• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Browse Recipes:
  • Appetizers
  • Drinks
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Cupcakes
  • All Recipes »

Baking Beauty logo

  • ^ Back to Top
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Browse Recipes
  • Appetizers
  • Drinks
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Cupcakes
  • All Recipes
×

Recipes » Main Dishes » Beef » Brisket Tacos

Published: Jun 27, 2022 by Krystle Smith · This post may contain affiliate links

Brisket Tacos

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

My beef brisket tacos feature melt-in-your-mouth brisket sauce topped with spicy pico, crispy onions, and creamy Mexiranch dressing. They’re so good they even helped me score a boyfriend!   a beef brisket tacos with cheese and fried onions on a white plate with fries.  

We love tacos around here. So far, I’ve shared Cheese Shell Tacos and wonton tacos. However, these beef brisket tacos are something else entirely.

They are just bursting with big Texas flavor. They are a flavor explosion in your mouth. Make a large batch of brisket and enjoy these tacos for days. Serve them for friends and family or just because you are craving an incredible brisket taco. Great for using up leftover brisket too.

These are very similar to the now-discontinued Applebees Brisket Tacos.

I also give credit this recipe for helping me win over my boyfriend (aka Meat Man).

Table Of Contents hide
1 Why I Love This Recipe
2 Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
3 How To Make Brisket Tacos
4 No Smoker? No Problem!
5 More Topping Ideas
6 Leftovers
7 Tips and Tricks
8 Serve With
9 Brisket Tacos

Why I Love This Recipe

  • Tender beef: Smoking the meat makes it crispy on the outside and super tender on the inside. It will hold its shape, so don’t panic if it doesn’t fall apart as a roast would.
  • Texture: To contrast the juicy beef, we add fresh pico, crispy onions, and melty cheese.
  • Leftovers: Your family will not turn up their nose at these leftovers, which sometimes taste even better the second day.

a beef brisket being rubbed with salt and pepper on a wooden table.

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

  • Brisket: Brisket is a cut of beef that comes from the chest section of the cow. It is a tough cut of meat. It has a lot of flavor. It must be cooked low and slow, so it is tender.  When you choose the brisket, you want one at least 1 inch thick on the ends. If you can afford it, also opt for choice instead of select, which has additional fat marbling.
  • Pico de Gallo: Since a lot was going on in this recipe, I used storebought found in the produce section of my grocery store. You can also make your own.
  • BBQ Sauce: We like Sweet Baby Rays.
  • Tortillas: You can use corn or flour. I prefer flour.
  • Buttermilk: Use buttermilk to help soften the onions. If you don’t have any, you can make your own with 1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of milk.

shredded beef brisket in a yellow bowl.

How To Make Brisket Tacos

  1. Smoke Meat: Rub meat with spices and cook for around 1 hour per pound. 
  2. Add Sauce: Shred and toss the meat with sauce.
  3. Cook Onions: Dredge and fry onions for 2-3 minutes per side.
  4. Make Sauce: Combine all ingredients. 
  5. Make Tacos: Layer beef, cheese, pico, onions, and top off with sauce.

No Smoker? No Problem!

A smoker is the best way to cook brisket. It gives a crispy outside, tender inside, and deep flavor. However, if you don’t have one, you can use

  • Crockpot: Brown on all sides in a skillet. Cook for 8-10 hours on low.
  • Instant pot: Brown on all sides, and cook for 75 minutes. Allow pressure to release for 15 minutes, before doing a manual release. 

If cooking indoors, consider adding 1-2 teaspoons of liquid smoke.

 

More Topping Ideas

  • Salsa
  • Avocado and/or Guacamole
  • Grilled pepper sand onions
  • Grilled Corn
  • Jalapenos
  • Queso blanco or chile con queso
  • Hot sauce
  • Cilantro
  • Green onions

Leftovers

  • Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Reheat: Reheat covered with tin foil in a 350-degree oven for around 10 minutes. Add cooking juices or broth if it seems dry.
  • Freeze: Freeze for up to 2 months.

Tips and Tricks

  1. Fat Cap: Leave the fat cap on for cooking. It adds so much flavor and helps keep your meat juicy.
  2. Let It Rest: Allow the meat to rest for 10-15 minutes before shredding to keep the juices inside.
  3. Cook Low and Slow: Avoid grilling or cooking in a crock pot on high, which can lead to a tough, chewy result.
  4. Wet and Dry Hand: When battering your onions, use one hand for the flour and one for the milk to avoid battering yourself. 
  5. Heat Your Tortillas: Heat your tortillas in a pan with a little oil for 1-2 minutes until soft. 

