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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!

Crispy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tacos with Creamy Charred Corn Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Crispy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tacos with Creamy Charred Corn Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Crispy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tacos with Creamy Charred Corn Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com

The inspiration

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!

Crispy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tacos with Creamy Charred Corn Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com

The Details

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!

Crispy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tacos with Creamy Charred Corn Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com

Assemble

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.

Crispy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tacos with Creamy Charred Corn Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com

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!

Crispy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tacos with Creamy Charred Corn Salsa

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 631 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Salsa + Crema

Instructions

  • 1. In a large pot, combine the olive oil, chicken, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, thyme, and salt. Set over medium-high heat and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, then add the ketchup, honey, dijon, and beer. Stir to combine and bring the sauce to a simmer.
    2. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, add additional beer to thin. Once the chicken is cooked, shred with two forks. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
    3. Meanwhile, make the crema. Combine the avocado and lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt.
    4. To make the salsa. In a bowl, combine the corn, jalapeño, cilantro, chives, and 1-2 spoonfuls of the avocado crema. Season with salt.
    5. Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each flat and then layer evenly with cheese and bbq chicken. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see above photo). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp. 
    6. Serve the tacos with a dollop of the avocado crema, the corn salsa, lime, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
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Crispy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tacos with Creamy Charred Corn Salsa | halfbakedharvest.com

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  1. 5 stars
    These may be one of my all time favorite tacos I’ve ever made. Definitely a bit more involved but SO worth it! All the elements together are *chef’s kiss*

    1. Hey Sarah,
      Amazing! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great Monday! xTieghan

    1. Hey MJ,
      Happy Monday! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xT

    1. Hey Ashley,
      Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend! xxT

    1. Hey Kristy,
      Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend! xxT

  2. 5 stars
    Made these for dinner tonight and wow. My husband and I were too busy stuffing our faces to make any comment! This recipe is absolutely delish. The sweet and spicy sauce was the perfect combination with the refreshing avocado corn salsa. It was a flavor explosion! I made homemade tortilla wraps and it went so well with this recipe. Thank you for your excellent recipes and constantly giving us new ideas!

  3. 5 stars
    Just made these and they were delicious. Used corn & flour tortillas too. As someone who’s not great in the kitchen, but I’m grateful for your consistent 5 star recipes. Easy enough for an amateur and SO flavorful. Thank you!

    1. Hey Jenneane,
      I really appreciate you giving this dish a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Hope you’re having a great Wednesday! xT

  4. These look super yummy! I have a question—do you rub both sides of the tortilla with oil or only the outside?

    1. Hi Joanne,
      Go ahead and rub both sides:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx

  5. 5 stars
    These tacos were AMAZING! I used regular chili powder simply because I did not have chipotle. The only other change was I actually put them into my air fryer instead of the oven, they got super crispy on both sides YUM YUM YUM I am definitely making these again!

    1. Hey Melissa,
      Wonderful! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best week:) xTieghan

  6. 3 stars
    This recipe is good…. HOWEVER…. I found it just a little to hot. I will make it again but w WAY less chipotle. I omitted the cayenne because I was afraid it was gonna be over kill and I was right. Also, my tacos didn’t get as crispy as I wanted. Not sure if it’s because all your recipes are curated in Colorado and the altitude does affect oven temps…but I did have to leave it in longer so it can be more crispy. Also, the corn tortillas fell apart, so maybe I’ll use flour next time. The avocado creama balanced it all out though.

    Final thoughts:
    This recipe is GOOD. I would make it again, maybe next time to a NACHOS version of it.

  7. 4 stars
    Flavor is amazing! definitely has a kick to it! unique combo for sure, would’ve never thought of so much ketchup. my one thing is that there were no instructions about greasing the pan but mine were so stuck to the pan that they would not flip. i am not sure if the EVOO was intended for both sides or not. I implied that it was for the interior. So definitely gotta figure that out…they weren’t crispy either so i would just use hard shells perhaps

    1. Hey! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying it out and Happy Halloween! xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    Great recipe! We loved everything about it. I used 1 lb of chicken tenders and got 12 perfectly sized, perfectly full but not overstuffed, tacos using the Mission brand “super soft” white corn tortillas (I think they’re about 6 inches around). I usually also struggle with corn tortillas breaking apart, but tend to have better luck with this specific brand of white corn tortillas versus any brand of yellow corn tortillas. Using them when they’re as “fresh” as possible also helps I think–avoid using them for this recipe if you’ve opened and closed the package a couple of times already and additional air has gotten in there. I heated 2 at a time for 30 seconds in the microwave and then sprayed with EVOO spray before making into tacos and they held together perfectly. This will definitely be made over and over!

  9. This recipe looks so good I’m excited to try it! But I’m curious if there is anything you recommend I use instead of honey? (I’m super allergic) Thanks!!

  10. 5 stars
    I have made these a few times! They are delicious! A fun new take on tacos! Our 3 teenage boys devour them! I am making the tacos now and the boys get home from football practice in 30 minutes :).