Ohhhh wow!
These Beef Carnitas tacos with Avocado Chimichurri are the stuff dreams are made of! The saucy shredded beef is already bursting with wonderful flavors and then top it with some incredible avocado chimichurri and let me tell you…you will think you have died and gone to heaven!! YUMMMM!!!!
I first made these last summer when my oldest son and his family came to visit. They were a big hit and I have made them several times since, but just realized I never shared this wonderful recipe with all of you! You really do need this one in your arsenal of recipes!
You start off with cubing a beef chuck roast and generously seasoning with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning. I like to cut off some of the fat too. Then you add the meat to the pot along with some mined garlic, orange juice and crushed tomatoes and let the magic happen! I usually make this recipe in my Instant Pot and it turns out great but I will include the other methods of cooking which are just as effective (they just take more time). You can easily make these in your slow cooker or a heavy lidded pot in your oven.
While the meat is cooking you can gather the ingredients for the Avocado Chimichurri. First dice 2 ripe avocados in a bowl and squeeze half of lime over the top, to prevent browning. Next, combine some parsley, cilantro, jalapeño, pinch of salt, pepper and olive oil and combine in a food processor until smooth. Pour the sauce over the chunks of avocado and gently stir, then set aside.
I like to make fresh pico de Gallo too. It is simply, white onion, Roma tomatoes, lime juice, salt, pepper and chopped cilantro. I use this chopper and it goes so fast! It is cheap but works so great, I love it!!
Now we are ready to build the best beef taco ever!! If you want add some Mexican crumbling cheese or grate some Monterey Jack or cheddar. I forgot the cheese on the taco pictured, but we normally add some. We love cheese at our house.
Beef Carnitas Tacos with Avocado Chimichurri
- Total Time: 75 min (Instant Pot)
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
These Beef Carnitas tacos with Avocado Chimichurri are bursting with flavor! Saucy shredded beef with and incredible avocado topping.
Ingredients
Beef Carnitas
- 3lb beef chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 14oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2/3 cup orange juice
Avocado Chimichurri
- 2 large avocados, cubed
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 cup parsley
- 1 small jalapeno, minced
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Tacos of choice (soft, corn, hardshell)
Favorite Cheese ( Queso fresco–mexican crumbling cheese, Monterey Jack or cheddar)
Pico De Gallo or your favorite salsa
Lettuce (shredded iceberg or romaine)
Instructions
Beef Carnitas
Cut the beef into 3-inch chunks, trimming away any very large pieces of fat. (No need to be precious, just discard the very large, in-the-way pieces) Season the meat on all sides with salt, pepper and taco seasoning.
Instant Pot
Place the beef chunks in the Instant Pot. Add the garlic, orange juice and tomatoes. Secure the lid, set the valve to ‘sealing’ and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes. When the timer is done, natural release for 10 minutes and then set the valve to ‘venting’ for quick release. Remove the meat chunks with tongs and set on a cutting board. Set the Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ mode to bring the remaining juices to a boil and reduce/thicken for a few minutes while you shred the beef. Use two forks to shred the meat- it should be very tender and falling apart. Turn off your Instant Pot and return the meat to the juices, tossing to combine.
Oven instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Add the seasoned beef, tomatoes, orange juice, and garlic to a large dutch oven or oven-safe pot with tight-fitting lid. Place in the oven and cook for 2 ½ hours. Remove lid, ensure there is enough braising liquid (if needed add some warm beef broth or water) and continue to simmer another 30 minutes until beef is easy to shred with two forks. Shred the beef, reducing the remaining liquid on the stovetop, if desired. Return beef to the pot, tossing to let it soak up all that juicy goodness.
Crockpot instructions
To make slow cooker Mexican shredded beef, place the seasoned beef chunks in a large crock pot and cover with garlic, tomatoes and orange juice. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until beef is tender and falling apart. Remove meat, shred with two forks. You can transfer the cooking liquid to a saucepan to reduce and thicken for a few minutes, but not required
Avocado Chimichurri
- Cube the avocado and squeeze it with lime to prevent browning. Place avocado, jalapeño and red pepper flakes in a bowl.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the cilantro, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic and red wine vinegar, pulsing to combine- about 15-30 seconds.
- Add the olive oil and process again until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Pour the chimichurri onto the avocado and gently toss everything to combine.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 55 (instant pot)
Recipe Source: Slightly adapted from It’s a Flavorful Life
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