The best BBQ taco recipes and ideas, from smoked pulled chicken to shredded brisket. Find your new favorite barbecue taco recipe today!
Are you ready to dust off and fire up your backyard smoker or grill and serve up the ultimate barbecue party food? Look no further than BBQ tacos! They come in (almost) countless varieties, making it easy to please even the pickiest of eaters.
These are our favorite BBQ taco recipes and ideas. All are easy to make at home, and you’ll only struggle to choose the one you like best. Let’s get cooking!
Smoked Brisket Tacos
Need an idea to use up leftover pulled beef brisket? Look no further than this tasty, tender, and juicy taco filling. If your leftovers are no older than two or three days, their deep beef flavor will simply be delicious in a taco.
You can also cook your brisket meat from scratch. It will take longer, but it’s well worth it. Nothing beats brisket that has been slow-cooked, allowing this cut to turn into a tender, melt-in-your-mouth feast.
If you’re smoking your meat, especially for tacos, use a beef brisket injection for a stronger flavor and to create the juicy goodness that makes a taco great.
Try this recipe: These smoked brisket tacos boast BBQ braised beef cooked low and slow over pecan wood for a delicate note of sweetness. Add a simple rub, and then place your brisket on the smoker, fat side down. After about six hours, add the rest of the injection marinade, wrap the meat tightly, and braise it for another one to two hours. Leave to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing and putting your brisket filling into preheated taco shells. Serve hot!
Grilled Fish Tacos
Who doesn’t love fish tacos? They’re one of our favorites for their sheer versatility and their fresh, mild flavor, allowing you to add a host of other toppings you like. The choice is yours between Pico de gallo, guacamole, or a simple yogurt. Plus, fish tacos are among the fastest taco dishes to prepare.
Try this recipe: These grilled fish tacos are fresh and perfect for summer. Start with white fish fillets like halibut, cod, or snapper and marinate them for an hour. These fish keep their shape and texture on the grill; just be sure you don’t overcook them. To achieve a tender, flaky result, cooking on medium heat for two to three minutes on each side should be fine for your grilled fish tacos. Let them rest a little, then top them with red cabbage, pico de gallo, or your favorite additions.
Smoked Birria Tacos
Are you looking for a taco filling that excites seasoned cooks and BBQ beginners? These birria tacos are the answer! Inspired by traditional, slow-cooked Mexican stew. This version is made with smoked chuck roast covered in a simple broth.
Try this recipe: These smoked birria tacos are filled with shredded chuck roast and homemade ancho chili broth. Starting with smoking beef chuck roast over hickory wood, before creating the consommé with onion, garlic, and ancho chilies. Once cooked, shred the beef and work in consommé before filling it into corn tortillas with fresh cilantro and limes.
Smoked Pulled Pork Tacos
Smoked pulled pork tacos hardly need an introduction. Juicy smoked pork fresh off the smoker is hard – if not impossible – to beat. These smoked pulled pork tacos are drowned in BBQ sauce and served in soft tortillas. Put them on your BBQ bucket list today!
Try this recipe: These smoked pulled pork tacos combine juicy shredded pork shoulder with tangy BBQ sauce to create the ultimate barbecue taco. Start the day before by brining your pork overnight before cooking it over applewood smoke. Shred with forks and serve in heated soft-shell tacos with your choice of jalapeño peppers, red cabbage, or sliced avocado.
Sirloin Steak
Steak tacos offer the perfect comfort food. While most steak taco recipes go for flank or skirt, sirloin steak is just as lean and quick to cook. It’s also brilliantly adept at absorbing the flavors of marinades, making it the perfect choice for a flavor-rich taco.
Try this recipe: Our grilled sirloin steak tacos combine the meat with an incredible lime and cumin marinade, before searing them on the grill to medium-rare.
Smoked Tri-Tip Tacos
Tender tri-tip roast, a homemade BBQ rub, crumbled queso fresco, and toasted tortillas – what’s not to like? Tri-tip’s rich beefy flavor is the star of this dish, and we think it’s the perfect balance between sweet and smoky.
Try this recipe: Prepare your meat for your smoked tri-tip tacos with a simple dry rub, covering it evenly and working it into the crevices of the meat surface. Smoke for just under two hours and prepare a fresh salsa while your meat is smoking. Leave to rest while your tortillas are warming up. Cut against the grain and serve with your homemade salsa, crumbled queso, avocado, and cilantro.
Grilled Carne Asada Tacos
Step up your backyard cooking a notch with this juicy grilled carne asada recipe. It’s another crowd-pleaser with a little sweetness and a hint of a spicy kick coming through.
Try this recipe: This grilled carne asada uses seared flank steak prepared in a citrus marinade and paprika-based dry rub to create the perfect taco filling. Grill your meat on medium heat for five minutes on each side. Drizzle with the remaining marinade and slice against the grain. Serve your grilled carne asada tacos in hot taco shells with your favorite toppings.
Smoked Pulled Chicken
Thought we forgot about smoked chicken tacos in our line-up? How could we? This smoked, and shredded chicken is another crowd-pleaser. It’s an ideal weeknight dinner if you have leftover smoked chicken in the fridge.
But these tacos are even tastier if you spend the time smoking your meat fresh, so if you have time on a weekend, put these on the menu. The smoky flavor complements the chicken perfectly. Plus, these are an excellent high-protein, lower-fat alternative to traditional taco fillings.
Try this recipe: These shredded chicken tacos start with a spatchcocked chicken. Season your meat with a hot paprika dry rub and smoke over apple wood for 60 to 90 minutes while preparing a taco seasoning paste. Let the cooked chicken rest before shredding and mixing with the seasoning. Serve in hot shells with pico de gallo and your toppings of choice.
