Slow Cooker Chipotle Brisket Tacos
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If you’re looking for an incredibly flavorful taco recipe that’s easy to make, look no further than these Brisket Tacos! The brisket is slow cooked in a Crock Pot with a smoky chipotle rub and stout beer, giving the beef so much flavor. The brisket is shredded and served in warm tortillas with roasted corn salsa and creamy chipotle sauce, creating the ultimate taco experience!
Table of contents
Over the years, I’ve shared a lot of taco recipes on the blog. But this recipe for brisket tacos from 2016 still remains one of the most popular taco recipes that I’ve ever created!
Growing up in Oklahoma, we ate a lot of beef brisket. For a while, I could never find brisket at the grocery stores in San Diego, but it’s been easier to find over the last few years, and now I use this cut to make these tacos regularly.
The tacos are full of so many amazing flavors and textures. The taste of the meat is smoky, savory, and a little spicy, while the texture of the meat is nice and tender from slow cooking it in a Crock Pot.
The corn salsa and chipotle sauce toppings add crunchy and creamy elements to the tacos that combine for a seriously delicious combination of flavors and textures in these beef brisket tacos!
Ingredients
- Ground chipotle chili powder – this is the main spice we use to season the brisket in this recipe. You can find it at most major grocery stores in the spice section. If you can’t find it at your local store, you can always grab a jar on Amazon at the link above. In a pinch, you can also substitute traditional chili powder, but it won’t have the smoky flavor of the chipotle.
- Smoked paprika – this ingredient adds to the delicious smoky flavor of the seasoning on the brisket. If you don’t want the smoky flavors, you can use traditional paprika in it’s place.
- Ground black pepper + salt – to season the brisket.
- Ground cumin – this spice adds a warm, earthy flavor to the rub for the brisket.
- Beef brisket – you’ll want a brisket that’s trimmed of fat and approximately 2 pounds in size. I recommend a flat cut brisket. This cut comes from under the breast and contains a lot of connective tissue, which is why it’s an ideal cut for low, slow cooking. The other half of a brisket is called the point cut and it’s a fattier cut than the flat cut.
- Liquid smoke flavoring – you can find this ingredient on the condiment aisle at most major grocery stores. If you prefer not to cook with liquid smoke, you can replace it with Worcestershire sauce.
- Stout beer – Guinness is an easy stout beer to find at almost every major grocery store, but feel free to use your favorite brand of stout beer. The beer adds a delicious nuttiness, a malty sweetness and a hoppy bitterness, that pairs well with the smoky flavors in this recipe. If you prefer not to use beer when cooking, you can use beef stock instead of the stout beer.
If you want to make the creamy chipotle sauce to pair with the tacos, you’ll use some of the liquid from the slow cooker after the brisket is cooked. You’ll also need sour cream, a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, garlic, lime juice and salt.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, ground black pepper, kosher salt and ground cumin. Rub this mixture on the beef brisket. Place the brisket in a slow cooker set to low, pour the liquid smoke and stout around the brisket. Cook on low for 8-12 hours or on high 4-6 hours.
- Remove the beef brisket from the slow cooker, place it on a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. Shred with two forks or Meat Claws. (← One of my favorite kitchen gadgets ever!)
- If you’d like to add the chipotle cream sauce on top of the tacos (which I highly recommend!) now is the perfect time to prepare the sauce. Add all of the ingredients to a blender, including ¼ cup of the liquid from the slow cooker that the brisket cooked in. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- To assemble the tacos, wrap 16 corn or flour tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 60 seconds. Remove from the microwave and fill the tortillas with shredded brisket, then top with corn salsa and chipotle sauce, or the toppings of your choice.
Optional toppings
Feel free to add your favorite taco toppings or switch up the toppings with these tasty ideas!
- Crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Avocado slices or guacamole
- Diced red onion
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Cilantro jalapeno slaw
- Pickled red onions
- Roasted poblano peppers
- Lime wedges (for juicing over the tacos)
- Pico de gallo
- Salsa macha
- Cilantro lime sauce
Recipe notes
- You can make this recipe with other cuts of beef. If you can’t find brisket, I recommend using tri tip or chuck roast in it’s place.
- You can use the brisket to also make burritos, nachos, quesadillas, or bowls. Use the brisket to replace the steak in this steak quesadilla recipe, or make a Chipotle copycat smoked brisket burrito bowl by serving the brisket on top of cilantro lime rice with Mexican black beans and guacamole.
- You can shred the brisket and add it back to a slow cooker set to warm for up to 4 hours. This is perfect if you’re serving the tacos at a party.
- If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can cook the brisket in the oven. Season it, add it to a large pot, or dutch oven, then add the beer and liquid smoke. Cover with a lid, or tightly with a piece of foil, and cook at 325°F for 3 hours.
- This brisket taco recipe has a mild-to-medium spice level. If you want to make spicy brisket tacos, add 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce to the slow cooker with the stout beer.
- If you don’t want to cook with beer, replace the stout beer with 1 ½ cups beef stock. This will also make the recipe gluten free, when served on corn tortillas.
