Slow Cooker Green Chile Beef is a hearty, filling meal that’s so easy to make! After about 10 minutes of prep, seasoned and seared beef slowly cooks with onions and green chili enchilada sauce until tender and easy to shred.
We love this versatile, Tex-Mex-style shredded beef served over a pile of cheddar mashed potatoes, rolled in tortillas, or stacked on top of cilantro-lime rice with lots of toppings.
This is one of those recipes that you try once and instantly know it’s going to be a regular on your menu. It is so good.
I’m always so relieved these days when I’m planning a slow cooker dinner. And this one is so easy to start, this tender, smoky ground beef and onions can be on your menu even on a busy weeknight. But I also love it for a lazy Sunday. I love it ALL days!
Why you will love this recipe
- Simply – After a few simple steps, this handy crock pot recipe makes perfectly tender shredded beef when you’re ready to serve dinner.
- Tastefully – The beef is flavored with a blend of spices and green chili enchilada sauce.
- Versatile – Use in tacos, enchiladas, burritos, burrito bowls, nachos and more. Or serve over mashed potatoes for a Tex-Mex style pot roast.
- Multiple meals – Cook once, eat twice! Reheat half of the recipe later in the week or freeze for an easy future meal.
Notes on ingredients
- roast beef – Looking for one lean boneless roast beeflike a chuck cross rib roast or bottom round roast. These cuts are less fatty than a center roast beef and have a rich, bold flavor. After slow cooking, they become tender and easy to shred. Less fat means no trimming or sifting of fat from the cooking liquid.
- Onion – Sweet yellow onionhalved and sliced.
- Light Brown Sugar – Brown sugar is sprinkled over the onions to enhance their sweetness and a little more is combined with spices to coat the beef before searing.
- Spice – A powerful spice mixture incl smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, Salt, freshly ground black pepperand a bit cayenne pepper for a kick.
- olive oil – For searing seasoned beef.
- Enchilada sauce – I use Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce for this recipe and for my Green Chile Chicken Smothered Burritos (HUGE reader favorite!). This sauce has become one of my favorite kitchen shortcuts. If you can’t find it, another brand of mild to medium green enchilada sauce Will do.
How to Cook Green Chile Beef in the Slow Cooker
Prepare the onions and beef
- Place the sliced ​​onions in the bottom of a 6 liter slow cooker and sprinkle a dollop of brown sugar on top.
- Cut the roast in half and combine the remaining brown sugar with the smoked paprika, salt, cayenne, chilli powder, garlic powder and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the roast with olive oil and sprinkle the seasoning mixture on both cuts of beef on all sides, patting the surface of the meat with your hands.
- Sear the beef on all sides in oil in a large pan (do not forget the ends). The sugar in the rub creates a nice dark crust pretty quickly.
Cook and shred the beef
- Place the seared beef on top of the onions in the slow cooker.
- Next, pour the enchilada sauce on top.
- Then cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or until the beef is tender and breaks apart easily.
- Finally, place the beef and onions on a serving platter. Use forks to roughly shred the beef and toss it out of the slow cooker with some of the sauce. Alternatively, you can shred the beef straight into the sauce and onions in the slow cooker (it will be very spicy).
serving suggestions
storage tips
- Refrigerate – Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freeze – Place the cooled beef strips, onions and some of the cooking liquid in a freezer-safe plastic bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Lay flat in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months. If using multiple bags, freeze them firmly, then you can stack the bags to save freezer space.
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Slow Cooker Green Chile Beef
Slow Cooker Green Chile Beef is a hearty, filling meal that’s so easy to make! After about 10 minutes of prep, seasoned and seared beef slowly cooks with onions and green chili enchilada sauce until tender and easy to shred.
Ingredients
- 2.5 to 3 Pound lean boneless roast beef, like Chuck Cross Rib or Bottom Round Rump Steak
- 1 large sweet yellow onion or 2 small to medium onions, halved and sliced ​​(½ inch slices)
- 4 tablespoon packaged light brown sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 15 ounce can mild to medium green enchilada sauce, (I use Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce)
instructions
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Halve the roast and set aside.
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Place the sliced ​​onions in the bottom of a 6L slow cooker and sprinkle 3 tablespoons brown sugar on top (reserve 1 tablespoon for later).
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In a small bowl, combine the remaining brown sugar with the smoked paprika, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper.
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Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the beef pieces and spread with your hands until well coated. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over all sides of the two cuts of beef, patting it into the surface of the meat with your hands.
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In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Fry the beef on all sides for about 2 minutes (don’t forget the ends – the sugar in the rub will give it a nice dark crust pretty quickly). Place the beef in the slow cooker, pour over the enchilada sauce.
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Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or until beef is tender and breaks apart easily. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef and onions to a serving platter. Using two forks, coarsely chop and add some of the sauce from the slow cooker. Alternatively, you can shred the beef straight into the sauce and onions in the slow cooker (it will be very spicy).
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Serve in tortillas, burrito shells, or over cheddar mashed potatoes.
Nourishment
Calories: 307 kcal · Carbohydrates: 14 G · Protein: 33 G · Fat: 12 G · Saturated Fatty Acids: 3 G · Polyunsaturated fat: 1 G · Monounsaturated fatty acids: 7 G · Cholesterol: 88 mg · Sodium: 986 mg · Potassium: 574 mg · Fiber: 2 G · Sugar: 12 G · Vitamin A: 913 ie · Vitamin C: 3 mg · Calcium: 44 mg · Iron: 4 mg
Nutritional information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients and is an estimate, not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Adapted from Taste of Home