BBQ Chicken Tacos Recipe - Sweetly Splendid

BBQ Chicken Tacos – these tacos are a fresh twist on tacos that the whole family will love! They are filled with BBQ chicken, beans, and corn.

white plate with tacos standing up full of bbq chicken and toppings

Why I love these BBQ Tacos

I love these bbq tacos because they’re a fun, fresh twist on classic tacos. They’re a great switch-up for Taco Tuesday.

You are able to get hearty, delicious barbecue chicken inside of a corn tortilla topped with slaw, beans, and corn. These tacos pack a major flavor punch, are easy to make, and are very filling.

BBQ Chicken Tacos Recipe Ingredients

white corn tortillas (you can also use flour)
boneless, skinless chicken breast (you can also use pre-cooked)
your favorite BBQ seasoning
BBQ sauce
cilantro, chopped
coleslaw mix (no dressing)
black beans, drained & rinsed
frozen corn kernels
coarse sea salt

a white shallow bowl with bbq chicken tacos with toppings

How to make BBQ Chicken Tacos

(full recipe instructions with measurements and printable card are at the end of this post)

Begin by cooking your chicken. I personally prefer to cook this in the Instant Pot, but choose any method below:
Instant Pot: Place chicken breasts in the Instant Pot liner. Sprinkle with your favorite BBQ seasoning. Add 1.5 cups of water (or chicken broth). Place lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to SEALING. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. QUICK RELEASE the pressure and remove the lid. Remove the chicken and shred.
Stove: Sprinkle chicken breasts with your favorite BBQ seasoning and place in a skillet over high heat. Cook through until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from stove and shred.
Slow Cooker: Place chicken breasts in slow cooker and sprinkle with your favorite BBQ seasoning. Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Remove from slow cooker and shred.
Add the BBQ sauce to the shredded chicken and mix until it’s fully coated. Set aside.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray (I prefer avocado oil spray). Add a tortilla to the skillet. Spray the top side with cooking spray and a light sprinkle of coarse sea salt. Cook until just heated and browned. Flip to the other side and do the same. Repeating for all tortillas. I like to hang them over a wood spoon handle or rolling pin while they cool, but this isn’t necessary.
Add the frozen corn kernels to the skillet and roast until lightly browned. Set aside.
Divide coleslaw mix, cilantro, chicken, black beans, and corn evenly within each tortilla.
Drizzle with additional BBQ sauce if desired and enjoy!

BBQ Pulled Chicken Tacos FAQ

How much chicken do I need for 3 tacos?

Each BBQ taco uses about 1/4 cup of shredded chicken each so you would need about 3/4 cup of shredded chicken for 3 tacos.

What toppings go on tacos?

The great thing about tacos is that you can top them with whatever you like!

For BBQ chicken tacos, I like topping them with slaw, beans, corn, and BBQ sauce.

For traditional tacos, you can top them with pico de gallo, cheese, chile con queso, shredded lettuce, and chopped tomatoes.

a shallow white bowl with chicken tacos stuffed with bbq chicken, beans, corn, and cilantro

Barbecue Chicken Tacos Variations

You can get creative with barbecue chicken tacos and top them with all of your favorite barbecue toppings.

A great way to top them is to mimic barbecue sandwiches. Fill them with your barbecue chicken and then add cheese, pickles, and onions. Whatever your favorite BBQ sandwich toppings are, they’ll go great in these tacos!

Alterations for picky eaters

Opt for flour tortillas in place of corn
Turn it into a quesadilla! Add lots of cheese!
Leave out the cilantro. This is a 50/50 with people so just leave it out if it’s not your thing.
Replace the cilantro with iceberg lettuce or omit it entirely.
Add lots of extra BBQ sauce!

Alterations to lower the calories or WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) points

Use Stubbs or a no sugar added BBQ sauce
Use either Mission extra thin corn tortillas or the white thin corn tortillas
Just using those two above keeps these at under 300 calories and 7 WW points on green for 3 FULL TACOS!

How to serve BBQ Chicken Tacos with Slaw

The best thing about these BBQ Chicken Tacos with Slaw is that they are a full meal on their own. They’re packed with protein, veggies, and carbs. If you’d like, you can also serve them alongside some rice. My favorite is this chili lime rice.

How to store BBQ Tacos

To store BBQ tacos, you’ll need to store each of the components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, remove them from the fridge and assemble.

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