BBQ Chicken Tacos – an easy weeknight bbq chicken taco recipe that can be made in the Slow Cooker, Stove Top or Instant Pot!
BBQ Chicken Tacos
We are a big fan of all things tacos over here (these Steak Tacos and these Ahi Tuna Tacos are both a fav), but these are the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Just toss everything in the slow cooker and walk away – taco night is going to be a breeze!
Why You Will Love this Recipe
- Easy Cooking Methods – you can make these tacos using the slow cooker, stove-top or Instant Pot – use the one that’s easiest for you!
- A Spin on the Traditional – there is nothing better than a fresh spin on a traditional dish and this is exactly that! So nice to mix it up!
- Toppings – one of my favorite things about this recipe is getting creative with the toppings – there are so many options!
What You Will Need
- Skinless, boneless chicken breasts: these shred up so nicely!
- BBQ Sauce – any BBQ sauce will work so just grab your favorite!
- Tortilla shells – again, whatever kind you prefer!
- Fresh cilantro – love that extra pop of flavor
- Paleo ranch dressing – but feel free to use store-bought if that is easier for you
- Optional: Creamy Coleslaw – such an easy, classic coleslaw recipe and it pairs so nicely with this meal!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- BBQ Sauce: you can use any of your favorite BBQ sauces – we love this one or this one!
- Tortillas: use your favorite tortillas (flour, corn, paleo, grain-free, etc.) or learn how to make your own here! We love this one for a store-bought option!
- Ranch dressing: we love our homemade ranch, but use whatever works best for you.
- Paleo: if you want to keep this recipe paleo simply use a paleo bbq sauce and paleo tortillas.
- Cooking options: depending on how much time you have we have included 3 different cooking methods in the recipe card below – stove-top, slow cooker, & Instant Pot!
- Leftovers: once your bbq chicken has been cooked you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Store the chicken and the cold toppings in separate containers – this will make it easier for reheating.
Freezing BBQ Chicken
- Can I put frozen chicken in the crockpot? You can! The end result might be a bit more watery and you will have to adjust your cook time to make sure that your chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees, but you can definitely do it.
- Can I freeze BBQ chicken before cooking? Yes! You can put your chicken and bbq sauce in a large ziplock bag and place in a freezer for up to 3 months. This would work for the slow cooker option only.
- Can I freeze BBQ chicken after cooking? Yes! Once the cooked bbq chicken has cooled you can put it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Meal Prep
These BBQ chicken tacos are such a great option for meal prep! The BBQ chicken can easily be prepped at the beginning of the week for lunches. Just make sure you keep the chicken and cold toppings in separate containers to make it easier to reheat the chicken. And if you make the creamy coleslaw, which I highly recommend, it only gets better after the flavors have some time to jive in the fridge for a bit!
How to Make BBQ Chicken Tacos
Cook your BBQ chicken using your preferred cooking method.
Place BBQ chicken in your preferred tortillas with toppings.
Enjoy!
Other Recipes You Might Like
Easy BBQ Wings
Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
Salsa Verde Chicken
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
Don’t forget to check out my Instagram account for some behind-the-scenes action! Or give me a follow on Facebook or see what I am pinning on Pinterest!
BBQ Chicken Tacos Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Tacos
- Method: Slow Cooker + Instant Pot + Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
BBQ Chicken Tacos – an easy weeknight taco recipe that can be made in the Slow Cooker, Stove Top or Instant Pot!
Ingredients
Stove Top:
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- water for saucepan
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (more if desired)
Slow Cooker:
- 1 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instant Pot:
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce (more if desired)
Tacos:
- tortillas (use whatever kind of you prefer: flour, corn, paleo, grain-free)
- fresh cilantro
- paleo ranch dressing
- (optional) 1 batch Creamy Coleslaw
Instructions
Stove Top:
- Take medium/large saucepan and fill 3/4 of the way with water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Add chicken to boiling water and reduce temp to bring water to a simmer.
- Let simmer 15-20 minutes.
- Carefully remove chicken and ensure center of thickest part of chicken has reached 165 degrees.
- Place chicken on a plate and shred with two forks. Place in a bowl with BBQ Sauce; stir to combine.
Slow Cooker:
- Place chicken breasts in crock pot.
- Pour 1 cup bbq sauce over top.
- Cover and cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8 hours.
- Once chicken is done cooking, shred with two forks. The sauce will be thinned out due to the heat, but as it cools and you mix the shredded chicken around it will thicken back up.
- Add the additional 1/2 cup bbq sauce (or more if you want); stir to combine.
Instant Pot:
- Add 1 cup of chicken broth (or water) to Instant Pot.
- Place chicken inside (no need for trivet).
- Set Instant Pot to “Seal” and cook on High Pressure for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow Instant Pot to naturally release.
- Remove chicken and place on a plated; pour out any remaining liquid in the Instant Pot. Shred the chicken with two forks and place back into the Instant Pot.
- Add BBQ Sauce and stir to combine.
Tacos:
- Load your favorite tortilla up with bbq chicken, fresh cilantro and top with some ranch dressing!
Notes
- BBQ Sauce: feel free to use whatever bbq sauce you prefer.
- Tortillas: use your favorite tortillas or you can learn how make your own here.
- Ranch: we love our homemade ranch, but use whatever works best for you.
- Paleo: To make these paleo simply use a paleo bbq sauce and paleo tortillas!
- Cook Time Listed: I used the stove-top method for the listed cook time – of course if you opt for the slow cooker or instant pot it will take longer than that.
Leave a Rating & Comment