Brisket Tacos
On February 24, 2021 (Updated October 24, 2023)
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These Brisket Tacos are a big taco filled with big flavor. Slow smoked beef brisket is lovingly wrapped in a flour tortilla and piled high with a plethora of toppings to satisfy any BBQ craving.
Beef Brisket Tacos
Smoked brisket in a tortilla is basically taste bud heaven. Smoky, melt in your mouth Texas style brisket makes the perfect taco filling. Topped with any of your favorite taco toppings, you can create an epic taco platter to feed your people.
I like to top mine with sweet candied jalapenos, tangy pickled red onions, my sweet and spicy Texas BBQ sauce, crumbly Mexican cotija cheese, cilantro, and fresh lime. It’s a filling taco, and every bite is better than the last.
Smoking Brisket for Tacos
For this recipe, I cooked the brisket using my Texas Style Brisket recipe and method on my Camp Chef smoker. If you’ve never smoked a brisket before, attempting to tackle one just for tacos might seem a little intimidating. I describe the basic steps for smoking a brisket in the recipe card below, but if you need some additional brisket know-how before getting started, check out the following posts:
Those posts should give you a great foundation to get you well on your way to turning out great brisket at home.
Brisket Taco Toppings
The secret to making these brisket tacos the best of the best is to top them with added deliciousness. My favorite toppings are a little bit tangy, a tiny bit spicy, and help to round out the flavor of the brisket itself.
Start things off with some Candied Jalapenos and Pickled Red Onions. Both add a hint of acidity with some BIG flavor. If you’re a fan of cilantro, you can’t go wrong with a hefty sprinkling of fresh cilantro. Cotija cheese adds a salty bite to your taco, and I highly recommend drizzling the whole thing with plenty of Texas BBQ Sauce.
It doesn’t have to stop there, though. If you have something you love on your tacos, go nuts! Pico de gallo or Smoked Salsa would also taste delicious on these tacos.
Tips for Making Brisket Tacos
Ready to make these tacos? Scroll below for the full printable recipe card, and take note of these tips for making your brisket tacos the best of the best!
- Save yourself the burnt ends. My favorite way to serve these taco to my family is by laying an entire slice of brisket (either the point or the flat works) onto the tortilla. That means those crispy burnt ends are up for grabs. Just for you, to eat in a dark corner all alone or pile into your own taco. I won’t judge either way.
- Get creative with toppings. I kept my tacos in the Tex Mex genre with BBQ sauce and jalapenos, but you can top with your favorite salsa, shredded melty cheese, sour cream, green onions, etc. Get after it!
- Prep all things taco before slicing your brisket. You want your brisket to go from sliced to tortilla shell to eaten in short order. Make sure all of those toppings are assembled and the tortillas are warm before you cut that first slice of brisket. Waiting to eat mine while I finished these photos almost killed me.
Once you made and enjoyed your tacos, be sure to come back and let me know how you like ’em!
What Goes with Brisket Tacos?
Not sure what to eat alongside your brisket tacos? Try them out with these other tasty recipes from Hey Grill Hey.
Brisket Taco Recipe
Brisket Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 12-14 pound whole packer brisket
- ½ cup yellow mustard
- 6 Tablespoons Signature Beef Seasoning or brisket seasoning - link in recipe notes
Brisket Taco Toppings
- 1 cup Texas BBQ Sauce
- 8 ounces Cotija cheese
- Pickled Red Onions
- Candied Jalapenos
- fresh cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Trim your Brisket. Store your brisket in the refrigerator until you are ready to start trimming. Cold briskets are much easier to work with. Flip your brisket over so the thick fat cap is on bottom. Remove any silver skin or excess fat from the flat muscle. Trim down the large crescent moon shaped fat section until it is a smooth transition between the point and the flat. Trim any excessive or loose meat and fat from the point. Square the edges and ends of the flat. Flip the brisket over and trim the top fat cap to about 1/4 of an inch thickness across the surface of the brisket.
- Season the brisket. Slather the brisket on all sides with yellow mustard. Shake the Beef Seasoning over the brisket to evenly distribute the spices on all sides.
- Smoke the brisket. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F using indirect heat and your favorite hardwood smoke. Place the brisket on the smoker with the point end facing your main heat source. This is a thicker part of the brisket and it can handle the additional heat. Close the lid and smoke until and internal thermometer reads 165 degrees F (usually takes around 8 hours).
- Wrap the brisket. On a large work surface, roll out a big piece of butcher paper (or foil) and center your brisket on one end. Wrap the brisket by folding edge over edge, creating a leak proof seal all the way around. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker, seam side down so the weight from the brisket crimps the edges of the paper wrap down tight.
- Finish smoking. Close the lid on the smoker and, maintaining 225 degrees F, continue cooking until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 202 degrees F in the thickest part of the meat (takes anywhere from 5-8 hours) or until your thermometer probe slides in and out like it is sliding into softened butter.
- Rest your brisket. Remove the brisket to a large cutting board and allow to rest for 1 hour before slicing.
- Assemble your taco ingredients. While your brisket rests, warm the tortillas by wrapping them tightly in foil and place them into your 225 degree smoker for 30 minutes. Place your BBQ sauce, pickled onions, candied jalapenos, and other toppings into bowls so your guests can build their own tacos.
- Make your tacos. Slice both the point and the flat against the grain into 1/2 inch thick slices. Remove your warmed tortillas from the grill and unwrap. Make a taco by placing a slice of brisket in a warm tortilla and topping with BBQ sauce, jalapenos, pickled red onions, cotija cheese, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Eat and enjoy!!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I live outside the US and cannot get butcher pape. Is there an alternative I can use?
Aluminum foil will work fine!