If you love taco night but want something a little richer, heartier, and impossible to resist, these Beef Carnitas Tacos are about to become your new favorite recipe. Inspired by traditional Mexican carnitas, this version swaps pork for tender, slow-cooked beef that delivers the same melt-in-your-mouth texture and irresistible crispy edges. Whether you’re hosting a taco bar, feeding a hungry family, or prepping meals for the week, beef carnitas offer the perfect blend of convenience and big flavor.
What makes beef carnitas so special? The magic is in the cooking method. The beef simmers low and slow with warm spices, garlic, onion, and citrus until it becomes unbelievably tender and easy to shred. Then, just like classic carnitas, it’s crisped in a hot pan to develop that signature golden-brown finish. The result is juicy shredded beef with perfectly caramelized edges—ideal for stuffing into warm tortillas.
These Beef Carnitas Tacos are versatile too. Load them up with your favorite toppings: fresh cilantro, diced onion, crumbled queso fresco, tangy pickled red onions, or a squeeze of lime. For extra richness, add guacamole or a drizzle of chipotle crema. They’re also delicious in burrito bowls, nachos, or quesadillas if you want to repurpose leftovers.
Serve with Spanish Rice and Cheesy Refried Bean Casserole. Here are some other good accompaniments for this recipe homemade Classic Mexican Guacamole and Mexican Salsa
PrintBeef Carnitas Tacos
Tender, slowly cooked, Beef Carnitas Tacos won us over for its great flavor and versatility. You can warm the tortillas in a nonstick skillet just until lightly browned. This recipe is the perfect way to make beef carnitas for your family. You will not believe how amazing the flavor is and it is so tender.
- Prep Time: :10
- Total Time: :10
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Assemble
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 2 medium)
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup diced peeled avocado
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 2 cups Beef Carnitas
- 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
Instructions
- Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; toss well. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/4 cup Beef Carnitas onto each tortilla; top each with about 3 tablespoons avocado mixture. Fold in half; serve with lime wedges.