Turn Up Taco Night With These Spicy Braised Brisket Tacos

There are quite a few unexpected ingredients that can spice up taco night, and moreover, there are plenty of ways to transform familiar taco ingredients into something elevated and surprisingly delicious. This spicy braised brisket taco recipe takes an elevated approach by taking a staple taco protein, beef, and upgrading it from traditional ground beef to braised brisket. Toppings like salsa verde, pickled red onions, sliced radishes, avocado, and cilantro add a wonderfully fresh flair, providing that bright contrast against the savory, rich, and tender brisket.

If taco night happens to be a staple in your weekly dinner rotation, recipe developer Julianne De Witt assures us that this recipe is one to add to the repertoire. "These braised brisket tacos feature beef brisket slowly braised in beef stock with warm spices until fall-apart tender and richly flavored," she says. Although braising is a cooking technique that takes time — all told, you'll need about 3 hours and 30 minutes to bring this recipe to life — most of that is just waiting for the brisket to cook. Ultimately, it's well worth the time and effort, as the ultra-tender result will please both party guests and your family members alike. As De Witt adds, "These tacos are fantastic on their own or with Mexican rice, refried beans, or a corn salad on the side (margaritas optional). Multiply the recipe to feed a crowd. For parties, I like to keep the cooked and shredded brisket with the braising liquid warm in a crock pot and have my guests add their own toppings to their tacos."

Beef brisket is the star of the show here, and you'll start by seasoning the meat with kosher salt and pepper and then searing it in avocado oil. From there, you'll need quite a few flavor agents for the braising process: crushed garlic, tomato paste, beef stock, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Mexican oregano, and lime juice.

To assemble the brisket tacos, you'll need corn tortillas, salsa verde, cotija cheese, pickled onions, avocado, sliced radishes, and cilantro. You may also want some lime wedges on hand for serving.

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Season the brisket on both sides with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Sear the brisket for 4 minutes until browned.

Flip the brisket and sear for an additional 4 minutes.

Remove the brisket and set it aside. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the stock, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Stir.

Add the brisket back to the pot. Cover and cook for 3 to 3 ½ hours, turning once, until tender.

Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and shred it using two forks.

Add the brisket back to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the lime juice and the remaining salt and pepper to the brisket. Check the seasoning.

Heat the corn tortillas in a dry pan on both sides until warm and lightly charred.

Fill the tortillas with brisket, shaking off any excess braising liquid.

Top with salsa, cotija, pickled onions, avocado, radishes, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

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Brisket is one of those cuts of beef that absolutely needs to be cooked low, slow, and steady. De Witt tells us that the brisket in this recipe should cook at 300 F — a relatively low temperature — to ensure that the meat stays as tender as possible. If you were to cook the meat faster and at a higher temperature, you'd be sacrificing that quintessential fall-apart, ultra-tender texture. 

Before you even get to the braising part, though, make sure you season and sear the brisket on both sides. Not seasoning the meat is actually a common meat braising mistake, but seasoning (along with searing) really helps to ensure that all of those savory flavors stay packed into the meat. When adding beef broth to the Dutch oven for braising, use your eyes rather than a specific measurement. "Add enough liquid to come halfway up the brisket," De Witt advises. "Too little liquid will make the meat become dry. Too much and you'll lose the deep roasted flavor of the meat." She also notes that knowing when the brisket is done cooking is better determined by how easily the meat shreds than according to a specific time frame — once it's fork-tender, you know it's done. 

Although this recipe is technically one for tacos, the highlight is the braised brisket itself, and there are nearly countless ways to put such a delicacy to good use. For starters, you can veer away from the taco base and opt for other Mexican-inspired favorites like burritos, tortas, tostadas, or quesadillas instead. You'll prepare the brisket exactly the same, but when it comes time to assemble, switch to the right tortilla type, add toppings as desired, and wrap, grill, or fry to your heart's content.

Speaking of toppings, even if you stick with the taco base, there's an entire world of possibilities for taco toppings. An easy swap would be to reach for pico de gallo instead of the salsa verde, though any type of salsa will work here. The cotija cheese could also be swapped out in favor of the similarly crumbly feta or queso fresco. De Witt also recommends shredded cabbage if you like a crisp, crunchy element on your tacos, or sliced jalapeños for a kick of heat. If you'd like to add some spiciness to the braising liquid itself (and therefore to the brisket), canned chipotle peppers in adobo or your favorite chile pepper will do the trick. 

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