Barbecue Chicken Street Tacos

BARBECUE CHICKEN STREET TACOS

7/10/2022

With a burst of smoky flavor and all the right spices, Barbecue Chicken Street Tacos are the tacos of your dreams! We’re going all out with juicy, smokey and sweet barbecue chicken, creamy Mexican Street Corn, avocado and cotija, all cocooned in a warm corn tortilla. Perfect for Taco Tuesdays and all summer long, they are a favorite for family dinners, backyard barbecues and celebrations

Barbecue Chicken Street Tacos

WHAT IS THE BEST CHICKEN FOR MEXICAN STREET TACOS?

Our favorite is Smoked Barbecued Chicken Breasts, but the magical thing about this recipe is that you can use your favorite chicken, favorite cooking technique, and favorite sauce or glaze. Who could ask for anything more?

SMOKED BARBECUED CHICKEN: Chicken breasts or thighs work best for this method. Prepare on your smoker or grill, sauce it up, slice or chop it up, and you're ready to go! We love the smokey barbecue flavor!

ROTISSERIE CHICKEN: Cut rotisserie chicken into pieces, sauce it up, and heat until warmed through.

SHREDDED CHICKEN: Simmer or roast chicken until cooked, using your favorite barbecue or fiesta seasonings. When tender and cooked through, shred meat, sauce it up and keep warm.

LEFTOVER CHICKEN: Remove all skin and cut leftover chicken into slices or pieces, drizzle with your favorite sauce or glaze, and heat until warmed through.

Barbecue Chicken Street Tacos

BARBECUE CHICKEN STREET TACOS & MEXICAN STREET TACOS - IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TOPPINGS:

Traditional Mexican Street Tacos are usually simple, and served with fresh chopped onion, cilantro, Mexican crema (similar to sour cream), a squeeze of fresh lime juice and hot sauce. The great thing about street tacos is that everyone can build their own "custom" taco, which may be why these are always so popular for dinner and entertaining! If you're serving lots of extra toppings, you may want to offer larger tortillas rather than street-size tortillas. For Barbecue Chicken Street Tacos you might also enjoy these toppings:

Fresh tomatoes (diced or cherry tomatoes halved)
Diced red onion
Grilled or sauteed onions
Grilled or sauteed sweet bell peppers (red, orange or yellow)
Fresh Salsa
Fresh Guacamole
Shredded lettuce
Shredded Cheese - cotija, queso fresco, Monterey Jack or Mexican blend
Shredded smoked gouda or smoked cheddar cheese, seasoned feta cheese crumbles
Mexican crema or fresh sour cream
Fresh corn niblets (cut from fresh picked corn-on-the-cob)
Mexican Street Corn
Smoked Mexican Street Corn Dip is FABULOUS spooned on these for a kick of fresh flavor!
Grilled onions
Sliced jalapeno peppers
Avocado (diced or sliced)
Barbecue Sauce - your favorite for glazing the Barbecue Chicken or drizzling on top of your street tacos!
Fresh Coleslaw
Fresh limes - squeeze fresh lime juice on top for the best fresh flavor!

Barbecue Chicken Street Tacos

WHAT ARE THE BEST TORTILLAS FOR TACOS?

While flour tortillas are larger and better suited for burritos and quesadilla, corn tortillas have a unique texture and taste, and are the go-to tortillas for Mexican tacos, street tacos and taquitos.

If you've already decided to go with corn tortillas over flour tortillas, you've still got to choose between two kinds: white and yellow. Do you know the difference between the two?

Compared to its yellow counterpart, white corn tortillas tend to be softer with a more tender texture. Because they have a higher moisture content, they are also more pliable. These corn tortillas can be easily rolled and folded without cracking or breaking - ideal for enchiladas and flautas.

Yellow corn tortillas, on the other hand, tend to be slightly thinner than their white counterpart, and they also tend to be more coarsely textured. Because of the lower moisture content, they aren't as pliable and are more likely to crack when rolled. Yellow corn tortillas have the best flavor and texture for tacos, tostadas and frying into tortilla chips.

WARM TORTILLAS ARE THE SECRET TO THE BEST TACOS!

I'm not asking you to make your own tortillas, unless that's what your heart is telling you to do! Store-bought tortillas will work just fine, but I do recommend warm tortillas for this recipe - heating them up is so important! Warming the tortilla releases their flavor and aroma, and makes them soft and pliable so that they won't crack when filled.

Barbecue Chicken Street Tacos

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO WARM UP TORTILLAS?

