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A piece of parchment paper with several Five-Spice Short Rib Tacos on it, some limes and basil for garnish, all on a blue countertop.
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5 from 3 votes

Five Spice Short Rib Tacos

Servings: 8 tacos
Author: Alex Snodgrass

Ingredients

For the Short Ribs:

  • 3 pounds bone-in short ribs
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil

For the Five-Spice Sauce:

  • 2 teaspoons Five Spice Powder
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free tamari
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

For the Sriracha Aioli:

  • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice or juice of 1/2 lime

For the Simple Coleslaw:

  • 3 cups coleslaw mix
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice or juice of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce

For the Tacos:

  • 8 tortillas warmed
  • 1/4 cup Thai basil loosely chopped (or regular basil)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro loosely chopped

Instructions

Prepare the Short Ribs:

  • Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Dredge in tapioca flour, shaking off excess. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown short ribs on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, working in batches if necessary. Place the browned short ribs in the bottom of a slow cooker.

Make the Five-Spice Sauce:

  • In a bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients until well combined, pour over the short ribs in the slow cooker.

Cook the Short Ribs:

  • Cover and cook until the short ribs are fall apart tender, on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.

Make the Sriracha Aioli:

  • In a small bowl, mix all aioli ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Prepare the Coleslaw:

  • About 10 minutes before the ribs are done, toss coleslaw mix with lime juice and fish sauce. Set aside.

Finish the Short Ribs:

  • Once the short ribs are fork tender, transfer the short ribs to a baking sheet, reserving the cooking liquid.
  • Shred the meat, discarding bones, and toss with 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Spread into a single layer.
  • Broil on high until the edges crisp, about 2-4 minutes. Toss with another cup of cooking liquid and broil again for 2 more minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and serve the shredded meat in warm tortillas topped with the simple coleslaw and Sriracha aioli. Garnish with thai basil and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 1605mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 5mg