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These Barbecue Chicken Tacos are a fun twist on traditional tacos and so easy to whip up on a busy weeknight – they are perfect for Taco Tuesday or any night of the week!
My family loves tacos, and really anything I put inside a tortilla and cover with cheese. The first time I made these barbecue chicken tacos my kids were a little skeptical, but then they gobbled them up. I love how easy they are to make. They take just minutes in the oven because of the thinner chicken tenders. I prefer to use the tenders, 1 – because they take less time to cook, and 2 – because they are thin you get more seasoning/sauce per bite.
I start by seasoning the chicken with my signature salt and pepper, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder seasoning mix, then roast them quickly in the oven at 400 degrees. Before seasoning I always brush with a little olive oil – this keeps the chicken tender and juicy. Read more about my baked chicken method here.
I love to get a little char flavor on my barbecue chicken, but how to you do that without putting your chicken on the grill? Broil it! Baste the chicken with your favorite barbecue sauce, then crank up the broiler. This helps to caramelize the barbecue sauce and helps it stick to the chicken, and it gives it a nice little char, which I love. You can totally skip this step if you want and just keep the chicken in the oven for 5 more minutes after basting with the barbecue sauce.
*Note – you could also cook the chicken on your grill if you prefer.
Now it’s time to assemble your tacos! You definitely want to give your chicken a few minutes to rest, but again, since we’re using tenders this won’t take as long. So just a few minutes and then you can slice the chicken.
Layer some sliced chicken in the bottom of your taco shells and drizzle with a little barbecue sauce. If you wanted to get really crazy you could add some Ranch dressing or even hot sauce. Then continue assembling with your favorite taco toppings – shredded cheddar, lettuce, red onion, cilantro, etc. I sometimes like to play off the sweetness of the barbecue sauce and roast some corn in the oven to go along with it. It’s make a nice sweet condiment for the tacos!
Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 8 chicken tenders or 3 chicken breasts, pounded thin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- Taco shells
- Your favorite taco toppings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line an oven safe pan or cookie sheet with foil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together salt, pepper, and garlic, onion and chili powders.
- Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub first with olive oil, then seasoning mix.
- Place chicken in the foil lined pan and bake for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is mostly cooked through.
- Baste chicken with barbecue sauce then place under the broiler on high for 5-7 minutes. Watch carefully so the sauce doesn’t burn.
- Remove chicken from the oven and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice chicken and place a few strips in the bottom of taco shells; drizzle with barbecue sauce.
- Assemble tacos with your favorite toppings. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
For more easy weeknight chicken recipes, try these:
