Crockpot Short Rib Tacos with Salted Lime Cabbage and Queso Fresco.
Newsflash! I have a new obsession.
Short ribs.
Lots and lots of short ribs.
Because… I made a lot of short ribs last week. I cooked most overnight in the crockpot to utilize nonworking hours as work time. Win.
I woke up and was eating short ribs right out of that crockpot at six in the morning with a fork.
Basically… I haven’t stopped since.
First, I made some beer-soaked short rib enchiladas and while they were OMGsofreakinggood… the whole shebang sort of overpowered the perfection that is the short rib. Does that make sense? It’s challenging to tell you how delicious something is but then say, hey, it just wasn’t good enough. I just find short ribs to be so incredibly tender and flavorful that too much of anything – even a good thing – can almost… what’s the word… RUIN them. Yeah I said it.
Probably the only time I will admit that copious amounts of cheese were not in my favor.
Round two touched upon tacos. Again, I found myself totally torn. We all know I like obnoxious amounts of makeshift fruit salsa and more than acceptable amounts of cheese on my tacos. Buuuut… I knew I couldn’t do it here. Had to let the short ribs shine!
I’m glad I talk about food like I do about beauty and personal values.
These tacos. Oye. I don’t even know what else to say considering I just professed my love for these little ribs that are short so it’s obvious that I will adore them. So in forcing myself to keep it simple, I warmed the flour tortillas, piled them high with the pulled short ribs that were slow-cooked in spices and beer, them topped them with some lime spritzed cabbage and crumbled queso fresco.
Hello perfection.
Short rib round three is going to include breakfast. I can’t even wait.
Crockpot Short Rib Tacos with Salted Lime Cabbage and Queso Fresco
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds beef short ribs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 ounces of your favorite beer
- 8 fajita-sized flour or corn tortillas
- 1/2 small head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 4 ounces queso fresco cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- (Note: if you are unsure about how much meat may be on your short ribs, it may be worth asking your butcher how many pounds he/she thinks you need for the amount of people you are feeding, since they all differ.)
- The night before or the morning of, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add short ribs and sear on all sides, just for about 1 minute, until golden and brown. Remove and place in the crockpot. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin and mix. Sprinkle over short ribs, then pour beer in to the crockpot. Cook for about 8 hours on low, or until meat is falling off the bone. If able to, rotate short ribs once or twice during cooking.
- Once finished cooking, remove with kitchen tongs and set on a large place. Let cool until you can touch them, then remove the meat from the bone.
- In a large bowl, combine cabbage, lime zest and juice with a pinch of salt, tossing well with your hands to coat.
- To serve, warm tortillas first, then assemble tacos with meat first, then cabbage, then crumbled cheese. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
PS: I have a super cool margarita coming up in time for this celebration weekend… shocking, I know.
113 Comments on “Crockpot Short Rib Tacos with Salted Lime Cabbage and Queso Fresco.”
All of your taco recipes have me drooling, but I am sooooooooooo loving this recipe!! I recently made a carne asada in the crockpot, I tell ya, the crockpot makes the best shredded meat for tacos!! Now you have me craving tacos!!!
I’ve been a bit taco obsessed recently. These look marvelous!
Can’t wait for the margarita recipe since I don’t eat meat but always love your photos and ideas. I wonder if a beer marinade would be good on crockpot tofu! :)
Short Ribs……my weakness….my love.
Short Ribs are so versatile…. I would totally eat them for breakfast… hand me a fork!
Short ribs are the BEST! Totally agree that they are best in simple dishes because they are so super flavorful on their own!
I just made short ribs for the first time last month and fell HARD!
My family been cooking short ribs for ages! we often braise them in Asian spices and pull the meat off to freeze. fantastic cut right? so flavourful with no work!
I am so absolutely enamored with short ribs so these tacos are right up my alley. Like as in my new favorite recipe. And anything made in the crockpot is a win in my book!
I’m obsessed with your obsession.
These tacos look great! Need to try making these for my hubby since he loves short ribs too. Thank you Jessica!
These look so pretty! I don’t think I’ve ever actually cooked ribs but my mum looooooves them so I’m thinking this could be a potential Mother’s Day recipe! With those margaritas of course. ;)
Ha, I have been cooking with my crockpot overnight to! works awesome!
