BBQ Chicken Tacos are a favorite healthy and easy dinner at our house. Marinated BBQ chicken is served in a warm tortilla topped with black beans, corn, onion, cilantro, avocado and a creamy cilantro lime sauce.
Want more 30-Minute Meals? Try my Spring Roll Bowl, Applebee's Salad, Easy Sheet Pan Fajitas, or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
Why I love this meal:
- Taco Tuesday– It's no secret that I love tacos and we eat them weekly. These BBQ Chicken Tacos are fresh, filling, and everyone can add their own favorite toppings.
- Healthy – Packed with protein and fresh veggies, this these grilled chicken tacos are hearty and tasty!
- The Sauce – The creamy cilantro lime sauce is quick to make, only has a few ingredients, and takes these tacos to the next level. You can't leave out this homemade sauce!
How to make BBQ Chicken Tacos:
Marinate Chicken: Add chicken and ⅓ cup BBQ sauce to a ziplock bag. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours.
Make Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce by combining all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The sauce could be made a few days ahead.
Grill Chicken: Preheat grill and lightly grease with oil or cooking spray. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping once, until cooked through, 165 degrees F. Remove to a cutting board, baste with more BBQ sauce, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before chopping.
Assemble Tacos: Warm tortillas on grill or in a hot dry skillet. Add a spoonful of chopped chicken, corn, black beans, tomatoes and avocado to each warm tortilla. Drizzle chicken tacos with extra bbq sauce, and cilantro lime sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
How to Heat Corn Tortillas:
The best way to heat corn tortillas is in a skillet on the stove, or on the grill. Cook them for just a few seconds on each side, until small golden spots appear. Transfer them to a plate and cover, or wrap them with aluminum foil to keep warm. Stack them as you go, making sure to re-cover them after each addition. I don't recommend using the microwave to warm corn tortillas because they get soft and tear easier.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The chicken can be marinated and the veggies can be chopped and kept separately in the fridge until ready to serve.
To Freeze: Place cooked or marinating chicken in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to two months.
Recipe Variations:
- Vegetables: This is a great meal to clean out the extra veggies in your fridge. We love to add grilled zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, chopped lettuce, or olives.
- Vegetarian: Instead of chicken, marinate extra firm tofu.
- Crockpot: Place chicken in crockpot and cover with bbq sauce. Cook for 3-5 hours on low, or until done. Chop or shred chicken.
More Taco Recipes:
- Birria Tacos
- Baked Tacos
- Grilled Fish Tacos
- Taco Salad
- Mushroom Tacos
- Taco Seasoning
- Shrimp Tacos
- Carne Asada Tacos
- Walking Tacos
- Instant Pot Lentil Tacos
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Recipe
BBQ Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 2/3 cup barbecue sauce , divided
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes , chopped
- 1/3 cup red onion , chopped
- 15 ounce can black or pinto beans , rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can corn* , drained
- 1 avocado , peeled, cored and sliced
- 12 corn tortillas or small flour tortillas
- Fresh cilantro , chopped, for topping
Creamy cilantro lime sauce:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt , or sour cream
- 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro , chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add chicken and ⅓ cup bbq sauce to a ziplock bag. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours.
- Make the creamy cilantro lime sauce by combining all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Preheat grill and lightly grease with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping once, until cooked through (165 degrees F). Remove to a cutting board, baste with more BBQ sauce, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before chopping or shredding.
- Warm tortillas on grill or in a hot skillet. Add a spoonful of chopped chicken, corn, black beans, tomatoes and avocado to each warm tortilla. Drizzle with extra bbq sauce, and cilantro lime sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe July 2018. Updated July 2022 with new photos and helpful tips.
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Nice bbq chicken tacos
Wow! This was salty, tangy, acidic, and sweet! Absolutely amazing, especially the combo of the cilantro like sauce and bbq sauce! 10/10
Did I miss when you added the red onions?
You did not! The onions are a topping. Hope you love the tacos!
Really really liked this! It was delicious. I’d never thought to have bbq chicken in tacos until my husband suggested it. I found this recipe and it’s a keeper!
Can not wait to try this .
My family did not like cilantro lime sauce last time I made it. Can you think of any other sauce that might be good on it?
How about a drizzle of bbq sauce and ranch?
Really a great and delicious recipe. Thanks for those instructions, my family just loved it I had already tried this with another way but because of your recipe its become delicious.
This comment is just for the Cilantro Lime sauce. 4 teaspoons salt in 1/2 cup greek yogurt? I thought that seemed like a lot so only added 2 teaspoons and had to throw it away. I started from scratch and only added a pinch of salt and it turned out much better.
Thanks for catching the typo–I’m so sorry! Only a pinch of salt.
It’s a quarter teaspoon of salt, which seems reasonable to me
Summer means grilling, but we are guilty of always doing the same things on the grill (hot dogs, burgers, chicken, etc.). This is such a fun twist to summer grilling! We like the tacos so much we made them for a family party…they were a huge hit! YUM!