Short Rib Tacos

Taco night is a weekly occurrence at our house. While seasoned ground beef is often part of my go-to taco recipe, tacos made with shredded chicken or slow-cooked pork are also family favorites. Recently, we’ve added short rib tacos to our repertoire.

Beef short ribs are perfect when cooked low and slow in a Mexican mole-inspired sauce; they turn incredibly tender and flavorful. Searing the short ribs before slow-cooking them in the oven seals in the juices, gives them a deep brown color and adds caramelized flavor. Serve these tasty tacos on corn tortillas with pico de gallo, queso fresco and all your favorite taco toppings.

Short Rib Tacos Ingredients

• Canola oil: This cooking oil has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, which makes it ideal for searing meat.
• Bone-in beef short ribs: Short ribs are a cut of beef from the lower section of a cow’s rib called the plate rib, which is located just beneath the ribeye area. They have a thick, flat shape. Use bone-in short ribs for the best flavor. Look for English-cut short ribs, which are cut lengthwise and have a thick piece of meat that is ideal for slow-cooking.
• Salt and pepper: The ribs are seasoned simply with salt and pepper before being browned.
• Aromatics: Finely chopped carrots add sweetness to the sauce, and finely chopped yellow onions add a pungent and sweet flavor.
• Unsweetened baking cocoa: Chocolate in tacos? Absolutely! Unsweetened chocolate is a common ingredient in Mexican mole. It adds a rich flavor and complexity to the sauce.
• Tomato sauce: Tomato sauce adds concentrated tomato flavor to the sauce.
• Dark beer: Dark beers that would work well in this short rib taco recipe include stouts, ambers or Dunkel-style lagers such as Modelo Negra. If you prefer, you could use low-sodium beef broth in place of the beer.
• Corn tortillas: Serve the short rib beef tacos on 6-inch corn tortillas. They’re the perfect size; any bigger, and they risk falling apart. Even better, make corn tortillas from scratch. You can use soft flour tortillas if you prefer.
• Pico de gallo: Pico de gallo is a fresh, brightly flavored salsa made with tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. Use store-bought salsa or make pico de gallo from scratch.
• Queso fresco: Everything tastes better with a little cheese on top! Queso fresco is a fresh cow’s milk cheese that’s mild and crumbly. It’s a staple in Latin American and Mexican cuisine. You can usually find it in the cheese section at any grocery store, or check your local Latin market. If needed, you can substitute crumbled feta cheese.

Directions

Step 1: Sear the short ribs

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In an ovenproof Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper and brown it in batches. Use tongs to remove the ribs from the Dutch oven and set them aside.

Editor’s Tip: Although it might be tempting to skip this step, don’t! Browning the beef adds a rich caramelized flavor and a deep brown color that you won’t achieve from slow-cooking alone.

Step 2: Make the sauce

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the finely chopped carrots and onion to the drippings.

Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start to brown, three to five minutes. Add the cocoa and toast it, stirring frequently, until it’s aromatic, one to two minutes.

Add the tomato sauce and beer, stirring to loosen the browned bits from the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer it for two to three minutes.

Step 3: Slow cook the ribs

Return the ribs to the Dutch oven. Add water, if necessary, to cover them. Bake the ribs, covered, until they’re tender, 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours. Remove the pot from the oven. Strain the meat, reserving the juices.

Step 4: Shred the meat

When the ribs are cool enough to handle, remove them from the pan. Separate the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Use two forks to shred the meat.

Step 5: Reheat in the juices and serve

Skim the fat from the reserved juices. Return the meat and juices to the Dutch oven and heat them through. Serve the shredded short ribs on tortillas with pico de gallo and queso fresco.

Short Rib Taco Variations

• Add some herbs and spices: For additional flavor, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning, ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano or cayenne pepper when making the braising sauce for the short rib beef tacos.
• Give it some heat: To amp up the heat factor, add a finely chopped jalapeno or chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.

How to Store Short Rib Tacos

Leftover short rib taco meat should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to four days in the fridge and longer in the freezer. Other toppings should be stored separately.

Can you freeze short rib taco meat?

Absolutely! Transfer the cooled short rib taco meat to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it.

How do you reheat short rib taco meat?

For the best texture, reheat short rib taco meat on the stovetop. To do so, transfer the leftover short rib taco meat to a covered pot on the stovetop and add a splash of beef broth. Reheat it over medium heat until the meat is warmed through.

Short Rib Tacos Tips

What’s another way to cook the meat for short rib tacos?

You can also cook this beef short rib taco recipe in an Instant Pot or slow cooker. To cook the short ribs in an Instant Pot, use the saute mode to brown them, remove them, then saute the veggies and simmer the sauce ingredients. Add the ribs back in, lock the lid and close the pressure-release valve. Adjust the pot to pressure-cook on high for 45 minutes. Once the timer has gone off, allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes, then open the vent to release any remaining pressure.

To cook the short ribs in a slow cooker, first complete Steps 1 and 2, then transfer the ingredients to a slow cooker. Cover it and cook the short ribs on low for six to eight hours or on high for three to four hours.

What kind of toppings can you serve with short rib tacos?

Part of the fun of eating tacos is choosing what to top them with. Set up a toppings bar with pickled red onion, sliced avocado, guacamole, a selection of salsas, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.

How else can you use short rib taco meat?

The flavorful short rib taco meat can be used to fill flour tortillas for burritos, enchiladas or quesadillas, or sturdy rolls for a torta. To make it a beef short rib taco bowl, serve the short ribs over a bed of rice along with fajita vegetables and your favorite taco toppings.

What else can you serve with short rib tacos?

Make it a taco feast by serving short rib tacos with Mexican side dishes such as Mexican street corn, Instant Pot black beans, corn and black bean salad or cilantro-lime rice. Try our tropical fruit salad or green salad with avocado for something lighter.