This Venezuelan Shredded Beef recipe is amazing! It’s tender, juicy, and so flavorful. Make a big batch, and you can have something different with it for days.
VENEZUELAN SHREDDED BEEF AKA CARNE MECHADA
Venezuela means a lot to my family and me. It is the country of my birth, my family, my childhood, my memories, and my love. I hope and pray to see it free and prosperous again very soon. As a tribute to my beautiful Venezuela, today I am sharing my recipe for Carne Mechada!
This easy shredded beef plays a major part in Venezuela’s national dish “Pabellon Criollo.” Pabellon Criollo consists of shredded beef, black beans, white rice, and fried plantains. Usually, this dish is accompanied by arepas and white cheese. This dish is a hearty combo. Some people even add a fried egg over the rice, but I’ve never eaten it like that.
Seriously, this pulled beef is delicious! It’s full of flavor and is so moist and tender that it just melts in your mouth.
VENEZUELAN SHREDDED BEEF INGREDIENTS
Amounts are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down). You’ll need:
- Flank or skirt steak
- Beef broth
- Salt and pepper — to taste
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Green pepper
- Garlic
- Tomato paste
- Tomato sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Cumin
- Dried oregano
- Bay leaves
HOW TO MAKE VENEZUELAN SHREDDED BEEF (CARNE MECHADA) AT HOME
Detailed instructions are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down). Here’s how to make Venezuelan Shredded Beef.
1 – PREPARE THE BEEF
Cut the meat into 4 pieces.
Place beef broth in a large pot over medium-high heat. At first boil, add the meat and cook for 15 minutes. Taste the broth and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Cover and let it cook for about 2 hours, or until meat is fully cooked and tender. As the meat cooks check the broth levels and add more if needed (the broth should always cover meat).
2 – SHRED THE BEEF
When the meat is tender and fully cooked, carefully removed it from the pot, place it on a plate, and let it cool. Reserve broth (about 3-4 cups).
Once the meat is cool enough sheered using two forks or your hands.
3 – COOK AND COMBINE
In a large skillet over medium heat the oil. Sauté onion and pepper for 3-5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add garlic and let it cook for 1 more minute.
Stir in shredded beef and mix well.
In a medium bowl, combine tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, sauce, cumin, oregano, and reserved beef broth; mix well until everything is well combined. Add this mixture to the meat. Add the bay leaves, cover, and cook for 20 -25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been consumed.
4 – SERVE AND ENJOY
Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.
HOW TO MAKE SHREDDED BEEF IN THE SLOW COOKER
1 – PREPARE THE BEEF
Cut the meat into 4 pieces. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer beef to a slow cooker.
2 – ADD INGREDIENTS TO THE SLOW COOKER
Combine ½ cup beef broth, tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and dried oregano in a mixing bowl. Add mixture to the slow cooker.
Add onion, peppers, garlic, and bay leaves. Mix to combine.
3 – COOK IN THE SLOW COOKER AND SHRED
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Shred beef with two forks and toss to coat with the juices.
Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.
QUICK RECIPE NOTES
- Onion: You can use white or yellow; either works just fine.
- When I prepare it, I always double the recipe, and if there are leftovers, I freeze it, and then we eat it with arepas or make empanadas.
- It’s important that the meat is covered with broth during the cooking process to help keep the shredded beef juicy and tender. I suggest 6 to 8 cups, depending on the size of your pot.
- If you are going to cook this recipe on the stove, I suggest using a large Dutch oven, which distributes the heat evenly.
- For pressure cooker instructions, check out my Instant Pot Venezuelan Shredded Beef recipe.
WHAT CUT OF BEEF IS BEST FOR SHREDDED BEEF?
The best cut of meat to make this Venezuelan shredded beef is skirt or flank steak. Chuck and rump roast are also used to shredded, but in my opinion, they can be too tough but is a very budget-friendly option. So, if you want really moist and tender shredded meat, I highly recommend using my favorite cut, the skirt steak!
STORING AND REHEATING LEFTOVERS
I love making extra so we can have leftovers to enjoy. Since it has to cook for so long, we might as well make extra! There’s no extra work to double the recipe. Here’s how to store the extra Venezuelan shredded beef.
LEFTOVERS
This shredded beef recipe keeps great in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. When you’re ready to enjoy, heat it in the microwave or over the stovetop until heated through.
FREEZER
This Carne Mechada is freezer-friendly. Once the beef has cooled, transfer the shredded beef to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag. I suggest freezing it in portions so I can pull out as much beef as needed. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge the night before and reheat until heated through.
