Bland tacos....what am I missing?

1lb beef, slow cooked with:

Onions

Cilantro

Serrano peppers

Garlic

Lime juice

Mexican oregano

Cumin

Paprika

Chili powder

Vegetable oil

Once tender, meat was shredded very fine.

The final product was still bland. Mixing in salsa and taco sauce helped, but I’m missing something and all the recipe videos I find on YouTube are similar to the recipe above.

When I go to Tex-Mex/Mexican restaurants, the beef typically has an orange hue in the oil. Mine does not.

What am I missing? Tomato paste, maybe? Beef stock?

bon appetit