Brisket Tacos are my favorite dinner of all time. I make them for my birthday, when friends come over, for celebrations, for Taco Tuesdays, and everything in between.
The brisket cooks slowly until it is tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. Then, it is topped with bright, fresh Pico de Gallo and creamy guacamole.
Squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice over the top for a citrusy lift. Grab a Topo Chico or pineapple kombucha and enjoy!
Brisket Tacos
Seasoning for the brisket:
- 2.5-3.5 lb beef brisket, preferably grass fed
- 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated onion
- 1 1/2 Tbsp onion flakes
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 red onion, quartered
- 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
For the Brisket Tacos:
- Guacamole (recipe below)
- Pico de gallo (recipe below)
- Lime wedges to squeeze over the tacos
- Jalapeño slices, optional
- Siete almond flour tortillas (or your favorite tortillas)
Directions for the brisket:
- Mix all of the spices together in a small bowl. Add the lime juice and white vinegar and stir to make a paste.
- Coat the brisket all over with the spice paste. Place the brisket in a crockpot fat cap side down. (The fat cap is a thick layer of fat that covers one side of the brisket. The fat cap could be very thick to very thin, depending on how the butcher prepared it. Placing the brisket fat cap side down in the crockpot allows the fat to melt and keeps the brisket from drying out.)
- Quarter the onion and smash the garlic cloves. Place them on top of the brisket.
- Cover the crockpot and cook the brisket on low for 8-10 hours.
- Once the brisket is cooked, place it on a chopping board. Chop it into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces.
- Place all the chopped brisket in a large dish and ladle 2-3 cups of the beef broth over the brisket. (The broth adds a lot of flavor and keeps the brisket from drying out.)
Guacamole
- 4 avocados
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1/2-1 tsp sea salt, or more if you like
- juice of 2 limes
Directions for the guacamole:
- Slice open the avocados, remove the pit, and place the avocado flesh in a medium bowl.
- Smash the avocados with a large fork until the avocados are chunky.
- Mince the garlic cloves and add to the avocados.
- Add the lime juice and salt. Smash and mix everything together until the guacamole is the consistency you like.
Pico de Gallo
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 1 small red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2-1 jalapeño pepper (according to your preference)
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, more to taste if desired
Directions for the pico de gallo:
- Chop the tomatos and onion into 1/2 inch pieces. Add them to a medium bowl.
- Mince the garlic and add it to the tomatoes and onions.
- Split the jalapeño pepper lengthwise and remove the seeds. Finely chop the jalapeño pepper and add it to the rest of the vegetables.
- Sprinkle the lime juice and sea salt over the pico de gallo and mix until well combined.
To assemble the tacos:
- Heat your favorite soft tortillas and butter them. If you want to eat the tacos “family style”, you can heat up several tortillas and keep them warm by stacking them and wrapping them in a cloth napkin.
- Once the tortillas are heated up, top them with brisket, guacamole, pico de gallo, and a squeeze of lime juice.
- Enjoy!
Test Kitchen Notes
My Fire Roasted Salsa goes great with these tacos. You can make it ahead of time and use it in place of the Pico de Gallo if you prefer.
The white vinegar and the lime juice in the spice paste help to brighten the spices and tenderize the meat.
The fat will mostly melt as the brisket cooks, making for a tender and flavorful brisket. If your brisket has an excessive amount of fat, you can trim it down. Don’t trim off all the fat, though, or the brisket will be tough and dry.