These tacos sound and look amazing!! I am really starting to love this whole Cinco De Mayo holiday! Any excuse to make margarita themed food is a good one!
holy crap i love short ribs. even better with less work. i can’t wait to try these.
YESSS I love it when you make MEAT! now you’re speaking my language
I was making out my grocery list this morning and feeling uninspired. So, I thought, let’s see what Miss Jessica has going on. Ding! Ding! Ding!!! Adding this to my grocery list right this very second. CANNOT WAIT!!!
Oh my god. This is exactly what I need after a long weekend, it’s for sure the way to start my week off right!
You can sell these in your food truck (that you’re going to drive to California, please & thank you).
And now I want tacos for breakfast!! Yum!
Me too!! I stinking love short ribs!
Oh yes – what is this you say about short ribs for breakfast? Consider me 100% in. But I’ll take a few of these tacos in the meantime. I love that you’re cooking short ribs overnight in the crockpot – your house must smell amazing in the morning!
This tapas is so lovely!!!
Not Only Sugar
I think I could eat the salted lime cabbage by the pound – what am I saying? I could eat everything in this recipe by the pound!
I totally agree about the whole short ribs being over-powered by other flavors. I had a really tasty short rib and asian slaw + plum sauce wrap the other day and eventually just started picking out the short rib because that’s what I really wanted. And now I really want these tacos too!
I love short ribs! And this recipe is perfect for Cinco de Mayo this weekend.
Oh my! Sounds fresh and delicious, not to mention easy by cooking in crockpot!
Looks amazing!!! Love any type of tacos!
LOVE the idea of adding a cabbage slaw! Mmm!
Jessica, love this recipe. I will so be making it this week. Thanks
this is probably sacrilege, but for those of us who are not beer aficionados and don’t tend to drink or cook with it, do you have any suggestions for a substitution? these look yummy!
of course! you could use a little beef stock or maybe some ginger ale??
thank you so much! :)
I always associate warm weather with eating ridiculous amounts of tacos and I was JUST telling my sister that I wanted a decent taco. Well actually, I was just complaining to her about wanting a decent taco. These are basically my dream taco. Lime cabbage? duh.
Mmmm this is a great idea! Beef looks so tender!
bah making these this weekend! what beer to use…
I have a complaint. Too much food lately. Where are alll the SWEETS????? lol
Gorgeous tacos! I have a serious Mexican craving!
Love taco anything! These look wonderful. I’m throwing my best friend a wedding shower this week and we’re having pulled pork tacos and I think I’m gonna make like all 12 of those fruit salsas to serve with them! I wish I was kidding…but they all just look SO good!
Short ribs are the best! Anytime they are on a menu, in any capacity, I have to order them. It may be more of a compulsion than obsession. Either way, they are delicious.
I really need to get my butt in gear and make a cinco de mayo recipe! These look amazing and so fresh and flavorful :) I need to find out where to get queso fresco!
I have never had short ribs….but these pictures oi vey girl I want them!
xo M
Wow – this looks really delicious. Question: What type of cheese is queso fresco? Is it available at any grocery store. It sounds super tasty!
Lordy lordy! I’ve never had short ribs, but they look SO phenomenal! I can hardly stand the look of those tacos! :)
Sounds awesome! My husband would totally be into this meal! Plus, I love the fact that you use the crock pot…makes like so easy!
Looks delicious and your photos are beautiful :)
I have never cooked short ribs, so this recipe caught my eye and sound delicious! I would love to have your enchilada recipe also! Pretty please :) thanks
Tacos are my favorite–these look so yummy with the short ribs!
I am so afraid of cooking anything other than chicken in my crockpot, until a couple weeks ago, I made a pork shoulder for carnitas. It was so good! I am dying to try more. This has been pinned! I can’t wait to try it.
All I need now is some refried beans, a margarita, and a sombrero and I’ll be all set for Cinco de Mayo!
Yum! I can never get enough Mexican food posts.
This looks delicious!!!!
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Short ribs are so full of flavor. Back in my meat-eating days I loved short ribs over a big pile of mashed potatoes. Can’t get any better than that!