Kirbie's Cravings

Brisket Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw

Strips of smoked brisket topped with BBQ sauce, red cabbage carrot slaw, and cotija cheese. Brisket tacos are a fun addition to your BBQ or other summer event. You can make these tacos with prepared brisket or learn how to cook brisket to make them completely from scratch.

overhead photo of three Brisket Tacos with Red Cabbage SlawThis post is sponsored by Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q Sauce.

I’ve been brainstorming ideas for our next BBQ party. We bought a smoker earlier this year because I have grand plans to do a smoked turkey later this year. We also have been using the smoker for wings, ribs and now brisket!

We used the meat to make beef brisket tacos with BBQ sauce and a crispy red cabbage slaw. If you have a smoker I am excited to share how we cooked ours, but if you don’t you can make these tacos with cooked brisket that you can usually find at the store.

What I love about these brisket tacos is that you can set up a station and let your guests build their own tacos. You also can make the brisket ahead of time and then just warm it up before the party, so there isn’t the stress of same-day cooking or having to juggle watching over the grill and chatting with your friends.

Also, who doesn’t love tacos? Living in San Diego, I’m surrounded by tacos but I can’t get enough of them and I had so much fun making these.

close-up of a Brisket Taco with Red Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients

  • Flat cut brisket
  • Small flour tortillas or corn tortillas
  • Shredded red cabbage
  • Shredded carrot
  • Olive oil
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Honey
  • Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Lime wedges
  • Crumbled cotija cheese

This was my first time making my own brisket so I used a recipe provided by Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q. I reviewed Stubb’s grandson and BBQ Expert Rocky Stubblefield’s tips and family secrets for cooking brisket from start to finish.

Rocky also has other recipes ideas you can use with your brisket which can be found on the Stubb’s website.

three Brisket Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw on a wood board

How to Smoke a Brisket

For the brisket, I chose a small 2 lb flat cut. If you plan on feeding more people, you’ll need a bigger one, but I wanted to start out with something small for my trial run.

I prepped the brisket by rubbing it generously with Stubb’s Beef Spice Rub. They recommend doing this no more than 30 minutes ahead of time because the salt will draw out the moisture in the meat. To keep it juicy, try to get the meat in the smoker soon after you season it.

Place the meat fat-side-up in the smoker. This is key for the best brisket. You want the fat to melt into the meat, which will make it juicy, tender, and very flavorful.

Cook the meat at 225 to 250°F until the internal temperature is 180 to 185°F. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the brisket. For a 12-pound brisket this can take 8 to 10 hours. So, for my small two pound one, it only took about three hours or so.

It’s best to use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. That is the best way to know if it is done.

You can cook your brisket ahead of time and warm it up later. This makes it easy if you’re serving it for a party.

ingredients to make the BBQ beef

How to Make the Tacos

While the brisket cooks, you can make the slaw and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the tacos.

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in a large bowl. Add the cabbage and carrot and toss them with the dressing. Put the salad in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

When the brisket is finished and rested, thinly slice the brisket against the grain and then cut those slices into even smaller strips, to make for an easier taco filling.

Place some brisket on a tortilla and drizzle some BBQ sauce over the top. I topped the brisket strips in my tacos with Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce, which is my favorite from the Stubb’s line.

Add the slaw and then sprinkle cilantro and cheese over the top.

process photo showing how to season the beef

Other Toppings

The best thing about tacos is adding all of your favorite toppings. So, feel free to swap or add your favorites. Here are some we love:

  • Diced red onions
  • Salsa
  • Diced avocado or guacamole
  • Other kinds of cheese like shredded cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, or Monterey Jack
  • Fresh lime juice

Other Ways to Use Brisket

We love this brisket taco recipe, but we’ve also used the meat to make other dishes:

  • Use it to make nachos with your favorite toppings
  • Roll it up in large flour tortillas with other fillings to make burritos
  • Pile it on rice to make brisket taco bowls
  • Use it to make homemade enchiladas

photo of Brisket Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw with chips and salsa on the side

More about Stubb’s

As described on the Stubb’s website “Stubb’s signature sauce, is the real deal, the original. It’s tangy tomato, vinegar, molasses and black pepper are gonna treat you right no matter what kind of meat you’re firing up on the grill.” I especially love the boldness the black pepper adds to the sauce.

I have been using a variety of Stubb’s sauces and rubs for the last few years. I like that all Stubb’s products are free of high fructose corn syrup (the first or second ingredient in
most barbecue sauces) and contain no artificial flavors or colors from artificial sources.

I love our new smoker and was surprised by how easy it is to smoke a brisket. The tacos were delicious and I loved how they turned out!

More Recipes to Try

Brisket Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw

Servings: 8 tacos
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Smoked brisket tacos are a fun addition to your summer BBQ party. See the tips and instructions below the recipe card for cooking the brisket and use it to make these delicious tacos!

Ingredients

  • 2 lb flat cut brisket cooked (see tips below the recipe card)
  • 8 small flour tortillas warmed on an open flame

Red cabbage slaw

  • ¼ head of red cabbage shredded
  • 1 large carrot peeled and shredded
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ to 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • ½ to 1 tbsp honey

Taco toppings

  • Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Lime wedges
  • Crumbled cotijia cheese

Instructions

  • To make the cabbage slaw, combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard and honey and whisk together. Taste and adjust as needed.
  • In a large bowl, toss together cabbage and carrot. Drizzle with dressing. Toss and evenly coat the cabbage mixture with dressing. If desired, you can also use your hands to slightly massage the dressing into the cabbage which will help soften it. Let it stand in fridge for about 30 minutes to one hour. Halfway through, mix again so that the bottom portions of the slaw that are soaking in the dressing at the bottom get moved to the top, helping to ensure that everything gets evenly mixed.
  • To build your taco, add some brisket to the center of your taco. Drizzle with BBQ sauce. Top with cabbage slaw. Add cilantro, cheese and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Notes

  • Nutrition estimate does not include the toppings.

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco, Calories: 358kcal, Carbohydrates: 29.9g, Protein: 24.6g, Fat: 15.3g, Saturated Fat: 3.5g, Sodium: 515.8mg, Fiber: 0.7g, Sugar: 3.3g, NET CARBS: 29

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B- Q Sauce. All opinions are entirely my own.

Brisket Tacos with Red Cabbage Carrot Slaw

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4 comments on “Brisket Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw”

  1. Mercy these are beyond heavenly!! I’m so glad I have some new ideas for that next smoked brisket I make!!

  2. We bought a smoker this spring too and we are having so much fun trying it out! Love all these tips on how to smoke the perfect brisket! These tacos are totally happening!