This traditional Mexican beef barbacoa meat is flavor-packed and perfect for street tacos! Using minimal ingredients and little effort, these barbacoa street tacos are naturally gluten-free. Perfect for serving a large crowd!
In Los Angeles, we have tons of street taco stands - hence the name! A street taco is a simple, yet delicious taco with few ingredients - all of them extremely fresh.
Most taco stands offer limes, a few different salsas (a salsa verde and a salsa roja), and then finely diced white onion and cilantro. Other taco stands may even offer guacamole, thinly sliced radishes, jalapeños, cotija cheese, and more!
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Why this recipe works
This recipe is:
- Perfect for large crowds! Make a batch of beef barbacoa meat ahead so you can have tacos throughout the week, or freeze some for later.
- So easy! Prep your ingredients ahead of time for a super quick dinner.
- So flavorful! Beef barbacoa is so tender, juicy and saucy, it’s the perfect meat to use in street taco form.
- Very customizable. Make your own taco bar with different ingredients so everyone can have their perfect taco!
- Naturally Gluten free
What is Barbacoa? And is it the same as carnitas?
Barbacoa is a traditional Mexican preparation of beef, lamb or goat that is cooked until juicy and tender. In the United States barbacoa meat is popular because of Chipotle, and most often uses beef.
The process includes stewing the beef until tender and shredding it, then placing back into the soupy stew to cook longer. The result is a really juicy cooked meat with a thick soup-like sauce or consommé.
The biggest difference between Barbacoa and Carnitas is that barbacoa is a soupy, juicy shredded meat, whereas carnitas are a crispy shredded meat. Barbacoa is typically made with beef (in the United States) and carnitas are made with pork.
While I used this dutch oven beef barbacoa for tacos, the shredded meat is great in enchiladas or a DIY burrito bowl. Heat up the leftovers the next day with some brown rice and peppers for an easy lunch!
Ingredients
In my Beef Barbacoa recipe, I mention that lean and tough cuts of beef are best for this shredded beef taco recipe. Every ingredient used in this barbacoa taco recipe is simple and easy to find!
Beef Barbacoa Meat
You will need one batch of Beef Barbacoa to make these tacos. You can also cook regular shredded beef in the dutch oven, slow cooker or crock pot. Swap for Dutch Oven Carnitas or Shredded Chicken for a delicious pork or chicken taco version!
I’ll walk you through how to make the juiciest beef barbacoa meat, but if you want extra information on how to make barbacoa, check out my Dutch Oven Barbacoa recipe.
Cilantro
Chopped fresh cilantro is the best for this street taco recipe.
If you’re like my sister and cilantro tastes like soap to you, substitute for parsley or Mexican oregano.
White Onion
Yellow or red onion work as a substitute.
Limes
Fresh limes really bring this taco recipe to life. Cut them into wedges for serving.
Street Taco Size Corn Tortillas
For street tacos, you should use smaller corn tortillas as they are typically double stacked before filling. These tortillas may be named “street taco,” “taqueria style corn tortillas,” “mini corn tortillas,” “taco sliders,” or simply 4-4.5” tortillas.
You can use regular corn tortillas (substitute 1 corn tortilla for 2 smaller tortillas), or flour tortillas.
Instructions
First, cut the meat into large pieces, about 2-4” big. Season with the seasoning mix.
Sear the beef in a dutch oven, browning all sides of the meat. You may need to do this in a few batches so as to not overcrowd the dutch oven.
Remove the seared meat from the dutch oven and add onion and garlic to sauté. Add in the orange and lime juices along with the enchilada sauce and water. Give it a stir and add the seared barbacoa beef back into the dutch oven along with any juices.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Place the lid on and all to simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Once the meat is cooked through and tender, remove from the dutch oven and into a large bowl. Keeping the sauce to simmer, at the same time shred the beef, removing any leftover fatty pieces.
Add the shredded beef barbacoa back into the dutch oven and cook in the barbacoa sauce for an additional 15 minutes.
Finely dice the white onion and cilantro, and slice the lime wedges.
While the barbacoa finishes, warm the tortillas. To warm the tortillas, you can heat them directly on a gas stove, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, or heat them under the broiler in the oven.
Dish out warm barbacoa into the street tacos, sprinkling with diced onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges while it’s warm!
What to Serve with Street Tacos
Now, there are so many options for serving barbacoa tacos. Use a serrano salsa verde to spice it up, or a mango habanero salsa for a sweet and spicy kick. To make it a meal, try adding some Mexican rice along with an avocado salad and healthy street corn elotes on the side!
And if you need some cocktails for pairing on your Taco Tuesday, definitely try a tequila mule or the classic skinny margarita!
What Toppings to Put on Beef Barbacoa Tacos
While street tacos are delicious and simple as is, I know how fun it is to add other options! For additional taco toppings, I’ve added some of my favorites below.
Dips and Sauces: No taco is ever wrong with some homemade guacamole, fresh avocado slices or pico de gallo! For a spicy bite, try some Spicy Salsa Verde, or for a sweeter salsa, try a Habanero Mango Salsa. If you’re going for a milder bite, try an Avocado Lime Crema or sour cream.
Cheese: Try a sprinkle of cotija cheese or queso fresco. Any type of Mexican blend will work too!
Herbs and Veggies: You’ll often find thin-sliced radishes as an alternative topping in taco stands and taco trucks. I’d also recommend fresh diced tomatoes or pickled red onions!
