Barbacoa Brisket Tacos cook low and slow in a Dutch oven for unbelievably tender beef and robust flavor.
The smoky flavor and low heat in the shredded barbacoa brisket comes from dried chiles. Easy toppings-thinly sliced red cabbage and pickled onions and radishes-add pops of color and crunch to make these tacos irresistable!
Quick Look: Barbacoa Brisket Tacos
⏲️Ready In: 4 Hours (30 Minutes Prep, 3.5 Hours Cook)
🍽Servings: 8
🥗Nutrition: 273 Calories / 38.5 g Protein
🥘Main Ingredients: Brisket, Dried chipotle chiles, Dried ancho chiles, Beef broth, Onion, Garlic, Apple cider vinegar
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free, Nut free
⭐Why You'll Love It: Oh boy, does this Dutch oven barbacoa brisket recipe pack in some savory heat! Using dried chiles makes an unmistakeably smokey sauce that works well for tacos or burrito bowls.
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I've always been a fan of Taco Tuesday, so Gluten Free Taco Recipes are a big deal in our house!
This recipe makes a barbacoa brisket that cooks low and slow in the oven for incredibly flavorful shredded taco meat. Like this one? Try Maple Chipotle Chicken Tacos or Steak & Egg Breakfast Tacos with Chimichurri next!
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Key Ingredients
Flat Beef Brisket: This is a leaner, rectangular cut from the brisket. You don't need a whole brisket or point brisket here - just the flat.
Can't find flat brisket? You could use beef chuck as a substitute. Follow the same method, but also note that the cooking time might change. I'd start checking it at 2.5 hours and every half hour after that.
Dried Chiles: This recipe uses a blend of dried chipotles and ancho chiles (dried poblanos) for robust, smokey flavor that you simply can't get from chili powder! I first read about using dried chilies from Serious Eats, and decided to give it a try in this recipe.
Spices: We'll enhance that smokey chile flavor with garlic, cinnamon, clove, oregano, and cumin.
Apple Cider Vinegar: A little acid goes a long way for this sauce - you'll use it to deglaze the dutch oven and brighten up the sauce overall.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Barbacoa Brisket Tacos
Step 1: Deseed and destem the dried chiles, then toast them in a dry Dutch oven over medium-high heat. This doesn't take long; just until they're fragrant.
Step 2: Add the broth and simmer for about 8 minutes to soften the chiles.
Step 3: Pour the broth and chile mixture into a heat-safe high-powered blender and blend on high until smooth.
Step 4: Without wiping out the Dutch oven, turn up to high heat and sear the brisket for 1-2 minutes on each side.
Step 5: Remove the brisket and turn heat down to medium. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5-8 minutes to soften.
Step 6: Add the rest of the spices and stir to coat the vegetables. Then add the apple cider vinegar and lime juice, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Turn off heat.
Step 7: Add the brisket back to the Dutch oven and pour the blended chile sauce overtop. Cover the Dutch oven and cook at 275 degrees F for about 3 hours, until the brisket is tender and gives little to no resistance when poked with a fork.
Step 8: Move the brisket to a large bowl and shred with two forks. Meanwhile, return the Dutch oven to the stovetop and simmer the sauce until it's reduced by about half. Add the brisket back to the sauce and stir to coat.
Top Tips from Chelsea
Dried chiles bring the heat and flavor - Dried ancho and chipotle chiles are the secret to smokey, flavorful barbacoa sauce! For me, pre-ground spices just don't compare.
Add some brown sugar to balance out the heat - Taste the sauce when reducing, and if there's a little too much heat, add 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar to help tame it!
Have fun with toppings - Toppings make tacos special, so get creative! I love adding pickled vegetables like Garlicky Quick-Pickled Radishes, red onions, or Quick-Pickled Jalapeños for some brine and crunch.
Tortilla and topping suggestions
To bring these barbacoa brisket tacos together, you need good tortillas.
When making my own, I love plantain tortillas as a gluten free option! That said, flour or corn tortillas work well here.
