Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
BBQ Brisket Tacos
Brisket tacos give smoky, savory meat a small and very welcome home. Warm tortillas hold the filling, with fresh toppings and a squeeze of lime ready to brighten each bite. Make a few, find a comfortable seat and enjoy a dinner that can get a little messy.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cooking method
- Barbecue
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Tacos
A few quick notes
1. Warm the brisket first
Heat the prepared brisket through using the microwave, stovetop or oven before dividing it among the toasted tortillas.
2. Toast on both sides
Cook each tortilla in the hot skillet until lightly browned on both sides, adding a few drops of oil as needed.
3. Lay tortillas flat to fill
Arrange the toasted tortillas flat before adding brisket and your chosen toppings so everything is easy to divide.
Get to know the ingredients
Prepared barbecue brisket
The filling starts with cooked BBQ brisket. Leftovers work well for these tacos.
Shredded cheddar options
Cheddar is listed, with Mexican blend or Colby Jack as alternatives; have the chosen cheese shredded for assembly.
Fresh lime wedges
Keep the lime in wedges for the last squeeze over the assembled brisket, toppings and sour cream.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for BBQ Brisket Tacos
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Finish with lime
Add the chosen toppings over the warm brisket, squeeze on lime juice and serve the tacos warm.
A little more help as you go
Two salsa directions
The assembly order suggests pico de gallo or corn salsa after the cheese, before the sour cream and lime.
Dipping juices are optional
The directions offer additional brisket sauce or juices alongside the warm tacos if you would like something for dipping.
A few questions you might have
Do I need to cook brisket from scratch?
Use leftover brisket or prepared brisket. These directions begin by warming brisket that is already cooked.
Does the cilantro go on before the cheese?
The suggested order puts cilantro over the brisket first, followed by cheese, a chosen salsa, sour cream and lime.
Can spray oil be used for the tortillas?
Yes. The directions specifically mention spray oil as an option while lightly browning the tortillas in the skillet.
How do I know the tortillas are ready?
They should be lightly browned on each side after their short cook in the hot, lightly oiled skillet.
When does the sour cream go on?
In the suggested topping order it follows the salsa and comes just before the final squeeze of lime juice.
Any more cooking tips?
This recipe is perfect for using leftover brisket! If you need to make the brisket from scratch, find my Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket recipe here! The brisket recipe we use already has the brisket basted in BBQ sauce. If your BBQ brisket is smoked or doesn’t have sauce already on it, I would recommend adding about 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce to the meat before heating it and adding to the tacos. Other places to get BBQ Brisket for the tacos: your local BBQ restaurant, your grocery store hot counter, sold prepackaged in the refrigerated prepared section (ex Sadler’s Smokehouse brand.)
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: easyfamilyrecipes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
