These BBQ Chicken Tacos are loaded with smoky bbq chicken, easy homemade ranch and a quick homemade slaw. Delicious, so simple and the best for Taco Tuesday!
Alright my friends, it’s time for another new taco recipe! And yes, I know it would’ve been probably the best and most on brand thing for me to post it yesterday on Taco Tuesday but…listen y’all, I can 100% eat tacos any day every day no matter what time of day.
Anyone else with me?!
I love these tacos so much because they’re DIFFERENT. Yes, I love my classic Chorizo Tacos or my beloved Chipotle Chicken Tacos but y’all, there is something super fun and unique about trying new fillings for toppings.
And this flavor combination is just FIRE.
Why You’ll Love These Tacos:
First off, the chicken itself is coated in a delicious, tangy, smoky, sweet and a little bit spicy homemade BBQ sauce.
I love making BBQ sauce homemade because you can really control every ingredient you put into it and watch the sugar amount.
Thankfully this BBQ sauce is made with all pantry/fridge staples, so no worries about that! It’s delicious and you’re going to love it.
Next, of course, if it’s BBQ, it needs to have coleslaw (or slaw if you’re from the South!) on top.
This one is a particularly delicious slaw – made with red cabbage + a few other ingredients, it’s tangy, bright, tart and the acidic crunch that this taco needs!
I also love adding freshly charred corn on top….it gives it a sweet and juicy CRUNCH!
And because I truly feel like I can’t have a taco without some type of sauce on top, whether that be my easy homemade salsa, or some type of crema…I had to throw on some homemade ranch on top!
It’s the perfect addition – the BBQ chicken is smoky, the slaw is acidic and crunchy and the ranch is creamy and pulls everything together.
Load it up on a warm tortilla and y’all….these are the BEST. Let’s get into exactly what you need to make them!
Ingredients You Need:
- Chicken breast (you can use rotisserie chicken breast for this to save time, or you can easily just cook your own!)
- Homemade BBQ sauce (can also use store bought)
- Red cabbage
- Mayo
- Lime
- Salt
- Corn
- Ranch (homemade or storebought)
- Tortillas (corn or flour)
- Favorite taco toppings
Best Taco Making Tips:
With these tacos, the most time consuming part would be the chicken! And that’s not even that intense!
Like I mentioned above, you can definitely shred a rotisserie chicken to save time for this recipe OR just take about 1.5-2 pounds of raw chicken breast and cook it up!
Just add a splash of oil into your favorite pan on medium heat. Add salt to the chicken breasts and then cook the chicken breasts for about 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway, until they’re cooked to 165 degrees internally.
To save time, take 2 forks and shred it in the pan.
Time to make the homemade BBQ sauce! Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and then add it to the pan as well. Mix the chicken together. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Keep that on low heat to stay warm and begin making the other ingredients!
I shredded my purple cabbage to make the perfect texture for the slaw and then added in the mayo, lime and salt until the taste was perfect to me – I like mine creamier! Feel free to adjust the taste as needed.
Lastly, mix up the homemade ranch dressing (or use store bought if you must ;))
And you’re all set! Warm up your tortillas, add a generous amount of the slaw on the bottom, top with the BBQ chicken and finally drizzle with ranch if desired! Add cilantro on top or chopped red onion or if you like it spicy, jalapeno! YUM!
Eat warm + enjoy, my friends!
Favorite Garnishes:
Cilantro for a fresh herbaceous taste
Red onion for crunch
Jalapeno for added spice
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few more taco recipes you are going to love:
Ground Chicken Tacos with Chipotle Crema
Roasted Garlic Green Goddess Tacos
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
BBQ Chicken Tacos
These BBQ Chicken Tacos are loaded with smoky bbq chicken, easy homemade ranch and a quick homemade slaw. Delicious, so simple and the best for Taco Tuesday!
Ingredients
BBQ Chicken
- 1 and 1/2 pounds chicken breast
- salt to season
- 1/4 cup low sugar ketchup
- 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 3-4 dashes of hot sauce (I like using Texas Pete)
- 1-2 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce (depending on how smoky you want it)
Homemade Slaw
- 1/2 small red cabbage, shredded
- 2 tbsp mayo
- juice of 1 fresh lime
- Salt to taste
Taco Toppings:
- 4-6 warmed corn tortillas
- freshly charred corn
- chopped jalapeno
- cilantro
- red onion
- ranch dressing (homemade or storebought, see my linked recipe above in the blog post)
Instructions
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Add 1-2 tsp of avocado or olive oil to a large pan on medium heat. Salt the chicken breasts on both sides. Once the pan gets hot, add the chicken breasts and let them cook for about 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway, until they’re cooked to 165 degrees internally.
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Once they are done cooking, use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the pan.
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In a small size bowl, add all of the ingredients for the homemade BBQ sauce and mix them together. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Want it sweeter? Add more ketchup. More smoky? Add more chipotle. Adjust to your needs!
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Once it's mixed, add to the pan of chicken and mix around to combine. Keep the pan on low heat to stay warm.
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Next, shred the cabbage into a bowl and then add in the mayo, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
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Lastly, if desired, whip up the homemade ranch dressing or just grab a bottle of your favorite store bought kind.
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Warm the tortillas, add a generous scoop of the slaw followed by the BBQ chicken and all of your toppings! I topped mine with chopped jalapeno, charred corn and of course, ranch dressing! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
To make this recipe faster, you can always use rotisserie chicken! Simply shred however much you want and then add the BBQ sauce to taste.
You can also use store-bought ranch dressing instead of homemade. See my recipe linked above in the blog post - highly recommend!