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Smoky, sweet and a little spicy…these crispy chipotle BBQ chicken tacos with a little bit of homemade avocado “crema” need to be on your weeknight menu! Crispy tortillas stuffed with saucy shredded chicken and melty cheddar with a spicy chipotle beer BBQ sauce. Finish with a cool avocado crema and a creamy charred corn salsa for the ultimate summer taco night.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Crispy + cheesy oven tacos, zero frying mess.
- Smoky-sweet chipotle BBQ chicken you can easily adjust for heat.
- Creamy corn salsa and avocado crema to balance every bite.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: tenders or thighs both shred nicely; thighs give richer flavor.
Spice blend: smoked paprika + chipotle chili powder + cayenne = heat + smoke; taste sauce and adjust before the simmer.
Beer vs. broth: beer adds malty depth; broth keeps it alcohol-free.
Cheddar: sharp cheddar cuts through the sweet heat and melts beautifully.
Corn: grill/roast for char; off-season, thawed frozen corn chars well in a hot skillet.
Avocado crema: just avocado + lime + salt—simple, cool, and dairy-free as written.
The Inspiration
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!
Swaps and Variations
Protein: shredded rotisserie chicken for speed (simmer briefly in the sauce to soak).
Cheese: pepper jack for extra heat or a Mexican blend for melt.
Tortillas: flour for extra pliability (texture changes); corn keeps classic crunch.
Add-ins: thin red onion or jalapeño inside for bite; extra herbs in salsa for freshness.
Cook the BBQ Chicken
- 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!
- Combine the olive oil, chicken, and spices (smoky paprika, chipotle chili powder, garlic, cayenne, and salt) over medium heat for about five minutes
- To make the BBQ sauce, reduce the heat to low, then just add ketchup, honey, dijon and a splash of your very favorite beer. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes until you can shred the chicken. Toss the shredded chicken with the sauce. Spicy, sweet, smoky, and extra saucy!
Make the creamy corn salsa + crema
- 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. I tossed in fresh jalapeño, lots of cilantro, and some chives too!
Bake the crispy oven tacos
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
- Warm tortillas in the microwave, on a pan, or in an airfryer just until pliable
- Lightly oil the sheet pan and tortillas; don’t overfill (helps them seal and crisp).
- Bake until cheese melts and tortillas are golden with crisp edges; flip once for even crunch. Serve immediately.
- Serve the tacos with a dollop of the avocado crema, the corn salsa, lime, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
- Too spicy? Add a squeeze of lime and a small drizzle of honey to the BBQ sauce; finish tacos with extra crema.
- Too sweet? Add a pinch of salt and a splash of beer/broth or lime to balance.
- Tortillas cracking? Warm and stack under a towel; brush with a little oil before filling.
- Soggy tacos? Overfilling or excess sauce—shred chicken well and let it sit in the sauce a minute to absorb, then drain off any puddling before stuffing.
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.
Make-Ahead/ Storage/ Reheat
- Make-ahead: cook chicken + prep crema/salsa; refrigerate in separate containers. Stuff and bake tacos right before serving.
- Storage: keep leftover chicken, salsa, and crema separate; store baked tacos unassembled for best texture.
- Reheat: re-crisp stuffed tacos on a wire rack set over a sheet pan (or in an air fryer) just until hot and crisp again. Loosen chicken with a splash of broth if needed.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes—shred and simmer it briefly in the sauce so it absorbs flavor, then proceed with assembly.
What if I can’t get fresh corn?
Use frozen corn; thaw and pat dry, then char in a hot skillet before mixing with crema and herbs.
How do I keep tortillas from cracking?
Warm them until pliable and lightly oil both sides before filling; fold gently and bake right away.
How can I adjust the BBQ sauce sweetness or heat?
For less sweet, add a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt. For less heat, reduce cayenne and chipotle; for more heat, add a little extra chipotle chili powder.
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
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders or cubed thighs
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup your favorite beer, or use chicken broth
- 8-12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
Salsa + Crema
- 2 large avocados, halved
- juice from 2 limes
- 2 cups grilled or roasted corn
- 1 jalapeño, seeded, if desired, and chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
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!
This post was originally published on July 28, 2021
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