Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

The Cherokee National Holiday falls at the start of September in Tahlequah and this year I actually went for the full weekend. I'd skipped it the last couple of years—always working, always something—but after everything with Danny I made a point of it. He used to go every year without exception. He'd say the holiday wasn't about ceremony as much as it was about seeing who was still there. Counting the living.

I drove down Friday evening and stayed with a friend from school who lives near downtown Tahlequah. The grounds were packed Saturday—families with lawn chairs, kids running between the booths, elders selling beadwork and ribbon skirts, the smell of fry bread and Indian tacos coming from every direction. I ate more fry bread in two days than I should have in a month and I don't regret any of it.

The language booths had grown since the last time I'd been. More young people working them, more interactive activities, programs specifically designed for kids Kai's age. I spent an hour at one booth talking to a woman who works in language curriculum development and she told me about an immersion program in Tahlequah that takes kids on weekends. I wrote down the information. Kai's young enough that it could still get in deep if we start now.

I ran into two or three people I hadn't seen in years—old school connections, a cousin of Lily's who remembered me from a powwow a decade ago, a man who'd worked with Danny on the language documentation project and who grabbed both my hands when he heard who I was. He said Danny talked about me. He said Danny thought I was going to do something with food and tradition that mattered. I didn't know what to say to that. I just said thank you and meant it.

Drove home Sunday evening with fry bread leftovers and a head full of things to think about.

I came home Sunday night with a head full of Danny’s name spoken by a stranger’s hands squeezing mine, with Kai’s future written on a scrap of paper in my pocket, and with the taste of Indian tacos still somewhere in my memory. I wasn’t ready to let the weekend go, so I put a beef roast in the slow cooker the next morning and let it do what slow cooking does—turn something simple into something that fills a whole house with the kind of smell that makes people feel found. It’s not fry bread, not exactly, but the shredded beef piled on whatever you have—tortillas, flatbread, or homemade dough if you’re feeling it—gets you close enough to carry that feeling a little further into the week.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 8 hours | Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 1/2 to 3 lbs beef chuck roast
1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1/2 cup beef broth
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 flour tortillas or flatbreads, for serving
Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sliced jalapeños

Instructions

Sear the beef. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chuck roast on all sides with salt and pepper, then sear for 2–3 minutes per side until browned. This step adds depth—don’t skip it if you have time.
Layer the slow cooker. Place the sliced onion and minced garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Lay the seared roast on top.
Add seasonings and liquid. Sprinkle the taco seasoning, cumin, and smoked paprika over the roast. Pour the diced tomatoes with green chiles and beef broth over everything.
Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef is completely tender and falling apart.
Shred the beef. Transfer the roast to a cutting board or large bowl and shred with two forks. Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the juices. Let it rest in the liquid for 10 minutes.
Assemble and serve. Warm your tortillas or flatbreads. Pile on the shredded beef and top with cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, and jalapeños as desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos — The Taste That Brought Me Back to Tahlequah