Slow Cooker Beef Tinga
This recipe crafts a robust Slow Cooker Beef Tinga, combining seared beef chuck and chorizo with a smoky, spicy sauce featuring chipotles, tomatoes, and beans. It's an ideal dish for a comforting, flavor-packed meal that develops rich tastes over several hours of slow cooking.
Equipment
- 1 Large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven For browning beef and chorizo, and sautéing aromatics.
- 1 Slow Cooker A 6-quart or larger capacity is recommended for this recipe.
- 1 Chef's knife For prepping beef, onion, and chipotles.
- 1 Cutting Board Essential for safe and efficient ingredient preparation.
- 1 Garlic Press As specified for garlic preparation.
Ingredients
Main
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2.5 pounds beef chuck cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 large onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic pressed
- 0.5 pound chorizo sausage
- 1 14 ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
- 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 14 fluid ounces water
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 6 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce finely chopped
- 3 cups tomato juice or as needed
- 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the beef chuck into uniform 2-inch cubes for even cooking, then season generously with salt and ground black pepper.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef cubes in batches, ensuring a deep crust forms on all sides, then remove and set aside.
- Add the chorizo to the same skillet and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until fully browned and rendered; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside with the beef.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the diced onion to the skillet, and cook until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the pressed garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Transfer the browned beef, chorizo, cooked onion and garlic to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the rinsed kidney beans, diced tomatoes, water, tomato paste, and finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce into the slow cooker.
- Pour in 3 cups of tomato juice, ensuring all ingredients are mostly submerged. Add more if needed to cover.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
- Once cooked, use two forks to shred the beef directly in the slow cooker, allowing it to absorb the flavorful sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed before serving hot.
Notes
Achieving a deep brown crust on the beef chuck before slow cooking is paramount for flavor development; do not overcrowd the pan. Similarly, render the chorizo well for maximum savory depth. The chipotle chiles in adobo are key to the dish's smoky heat; adjust the quantity to your preferred spice level. If you desire a thicker sauce, you can remove the lid for the last hour of cooking to allow some liquid to evaporate, or thicken with a cornstarch slurry. For serving, shred the beef directly in the slow cooker with two forks to absorb all the rich sauce before serving in tortillas, bowls, or over rice.