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!

shredded brisket tacos topped with corn salsa and creamy chipotle sauce

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 for brisket tacos on a white wood board

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.

seasoned brisket in slow cooker with liquid
shredded brisket on cutting board with meat claws

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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!)
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
shredded brisket on a tortilla topped with corn salsa and chipotle sauce

Optional toppings

Feel free to add your favorite taco toppings or switch up the toppings with these tasty ideas!

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.

shredded cooked brisket on corn tortillas topped with corn salsa and chipotle sauce

More slow cooker taco recipes

Looking for more great Crock Pot recipes for Taco Tuesday? Try these blog favorites!

Slow Cooker Chipotle Honey Pulled Pork Tacos

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole Tacos

Chicken Birria

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

Slow Cooked Blackberry Jalapeño Pulled Pork Tacos

Slow Cooked Beef Barbacoa
Smoked Chipotle Brisket Tacos Recipe
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Slow Cooker Chipotle Brisket Tacos

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!
Servings: 16 tacos
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Author: Whitney Bond
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Smoked Chipotle Brisket Tacos

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

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

Serving 6servingCalories 225kcal (11%)Carbohydrates 18g (6%)Protein 15g (30%)Fat 10g (15%)Saturated Fat 4g (20%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 44mg (15%)Sodium 851mg (35%)Potassium 286mg (8%)Fiber 2g (8%)Sugar 2g (2%)Vitamin A 610mg (12%)Vitamin C 1mg (1%)Calcium 72mg (7%)Iron 3mg (17%)
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