Smoked Shredded Beef

Learn how to make smoked shredded beef that’s perfect for tacos, enchiladas and sandwiches. Make a big batch to freeze some for future meals.

Shredded beef is one of my favorite recipes, because it uses easy-to-find ingredients that don’t cost too much, and it freezes super well, so you can have it on hand for those days when you don’t have time to cook a meal from start to finish.

Ingredients

• Chuck Roast: Chuck is cut of meat from the shoulder of the cow. Like a pork shoulder, it has a lot of marbling and breaks down really well when cooked slow and low. In the grocery store, it may be labeled as a chuck roast or shoulder roast.
• Seasoning: I use a pre-mixed spice rub called SPG, which stands for salt, pepper garlic. To make it yourself, combine equal parts of kosher salt, black pepper and granulated garlic or garlic powder.
• Onion: Either a yellow or white onion tastes great.
• Dried Chile Pepper: Check out the Mexican aisle of your grocery store and you should find several types of dried chile peppers. New Mexico, ancho and guajillo are great choices.
• Beef Consommé: One can is all you’ll need. Consommé is a little more concentrated than beef broth or beef stock. You can use either of those, as well.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Instead of dried chiles, you can also use a tablespoon of chili powder.

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2 ways to smoke shredded beef

This delicious shredded beef recipe cooks in two stages. First, we’ll smoke the chuck roast. Then, we’ll finish it in a Dutch oven with aromatics to braise it until it’s fork tender.

I’m going to start with how to smoke shredded beef on a regular grill or smoker. Then, I’ll show you a really cool way to smoke beef using a Breeo Smokeless Fire Pit.

How to smoke beef on a traditional smoker

Start by preheating your grill or smoker to 250F degrees with an indirect heat zone.

If you’re using a pellet grill, just set the temperature. For a charcoal grill, push the coals to one side of the grill or add a deflector plate and adjust the vents.

For a gas grill, turn one burner on to medium-low and leave the other burner(s) off. To add smoke flavor, use a Wood Chip Foil Pouch.

1. STEP ONE: Season the chuck roast liberally with salt, pepper and garlic, or your favorite rub.

2. STEP TWO: Place the seasoned chuck roast on the grill or smoker over indirect heat and smoke to an internal temperature of 140F degrees. This should take about 2 hours.

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How to smoke beef over a fire pit

The grill featured below is the Breeo X24 combined with the Outpost and Kettle Hook accessories. Breeo did compensate me to create this recipe using their grill.

If you’re using a Breeo, set it up with the Outpost without the grill grate and add on the Kettle Hook accessory. For this recipe, I recommend using hickory logs, but charcoal will also do the trick.

1. STEP ONE: To help the chuck roast hold its shape, use butcher’s twine to truss the meat. If you’re unfamiliar with how to do this, there are a lot of YouTube videos out there to help you out.

2. STEP TWO: Once the roast is trussed, season it all over with a beef rub or salt and pepper. Insert two metal meat hooks under the twine.

3. STEP THREE: Hang the hooks on the kettle hook over the coals. The roast will slowly cook while also absorbing the hickory smoke. Keep an eye on the fire and add logs or coals to the Breeo as needed. The goal is to maintain a steady heat for several hours.

PRO TIP: When hanging the beef, plan on smoking the chuck roast for one hour for every pound.

4. STEP FOUR: Once the meat has a beautiful mahogany bark and reaches an internal temperature around 140F degrees, remove it from the fire pit.

The braising stage

The rest of the steps are the same no matter if you used a traditional grill or a Breeo.

I do this part of the cooking process on the grill. However, we’re not picking up any more smoke, so you could do this step in a 250F-degree oven or even a slow cooker.

1. STEP ONE: Place the smoked chuck roast in a heavy-duty cast iron kettle or Dutch oven. Add a sliced onion, dried chiles and a can of beef consommé to the pot. You could also add garlic, bay leaves and other spices, if you want.

PRO TIP: If you used the fire pit method, remove the twine from the chuck roast before adding it to the pot.

2. STEP TWO: Place the lid on the Dutch oven and place it back on the grill. Close the grill lid. When cooking a 3-pound chuck roast, this stage will take another 2-3 hours. The goal for perfectly tender beef is an internal temp of 205F degrees.

If you’re using the fire pit, you can hang it on the kettle hook over the fire or add the grill grate and set it on the grate.

PRO TIP: If you don’t have a digital meat thermometer, use a fork. You’ll know it’s ready when the meat falls apart as you pierce it. If it feels tight, keep cooking it, until it’s tender.

The shred stage

Now that the chuck roast has been flavored with hickory smoke and those wonderful aromatics, every bite is going to be delicious.

1. STEP ONE: Remove the peppers. Using two forks, start shredding the beef right in the pot. If you notice any large chunks of fat, go ahead and remove those.

2. STEP TWO: Stir the beef together with the braised onions and juices and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Optional seasoning

At this point, you have a pot of shredded meat that can be used in so many ways for future meal planning. The flavor is really beefy and can be adjusted to any match any flavor profile.

• For Mexican beef, add a packet of Sazón seasoning.
• For Asian-inspired beef, season with soy sauce and five-spice seasoning.
• For Italian cuisine, stir in some tomato paste, a splash of red wine, basil and oregano.

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What to do with shredded beef

This shredded beef is fantastic on its own and even better on sandwiches or tacos.

To make beef sandwiches, use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pot. Pile it on your bread or bun. Add your favorite toppings. Some suggestions include lettuce, tomato, avocado, onions and mayonnaise.

You can serve the cooking liquid, or au jus, in separate bowl to dunk the sandwich.

For beef tacos, use flour or corn tortillas. Add the shredded beef. Offer an array of toppings like shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, jalapeno peppers, green chiles, sour cream and fresh limes.

For beef nachos, top tortilla chips with shredded beef and cheese. Melt the cheese in the microwave, smoker or oven and add your favorite toppings.

For beef enchiladas, dip corn or flour tortillas in enchilada sauce, add shredded beef and cheese to the tortillas and roll up. Place them in a pan. Cover with enchilada sauce and cheese and bake or smoke at 350F degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Shredded beef is also great on loaded baked potatoes and in savory hand pies.

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Storage

Store leftover shredded beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

This makes a lot of beef, so you can also freeze portions in sealed containers for up to six months. Then, pull a batch out and thaw it to prepare different meals for an easy weeknight dinner.

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Frequently Asked Questions

More Beef Recipes

• Big Red and Chipotle Beef Jerky
• Homemade Smoked Roast Beef Sandwich
• BBQ Teriyaki Beef Finger Ribs

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