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Sliced smoked beef cheeks with tortillas and fresh salsa for taco assembly
Elle

Smoking Beef Cheeks : Easy Recipe

This smoking beef cheeks recipe delivers ultra-tender, flavorful meat with a rich bark and juicy interior—perfect for tacos, BBQ platters, or sandwiches. With a low-and-slow cooking method and a sweet ginger beer braise, it turns this affordable cut into a smoky masterpiece ideal for weekend grilling or meal prep.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
0 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Course: BBQ Recipes
Cuisine: American
Calories: 615
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 beef cheeks trimmed of fat and silver skin
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
  • 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic granules
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 350 ml ginger beer or substitute beef stock or stout
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 8 small flour or corn tortillas
  • 1 cup diced red onion
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • 1 lime quartered
  • 1 cup tomato salsa
  • Optional for taco topping: sliced jalapeños or pickled onions

Method
 

  1. Trim all visible fat and silver skin from the beef cheeks using a sharp knife
  2. Rub beef cheeks lightly with olive oil to help the seasoning stick
  3. Combine black pepper, salt, garlic granules, cumin, and thyme, then coat cheeks evenly
  4. Preheat smoker to 250°F using cherry or oak wood chips for enhanced smoke flavor
  5. Place seasoned beef cheeks directly on the smoker grates and cook for 2–3 hours
  6. Once a mahogany bark forms and internal temp reaches 170°F, transfer to a foil tray
  7. Pour ginger beer into the tray (covering ⅓ of the meat), then sprinkle brown sugar on top
  8. Cover tray with foil and return to smoker for another 2–3 hours or until probe-tender at 203–210°F
  9. Remove from heat and rest cheeks for 20 minutes, then shred the meat in its braising liquid
  10. Assemble tacos with tortillas, pulled beef cheeks, onion, cilantro, cheese, and salsa
  11. Serve with lime wedges and optional sliced jalapeños or pickled onions

Notes

  • For extra bark and flavor, let the rub sit on the beef cheeks for at least an hour before smoking
  • Substitute stout beer for ginger beer to give a richer, deeper flavor profile
  • Use leftover smoked beef cheeks in burritos or rice bowls for quick meal prep
  • Pecan wood can be used instead of cherry for a milder smoke profile
  • Always cook to tenderness, not just temperature, when smoking beef cheeks