons taco seasoning plus a little bit more for sprinkling at the end
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 large onion cut into quarters, paper removed
4-6 garlic cloves peeled
½ cup orange juice
1 cup beef stock or more after initial roasting if needed. This greatly depends on how much fat your chuck roast cut has

To serve:

Guacamole click here to get my favorite guacamole recipe
Small flour tortillas
Salsa
Pico de gallo
Rice
Crumbled cotija cheese

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325F and season your roast generously on both sides with salt, pepper and the taco seasoning. Place the chuck roast into a Dutch Oven along with the orange juice, beef stock, garlic pieces and onion chunks. Cover the Dutch oven and transfer into the oven to bake for 3 hours.
After the time is up, remove the roast from the oven. It should easily shred into large chunks using two forks. If it's not quite falling apart, place it back into the oven for an additional 30 minutes with the lid on.
Increase the oven heat to 425F. Shred the meat into small pieces. If all the liquid is gone, add an additional ½ cup of beef broth (but skip this step if there is still a good amount of juice from the meat left). Sprinkle a little bit more taco seasoning and place it back in the oven, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes until it starts to caramelize.
Toast your tortillas and assemble your tacos by adding a large spoonful of the shredded meat, and your favorite taco toppings.

Notes

Crock pot: cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. Tear the meat into pieces, it should shred incredibly easily, then caramelize in the oven, uncovered, at 425 for 10-15 minutes.
Season generously. Chuck roast is a big cut of meat and it can handle bold seasoning.
Don’t skimp on liquid. Make sure there’s enough braising liquid to keep the meat moist but not swimming.
Shred the meat while warm. The meat pulls apart easiest when it’s hot. Toss it back into the juices so it soaks up every bit of flavor.
Taste and adjust before serving. A squeeze of lime or pinch of salt at the end can completely wake everything up.
Chuck roast tacos reheat beautifully and are perfect for bowls, nachos, or breakfast tacos the next day.

Nutrition