Take taco night to a whole new level with these Braised Short Rib Tacos made in a Dutch oven (or slow cooker) with tender, melt-in-your-mouth, beef short ribs in a flavorful and slightly smoky taco sauce!
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My husband bought me the cutest little cast iron Dutch oven last winter - big enough for slow cooking meats and small enough to make a decent portion for two people. The first thing I made in it was braised taco meat. The meat was slow cooked in the Dutch oven, on the stovetop, for a few hours. It soaked up so much flavor and was so incredibly tender that it fell right apart. I've been dying to make those tacos again!
Now that it's officially fall, I'm back to cooking cozier dishes. So it was time to pull out my small Dutch oven and make braised beef tacos again. While you can use beef chuck roast, or another similar cut of beef, to make braised taco meat, I recently found a good deal on short ribs at the grocery store. Not only did the short ribs make an incredible taco filling, but a one pound package was just enough for a two person meal.
Using Short Ribs For Taco Meat
While I'll never pass up a taco made with ground beef (or any kind of meat), using short ribs as taco meat takes your taco night experience to a whole new level. In fact, short ribs are used in a lot of different Tex-Mex recipes. Here's why:
- Good for slow cooking: Short ribs are generally high in fat content and contain a lot of marbling. Slow cooking breaks down the fat and fibers making it tender and juicy - perfect for shredding.
- Absorbs flavors: Slow cooking short ribs allows them to absorb and take on the flavors of the seasonings used to cook them. For this taco recipe, the short ribs end up with a deliciously rich, beefy, smoky flavor.
- Good as leftovers: If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, the texture and flavor of the short ribs will actually improve when reheated! So they're good the next day and work for meal prepping, as well.
Braised Short Rib Tacos
If you're looking to take your taco night to a whole new level, stuff your taco shells with braised short ribs instead of your usual taco meat. These tacos are kind of like birria tacos minus the side of consommé and dipped and fried taco shells - although you could totally do that with this recipe, too!
This recipe is worth the wait and can be made on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. I'll share the slow cooker instructions, too, but I've been making these on the stovetop.
So first, season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Then, sear them in a Dutch oven with a little olive oil on medium-high heat. Let them brown on all sides to lock in the flavor and juices. Remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium and add the onions. Let them cook just until they start to soften. Then, add the garlic, paprika, cumin, a bay leaf, and just a small bit of cayenne (optional). Cook just until it all becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
Now, add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and honey. I had chipotle peppers in adobo blended up and frozen in portions (about a tablespoon each). So I added that to the sauce. Stir everything up and place the short ribs back into the pot.
Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Braise for 2-3 hours. Occasionally, give the short ribs a turn while they're cooking.
The sauce will reduce and thicken and the ribs will be fork tender and easy to shred when they're done cooking. Take the ribs out of the Dutch oven and shred them apart, removing the bones and any excess fat. Then, place the meat back into the sauce.
Serve the taco meat in your favorite taco shells. Enjoy with some of your favorite taco toppings on top.
Braised Short Rib Tacos
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven
Ingredients
For the short ribs:
- 1 lb. bone-in short ribs
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: pinch of cayenne, 1 tbsp. blended chipotle pepper in adobo
For the tacos:
- Soft taco shells
- Sliced red onion or pickled onions
- Pickled jalapeños
- Sour cream
- Fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Season the short ribs with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a small Dutch oven. Add short ribs to the Dutch oven and sear on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium and add onions. Cook until they start to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper, if using. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and honey. If using, add chipotle peppers in adobo. Stir to combine and add short ribs back to the Dutch oven.
- Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 2-3 hours, occasionally giving short ribs a turn.
- Sauce will reduce and thicken and ribs will be tender and easy to shred when done. Remove ribs from Dutch oven and shred, discarding bones and excess fat. Place meat back into sauce.
- Serve taco meat in soft tortillas. Top with onion, jalapeños, sour cream, and fresh cilantro, or parsley, if desired.
How to Make Braised Short Rib Tacos in a Slow Cooker
- To make these tacos in a slow cooker, season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a skillet and brown on all sides. Place into a slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, add the onions, cooking 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, cooking 1 minute.
- Place onion and garlic into the slow cooker along with paprika, cumin, bay leaf, cayenne pepper (if using), crushed tomatoes, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, honey, and chipotle in adobo (if using). Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook low 6-8 hours, or high 4-5 hours, until meat is tender and shreds easily.
- Remove meat from bones, discarding bones and excess fat. Add meat back into sauce.
- To thicken sauce, strain liquid into a saucepan and simmer about 10 minutes.
- Serve with soft tortillas and your favorite toppings.
Did you make this Braised Short Rib Tacos recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