MORE VENEZUELAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE…
- Easy Venezuelan Chicha
- Easy Venezuelan Roasted Chicken
- Venezuelan Asado Negro
- How to Make Venezuelan Nata
- Venezuelan Cachitos de Jamon
- Eggless Venezuelan Tequeños
- MORE VENEZUELAN RECIPES…
Venezuelan Shredded Beef
Ingredients
- 1-2 lb (500 – 1000 g) skirt steak or flank steak
- 6-8 cups (1 1/2 – 2 l) beef broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons ( 60 ml) olive oil
- 1 cup onion, finely diced
- 1 cup green pepper, chopped into small cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (6oz) tomato paste
- 1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Cut the meat into 4 pieces.
- Place beef broth in a large pot over medium-high heat. At first boil, add the meat and cook for 15 minutes. Taste the broth and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Cover and let it cook for about 2 – 3 hours, or until the meat is fully cooked and tender. As the meat cooks, check the broth levels and add more if needed (the broth should always cover meat).
- When the meat is tender and fully cooked, carefully removed it from the pot, place it on a plate, and let it cool. Reserve broth (about 3-4 cups).
- Once the meat is cool enough, sheared using two forks or your hands, remove and discard big pieces of fat, if any.
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Then add garlic and let it cook for 1 more minute.
- Stir in shredded beef and mix to combine well.
- In a medium bowl, combine tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, oregano, and reserved beef broth; mix well until everything is well combined. Add this mixture to the meat. Add the bay leaves, cover, and cook for 20 -25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been consumed. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper, if necessary.
- Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.
Slow Cooker Instruction:
- Cut the meat into 4 pieces. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Add beef to a slow cooker.
- Combine ½ cup beef broth, tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and dried oregano in a mixing bowl. Add mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add onion, peppers, garlic, and bay leaves. Mix to combine.
- Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- When the time is over, and the meat is tender, remove meat for the slow cooker. Once the meat is cool enough, sheared using two forks or your hands, remove and discard big pieces of fat, if any. and toss to coat with the juices
- Return shredded meat to the cooker and toss to coat with the sauce. Discard bay leaves.
- Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.
Pressure Cooker Instructions:
- For pressure cooker instructions, check out my Instant Pot Venezuelan Shredded Beef recipe.
- Easy Venezuelan Chicha
- Easy Venezuelan Roasted Chicken
- Venezuelan Asado Negro
- How to Make Venezuelan Nata
- Venezuelan Cachitos de Jamon
- Eggless Venezuelan Tequeños
- MORE VENEZUELAN RECIPES…
Nutrition
The Ultimate Guide to Eggless Baking!
Includes more than 70 easy-to-make recipes along with full-color photos, detailed instructions, and helpful tips for spectacular results.
Order Now!Originally posted July 2014, post content edited to add more helpful information, no change to the recipe in March 2021.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have one question – for the slow cooker version, you say to add only 1/2 cup of the beef broth. But the recipe calls for 6-8 cups – and it seems 1/2 cup would not be enough for 2 lbs. of steak. I don’t see anywhere in the slow cooker instructions saying to add more. What did I miss? Thank you!
Hola Oriana,
Muy rica la receta! yo la hice en el crockpot con 2 Kg de carne (creo que te receta es para un kilo de carne, verdad?), entonces use el doble de los ingredientes. Lo unico que despues de 8 horas habia mucho liquido en el crockpot, es normal?
Al dia siguiente la carne absorbio un poco el liquido y tenia mas sabor – pero despues de 8 horas en la nevera con mitad del liquido que habia quedado en el crockpot. Me puedes dejar saber si tengo que hacer algo diferente la proxima vez?
Muchas gracias!!
P.S: muy buen sabor de la carne 🙂
Hola Daniela! Muchas gracias por probar mi receta =) Cuando haces la carne en el slow cooker solo deber poner 1/2 taza de caldo de res (paso 2). Cuantas tazas de caldo pusiste?
Oriana! Tenía mucho tiempo sin comer pabellón estando lejos de Venezuela, antes de venirme solo cocinaba mi mamá y yo no aprendí pero NADA!
Lo extrañaba tanto. Gracias infinitas por publicar esta receta y la de las caraotas. Mi esposo me regaló en navidad la instant pot y lo primero que pensé fue “por fin voy a intentar hacer pabellón”.
Estuvo divina! En 1 mes la he hecho dos veces y literalmente se acaba en dos dias (ojo, somos dos personas jaja).
Solo le hice una modificación a petición de mi esposo, al no ponerle tomate porque le cae mal. E igual quedó deliciosa y tiernita.
Que Dios te bendiga tus manos!
