In Good FlavorThis Jalapeño Shredded Beef and Polenta is hearty and comforting. Beef and jalapeño peppers are cooked in a slow cooker and then served on a bed of creamy instant polenta. It’s so easy to make too!
Happy spring, everyone! Did you know that today marks the first day of this glorious season of life and rebirth? Ironically, we are welcoming it with a snowstorm. Typical New England weather! Although winter has been mild this year, it’s certainly going out with a bang. The snowflakes are expected to start tonight, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we won’t get more than six inches.
I have the perfect meal to help us weather this last blast of winter. This spicy beef and polenta dish is comforting, satisfying, and hearty. It warms you up from the inside out. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also one of the easiest meals to prepare!
Start by applying a dry rub to the meat; I recommend using chuck roast or brisket. Place the meat in a slow cooker along with some tomato sauce, canned pickled jalapeños, and your choice of spices. Once everything is in the slow cooker, turn it on and let it cook for 8 to 10 hours.
When the meat is finally tender, use two forks to shred it. Then, return the shredded beef to the slow cooker to soak up all the delicious juices. The result is tender, savory, and tangy beef with just the right amount of heat to warm the back of your throat—perfect for those who enjoy a medium heat level.
If you’re not a fan of heat, you can opt for jalapeño slices labeled “mild” or use only half of the jalapeño and its juices, replacing the rest with half a cup of beef broth. Although I don’t recommend it, you could also omit the canned jalapeño entirely if you have a low tolerance for spiciness; in that case, substitute it with one full cup of beef broth.
For a quick and easy meal at the end of the day, I round off the shredded beef with creamy instant polenta. The brand I use takes literally 3-4 minutes to cook once added to the boiling liquid. It is a great option over the traditional polenta, which takes about 30 minutes to cook (more or less depending on the size of the cornmeal used).
This is a great semi-make-ahead meal that is perfect for a busy weeknight. Cook and shred the meat on the weekend—then warm it up during the week and make the instant polenta. There you go—a lip-smacking dinner in minutes without breaking a sweat! It is the kind of meal that I like to come home to these days.
Until next time, have a wonderful week!
Recommended supplies:
(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)
- This simple 4-quart slow cooker has high customer satisfaction.
- Kitchen tong—this heavyweight stainless steel tong is a great utility all-purpose kitchen tool.
- A saucepan to make polenta. This 3-quart saucepan is nonstick and comes with a glass lid.
- Silicone spatula for stirring the polenta. I have a set similar to this one. I love that it is one piece and has no seams.
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Jalapeño Shredded Beef and Polenta
Description
This Jalapeño Shredded Beef and Polenta is hearty and comforting. Beef and jalapeño peppers are cooked in a slow cooker and then served on a bed of creamy instant polenta. It’s so easy to make too!
Ingredients
For the Instant Polenta:
Instructions
- Combine 2 teaspoons brown sugar, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Rub onto the chuck roast.
- Add tomato sauce, undrained jalapeño, brown sugar, and beef bouillon to the bottom of the slow cooker. Blend well. Add the chuck roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Check at the 8-hour mark; if not fork tender, continue to cook, checking about every 40 minutes until tender.
- Remove beef from slow cooker. Shred using two forks. Skim the fat off the top of the meat juices in slow cooker. Add the shredded beef back into the pot as you cook the polenta.
- Bring water to a boil. Add salt. Gradually whisk in 2 cups of polenta. Reduced heat to a simmer and whisk for 3-4 minutes. If polenta spits too much, remove from heat and continue stirring for a few seconds before returning to heat. When done, polenta should be smooth, spoonable, and creamy. Extra water or milk can be added if the mixture is too thick. Add butter at the end and blend well. Adjust salt to taste. Yields about 8 cups of cooked polenta.
- Top the polenta with shredded beef and its juices. Garnish with chopped scallion, optional. Serve immediately as the polenta thickens as it sits.
For the polenta:
To serve:
Notes
- * Polenta cooking instructions vary from brand to brand. If you are using a different brand, prepare yours according to the package directions.
- Water, chicken broth, milk, or a combination thereof could be used in cooking the polenta. Chicken broth provides more flavor, while milk makes it creamier.
- Green Pickled Jalapeño Nacho Slices come in varying degrees of heat. Choose what you like. I use hot.
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This looks so flavorful. I am bored with my usual recipe for chuck roast, so may have to give this a try! Have a great week!
Ah, polenta! I would eat anything that comes with polenta, I adore it! I make something similar but without the jalapenos and the sugar, Romanian style, not too hot. Still totally delicious! I am pinning your recipe for the future.
Yay Spring!! It has been cold here too, however we didn't get any snow. But I'm alright with the cold, because just seeing all the fabulous spring produce that is starting to show up has me all sorts of excited! LOVE LOVE LOVE this dish, Thao!! I'm a HUGE fan of spicy, so this delicious shredded beef is right up my alley! Talk about a cozy meal perfect for saying goodbye to all the cold weather! I could eat a bowl of this for breakfast, my dear! Cheers – to a wonderful week… and hopefully a bit of warmer weather! xo
I'm all about spicy so I will add all the jalapenos and juice and maybe even add some more 😉 I'm also all about slow cookers and love leftovers. I could see me making this to put in corn tortillas for taco Tuesday and using the leftovers to make a yummy omelette the next morning. Pinned and saved 🙂
I hope you'll give it a try, Inger! It is a welcoming change from the usual chuck roast.
I love slow cooked meat. I'm sure your version is delicious. Thanks for the pin, Adina.
Seeing all that fresh produce puts you in a good mood, doesn't it? I just want to buy everything. We had a messy, snowy morning, and a good part of it melted by late afternoon. I'm thankful for that! I'm glad you like this dish, Chey! Spicy is a good thing. And I love that one of the added benefits is it speeds up your metabolism. 🙂
I have a feeling you can handle a bit more heat than me, so add jalapeños and juice to your heart's content! Putting it over omelette didn't occur to me, but it sounds good! Thanks for the pin, Karrie! Have a great week!!
Jalapenos? Beef? Polenta? Yes. Yes. YESSSS!
Spicy beef is perfect with the polenta! That's a side dish that I always forget to add to our menu. What a lovely pairing.
Thanks Jennifer! I'm so glad you stopped by!!
Thanks Liz. I'm not one of those people who frown on instant polenta. I think it is perfect for nights when you don't have a whole lot of time to devote to dinner preparation.
Whoa! Sorry you got snow on the first day of spring! Good thing you have this comforting beef and polenta to keep you warm!
The good news was it was all gone in 4 days! I did a happy dance…with my two left feet! 🙂
Oh, I love polenta! Topped with this spicy beef – I'll take all the heat! I love spicy food but have to keep the heat at a dull roar – got some sensitive little bellies in my house. I appreciate simple meals like this that I can make for just me & my hubby 🙂
It's a struggle to find meals that everyone in the family would love especially when you have little ones. But if you and your husband like some spice, this dish is going to make you both happy. 🙂
So sorry to see you go, but I do understand how much time it takes! Best of luck in your other endeavors!
Thank you for your well wishes, Inger. It has been a pleasure to know you. I will be visiting your site once in a while to see what you are cooking up. Take care!
Jalapeno with Polenta, what a great pair, thanks sharing this recipe
This is really nice. We love jalapenos. The beef looks so tender. I’d probably season the polenta with a little cumin, but that’s just me!!
The jalapenos make add so much zest and flavor to this dish. The cumin is a great idea! I think it’s perfect for the polenta.