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftovers in separate containers. Keep beef barbacoa meat in an airtight container, staying fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Any heated or warmed tortillas will likely turn mushy in the fridge, so I’d recommend only keeping those that weren’t used. Combine leftover cilantro and onion in a container together, for 2-3 days maximum.
For reheating, microwave barbacoa meat for 60-90 seconds. Heat fresh tortillas and sprinkle cilantro and onion on top.
Freeze leftover barbacoa meat in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
What Kind of Beef to Buy
For the best barbacoa meat for tacos, you want to use a more collagen-rich beef. This is a tougher, stronger cut of meat. It requires cooking for a longer time and then transforms to the moist and tender texture we know as the softer stew meats.
Choose a cut of meat like:
- Beef Chuck Roast
- Beef Cheeks
- Beef Brisket
- Stew Meat
Avoid low-collagen, tender meats like tenderloin or thin steaks like flank. These types of meats will become dry and tough after cooking for a long time.
What Kind of Tortillas to Buy
Typical authentic Mexican taco recipes use corn tortillas. Corn tortillas add an extra layer of flavor that is unmatched by flour tortillas. Street tacos are always served with corn tortillas, whereas larger entrées like burritos or enchiladas are more often served with a form of flour tortilla.
For street tacos, use smaller corn tortillas. They may be named “street taco,” “taqueria style corn tortillas,” “mini corn tortillas,” “taco sliders,” or simply 4-4.5” tortillas. Street tacos are usually served double stacked because of the hefty amount of protein and toppings added.
How to Warm Tortillas
You can warm up your tortillas a few different ways:
- If you have a gas stove: Turn the burner on high. Working in batches, place one tortilla on each burner that you have available. Cook, for 30-60 seconds on each side, or until it begins to brown.
- Stove top: Add avocado oil or butter in a cast iron skillet (affiliate link) over medium-high heat, and crisp the tortillas for 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- With the broiler: Turn the broiler on high, and place the tortillas in the oven, about 4 inches from the heat source. Cook for about 2 minutes, and flip. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until the tortillas are lightly browned and crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Street tacos are typically much smaller in size than regular tacos. They are sold from taco trucks or taco stands, and since you want to hold the taco with one hand, the tortilla size is closer to 4” rather than 6”. Regular tacos also have a variety of toppings whereas street tacos usually have diced onion, cilantro and some salsa of choice on the side.
To make these tacos in advance, you make the beef barbacoa and/or dice the white onion ahead of time. Store both separately in the fridge for up to three days. Right before serving, chop the fresh cilantro and slice the limes. Then warm or heat the fresh corn tortillas, warm the barbacoa meat, and dish the warmed meat into the tortillas.
Street tacos are soft, small corn tortillas. Crispy tortillas are used in tostadas, or for hard shell tacos.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
📖 Recipe
Beef Barbacoa Street Tacos
Ingredients
For Barbacoa Beef
- 2.5 pounds Chuck Roast
- 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil (or other neutral oil)
- ½ White Onion (diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- ¾ cup Orange juice, freshly squeezed (3 oranges or substitute for storebought juice)
- ¼ cup Lime Juice (3 limes)
- 1 cup Red Enchilada Sauce
- 2 cups Water
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Salt
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
For Serving
- 32 Corn Tortillas Street Taco size (4-5")
- ½ White Onion
- 1 bunch Cilantro
- 1 cup Salsa
- 2 Limes
Instructions
Make the Beef Barbacoa
- Cut the chuck roast into even 2 inch cubes. Remove as much of the fat as possible.
- Pour spice mix onto large cubes of beef and make sure beef is evenly coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoon avocado oil in a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Sear the beef cubes until all sides are browned. Make sure to sear in groups so as to not overcrowd the pot. If you notice the bottom of the pot gets dry, add some more oil. Once all pieces are browned, place beef on a plate or in a bowl to the side.
- In the same pot (keep the browned bits), add diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. You can add oil if the pot is a bit dry. Turn down the heat to medium. Stir in the minced garlic.
- Pour in orange juice and lime juice and scrape the browned bits of the pan while mixing together. Add the enchilada sauce and water to the pot.
- Add the cooked beef meat and all of the juices back into the pot. Stir to make sure it is completely mixed together.
- Bring heat back up to medium-high until liquid is boiling. Place the lid on the pot and turn down the heat to a low simmer.
- Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir the liquid and meat around 1-hour into the simmer.
- After simmering for 1 hour and 15 minutes, your meat should be tender. If you press the meat with a wooden spoon, it should break apart into pieces.
- While keeping the sauce simmering, remove the beef cubes using tongs and into a prep bowl. Take two forks and shred the beef chunks. If there are any pieces of fat that didn’t cook off, remove it from the beef at this time.
- Raise heat to medium, add the shredded beef back to the pot. Cook for 15 more minutes, letting the sauce thicken up and the beef soak up the sauces.
- Remove barbacoa meat from the dutch oven and into a serving bowl or container. Reserve ½-1 cup of the remaining consomme for serving and reheating.
Serve the Street Tacos
- Warm the tortillas. If you have a gas stove, turn the burner on high. Working in batches, place one tortilla on each burner that you have available. Cook, for 30-60 seconds on each side, or until it begins to brown. Otherwise, warm in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
- Finely dice the white onion and cilantro. Cut limes into 4 wedges each.
- Stack two street taco tortillas on each other, placing ¼ cup of warm beef barbacoa meat onto each double stack. Continue with all other tacos.
- Sprinkle each taco with chopped onion and cilantro as desired. Serve warm with a lime wedge.
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