Skip to Content
Menu

Spicy Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos with Cranberry Salsa

  • Jump to Recipe
  • Save
Half-Baked Harvest
Updated May 26, 2022
  • Save
  • Share
  • Jump to Recipe
Easy, slow cooker beef tacos topped with seasonal cranberries!

More About This Recipe

  • The taco meat makes itself in the slow cooker. Top with cranberry salsa and you've got one yum of a dinner.

    So, can we chat for a little about Thanksgiving leftovers?

    You see, my family almost never has any. And if we do, the boys eat all the turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes before I can even get a chance to turn them into another fun meal.

    I guess this is good since all the food gets eaten, but still, every year I buy a bigger turkey, make extra gravy and double the mashed potatoes in hopes of having a ton of leftovers – and every year it’s the same deal.

    Everything goes at lightning speed ... except the cranberries.

    I mean, what do you expect? I live in house full of boys. They could care less about the cranberry sauce, so I almost always have some left over. Then I started thinking: tacos are a staple meal around here and the boys love them. I love the combo of savory and sweet ... maybe I could combine some sweet cranberry salsa with some spicy beef short rib tacos.

    The result is a sweet-heat recipe made in taco heaven.

    Ok, so let’s make some! Gather up your ingredients.

    Heat a large heavy-bottom skillet over medium high-heat and add the olive oil. Add the ribs to the skillet and sprinkle with brown sugar, salt and pepper. Sear the ribs on all sides for about 1 minute per side. Remove the ribs and place them in the slow cooker crock.

    To the crock, add the Old El Paso taco seasoning, sriracha, beer, sweet Thai chili sauce and soy sauce. Cover the crock and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (or 4-6 hours on high) stirring once or twice if possible.

    After 8 hours, remove the short ribs from the crockpot and shred them with your hands or two forks. Return the meat to the crockpot and keep warm.

    Gather the ingreidents for the salsa.

    Add the cranberry sauce to a mixing bowl. Add the jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and a pinch of salt if needed. Taste and adjust to your liking.

    When ready to serve, warm the tortillas in the microwave or over an open flame. Stuff with short ribs and top with the cranberry salsa. Add a sprinkle of cheese and some diced avocado.

    Enjoy!

Spicy Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos with Cranberry Salsa

  • Prep Time 15 min
  • Total 8 hr 0 min
  • Servings 4
  • Ingredients 17
  • Save
  • Share
  • Print
  • Keep Screen On

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds beef short ribs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1 packet (1 oz) Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning Mix (or your favorite variety)
  • 1-2 tablespoons sriracha (I used 2)
  • 1 (12 ounce) beer or beef broth (I used pumpkin beer to add to the seasonal taste)
  • 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 package (11 oz) Old El Paso™ Flour Tortillas for Burritos (8 Count), warmed
  • cheddar cheese or cajita cheese, for serving
  • diced avocado, for serving

Salsa

  • 1 cup cranberry sauce
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • juice of 1 lime
  • salt, to taste if needed

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat a large heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the ribs to the skillet and sprinkle with brown sugar, salt and pepper. Sear the ribs on all sides for about 1 minute per side. Remove the ribs and place them in the slow cooker crock.
  • Step 
    2
    To the crock, add the Old El Paso taco seasoning, sriracha, beer, sweet Thai chili sauce and soy sauce. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (or 4 to 6 hours on high). Remove the short ribs from the slow cooker and shred them with two forks. Return the meat to the slow cooker to keep warm until serving.
  • Step 
    3
    To make the salsa, add the cranberry sauce to a mixing bowl. Add the jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and a pinch of salt if needed. Taste and adjust to your liking.
  • Step 
    4
    When ready to serve, warm the tortillas in the microwave or over the stove. Stuff with short ribs and top with the cranberry salsa. Add a sprinkle of cheese and some diced avocado and serve immediately.

Nutrition

No nutrition information available for this recipe

Expert Tips

© 2025 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved