Brisket tacos pinterest collage.

This easy, slow cooker brisket recipe has been simmered with chiles, and spices making it so easy to shred. Perfect for making tacos, nachos, burritos, salads, or anything you want!

All about this slow cooked brisket..

  • Quick and easy: thanks to using the slow cooker this recipe is a set it and leave it meal. That makes it perfect for busy weekdays or weekends!
  • Versatile: use this recipe to make the shredded brisket you can use in burrito bowls, burritos, nachos, tacos, enchiladas or salads! There's so many options.

Ingredients Needed:

Ingredients needed for making brisket tacos laid out on counter.

Notes on some ingredients:

  • Brisket: we are not using a whole packer cut for this recipe like you would for a smoked brisket recipe. You can find the brisket packed into two different cuts, the flat or the point. You should be able to find a 3-5 pound brisket flat cut at the market for this recipe.
  • Poblano pepper: feel free to adjust the amount or type of Chile for this recipe. Other options would include jalapeno, Serranos, or anchos.

How to Make Shredded Brisket for Tacos (step-by-step):

Step by step how to make slow cooked brisket for tacos. Showing ingredients added to a slow cooker then beef broth being poured over top.
  • Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients: De-seed the pepper and chop (leave the seeds if you want more heat. Chop the onion, and mince the garlic.
  • Step 2: Add the Ingredients to the Slow Cooker: Place the brisket into the slow cooker fat side up.  This helps to keep the moisture in the meat. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and then pour beef broth over the top.
  • Step 3: Serving: Keep the juice you cook the meat in!!  Strain it and skim the grease off.  Hang onto it!  Spoon some on the meat after you shred it, this will keep it moist.  Keep the juice in the fridge and if you have leftover brisket just spoon a little of the juice over it before you re-heat to help keep the meat moist.
Bowl of shredded Mexican brisket for tacos.

How to Serve:

  • Make Brisket Tacos: this is my favorite way to enjoy this shredded beef. Heat up some corn tortillas, fill with the meat and add all of your favorite toppings.
  • Enchilada Filling: use this shredded beef for filling up enchiladas. Follow the instructions in our How to make Tex Mex Enchiladas using ANY Filling.
  • Brisket Burritos: fill up a large flour tortilla with the shredded brisket meat and any other fillings you want. You can even use it to make a Smothered Burrito.
  • Low Carb. Simply grill up some fajita vegetables by slicing up some bell peppers and onions and grilling them in a cast iron skillet. Add some salt and pepper and let them get some caramelized flavors.

FAQ's:

How do I reheat the brisket leftovers?

Place the leftovers in a baking dish, spoon some of the leftover juices over the top and cover with foil. Heat in the oven at 375℉ for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Why is my brisket tough?

This is a tough cut of meat due to the connective tissue. This meat needs to be cooked low and slow. Don't cut down on the cooking time, and you may find that you need more time to get the meat shreddable.

Bowl filled with shredded brisket meat for tacos.

More Slow Cooker Recipes:

  • If you're looking for some other recipes that use a different cut of beef try out this Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa OR this Sweet Barbacoa recipe.
  • If you have a large slow cooker, this Beef Birria recipe can easily be adapted to simmer all day long.
  • Switch it up and grab some pork for this Slow Cooker Texas Style Pulled Pork, perfect for loading up into sandwiches.

If you tried this recipe please leave a comment and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below! Thank you so much!

Bowl filled with shredded Mexican brisket and corn tortillas for making tacos.

  • 3 lbs beef brisket, flat cut
  • 3½ cups beef broth, low sodium
  • 1 yellow onion , quartered
  • 1 poblano chile , de-seeded and chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 stems cilantro leaves
  • 2 bay leaves

  • Prepare Beef: Place beef brisket in crockpot with the fat side up.

  • Add Ingredients: Add in the chopped onion, chile, minced garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, cilantro leaves, and bay leaves. Pour in the beef broth.

  • Slow Cook: Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours until meat is fully cooked and easily shredded. Remove the brisket from the slow cooker and place on a tray or large plate. Shred the meat using a fork and knife, or two forks.

  • Save Juices: Pour the juices that the brisket was cooking in from the slow cooker into a strainer to strain out all the onions and leaves from the juice. (SAVE the juices)Skim the top of the juices to remove excess grease and then spoon a small amount, just a couple of tablespoons onto the meat.

  • Serve: Serve the meat inside of burritos, tacos, or enchiladas. Or enjoy low carb with some grilled vegetables.

  • Poblano peppers: can add more to taste, or substitute with another chile. If you want more heat anaheim, jalapeño, or serrano peppers would all increase the heat by different amounts.
  • Reserve Juices: Keep some of the juice if you will be saving some brisket to reheat later. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
  • Storage:store leftover meat in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
  • Freezing:wrap the meat with plastic wrap or foil, then place in a plastic freezer bag or freezer safe container. Refrigerate until chilled then place in the freezer. Freeze for 2-4 months. To thaw remove meat to the refrigerator and let thaw overnight.
  • Reheating Instructions: Prior to re-heating pour another couple of tablespoons of juice over the meat. This will keep it moist and prevent drying out during re-heating. To reheat place meat and juices in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 375℉ for 15 minutes or until meat is heated through.

Calories: 378 kcal , Carbohydrates: 4 g , Protein: 49 g , Fat: 17 g , Saturated Fat: 6 g , Cholesterol: 141 mg , Sodium: 896 mg , Potassium: 903 mg , Fiber: 1 g , Sugar: 1 g , Vitamin A: 103 IU , Vitamin C: 18 mg , Calcium: 34 mg , Iron: 5 mg

Recipe first published February 3, 2016. Updated on February 26, 2021 with new images and information.

Photography done by KJandCompany.co