Slow-braised Short Rib Tacos with pickled red onion (2024)

Slow-braised short rib tacos served with salsa roja, pickled onions and creamy avocado are simply mouth watering.

Ingredients needed

I flavored the beef with onion, garlic, taco seasoning and fresh jalapeños but you could add a one or two chipotles with a few tablespoons of adobo sauce for extra smokiness if you preferred. Dried chillies/chiles like guajillo or ancho chiles will also work well.

• Beef short ribs.
• Onion.
• Fresh garlic cloves.
• Taco seasoning. I make my own taco seasoning but you can use any store-bought spice mix containing cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, etc.
• Salt and black pepper.
• Fresh jalapeño.
• Beef stock/beef broth.

For the salsa roja

The salsa Rosa adds incredible flavor to the tacos but you can use any salsa/sauce of your choice on these tacos.

• Ripe tomatoes.
• Red onion.
• Jalapeño pepper.
• Garlic cloves.
• Cilantro/coriander.
• Lime juice.
• Olive oil.
• Salt.

For the tacos

• Tortillas. I used corn tortillas but flour tortillas work just as well.
• Pickled red onions.
• Avocado slices.

How to make short rib tacos (Summary)

1. Slow braise the short ribs: Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels then season generously with salt and black pepper. Preheat a large, deep braised or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat then add the ribs in batches, searing for a few minutes until brown on both sides. Add the remaining aromatics and spices then pour in the stock. Close with a lid then place in the oven and allow to braise for 3 hours or until the short ribs are fall-apart tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before shredding the meat. Discard any excess fat and bones. The beef can be cooked in a slow cooker or Instant Pot until it shreds easily, too.
2. Make the pickled onions: While the meat is braising, make the pickled onions according to recipe instructions.
3. Make the salsa roja: Place all the ingredients for the salsa in a baking dish then place in the oven and allow to roast for 30-45 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the skin is blistered and slightly charred. Remove from the oven, discard the jalapeño stems then transfer all the tomatoes, onions, etc to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more lime or salt.
4. Assemble the tacos: Heat tortillas over an open flame or in a hot pan. Add a generous amount of short rib meat to each tortilla then top with avocado, a generous spoon of salsa roja and some pickled onions. Serve immediately.

Can I make this in advance?

The short ribs can be braised up to 4 days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge of frozen for up to 3 months. The salsa can be made 2 weeks ahead and the pickled onions will last in the fridge for up to one month.

Taco recipes

1. Pork belly tacos
2. Blackened Salmon Tacos with Smashed Avocado
3. Crispy chicken tacos