This Irish Tacos recipe is a fun twist on traditional tacos. Fill charred and warm tortillas with shredded corned beef, sauerkraut, fresh cabbage slaw, Swiss cheese and drizzle of homemade Russian dressing. It's the perfect recipe for leftover St. Patrick's Day corned beef.
After St. Patrick's Day, there's bound to be some leftover corned beef in our fridge. I always make extra when I use my easy Instant Pot Corned Beef recipe.
I bend the rules of traditional Mexican taco making and use the leftover salty corned beef in tacos with an Irish twist. We fill warm corn tortillas with shredded corned beef, sauerkraut, crunchy cabbage, shredded Swiss cheese and a drizzle of creamy Russian dressing.
The contrasting salty, sweet, sour and mellow flavors and the smoky, crunchy and soft textures make these one of a kind tacos scrumptious. Taco Tuesday will never be the same again. These are the best corned beef tacos!
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why you'll love this recipe
- Easy to make ~ With just a few ingredients, it's easy to assemble corned beef tacos. Everyone can add more or less of their favorite ingredients to the warmed tortillas
- Fun twist on tacos ~ If you're like my family, we love tacos. And this unique taco recipe is a welcome twist on a classic recipe.
- Use up leftovers ~ If you've got any St. Patrick's Day corned beef, this is a great way to transform it into a delicious weeknight dinner.
ingredients & substitutions
Gather just a few ingredients to make the most delicious Irish tacos. If substitutes can be made to the recipe, they're listed. Scroll to the recipe card for full quantities of the ingredients.
- mayonnaise ~ The base of the Russian dressing gives it the creamy texture and rich flavor. Sour cream or plain yogurt are alternatives.
- ketchup ~ This is what gives the dressing its pink color.
- sweet pickle relish ~ Chopped sweet or bread and butter pickles are an alternative.
- ground horseradish ~ Skip the creamy prepared horseradish spread. Ground horseradish adds the sharp bite to the dressing. It's available in the condiment aisle of the grocery store.
- corn tortillas ~ Soft flour tortillas or hard taco shells are tasty substitutes.
- corned beef ~ Leftover corned beef is perfect for this recipe. Shred or thinly slice it.
- sauerkraut ~ I recommend canned, jarred or refrigerated sauerkraut for this dish.
- fresh shredded cabbage mix ~ A colorful bag of cole slaw mix is easy to grab at the grocery. But finely shredding green and red cabbage is an option.
- Swiss cheese ~ Try an Irish cheddar cheese, Gruyere or Gouda.
Hint: You can purchase already cooked corned beef at the deli counter. Have it sliced super thin, and it'll shred easily.
how to make Irish tacos with corned beef
Combine the simple ingredients to make these tasty corned beef brisket tacos. This is a brief overview of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the complete instructions and a step by step video.
1. In a small bowl combine the ingredients for the Russian dressing.
2. Warm the tortillas in a heavy skillet or over on open flame.
3. For the tacos, fill a warmed tortillas with shredded meat, sauerkraut and shredded cabbage mix.
4. Add shredded Swiss cheese and a drizzle of Russian dressing.
expert tips
1. Russian dressing is easy to make at home. But you can pick up a store bought dressing or substitute thousand island dressing in its place.
2. A taco form or stand is a great way to easily fill the tortillas. And it makes serving the tacos fun too.
3. Use one of these plastic squeeze bottles to easily add the Russian dressing to the tacos.
frequently asked questions
Reheat cooked corned beef in a microwave safe dish lightly covered with plastic wrap or a paper towel. Heat at 60 percent power for 1 minute. Continue heating at 30 second intervals until heated through. Alternately, heat in a hot skillet stirring frequently until the meat is warmed.
All of the components of the tacos including the corned beef, Russian dressing and shredded cheese can be prepped up to 4 days in advance. But I don't recommend assembling the tacos in advance. They're the best and tastiest when freshly assembled just before serving.
what to serve with Irish tacos
Some tasty side dishes to go with these delicious tacos include crispy oven fries and my sweet corn and bacon salad. Of course you have to grab some Guinness beer too.
more corned beef recipes
- St. Patrick's Day wouldn't be complete without my Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage.
- This crockpot corned beef recipe for a delicious corned beef soup is perfect for a chilly day.
- One of the most requested dishes by my personal chef clients is a favorite leftover corned beef recipe for a reuben casserole.
If you make my Irish tacos with corned recipe, be sure to give it a rating and/or comment below. Take a photo and tag @amycaseycooks on Instagram. Thank you!
Recipe
Irish Tacos Recipe with Corned Beef and Cabbage
Equipment
Ingredients
Russian dressing:
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons ground horseradish
Tacos:
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 ¼ pounds of cooked corned beef shredded and warm
- ½ cup sauerkraut
- 2 cups shredded cole slaw mix
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Make the Russian dressing: In a small bowl add the mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish and ground horseradish. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Warm the tortillas: Heat a cast iron skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the the tortillas 1 or 2 at a time. Heat for 30 seconds per side or until browned in spots. Alternately, heat the tortillas over a gas flame for 10-15 seconds per side. Place in a tortilla warmer or under a damp paper towel.
- Make the tacos: For each taco add some shredded corned beef, sauerkraut, cabbage, shredded Swiss cheese and Russian dressing to a warm tortilla.
Erin says
I made these tacos last night for my family. They were soooo good! I did “cheat” and but corned beef from the deli. They were delicious!
Amy Casey says
I've used deli corned beef for the tacos too. It makes them so easy to prepare.