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Crispy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tacos with Creamy Charred Corn Salsa and a little bit of homemade avocado “crema” too. Shredded chicken in a spicy chipotle beer BBQ sauce stuffed into crispy tortillas with melted sharp cheddar cheese. These easy to make tacos are the best saucy summer tacos. Serve each taco with a creamy avocado crema and charred corn salsa. The perfect summertime twist on a classic taco that everyone will love!
So here’s the thing, vacation and time off is truly a wonderful thing, but the day after returning? It’s not usually my favorite. I know some people will say they feel all refreshed and ready to jump back into things. But when I got home from Alaska Saturday night, I was tired.
Granted it was really Sunday morning when I got home because we didn’t actually get in until about 1 am, which meant bedtime was more like 3 am. Point? Sunday was brutal and I spent the day catching up on things I’d missed and digging through my inbox.
But the one silver lining of returning home? Back to homemade meals! Look, it’s nice to not have to cook on vacation. But the truth is I really love cooking, and the first recipe I made was these tacos.
And they did not disappoint.
Honestly, they just sounded good. Summery, spicy, BBQ chicken and charred corn are two summer favorites. Usually I make them separately, and usually on the grill. But I was craving a crispy cheesy taco like the ones Dad used to make when we were growing up.
I combined two favorites into one and the outcome was delicious!
These tacos start off with the chicken. Instead of using overly sugary store-bought BBQ sauce, I decided to just do my own, but don’t worry, it’s easy!
Toss the chicken together with some smoky paprika, chipotle chili powder, garlic, cayenne, and salt. Cook everything together in a pot, then just add ketchup, honey, and a splash of you very favorite beer.
And that’s the chicken. Simply simmer it until you can easily shred it, then toss the shredded chicken with the sauce. It takes a few minutes for the chicken and sauce to cook up, but the homemade sauce is 100% worth it.
Spicy, sweet, smoky, and extra saucy!
While the chicken is cooking, make the creamy crema and charred corn salsa. You want to start with the crema since you’ll need it to complete the salsa. It’s simply avocado pureed with lime juice and sea salt. Basic, but also perfect.
For the salsa, I wanted to use charred corn, but I wanted it to be creamier, kind of like a Mexican corn salad. Instead of using mayo, I used the crema to make the salsa creamy.
You’ll have juicy sweet corn with creamy crema and it’s such a great combo! I tossed in fresh jalapeño, lots of cilantro, and some chives too!
Instead of using store-bought taco shells, I like to take corn tortillas and stuff them with the chicken and cheese. I throw them into the oven to bake until the tortillas are crispy.
Finish the tacos with the crema and spicy corn salsa. Everything is so delicious…from the saucy chicken, to the melted crispy cheese, to the crema and salsa. Definitely not your average taco!
These tacos remind me of summers as a kid in Cleveland. A mix of dad’s tacos and BBQ chicken…and I kind of love that.
Looking for other summer tacos? Here are a few of my go-to’s.
Taco Stuffed Avocados with Chipotle Sauce and Cilantro Lime Ranch
Sheet Pan Jalapeño Pineapple Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Garlic Sauce
Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema
Crockpot Carne Asada Tacos with Cilantro Lime Garlic Sauce
Lastly, if you make these Crispy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tacos, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I am making this recipe for a friend. Can I make the recipe completely and have them just warm up in microwave?
Hey Stacy,
I probably wouldn’t recommend heating these in the microwave, they will get soggy. I would make all of the meat and toppings for her and give her everything to assemble the tacos. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hi,
Is there a substitute we can use besides beer for the sauce ingredients? We are a no alcohol house.
Thanks!
Hey Allie,
You could use chicken broth or even a sparkling cider. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
So good, and comes together so quickly!
Hey Mallory,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
These were soo good! My husband and I are eating low carb right now, so we skipped the tacos shells all together, and just had the chicken with the corn salsa and avocado crema on the side. I’m sure they would be even tastier with the cheese and taco shells, but hubby said, “wow” when he took his first bite. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Hey Deb,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Loved this even though I changed alot (but the basic spices and idea was still there). I took the dry rub (which used up the last of the dried thyme we had from last year) and put it on pork tenderloin, then sous-vided the pork. Once cooked, quickly seared it on the grill then chopped into chunks. Drizzled on sauce and also applied to toasted buns…and had pork sandwiches! Corn was on the side. This was all because we didnt have chicken, nor tortillas and needed to eat what we had. The subtle heat in the pork was outstanding and offset well by the sauce.
A+, Tieghan!
Hey Shannon,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you. xTieghan
I used chicken breasts instead of tenders and poached the chicken for ~30 minutes in the sauce until it was tender. Despite all the spices and herbs, I found the sauce a bit flat. Not bland, since I seasoned with salt (and a little soy sauce, after tasting), just lacking overall flavour. Next time, I’ll just make chicken tinga tacos which are a lot more flavourful (SeriousEats has a good recipe), add cheese, and crisp in a pan.
Hey Mary,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry it was not enjoyed. xTieghan
Omg made these the other night and was a huge hit!! So tasty and incredibly easy will become a staple in my house now!
Hey Jill,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
These were AMAZING!!!!! Holy cow!!
Hey Danielle,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
HOLY SHIT! Make these RIGHT MEOW!! Let me preface by saying, I am not a huge taco fan. I saw Tieghan post this to her stories and I was intrigued. I had one random beer around my house that worked beautifully and chickpea flour tortillas instead of corn. Two thumbs WAY up and I’ll definitely make these again!
Hey Autumn,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This recipe is SO GOOD. Made it a bit milder for my fam by omitting the cayenne and halving the chipotle. VERY DELSIH
Hey Megan,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best week:) xTieghan
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Definitely spicey, so reduce the chipotle or the cayenne if you don’t like heat. I slow cooked the chicken and sauce ingredients in the crockpot and then shredded. So good!!!
Hey Kristi,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Next level Tacos!!
Hey Mari,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Loved these. Simple and delicious.
Hey Christine,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best week:) xTieghan
These were incredible! They are not quick but so worth the time!
Hey Jana,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xxTieghan
The flavors in this dish are insane!! The sweet and spicy corn salsa, the creamy and tangy avocado crema, and omg the chipotle bbq sauce is unreal! Took me quite a while to assemble but totally worth the effort!
Hey Tricia,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xxTieghan
Hi – this sounds delicious!
Can I substitute the beer for something or leave it out entirely? I am trying to adapt this recipe to make it gluten free.
Thanks
Hey Nia,
You can use sparkling cider in place of the beer, you could also use Corona which is GF. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I don’t have chipotle chili powder but I do have chipotle in adobo- do you think that would substitute or just leave out? If so, any idea on amount? Thanks so much!
Hey Jen,
I think chipotle in adobo would be great! I would add to your liking according to spice level. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan