Italian Tacos with Braised Chuck Roast and Crispy Mozzarella
If you’re looking for creative taco ideas, you will love this unique taco recipe with braised beef and crispy cheese. These Italian tacos are made with a chuck roast braised in a flavorful tomato sauce, topped with tomato, onion, and parsley, and sprinkled with parmesan. The vessel for these delicious taco toppings are street taco-sized white corn tortillas and mozzarella crisped up in a pan. It’s the perfect Mexican-Italian fusion recipe to satisfy your cravings for Italian food and tacos!
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I first made this recipe in 2023 using short ribs instead of chuck roast (either meat works!). While I was thinking about what to make for dinner, I really wanted birria tacos, but didn’t have any of the ingredients in my house. However, I DID have ingredients to make my own unique taco recipe with braised beef and crispy cheese. So I experimented, used my Italian roots to develop the flavors for this recipe for Italian-style tacos, and this recipe was born!
Italian Fusion Tacos with Braised Beef and Crispy Mozzarella
Much like birria, these braised beef tacos are slow cooked to perfection in a delicious sauce. But this fusion taco recipe is infused with Italian flavors, taking the concept of a traditional taco and adding a saucy, tomato-y twist. Even the pico de gallo has an Italian spin, using parsley instead of cilantro!
I made these crispy mozzarella and braised beef tacos for the first time when I first met my girlfriend, Meg. She saw me post my video to Instagram and requested that I make her these beef Italian tacos during one of her visits. I never did, and now almost two years later, I finally brought this recipe back to perfect it for my blog!
When I first made these slow-cooked beef tacos, I used boneless short ribs. Short ribs are generally more expensive than chuck roast, so I didn’t use as much meat, and there ended up being a LOT more sauce than beef. So, my original recipe didn’t make as many tacos as this new and improved chuck roast taco recipe. This new recipe using chuck roast yields a lot more tacos, and the results is still a super flavorful beef that easily shreds and holds this tomato sauce perfectly.
Why you’ll love these cheesy Italian tacos with tomato sauce and braised chuck roast
- They’re unique. There are SO many different Italian Mexican fusion recipes out there, from pizza quesadillas to enchilada stuffed shells. But I have never seen a fusion taco recipe quite like these Italian fusion tacos with parmesan and fresh herbs.
- It’s easy to make. Chuck roast, in my opinion, is one of the easiest cuts of beef to work with, and it’s hard to mess it up! After just about 20 minutes of active cook time, all of your ingredients get tossed into a pot to slow cook for a few hours, and that’s it!
- It’s cheesy. If you’ve never tried crisping up some mozzarella in a cast iron skillet, you’re in for a treat with these crispy cheese tacos! You’ll start making ALL of your tacos with crispy mozzarella!
Ingredients for this Italian Tacos Recipe
- Chuck roast. The beef of choice for this recipe. It’s more affordable than short rib and very easy to work with!
- Whole peeled tomatoes. We’ll use half of a 28oz can. You can also use a 14oz can of tomato puree instead.
- Beef broth. Adds so much depth and flavor to this delicious tomato sauce.
- Mirepoix. This combination of celery, onion, and carrot infuse so much flavor into the sauce. Don’t skip this!
- Garlic. No recipe is complete without garlic!
- Seasonings. I use salt, pepper, dried oregano, and a bay leaf.
- Red cooking wine. You can use red or white wine instead, or skip the wine and go straight to the beef broth.
- Onion. To make an Italian version of pico de gallo.
- Roma tomatoes. The other part of the Italian pico de gallo.
- Parsley. Mixed with the onion and Roma tomato to make the Italian pico de gallo.
- Mozzarella. Low moisture, part skim, shredded mozzarella is best for these crispy mozzarella tacos!
- Parmesan. To put the finishing touch on these beef tacos!
How to Make These Italian Beef Tacos with Tomato Sauce
- Season the beef. You’ll use a large pot, preferably a dutch oven, for this recipe. I recommend cutting the chuck roast into 2-4 pieces to make it fit better in your pot. Pat the chuck roast dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to temper.
- Sear the beef. Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, sear the beef on all sides for about 1-2 minutes per side until a nice brown crust forms. Make sure you are not cooking the beef all the way through. Then remove from the pot and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium, then add 1 tbsp oil or butter if needed. Cook the onion, celery, and carrot for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add in the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 1-2 minutes to let the tomato paste caramelize and darken in color slightly. Then, deglaze the pot with red cooking wine.
- Add the liquids. Pour the beef broth into the pot. If you are using whole peeled canned tomatoes, crush the tomatoes with your hands or a wooden spoon, or use a blender to puree the tomatoes. Pour the tomatoes into the pot. Add salt, pepper, oregano, and a bay leaf.
- Slow cook the beef. Add the beef back into the pot, making sure it is submerged in the liquid. Allow the sauce to simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 2-3 hours.
- Make the toppings. Dice the Roma tomato and white onion. Finely chop the parsley. Mix together the three ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Shred the beef. Remove the beef from the pot and shred with two forks. Then return the shredded beef to the sauce and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
- Make the crispy mozzarella tortillas. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle some shredded mozzarella into the center of the ungreased pan so that it is about the same size as your small tortilla. Place the corn tortilla on top and cook for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and crispy. Flip, then cook for another minute. Remove from the pan and set onto a plate, then repeat until you make your desired number of tacos.
- Assemble the tacos. Add shredded beef on top of the crispy mozzarella tortilla, then top with the tomato, onion, and parsley and some shaved parmesan. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- You can use short ribs instead of chuck roast, but this will be more expensive. If you want a poultry version, it is best to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- You can use flour tortillas instead of corn. Use small, street taco-style tortillas.
- Not a fan of tacos, but love the idea of this sauce? This sauce is incredible served with pasta. I suggest using tagliatelle or pappardelle.
- Add some pickled red onion for a little extra flavor and acidity!
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerate: Store the saucy beef in an air-tight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop.
- Freeze: Store the sauce in an air-tight freezer-safe container, or you can use a product like Souper Cubes to freeze portions and then store in large freezer bags. To reheat, you can add frozen blocks of sauce to a pot and reheat on the stovetop. Or thaw in the refrigerator in a container overnight, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
If you love recipes highlighting slow-cooked meat, try my chicken tinga bowls!
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Blender (optional)
- Dutch oven or large pot
- Metal spatula
- Cast iron skillet
- Box grater
- Measuring cup
Italian Tacos with Braised Beef and Crispy Mozzarella
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 180
- Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Tacos
- Cuisine: Fusion
Description
An Italian Mexican fusion recipe with braised chuck roast slow-cooked in a delicious tomato sauce, served on a corn tortilla with crispy mozzarella, and topped with tomato, onion, parsley, and parmesan.
Equipment
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2–3lbs chuck roast
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp oil or butter
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 white onion, diced, divided
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 5–6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup red cooking wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 14oz can crushed tomato (see notes)
- 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 roma tomatoes
- 3–4 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 8–16oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 16–20 street taco sized white corn tortillas
- Parmigiano reggiano, shaved
Instructions
- Season the beef. You’ll use a large pot, preferably a dutch oven, for this recipe. I recommend cutting the chuck roast into 2-4 pieces to make it fit better in your pot. Pat the chuck roast dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to temper before cooking.
- Sear the beef. Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, sear the beef on all sides for about 1-2 minutes per side until a nice brown crust forms. Make sure you are not cooking the beef all the way through. Then remove from the pot and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium, then add 1 tbsp oil or butter if needed. Cook the celery, carrot, and half of the diced onion for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add in the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 1-2 minutes to let the tomato paste caramelize and darken in color slightly. Then, deglaze the pot with red cooking wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the liquids. Pour the beef broth and crushed tomatoes into the pot. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and a bay leaf.
- Slow cook the beef. Add the beef back into the pot, making sure it is submerged in the liquid. Allow the sauce to simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 2-3 hours.
- Make the toppings. Dice the Roma tomato and the other half of the white onion. Finely chop the parsley. Mix together the three ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Shred the beef. Remove the beef from the pot and shred with two forks. Then return the shredded beef to the sauce and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
- Make the crispy mozzarella tortillas. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle some shredded mozzarella into the center of the un-greased pan so that it is about the same size as your small tortilla. Place the corn tortilla on top and cook for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and crispy. Flip, then cook for another minute. Remove from the pan and set onto a plate, then repeat until you make your desired number of tacos.
- Assemble the tacos. Add shredded beef on top of the crispy mozzarella tortilla, then top with the tomato, onion, and parsley and some shaved parmesan. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use a variety of canned tomatoes for this recipe. You can either use a 14oz can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. Or you can use half of a 28oz can of whole, peeled tomatoes. If using whole, peeled tomatoes, crush the tomatoes by hand or with a wooden spoon or puree them in a blender before adding to the pot.
- This recipe makes a lot of tacos (a 2lb roast can make about 16-20 tacos using street taco-sized tortillas. If you are cooking for just one or two people and don’t want to keep eating tacos day after day, you can add leftover sauce and beef to your favorite pasta (I recommend tagliatelle or pappardelle).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tacos
- Calories: 635
- Sugar: 8.8 g
- Sodium: 1301.9 mg
- Fat: 19.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 52.1 g
- Protein: 61.9 g
- Cholesterol: 134.8 mg