With a little know-how, you can reheat tortillas so they're worthy of the things they hold! You can easily warm your tortillas using any of the methods below. Once your tortillas are warmed, keep them warm and pliable by stacking them on a plate and covering with a slightly dampened, warmed paper towel or in a tortilla warmer.

In The Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Create separate stacks of 5 tortillas each, then wrap each stack in foil. Pop them all in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. They'll steam inside the packet and stay nice and soft. Keep them wrapped until you're ready to serve. With this method, you can warm multiple stacks of tortillas at the same time. It’s the slowest method, but the best for entertaining a crowd.

In The Microwave: This method is great when you have a large number of tortillas to heat in a hurry. Working with about 5-7 tortillas at a time, stack tortillas on a microwave safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 20 seconds on high, then repeat at 10 second intervals if needed until warmed through.

Open Flame (Grilling): This method creates a smoky char on the tortillas and is best with fresh homemade tortillas. Using your gas stove or grill, set a tortilla over a gas burner on medium-low heat. When the tortilla is just starting to char, use a pair of tongs to flip it over and char the other side. Remove and stack the tortillas in a warm towel as you char the rest. You can do this on two, or three, or four burners if you're very coordinated. (This is probably not the best method if you need to heat dozens of tortillas at a time.) You can use the same technique on a grill or grill pan. If you are using thin tortillas, you will want to take special care not to over-char or they will become brittle and break - you want the tortillas to stay soft and pliable.

Skillet: For a smaller amount, heat a skillet (or griddle) to medium high heat – do NOT grease the surface. Working with one tortilla at a time (or more on a griddle if you have room), heat each side of the tortilla for approximately 20 seconds until warm and soft. You will not get char marks with this method. You can also put a wire baking rack over a skillet of simmering water, and set up to 5 tortillas on that to warm up. Cover with a wide lid until the heat from the fillings steams the tortilla shells.

Barbecue Chicken Street Tacos

BARBECUE CHICKEN STREET TACOS

Barbecue Chicken Street Tacos

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ pounds chicken breasts or thighs pounded to an even thickness
10-12 mini corn tortillas
¼ cup Barbecue Sweet Rub
½ cup apple cider

BARBECUE SWEET RUB:
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more for an extra flavor kick)

WET RUB BARBECUE MARINADE:
2 tablespoons Barbecue Sweet Rub
2 tablespoons olive oil
Zest and juice of one lime
2 tablespoons apple cider

SERVE WITH:
purple cabbage (sliced thin)
red onion (chopped)
1 large avocado (sliced thin)
Mexican Street Corn
Cotija or Feta cheese (crumbled)
2 fresh limes (sliced or quartered for squeezing)
Barbecue Sauce (your favorite flavor)

HOW I MAKE THESE:

PREPARE BARBECUE SWEET RUB: In a small bowl, whisk together all sweet rub ingredients until evenly blended. You can use a fork or the back of a spoon to break up any large brown sugar chunks. You will not use all of this for this recipe! Store Barbecue Sweet Rub in an airtight container for up to a month.
PREPARE WET RUB BARBECUE MARINADE: In a small bowl, whisk the Wet Rub Barbecue Marinade ingredients together.
MARINADE CHICKEN: Unwrap chicken and pound to an even thickness, pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle chicken all over lightly with Barbecue Sweet Rub. Place the chicken in a single layer in a snug dish. Drizzle the Wet Rub Barbecue Marinade evenly over chicken, turning to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate, allowing the chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours, then bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
GRILL CHICKEN (SEE NOTES FOR OPTIONS): Grease clean grill grates and preheat grill to 400 degrees with the lid closed.
Grill chicken undisturbed with the lid closed for 5-7 minutes per side; drizzle and brush with barbecue sauce when turning. Continue to cook chicken until cooked through and it reaches 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Remove from grill. Cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes for carryover cooking to 165 degrees.
Slice and/or chop barbecued chicken into bite size pieces.
WARM TORTILLAS: Using a microwave, skillet, oven, or char on grill or open gas stovetop flame until warm but still pliable (see detailed instructions in recipe notes).
ASSEMBLE TACOS: Assemble by layering warmed corn tortillas with sliced purple cabbage, red onion, creamy Mexican Street Corn, barbecued chicken pieces, crumbled cojita or feta cheese. Drizzle with additional barbecue sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Garnish with fresh cilantro and limes if desired.
SERVE & ENJOY! No need to get fancy – everyone loves to create their own Mexican Street Tacos! If you have limited space for all of the toppings, you can also prepare these all at one time and place on a large platter for fast and easy serving.
LEFTOVERS: Refrigerate any leftover pulled pork in a vacuum sealed bag or freezer Ziploc bag (pressing all the air out) for up to 3-5 days. Frozen pulled pork will last for up to 2 months in a freezer. Write the name and date on your freezer bags so you can keep track.
Reheat pulled pork by bringing a pot of water to a low boil. Turn the stove to low and place the sealed bag of pulled pork in the water, which will heat the meat up while reserving all of the delicious seasoned juices it cooked in.

