Barbacoa beef has such a zesty, flavorful taste that will take traditional tacos to a new level. If you want to prepare a meal for Taco Tuesday or any other day of the week, these Barbacoa Tacos are a must-have.
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What’s in Barbacoa Tacos?
Flavorful Barbacoa beef is piled onto tortillas along with pico de Gallo, red cabbage, and more. You can make this meal from scratch and impress your family with your culinary skills! Serve ’em up on Taco Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo, or any regular old day.
- Barbacoa Meat: You’ll need to cook up this barbacoa meat as the first step in this recipe!
- Tortillas: I like flour tortillas, but corn or cassava flour tortillas will also work.
- Red Cabbage: Adds a bit of crunch.
- Limes: Adds acidity and zesty flavor to every component of this dish.
- Cilantro: Adds fresh herbal flavor to every component of this dish. You can use parsley instead if you’re not a fan.
- Pico De Gallo: Adds freshness to the dish.
- Onion: Adds earthy flavor and crunch to the red tomatillo salsa.
- Salt + Pepper: Enhances the flavors.
- Tomatillos: Create the base for the red tomatillo salsa.
- Garlic: Adds earthy flavor.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo: Adds a bit of spice and smokiness to the red tomatillo salsa.
- A1 Steak Sauce: Adds a bit of umami flavor to the salsa.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
- If you don’t want to use barbacoa meat, you can use pulled chicken prepared the same way.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over your meat instead of bottled lime juice. The fresh juice tastes so much better.
- Although these tacos don’t call for cheese, feel free to add some on top for a special touch.
- Feel free to use hard taco shells instead of soft tortillas if you prefer.
- You can find tomatillo salsa in your grocery store. So, if you can’t find the ingredients to make it, don’t hesitate to buy a pre-made bottle of it.
- A light cilantro lime dressing would taste good on top of the meat of these tacos and is a great option.
Variations on Beef Barbacoa Tacos
If you want to make a taco salad, put everything in a crispy tortilla bowl! Ortega makes tortilla bowls that you can buy, bake, and stuff with your taco ingredients. Or top off the salad with tortilla strips to add to the crunch. And if you’re looking for another way to serve the delicious beef, try these Barbacoa Burrito Bowls!
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Barbacoa Tacos Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Tacos
- 2 cups barbacoa meat (click for recipe)
- 8 small flour tortillas
- ½ cup red cabbage shredded
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- Fresh cilantro for serving
- 2 cups pico de gallo for serving (click for recipe)
For the Red Tomatillo Salsa
- 3 tomatillos
- ¼ white onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon A1 steak sauce
- 1½ limes juiced
Instructions
For the Tacos
- Prepare the crockpot barbacoa meat and use 2 cups of it in this recipe.2 cups barbacoa meat
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add ¼ cup of barbacoa beef onto each tortilla. Squeeze a lime wedge onto the barbacoa meat of each taco.8 small flour tortillas, 2 limes
- Place tortillas on a taco rack or use oven safe ramekins on a baking sheet to hold the tacos upright.
- Bake for 5 minutes or until the shell is slightly crispy, but still pliable.
- Top tacos with tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo, red cabbage, and cilantro and serve.½ cup red cabbage, Fresh cilantro
For the Red Tomatillo Salsa
- Preheat the broiler. Cut the tomatillos in half. Place them face down in an oven-safe baking dish. Place the dish 5” from the broiler. Broil for 7 minutes, flip the tomatillos, and broil for 7 more minutes. Let the tomatillos cool for 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos and all remaining ingredients to a food processor bowl. Pulse for 15 seconds or until smooth.3 tomatillos, ¼ white onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon A1 steak sauce, 1½ limes
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Barbacoa Beef Recipe: Here is my favorite recipe for barbacoa beef.
- If you don’t want to use barbacoa meat, you can use other types of meat, including pulled chicken prepared the same way.
- Use fresh lime juice, not bottled.
- Add some cheese on top for a little something extra.
- Both hard and soft shell tortillas work well.
- You can use store-bought tomatillo salsa.
Nutrition Information
Serving Suggestions
There are so many options for serving these. Use the pico and tomatillo salsa included in the recipe card or any of your favorite salsa and toppings. Make it a meal by adding some cilantro lime rice, refried beans, or street corn on the side!
How to Make Barbacoa Tacos Step by Step
Cook the Barbacoa: Prepare the crockpot barbacoa meat and use 2 cups of it in this recipe.
Assemble the Tacos: Preheat oven to 350°F. Add ¼ cup of barbacoa beef onto each of 8 small flour tortillas. Squeeze a lime wedge onto the barbacoa meat of each taco. Place tortillas on a taco rack or use oven safe ramekins on a baking sheet to hold the tacos upright. Bake for 5 minutes or until the shell is slightly crispy, but still pliable. Top tacos with tomatillo salsa, 2 cups of pico de gallo, ½ cup of red cabbage, and cilantro and serve.
Make the Red Tomatillo Salsa: Preheat the broiler. Cut 3 tomatillos in half. Place them face down in an oven-safe baking dish. Place the dish 5 inches from the broiler. Broil for 7 minutes, flip the tomatillos, and broil for 7 more minutes. Let the tomatillos cool for 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos ¼ of a white onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon of A1 steak sauce, and the juice of 1½ limes to a food processor bowl. Pulse for 15 seconds or until smooth.
How to Store and Reheat
Store the barbacoa beef, pico de gallo, and red tomatillo salsa in individual airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to assemble, heat the beef in the microwave and continue with the recipe as instructed.
How to Freeze
While I do not recommend freezing the fully-assembled tacos, you can freeze the barbacoa beef in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and adding to tacos.
Use our easy crockpot Barbacoa recipe for the meat. Once you’ve made your meat, you can use it in this recipe.
Definitely. Use what you like, whether it’s pork, chicken, or even beef.
Flour tortillas work well with the Barbacoa Tacos and taste amazing. However, if you prefer corn tortillas, feel free to use them instead of the flour tortillas.
You can skip baking the tacos but then your tortillas will be soft. If you prefer a slight bit of crispiness, it’s best to put them in the oven for a few minutes.
You can add guacamole, fresh avocado slices, jalapeno slices, and even diced purple onion to your tacos for added flavor in addition to the other toppings. Or try this mango salsa to add some sweetness!
Yes. If you’d like to make the tacos ahead of time, simply store the ingredients in different containers and assemble the tacos on the spot when you’re getting ready to eat them.
