Southwestern Beef Wraps

This is a recipe that I have used and loved for a long, long time (it’s actually from the McCormick website.) I originally shared it almost 10 years ago when my babies were babies and now one’s a teenager and the other is an almost-teenager (and there’s another that wasn’t even around back then.) But we still love this recipe for Southwestern Beef Wraps–they’re somehow perfect comfort food and perfect party food! You can make it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker, you can make it as a freezer meal, the leftovers are flexible and delicious. There’s basically nothing to not love here.

Southwestern Beef Wraps from Our Best Bites

It’s definitely starting to feel like fall here and nothing makes me want to pop something yummy in the crock pot and settle in for a little (okay, a lot of) Gilmore Girls like the first hint of fall. Pre-sequel Gilmore Girls, let’s be clear.

There are a couple of things I really love about this. First, even though it literally comes together in a matter of minutes, this is a great freezer meal to have on hand; this is one that I had ready to go when I was getting ready to deliver my daughter. Secondly, I love how versatile it is. You can make it as directed the first time around and then make chimichangas, taquitos, nachos, or even enchiladas with the leftovers. Or you could just freeze the cooked leftovers and have them ready to go for “wraps” (when I say “wraps,” I basically mean soft tacos.)

Getting started

To make the meat, you’re going to need a large onion, a 2 1/2-3-pound beef roast (chuck is always a safe bet, but bottom round and top round roasts also work well), a heaping teaspoon each of chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and kosher salt, 2 chopped bell peppers (any color) and a 14.5-ounce can Mexican-style tomatoes (or a can of Rotel, whatever spiciness you prefer.)

Ingredients for Southwestern Beef Wraps

instant pot instructions

To make these in the Instant Pot, heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in your Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Trim the roast of excess fat and cut it into 1-2″ slices. Mix the seasonings together,

spices for southwestern beef wraps

sprinkle them over the roast…

spices on southwestern beef wraps

rub them all over the roast.

Sear the meat in the preheated pot until it is browned on all sides.

While the meat is browning, chop your onion and peppers.

chopped peppers and onion for southwestern beef wraps

Add the onions and peppers to the pot and top with the tomatoes.

adding canned tomatoes to southwestern beef wraps

and use the manual setting to cook on high for 40 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally (don’t open the valve) for 10 minutes, then release the pressure, open the pot, and shred the beef.

Serve in warmed tortillas with your choice of toppings–fresh onions, avocado, cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, whatever you love!

crock pot instructions

Season the roast all over (slicing isn’t necessary, but you can if you want). Place in the slow cooker. Top with onions, peppers, and tomatoes and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours or (and this is Kate’s Magical Meat Method), start this in the morning, cook it on high until things start to boil and then cook on low until dinnertime and the meat shreds easily with two forks. Serve as desired.

Southwestern Beef Wraps from Our Best Bites

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS

Place tomatoes in the bottom of a freezer safe container. Place green peppers on top of tomatoes, then the seasoned roast, then the onions. When ready to cook, invert the container so the tomatoes are on top and cook 1-2 hours longer than the original recipe states.

Southwestern Beef Wraps from Our Best Bites

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
southwestern beef wraps from our best bites

Southwestern Beef Wraps (Instant Pot or Crock Pot!)


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Description

These super-easy Southwestern Beef Wraps are made in the pressure cooker or slow cooker. They are the perfect comfort food and perfect party food!


Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
2 1/23-pound beef roast (like chuck, top, or bottom round), trimmed of fat but left whole
1 heaping teaspoon chili powder
1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
1 heaping teaspoon cumin
1 heaping teaspoon Kosher salt
2 bell peppers (any color), chopped
1 14 1/2 oz. can Mexican-style diced tomatoes OR 1 can of Rotel tomatoes (spiciness depending on your preference)
Small flour tortillas (click here to make your own!)
Desired toppings: salsa or pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, etc.


Instructions

instant pot instructions

To make these in the Instant Pot, heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in your Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Trim the roast of excess fat and cut it into 1-2″ slices. Mix the seasonings together and rub them all over the roast.