YIELD: 10-12 tacos

RECIPE NOTES:

LOOKING FOR A LITTLE MORE SPICE? If you like a little kick to your barbecued meats, increase the cayenne pepper in the Barbecue Sweet Rub to your favorite level of HOT and spicy!
FOR JUICY, TENDER CHICKEN, DON’T SKIP THE MARINADE! Be sure to allow at least one hour for marinating otherwise the chicken won’t have enough time to absorb flavor. Also, don’t skip pounding the chicken breasts before marinating! This step makes a world of difference in creating super tender chicken without a long marinating time, and allows the chicken to cook evenly.
DON’T OVER-MARINATE THE CHICKEN! Don’t marinate the chicken for any longer than 12 hours because the acid (lime juice) can actually tighten the protein fibers, leaving you with tough and chewy chicken.
REMOVE CHICKEN FROM FRIDGE 30 MINUTES BEFORE COOKING: You should never cook chicken straight out of the refrigerator, as room temperature protein is juicier and cooks more evenly. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking – no longer than that!
PREPARE THE GRILL PROPERLY: Clean the grill well, and oil the grates with vegetable oil before adding the chicken for beautiful grill marks and to prevent sticking. Don’t add the chicken until the grill is hot to achieve a beautiful sear, then only flip/touch your chicken once for the perfect caramelized crust.
USE VEGETABLE OIL FOR GRILLING: NEVER use spray oils once the grill is on - only use vegetable oil or another high smoking point oil. For those of us that love cooking with olive oil, be aware it has a lower smoking point, which means breaks down under the heat of grilling and will not only smoke you out, it will leave an unpleasant taste on your grilled foods.
TO COOK CHICKEN ON THE STOVE: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side. Flip chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked to 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer, then remove from stove and cover with foil, let rest for 10 minutes to continue to cook to 165 degrees.
TO BAKE CHICKEN IN THE OVEN: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking pan with non-stick foil. Add chicken in a single layer. Bake 14 to 16 minutes (for small/medium breasts that are about 5-6 ounces), 16 to 20 minutes (for medium/large breasts that are 7 to 9 ounces), or 20 to 25 minutes (for larger breasts), or until chicken is cooked to 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer, then remove from oven and cover with foil, let rest for 10 minutes to continue to cook to 165 degrees.
TO PREPARE CHICKEN ON A SMOKER: See my recipe for Smoked Barbecue Chicken Breasts.
LET THE CHICKEN REST AFTER COOKING: After chicken is finished cooking, transfer it to a cutting board, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes so the meat has time to continue cooking to 165 degrees, and more importantly to reabsorb the juices that have pushed towards the outside of the chicken. If you cut into the Barbecue Chicken immediately after cooking without resting, all the moisture and flavorful juices will run out.
USE QUALITY TORTILLAS: For the best flavor, use QUALITY corn tortillas – you can taste the difference, and see the difference as cheap corn tortillas tend to be thinner and will crack and break apart easily! Also, always warm the tortillas on the grill, oven, microwave or stovetop before filling.
AVOCADO: We love a few thin slices of ripe avocado in each taco. If you’d prefer, make a quick guacamole by mashing the avocado with some salt, pepper, and lime juice. Spread this on before adding in the cabbage. Don’t love avocado or guacamole? Just leave them out!
CHANGE FLAVOR PROFILE WITH BARBECUE SAUCE: Serve with your favorite barbecue sauces on the side – you may find you don’t even need them, as this is the juiciest and most tender Barbecued Chicken ever!
BARBECUE SWEET RUB: This recipe will make about ½ cup, which will leave you a little bit extra – perfect for pork, chicken and beef – including ribs, chops, pulled pork, caramelized bacon, and brisket – and take smoked hamburgers to a whole new level of deliciousness! Label and store in an airtight jar or container in a cool, dry place away from heat and moisture.
STORAGE: Store the toppings, tortillas, and cooked chicken in separate containers to preserve their textures. Barbecued chicken can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Keep the tortillas in an airtight container at room temperature.

Original recipe published June 2017; revised and reposted July 2022.

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