Experience the vibrant fusion of traditional Mexican flavors in this deconstructed Chile Relleno. At the heart of this Chile Relleno Brisket Tacos is the juicy, succulent brisket leftovers used from Chef Tom’s previous recipe, The Mexican Chopped Brisket. All this and many other ingredients are put in a taco formed with a corn tortilla. This recipe will also work well with leftover pork, chicken, or shrimp.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Built like a quesadilla, topped like a taco. Melting the cheese directly onto the tortilla on the griddle first gives you a sturdy, cheesy base before any toppings go on.
- Char first, peel later. Blistering the jalapeños whole and letting them steam is what makes the skin slip off cleanly instead of fighting you with a knife.
- Leftover brisket gets a second life. This recipe is built specifically to repurpose brisket from another cook, so it's a genuine use-it-up recipe, not just another brisket dish.
- Fresh toppings go on last. Crema, pickled onion, and cilantro only hit the taco after everything comes off the heat, so they stay bright and cool against the warm filling.
Chile Relleno Brisket Tacos
Tom Jackson
Rated 3.4 stars by 14 users
Category
Beef
Cuisine
Mexican
Servings
4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Calories
828
Embark on a culinary journey of Mexican flavors with Chef Tom’s Chile Relleno Brisket Tacos. At the base of this cheesy, deconstructed poblano pepper is a corn tortilla. It's all folded in taco form and then topped with smokey, spicy chopped brisket. Warning! This recipe is messy but it’s deliciously messy.
Ingredients
-
1 cup leftover Mexican Chopped Brisket
- 4 large jalapeños
-
Cornhusker Kitchen Spray Duck Fat
- 4 corn tortillas
- 2 oz sharp cheddar
- 2 oz quesadilla melting cheese
-
Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Taco Seasoning
- Pickled onions
- Cilantro
- Mexican Crema
- Yellow Bird Jalapeño Hot Sauce
Directions
- Place the jalapeños on the side burner of the Napoleon P500 Gas Grill over medium low heat. Blacken the surface of the pepper, rotating to blacken all sides evenly. Go slow and don’t over char. Transfer to a container with a lid or a zip top bag to steam for about 10 minutes. Split each pepper open and scrape out the seeds. Peel the blackened skin from the flesh of the pepper and discard the skin.
- Warm the leftover brisket on the side burner in a Lodge 8” Steel Skillet, covered with a lid.
- Preheat a Napoleon Reversible Cast Iron Griddle inside the grill over medium heat. Spray the griddle with Spray Duck Fat. Toast the corn tortillas in the duck fat on the griddle. When the tortilla is lightly browned, but still pliable, flip it over then immediately top with cheddar cheese, sprinkling it all over the tortilla for full coverage. Top with the roasted jalapeño, then the quesadilla cheese. Season with a shake of Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Taco Seasoning. Close the lid and let cheese melt.
- Remove tortillas from the griddle. Top each one with 1/4 cup brisket, Mexican crema, pickled onions and cilantro.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
What is a Chile Relleno, and how does this recipe riff on it?
A traditional Chile Relleno is a pepper stuffed with cheese, battered, and fried. This recipe deconstructs that idea into a taco — the char-roasted pepper and melted cheese, minus the batter and fryer.
Can I use a different pepper?
Yes — poblano, Anaheim, or pasilla chiles all work well in place of jalapeño. Poblanos run milder, while jalapeños and pasillas bring more heat.
What's the best cheese for melting into the tortilla?
Look for a cheese with a low melting point that goes soft quickly, like quesadilla cheese, Monterey Jack, or Chihuahua cheese — a firmer cheese won't melt through in time.
Can I use a different leftover protein?
Yes — leftover pulled pork, chicken, or shrimp all work in place of the brisket with no other changes needed.
Why steam the peppers after charring them?
Sealing the hot peppers in a container or bag for about 10 minutes loosens the charred skin so it peels away cleanly instead of sticking.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5 — great in the kitchen, better on the grill. A gas stovetop burner chars peppers just as well as a grill's side burner; a regular skillet handles the tortilla and cheese step just fine indoors too.
Recipe Highlights
Peppers charred whole, not sliced first: Direction Step 1 blackens the jalapeños whole before splitting and seeding them — charring first is what builds the smoky flavor before any cutting happens.
Cheese melted in two layers: Step 3 tops the tortilla with cheddar first, then the roasted pepper, then quesadilla cheese on top — sandwiching the pepper between two cheese layers keeps it anchored to the tortilla.
Brisket warmed separately, added last: Step 2 reheats the brisket in its own covered skillet rather than on the tortilla, so it stays moist instead of drying out under direct heat.
Fresh toppings added off the heat: Step 4 adds the crema, pickled onions, and cilantro only after the tortilla comes off the griddle, keeping them cool and bright against the warm filling.
Recommended Recipes
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 1 taco
- per serving
- Calories
- 828
- Fat
- 62 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 25 grams
- Cholesterol
- 178 milligrams
- Sodium
- 699 milligrams
- Carbs
- 18 grams
- Fiber
- 2 grams
- Sugar
- 1 grams
- Protein
- 46 grams