Sear the meat in the pot until it is browned on all sides. Top with onions, peppers, and tomatoes and use the manual setting to cook on high for 40 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally (don’t open the valve) for 10 minutes, then release the pressure, open the pot, and shred the beef.

Serve in warmed tortillas with your choice of toppings–fresh onions, avocado, cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, whatever you love!

crock pot instructions

Season the roast all over (slicing isn’t necessary, but you can if you want). Place in the slow cooker. Top with onions, peppers, and tomatoes and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours or (and this is Kate’s Magical Meat Method), start this in the morning, cook it on high until things start to boil and then cook on low until dinnertime and the meat shreds easily with two forks. Serve as desired.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS

Place tomatoes in the bottom of a freezer safe container. Place green peppers on top of tomatoes, then the seasoned roast, then the onions. When ready to cook, invert the container so the tomatoes are on top and cook 1-2 hours longer than the original recipe states.

Sara Wells

Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite RecipesSavoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting MagazineBetter Homes & GardensFine CookingThe Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

Read More

Join The Discussion

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Questions & Reviews

  1. These have become a staple in our house! SO good! I love a good crockpot recipe that taste so good. My husband always requests new dinner ideas from your site. All I have to say it that I found it on "Our Best Bites" and he is sold!

  2. This is in my crock pot right now and I am dying it smells so good!!!! Can't wait to eat it!!! So glad that I found this recipe when I had a huge rost to cook up!

  3. Coming back to report that I tried this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts tonight and it was every bit as good as the beef!

    1. Thanks, Jen, for the report. We prefer chicken/turkey to beef whenever possible, so I will be trying this soon. Anything flexible and freezer-worthy is a plus for me!

  4. Jenni- can you handle just the flavor? I would add a little onion powder instead. It won't taste like onions, it will just add some yummy flavor and you won't have onion-y chunks in there!

  5. How would this recipe be w/o onions? We aren't onion lovers, but would love to try this recipe.

  6. I'm coming to your house for dinner! I can almost smell the beefy southwestern goodness!

  7. Yum. I've actually tried this recipe before and I agree with you guys that it needs more seasoning. Also, topping with cilantro at the end makes the dish fabulous, in my opinion! I think this is going on this weeks menu 🙂

  8. Made this last night for din din and it was DELISH! Everytime me and my husband would take a bite it would be followed by a mmmmmmmmmm……

  9. Just wanted to come back on here and say that I used the leftover meat for taquitos, and then added the yummy leftover tomato-y juices and peppers to some chopped up potatoes for a spicy skillet hash. Nothing went to waste! Thanks so much!

  10. I made these this week and loved them. Can't wait to use the leftovers for taquitos tonight! Looking forward to more great crockpot recipies!

  11. I got a slow cooker for christmas and still haven't used it LOL I should give this a try! It looks delicious!

  12. Oh don't worry Laura, October through March is pretty much slow-cooker *season* around here!

  13. Hey this is a great one I loved it! I think you should do a theme week were you use the slow cooker…hmmm any ways love your blog!

    Laura

  14. Oh my, you just made my mouth water!! I LOVE, LOVE spicy, Southwestern food, and the Beef Wraps sound so yummy!! This one is a keeper..thank you!!

    Lisa B.

  15. Wow, this looks good! I love crock pot recipes…. it opens up so much more time for Gilmore Girls!

  16. Perfect! I've been needing more dinner/freezer meal ideas now that school is in session. Thanks for the instructions of freezing too.

  17. I'm getting hungry just reading this! Of course, this isn't unusual for me when I read your blog 🙂

  18. This is one of our fam faves. So easy and great for feeding a crowd. And it's perfect for making taquitos with the left-overs! We like ours pretty heavily seasoned so I do BIG heaping teaspoons of all the seasonings (probably closer to 2t!) Super yummy. I'm excited for fall too!

  19. Love that you used the crockpot! I can never get my meat to shred correctly, so I will try your method. It looks delicious!

  20. Love it…love the ol' crockpot and the comeback it is making….great recipe…look forward to trying it