Otherwise, you can skip the tortillas altogether and serve barbacoa brisket over rice or roasted sweet potato, too!
As for toppings, I love adding crunch to tacos. Here are a few suggestions:
- Sliced cabbage (red, preferably, for color!)
- Garlicky Quick-Pickled Radishes
- Quick-pickled red onions
- Sliced radish
- Fresh cilantro
- Mango salsa like the one used for Paleo Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Cotija cheese
- Feta cheese
Add a squeeze of lime juice, and voila. Irresistible barbacoa brisket tacos!
Barbacoa Brisket Taco FAQs
Many grocery stores carry dried chiles in the "Mexican" section, or near tortillas, salsa, taco seasoning, etc.
Otherwise, you can purchase dried chiles or ancho chile powder online.
Yes! You can prepare the brisket ahead of time and reheat when you're ready to make the tacos.
Otherwise, you can prep just the chile sauce ahead and store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you're ready to go, sear the brisket, sauté the vegetables, and add the pre-prepped sauce and continue with the recipe as written.
Keep leftover brisket in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze leftover brisket in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Yes, you should be able to adapt this recipe for a slow cooker instead of the Dutch oven. Follow the instructions through searing the meat, then add everything to slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the meat shreds easily.
Low and slow is the way to go, so I wouldn't cook on high.
More gluten free taco recipes
Fan of tacos? Me, too!
- If you like these barbacoa brisket tacos and would like something equally as punchy, try Lime Ancho Chicken Tacos with Mango Slaw.
- Steak lovers, make breakfast a taco-lovers dream with Steak & Egg Breakfast Tacos with Chimichurri - a huge favorite!
- Walleye Fish Tacos with Radish Coleslaw makes a perfect summertime taco recipe.
- Or go with the classics and make Gluten Free Carne Asada Fries!
More dutch oven recipes
Did you try this Barbacoa Brisket Taco recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
📖 Recipe
Barbacoa Brisket Tacos
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Braised
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Saucy and flavorful, this Dutch oven barbacoa brisket recipe is perfect for tacos! Use the suggested toppings or your own favorites. This recipe is great for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
For The Barbacoa Brisket
- 3 dried chipotle chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 3 whole dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 cups beef broth
- 3 lb flat beef brisket
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
For The Tacos
- Plantain Tortillas or tortillas of your choosing
- Pickled Radishes (use the same method to make pickled red onions)
- ½ cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Toast the chiles. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Add dried chiles to a Dutch oven over medium high heat for 2 to 5 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the chiles are slightly darkened and fragrant. Add broth and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for about 8 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Blend sauce. Once cool enough to handle, pour the broth mixture into a high powered blender and blend on high for 1 minute or until smooth.
- Sear brisket. Return the Dutch oven to the stovetop over high heat. Sear brisket on both sides, for 3-5 minutes on each side. If the brisket is too large for your Dutch oven, cut it into large chunks and sear for about a minute on each side. Remove the meat from the Dutch oven and set aside.
- Sauté onion and spices. Reduce heat to medium-high and add olive oil. Add onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven and stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add cumin, oregano, clove, and cinnamon, cooking for 30 more seconds, until fragrant. Add apple cider vinegar and lime juice, again scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced by about half.
- Roast brisket. Add the seared brisket back to the Dutch oven, nestling into the onions. Pour in the prepared chili sauce. Cover and transfer to the oven, cooking for about 3 hours, until the meat is tender and shreds easily. Take out of the oven. Carefully transfer brisket to a large heat-safe bowl.
- Reduce sauce and shred brisket. Return the Dutch oven to the stovetop and heat over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sauce is reduced by half. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, shred the brisket with two forks and return to sauce, stirring until completely coated.
- Assemble tacos. To assemble the tacos, pile a couple tablespoons or so of barbacoa brisket on a tortilla. Top with pickled radishes, pickled onions, shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Notes
- If you can't find brisket, you can use chuck roast instead.
- If you find the sauce needs a little sweetness to balance out the heat, add 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar when reducing the sauce.
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