Storage and reheating
Store leftover brisket in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 6 days.
To reheat the brisket, add it to a skillet on the stove over medium heat with 2-3 teaspoons water or beef broth. This will help keep the brisket moist as you reheat it. Stir and reheat on the stove for 5 minutes, or until heated up.
You can also reheat the brisket in the microwave. Add it to a microwave-safe container with 2-3 teaspoons water or beef broth. Reheat for 60-90 seconds, or until heated up.
More slow cooker taco recipes
Looking for more great Crock Pot recipes for Taco Tuesday? Try these blog favorites!
Slow Cooker Chipotle Brisket Tacos
Ingredients
Smoked Chipotle Brisket Tacos
- 2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 pounds flat cut beef brisket
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
- 12 ounces stout beer, liked Guinness
Chipotle Cream Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup slow cooker liquid
For Serving
- 16 small tortillas, corn or flour
- 1 cup roasted poblano corn salsa, click link for recipe
Instructions
Smoked Chipotle Brisket Tacos
- In a small bowl, combine the chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, ground black pepper, kosher salt and ground cumin. Rub this mixture on the beef brisket.
- Place the brisket in a slow cooker set to low, pour the liquid smoke and stout around the brisket.
- Cook on low for 8-12 hours or on high 4-6 hours.
- Remove the beef brisket from the slow cooker, place on a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. Shred with two forks or meat claws
- Serve the brisket in warm tortillas topped with chipotle cream sauce and poblano corn salsa.
Chipotle Cream Sauce
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender, including ¼ cup of the liquid from the slow cooker that the brisket cooked in.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
Notes
- If you don’t want to cook with beer, replace the stout beer with 1 ½ cups beef stock. This will also make the recipe gluten free, when served on corn tortillas.
- You can make this recipe with other cuts of beef. If you can’t find brisket, I recommend using tri tip or chuck roast in it’s place.
- You can also use the brisket to make burritos, nachos, quesadillas, or bowls.
- If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can cook the brisket in the oven. Season it, add it to a large pot, or dutch oven, then add the beer and liquid smoke. Cover with a lid, or tightly with a piece of foil, and cook at 325°F for 3 hours.
- Store leftover brisket in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 6 days. To reheat the brisket, add it to a skillet on the stove over medium heat with 2-3 teaspoons water or beef broth. This will help keep the brisket moist as you reheat it. Stir and reheat on the stove for 5 minutes, or until heated up.
Nutrition Facts
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17 Comments on “Slow Cooker Chipotle Brisket Tacos”
Can you cook this in a pressure cooker instead?
Yes, you’ll want to cut the brisket into large chunks. Rub the chunks of brisket with the chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, ground black pepper, kosher salt and ground cumin. Add the brisket to the pressure cooker, then add the liquid smoke and stout beer. Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and set the steam release valve to “sealing”. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release before removing the lid. Use kitchen tongs to remove the beef from the pressure cooker, place on a cutting board and shred.
Let me know how it turns out Chris! Enjoy!
I make these at least once a month. My family (and friends) love these tacos. You HAVE to add the corn salsa, it makes them pop with so many yummy flavors and they all go well together. Putting this recipe permanently in my recipe box
Love to hear that Jenn! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
If I’m honest, I only made the chipotle cream sauce recipe from this. And it is THE BEST EVER. I will be making this forever for everything. So good.
LOVE to hear that Andrea! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hey there, when you say 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce chopped, you mean one pepper from the can chopped up, not the entire whole can right?
Hi Ali, yes, just one pepper from the can, not the entire can!
Hey there, when you say 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce chopped you mean only one pepper from the can, not one whole can right?
Whitney – you inspired me after the Cox Smart Home Oklahoma City event and I’ve done your recipes two nights in a row! Sunday night – the 1-pot Beef Enchiladas, which were so yummy..But this one tonight I served for guests and Chuck as well as my two teen girls. And they were raving! (me too).So easy, and I made the chipotle cream sauce and the roasted poblano corn salsa too. AMAZING. I’m cooking at a whole new level and it’s so easy! One question – I put the rub on the brisket but wasn’t sure what to do with the excess that didn’t stick to the brisket? I noticed that it was the finer grains that stuck and not the larger ones (like the kosher salt).So I just sprinkled some extra on top of the brisket but not all of it. Any advice? Thanks, Whitney!
Hi Tammi! I love to hear that 🙂 If I ever have excess rub, I just toss it in the crock pot! It’s all going to cook together in there, which is one of the great parts of crock pot cooking! So glad you and the family enjoyed the recipe!
Would you recommend 12oz of beef broth as a subsituation to the beer?
Hi Sandra, yes, beef broth would work as a substitute for the beer. Enjoy!
WOW, everyone loved the brisket, they kept going back for more
Hi Sandra, I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing!
Mouth officially watering. Wow.
Where in the world do you find adobo sauce, though?
Thanks so much Dawn! The adobo sauce is from the can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce which you can find at any major grocery store!