Shredded beef recipes are a fantastic way to enjoy a flavorful, satisfying, and keto-friendly meal. These recipes often utilize inexpensive cuts of meat, transforming them into tender and delicious dishes through slow cooking methods like braising. Whether you're craving Mexican-inspired flavors or a hearty chili, there's a keto shredded beef recipe to satisfy your taste buds.
Mexican Shredded Beef
This delectable Mexican Shredded Beef brings the whole family to the table with joy. With tender pulled beef in a rich, flavorful sauce, this meal is so easy to make, it practically cooks itself! It's a crowd pleaser, appealing to everyone. It’s not overly spicy, and it has so much flavor it makes your tastebuds sing. It serves a crowd, which means it’s great for potlucks and get togethers. But it also makes the perfect meal prep dish for a smaller family as it freezes so well. We sometimes make a batch before we head out on family road trips. We just bring the frozen container and let it thaw on the way, so we have an easy meal when we get to our destination.
Ingredients
- Chuck roast (look for some fat marbling)
- Avocado oil (or olive oil, lard, or coconut oil)
- Diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
- Liquid smoke (optional)
- Fresh minced garlic (or garlic powder)
- Ground cumin
- Chipotle powder (or chili powder)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F and set an oven rack on the second lowest position.
- Season the roast: Season the roast liberally with salt and pepper.
- Brown the beef: In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the roast and brown well on all sides. Browning the roast at the beginning deepens the overall flavor of the dish. You could just dump everything into the pot and set it cooking, but I think you’d be missing out.
- Add remaining ingredients: Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices, water, liquid smoke (if using), garlic, cumin, and chipotle powder.
- Transfer to the oven: Bring to a simmer and then cover and transfer the pot to the oven.
- Cook: Cook the roast until it is tender and can easily be pierced with a fork, about 5 hours.
- Shred the beef: Remove from the oven and use two forks to shred the meat.
Alternative Cooking Methods
- Slow Cooker Method: Brown the roast in a skillet before adding it to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Instant Pot Method: Use the sauté function to brown the beef. Reduce the water to 1/3 cup.
Storage
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutritional Information
This Mexican Shredded Beef recipe is low carb and keto-friendly. It has 2.1g of carbohydrates and 0.4g of fiber per serving.
Keto Shredded Beef Chili
This low carb SHREDDED BEEF CHILI is thick, hearty, and packed with beef and loads of chili spice. We do chili almost weekly in our house, because it’s rich, hearty, flavorful, and filling! This keto chili recipe is so good that it actually won a chili cook off last year! Talk about a stick to your ribs bowl of chili!
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Key Ingredients and Considerations
- Chuck Roast: Start by searing up chunks of chuck roast. Stew meat would work just fine as well, if that’s what your grocery store has on sale.
- Spices: Season the chili with chili powder and cumin.
- Black Soy Beans: If you’re doing strict keto with a focus on ingredients, you’ll want to avoid soy. If you’re not quite as strict, black soy beans can be a great option for adding to this chili. One 15 ounce can will add a total of 4 net carbs to the whole pot of chili - less than 1 extra carb per serving.
- Boiled Peanuts: Okay, this sounds crazy and I haven’t actually tried it, but I plan to soon because it sounds super yum!
Instructions
- Cut the roast into 8 pieces. Season each side with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil.
- When oil is hot, add the roast to the pot and sear on each side. You may need to work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
- Remove the beef to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the peppers, onion, and jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the beef back to the pot along with the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 3 hours or until the beef is easily shredded with a fork.
- Remove the beef from the pot and shred. This chili doesn’t contain beans as it’s meant to be low carb.
Tips for Perfect Keto Shredded Beef
- Choose the right cut of meat: Tougher cuts of beef, such as chuck roast or rump roast, benefit from slow braising. Look for a roast that has some fat marbling, so the shredded beef will be juicier and more flavorful. It doesn’t need to be boneless, since you will shred the beef at the end and can easily remove the bones.
- Braise the beef: Braising means cooking in liquid at low temperatures over a long period of time. This method breaks down the connective tissues of tougher cuts so that the meat pulls apart into individual fibers. To get truly tender, fall-apart shredded beef that stays juicy, you should braise the beef.
- Don't skip the browning: Browning the roast at the beginning deepens the overall flavor of the dish.
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