Saludos desde Miami
Hola Andrea!! AMEN ? Me alegra mucho que te haya gustado mi receta. El pabellon es el plato favorito de mi familia y lo preparo con bastante regularidad. Si usas Instant Pot (olla de presion) te recomiendo esta version que se hace muy rapido: https://mommyshomecooking.com/instant-pot-venezuelan-shredded-beef/ . Por favor dejame saber si tienes alguna pregunta! Un abrazo fuerte.
This is the best Carne Mechada recipe on the internet!
I’ve made a couple of changes though, purely due to personal taste:
1. I am not a fan of green peppers due to the pyrazines si I use poblanos or red/yellow/orange bell peppers
2. I cut back on both the oregano and the Worcestershire sauce by 25%
Hello Daniel! Wow, what a compliment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know ?
I’m so excited! My husband’s work is having a potluck party and one of his co-workers is making this recipe, which means I get to try it too! It looks crazy delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Christina! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Thanks so much for stopping by, and Happy Holidays!
Hi Oriana!
Today I made your Asado Negro recipe in my new crockpot and it was DELICIOUS!!! Hands down!
I want to ask you if you can publish a Slow Cooker Venezuela Shredded beef recipe. I’m new using this amazing kitchen tool and I don’t know how to use it for this recipe. PLEASE!
Hello Vanessa! I am so glad you like my Asado Negro recipe. I added the instructions to make Carne Mechada in the slow cooker. Please let me know how you like it. Thanks for stopping by ????
Hi! Would it be possible to do this same recipe with chicken? My favorite venezuelan restaurant has shredded chicken!
Hi Lauren! Yes, you can definitely use chicken. Just make sure to use chicken stock instead of beef stock. Thanks for stopping by ????
Do you cook it on medium high for the 2 hrs or on low?
Hi Andrea! I cook the beef on medium high until is super tender, about 2 hours.Make sure to add more broth, if necessary. You can also cook it in the slow cooker for 8 hours on low. When I use the slow cooker I set it up at night and when I wake up is ready. Hope this help. Thanks for stopping by.
Great recipe, thank you. The meat bit is confusing though: “1 lb flank steak about 2” means 2 lbs. of flank steak.
Hello Alirio! So sorry for the confusion. For some reason the recipe got disconfigured. It’s fixed now. Gracias por la visita.
Riquísima! Se la voy a llevar a mis compañeras de trabajo con unas arepitas asadas para que prueben comida venezolana. Saludos desde Iowa ????
Que bueno que te gusto, Vanessa!! Yo necesito una compañera de trabajo como tu jajajaja. Gracias por visitar my blog ????
Thank you for your recipe. I was reading another recipe for this dish in which they did not use beef broth. Instead they kept the water which they used to boil the beef and added it to the meat later on. Is it also possible to do this?
Hello Fiona! Yes, it’s okay to use the water where you cook the meat, just make sure it is well seasoned. Thanks for stopping by.
Estoy in Español 3 a mi escuela y tiene qué hacer comida de un país qué habla español. Toda la comida en su sitio web se veía muy bien pero yo decido a hace arepas y carne mechada. ¡Fue fantástico! ¡Gracias por la receta!
I love love love this !!! And my cousin’s recipe ????????????????I’m almost cried when I saw by oriana Romero ! !!!!! I l miss my summer vacations in Caracas and Maracaibo with all of my family ! We love u Venezuela ????????!!!!????????
Sorry not my cousin but I still love this !!! Thank you
Hola!
I learned about arepa’s after a Venezuelan man whom I am dating made them for me. I loved them so much that I decided to make them tonight with this beef recipe. My cousin has wanted to try them since seeing Juan Pablo make them on The Bachelor (LOL!) and so tonight I’ll make them for our entire family (10 people). I bought 6 lbs of beef and it cost a fortune so I really hope I don’t mess it up!! 🙂 Haha wish me luck, and thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Sarah
I’m definitely getting a couple of flank steaks at the butcher and making this one day this week!
It is so sad to see the decline of Venezuela. We left in Jan, 2003. I’ll never forget sitting at the airport, eating arepas, my husband said “Did you see that? They just announced an exchange control!” He said it would only be for a few days. I guess he was wrong! Can you believe it is still going on? A lot of the younger people in our family left back then, but now some of the very established older family members are selling all their things and leaving as well. (Even leaving well established practices) We still have a lot of family there, too. We are increasingly worried about them.
My husband would love this. I need to make it.
Thank you! My husband will love this!
i likeddddddd
Que rica que se ve!! Yo ya no como carnes rojas pero me encanta comer pabellón con pollito esmechado. Esa combinación de sabores es inigualable!
I love this