Serve With

Fried Corn

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Rattlesnake Bites

 

a soft taco filled with bbq brisket, pico de gallo, fried onions, and mexican ranch dressing.

Like what you see? Follow Baking Beauty on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram so you don’t miss a recipe. Subscribe to our newsletter too!

 

Brisket Tacos

My beef brisket tacos feature melt-in-your-mouth brisket sauce topped with spicy pico, crispy onions, and creamy Mexiranch dressing. They're so good they even helped me score a boyfriend!
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex Mex
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours
Total Time: 10 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 564kcal
Author: Krystle Smith

Ingredients

For the Brisket

  • 3 Pound Beef Brisket
  • 2 Tablespoons Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
  • 2 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 Bottle BBQ Sauce

For the Tacos

  • 1 Cup Pico de Gallo
  • 12 Tortillas
  • 2 Cups Shredded Cheese

For the Sauce

  • ½ Cup Ranch
  • ½ Cup Sour Cream
  • ¼ Cup Medium Salsa

For the Fried Onions

  • 2 Sweet Onions
  • 2 Cups Buttermilk
  • 2 Cups Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • ½ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Don't lose this recipe. Pin for later!

Instructions

For the Brisket

  • Combine all spices and rub over top of brisket.
  • Smoke with cherry wood at 250 degrees per pound. You can also cook in the slow cooker for 10-12 hours on low.
  • Remove fat, shred, and mix with BBQ sauce.

For the Onions

  • Heat peanut oil to 350 degrees F.
  • Thinly slice onions.
  • Pour buttermilk into one dish and flour and seasonings into another.
  • Dip in flour, buttermilk,and then flour again.
  • Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden.

For the sauce

  • Combine all ingredients.

For the Tacos

  • Place beef on a warm tortilla. Top with cheese, pico, onions and a drizzle of sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 564kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 2442mg | Potassium: 638mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 893IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this recipe? I want to see!Mention @BakingBeautyBlog or tag #BakingBeauty!
Pin48
Share
Tweet
Yum2
50 Shares
« Sweet Breakfasts
Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. abzstylz says

    June 30, 2022 at 12:36 am

    5 stars
    So yummy! My husband and I are new to Texas, and have been enjoying Brisket. Will definitely try this recipe for Taco Tuesday night 🙂

    Reply
    • Krystle Smith says

      July 02, 2022 at 12:20 pm

      Welcome to Texas!! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Melanie E says

    June 28, 2022 at 1:12 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve not had brisket before. It looks like it would fit in amazingly well in tacos. I do love the sound of this. What a great idea. Sounds like a great dish to try on my family x

    Reply
  3. Beth says

    June 28, 2022 at 9:50 am

    5 stars
    Combining brisket and tacos is such a great idea. They’re both such classic favorites, and beef is always a winner when it comes to tacos.

    Reply
  4. Tweenselmom says

    June 28, 2022 at 8:07 am

    5 stars
    This looks so yum! I’ve never tried making tacos before so this must be a sign 🙂

    Reply
  5. Christine says

    June 27, 2022 at 8:58 pm

    5 stars
    OMGoodness! I love tacos and I love brisket but I have never heard of or even thought of brisket tacos. What an awesome combination! I can’t wait to make this. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Stephanie says

    June 27, 2022 at 8:52 pm

    5 stars
    I don’t have a smoker, but love cooking things in the slow cooker! We also love Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce so I know this will be a winner in my house!

    Reply

Let know what you think Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Welcome to my site Beautiful! Here I share sweet and savory recipes made without fancy equipment, or hard to find ingredients. I firmly believe the best tools in the kitchen are your 2 hands. I refuse to skimp on the butter, sugar, or love! Romans 8:28

10 Fun Facts About Me

Let's Be Friends

Facebook

Like

Instagram

Follow

Pinterest

Follow

Twitter

Follow

Reader Favorites

Reese’s Cake

reeses cake

Pizza Grilled Cheese

Amaretto Sour

best amaretto sour recipe

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Blue Hawaiian Recipe

Cake Batter Funfetti Pancakes

Bible Verse of the Day

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Psalm 32:8

Summer Favorites

Frog Eye Salad

frog eye salad

Cheesecake Salad

Pork Belly Burnt Ends

smoked pork belly burnt ends

Mexican Street Corn

Broccoli Salad With Bacon

Watermelon Cake

Footer

^ back to top

Featured In

Privacy and Disclosure Policies | Accessibility Statement

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.