Carne Asada Crock Pot Tacos recipe that creates tender beef with bold Mexican flavors you love. Homemade shredded beef with a marinade and our dry rub that is perfect to make tacos, nachos or beef bowls.

carne asada tacos
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This carne asada Crock Pot recipe is simple and delicious with a dry rub that is bold. Comes out tender to slice and serve this steak inside tacos or alone as a low carb keto dinner idea. One of many easy Crockpot recipes we have on The Typical Mom website. (affiliate links present)

Slow Cooker Flank Steak

Yes you could use a variety of different pieces of beef to make this but this is the most common. With out yearly buy of a cow each year we get a few. First we made air fryer flank steak that was delicious. To get it really really tender though you need low and slow.

Sooooo we moved on to this one and what killer tacos they made I tell you. Tuesdays will likely scream for this, way better than plain ground beef for sure.

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

  1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
  2. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

A floral design slow cooker with a white base and lid sits on a kitchen countertop, perfect for whipping up a 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe.

Carne Asada Crock Pot Recipe

You can use the best fajita marinade here or use our newest creation for bold flavors below. The best I think is a combination of a dry rub with a little bit of liquid which in this case is olive oil and fresh lime juice. That really boosts all of the goodness in the meat and the citrus will naturally tenderize your meat.

This is what you’re going to need;

  1. Piece of beef, flank steak is best, skirt steak is another cut of meat people like using
  2. Cumin
  3. Smoked Paprika
  4. Garlic
  5. Oregano
  6. Red pepper flakes, more or less depending on your heat desire
    1. chili powder can be substituted
  7. Salt and pepper
  8. Olive oil
  9. Orange juice or lime juiced

From there you would want to gather whatever you’re serving this with or in. Small tortillas for tacos maybe or just over a bed of white rice.

Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos

This is great to make for a large crowd like Street Taco style. Make the meat and let it sit on warm to marinate as people eat all day long.

flank steak

What cut of meat should you buy for carne asada?

This popular Mexican dish typically made with grilled and marinated beef. Cuts that are flavorful and tender are; Skirt Steak, Flank Steak, Sirloin Steak, or Ribeye Steak. Regardless of the cut you choose, it’s important to slice the meat thinly against the grain after grilling to ensure tenderness.

Does citrus help tenderize meat?

Yep! Not only does it add great flavor but it will naturally break down the fibers in the meat you’re cooking so it cuts easier. Lemon or lime works, orange too I suppose but I tend to use the first two most often especially with Mexican recipes like this one.

Worried there isn’t enough liquid to cook this, don’t be. As it cooks, just as if you cooked it in a pan there will be juices let out on it’s own. Those will mix with the seasonings on the outside so it will simmer and steam in all those wonderful flavors for hours and hours.

This is the case too when making Instant Pot steak. Sometimes people freak out and don’t want to try it because the “rule” is that you need at least 1 cup of liquid but believe me when it is done there will be fluid at the bottom of the pot. You can discard this or better yet use a bit of cornstarch slurry on the stovetop to thicken it into an onion gravy.

crock pot beef

How to Make Carne Asada Tacos

Follow the directions below and then make a sort of toppings bar for taco night with your family or guests. You can include so many fun things for this. I mean the list goes on and on but here are just some that come to mind;

What do you serve with carne asada?

  • Avocado slices or guacamole for sure
  • Salsa verde
  • Diced raw onions
  • Chopped cabbage or lettuce
  • Halved cherry tomatoes
  • Sour cream

We do the same thing when making our Instant Pot chili verde too, that recipe is made with pork and should be tried too.

Carne Asada

How to Cook Crockpot Beef

  • Mix all of the dry seasonings together. Coat steak all over with olive oil and sprinkle the seasonings on top.
  • Lay the meat in your slow cooker and sprinkle minced garlic on top. Then squeeze lime juiced on top and cover.
  • Cook for about 7-8 hours on low or until meat is as done as you’d like.
    • If you want shredded beef cook a bit longer so it pulls apart easily with 2 forks.
    • When shredding the meat if it is still tough it may be thicker and need more time
  • After slicing your slow cooker carne, or shredding, leave meat in drippings in the pot as you serve so it can get soaked up.

Serve from the slow cook pot as steak tacos as you see here. Crockpot carne asada is super easy as you just dump and go in the morning and enjoy it when you’re home after a busy day out.

Crockpot Carne Asada
shredded beef tacos

How to save leftover beef

You want to keep it moist so include as much sauce as you can in your container. Do not put it into the fridge to save until it is room temperature. From hot to cold may cause bacteria to grow so give it a good 30 minutes to cool off first. Airtight containers or freezer bags are the best to use.

Slow Cooker Carne Asada

Only slice what you will eat immediately and leave the rest of the piece whole, it will stay more moist that way as it cools. When reheating use a pan on the stovetop with all the liquid you saved. Warm on medium heat, could add a bit of soy sauce for moisture if needed.

You can print recipe below to keep it in your recipe box or just come back time and time again when you need instructions, we love “seeing you”. A low in saturated fat and gluten free meal that everyone in your home will surely love and ask for more.

carne asada tacos
5 from 1 vote

Carne Asada Crock Pot Tacos

By The Typical Mom
Carne Asada Crock Pot tacos with tender beef and bold Mexican flavors you love. Homemade shredded beef perfect for tacos or fajitas
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 7 hours
Servings: 8
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Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Ingredients 

  • 3-4 lb flank steak, top round or skirt steak
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 5 tbsp minced garlic, or 6 garlic cloves diced
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions 

  • Mix all dry seasonings together in a bowl. Coat steak all over with olive oil and sprinkle seasonings on top to coat.
  • Lay meat in slow cooker and sprinkle minced garlic on top. Then squeeze lime on top and cover.
  • Cook for 7-8 hours on low or until meat is as done as you'd like. If you want shredded beef cook a bit longer so it pulls apart easily with 2 forks.
  • After slicing or shredding leave meat in drippings in the pot as you serve so it can get soaked up.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz, Calories: 244kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 102mg, Sodium: 529mg, Potassium: 612mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 161IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

About The Typical Mom

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

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2 Comments

  1. Hello,
    I am really interested in this recipe. Since it is only my husband and I, I only have a 2lb flank steak. Would the cooking time change at all if I were to use a 2lb?
    Thanks!

    1. I would stick to this time and then test with a meat thermometer. If you need more time just adjust from there