Your Cinco de Mayo “fiesta” might look a little different this year. Keep your Cinco de Mayo fiesta in the casa this year and celebrate with this delicious flavor stacked Mexican BBQ Brisket Burrito Bowl.
Hello there, friends! I hope you’re having a great week! Over the last 6 weeks we’ve celebrated Easter and our anniversary at home so keeping the Cinco de Mayo fiesta at home won’t be a big deal. Your Cinco de Mayo celebration may or may not be a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be delicious. Cinco de Mayo even falls on Taco Tuesday this year, but for this fiesta we’re branching out from the tacos we all love and partying with a Mexican BBQ Brisket Burrito Bowl.
Let’s be honest, any excuse for me to eat and drink Mexican and I’m here for it! But let’s also be honest… times are tough right now. For many of us and on many levels. Everything we do, every dollar we spend, and every cause/business we spend those dollars on has become much more intentional, don’t you think? When we talk about a fiesta or celebration, it doesn’t mean it has to cost a party price. There are many affordable and delicious options for cuts of steak for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta, whether it’s a party of 1 or 10.
Mexican BBQ Brisket Burrito Bowl Recipe
We’re preparing this brisket with a simple dry rub of onion salt, celery salt and chipotle chili powder. The next day we’ll hit it with even more flavor with a Mexican-inspired Barbecue sauce which will caramelize beautifully under the broiler to finish it off.
Tip for marinating: When you use a wet marinade, remove beef from the marinade before cooking and pat dry with a paper towel to ensure even browning and prevent steaming.
So let’s taco ’bout some brisket, shall we?
What is Brisket Called in a Grocery Store?
The most common brisket you’ll find in stores (or in your grocery delivery as of late!) is the flat half of the full brisket (the bottom portion). Fittingly, this is called the Flat. You can find a full brisket in some specialty markets or butcher shops. The bottom side of the brisket (see the picture below) contains very little fat so you should always cook the flat side down so that the juices from the fattier top seep into the full flat.
The Flat is a lean cut and we know that enjoying lean beef as part of a heart-healthy diet can lower cholesterol and reduce heart disease risk. That, and the fact that a 3 oz. serving of beef provides 25 grams of protein and 10 essential nutrients, like B vitamins, all wrapped up into one tasty bowl, this Mexican BBQ Brisket Burrito Bowl is a meal you can feel great about feeding your family.
How Many Hours Does it Take to Cook Brisket in an Oven?
Brisket by nature is a tougher cut of beef than some others due to the amount of connective tissue and muscle, so it’s all about low and slow cooking. Don’t worry, this Mexican Barbecue Beef Brisket is worth the wait! Ovens vary, but for a good rule of thumb think of the 3’s. About 3 hours per 3 pounds of brisket at 300º F, adding an additional hour per pound beyond that. Temperature will be your way of knowing when your brisket is done.
For best results (and less babysitting during cook time) insert an ovenproof meat thermometer prior to roasting into the thickest part of the brisket. Leave the thermometer in throughout the cooking process. You can also insert an instant-read thermometer toward end of cooking time for about 15 seconds to get an accurate reading. This is my go-to guide for determining doneness.
If you haven’t prepared brisket before, I know you’re thinking I’m crazy when I tell you that the recommended temperature for beef brisket is 200º – 205ºF. Say whaaaa?! Especially if you’re a medium-rare steak lover like me, I know it totally sounds counterintuitive. For a brisket to reach the most tender state it has to cook to a high enough temperature that the plentiful connective tissue dissolves. We’ll be removing our Mexican BBQ Brisket from the oven at 185º F to account for extra cooking under the broiler, as well as the additional temp increase that occurs while the brisket rests after roasting. Don’t skip that broiler step… it will give you that delicious and coveted caramelized crusted edges. Mmmmm!!!
How to Serve Mexican Barbecue Beef Brisket Burrito Bowls
Now you’re ready to build your Mexican Barbecue Burrito Bowl! You can add any toppings/garnishes you prefer and have them out burrito bar style if you’d like. Black beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro lime rice, avocado, onion, cilantro, cheese… whatever strikes your fancy.
I like to have a wetter sauce with my brisket, so I hold back some of the barbecue sauce and brush it onto the brisket after it’s been sliced. If you do this, make sure you aren’t using any sauce that has come into contact with the marinating brush that was used on the raw meat.
Mexican BBQ Beef Brisket Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef brisket flat half
- 1 ½ tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 ½ cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Options for Burrito Bowl
- Hearts of romaine or greens of your choice
- Black beans
- Corn
- Diced tomato
- Avocado
- Diced red onion
- Rice
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Shredded cheese
Instructions
- Mix barbecue sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons chipotle chili powder and fresh lime juice together and refrigerate. In another small bowl, make the dry rub by stirring together 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, 1 teaspoon onion salt and 1 teaspoon celery salt.
- Remove brisket from packaging and pat dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Place brisket into a large sheet of aluminum foil (large enough to create a loose tent around the beef) on a baking pan. Rub about ½ of the dry rub onto the brisket and repeat on the other side, Crimp foil tightly at the edges to create a tent over the beef, flat side down. Refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the pan from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before you plan to start roasting to bring it to room temperature for an even roast.
- Place pan with foil tented brisket in oven and bake at 300 º for 3 hours (see notes.) Remove brisket from the oven after about 3 hours and generously brush both sides with the Mexican barbecue sauce. Pitch the foil tent back up and return to oven until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 185° F.
- Remove baking pan from the oven when the temperature reaches 185º F. Remove cooked brisket from the foil and place back onto the pan. Place pan under the broiler for a few minutes until the sauce begins to caramelize.
- Remove the pan from the oven and drape with foil. Allow brisket to rest for 20 - 25 minutes. Slice against the grain into ¼" - ½" slices.
- Build your Mexican Barbecue Burrito Bowl with the the toppings/garnishes of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
I’m proud to partner with the Ohio Beef Council to bring you this recipe. Getting back to that intentional support… 98 percent of Ohio’s 17,000 beef farms are family-owned and operated. Supporting local, small and/or family owned businesses and organizations is a small thing I can do to feel like I can make a difference during a time when so many of us are feeling so powerless to help. And the Ohio beef community includes more than just farmers! Small business owners, community leaders, animal caretakers, nutritionists and environmentalists are all dedicated to producing safe, wholesome and nutritious beef.
Does this Mexican BBQ Beef Brisket Burrito Bowl sound like something that you would enjoy for Cinco de Mayo (or any day)? Make sure to let me know how you like it if you try it! Stay well and healthy my friends!
Hector says
I love the bbq brisket burrito
Lydia says
I’m so glad, thank you!
Sue says
My family will love it.
Jane says
Delish!!!!!