BBQ ground chicken tacos are smoky, savory, and a little tangy—all wrapped up in a warm tortilla! Easy to make, healthy, and full of flavor, they’ll be your new weeknight favorite.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Similar Recipes
These BBQ ground chicken tacos are everything you want in a taco: smoky, saucy, and packed with bold flavors.
Ground chicken is seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin, and a tangy BBQ sauce for a perfect savory base. Toppings like speedy guac, pickled red onions, and a hint of cheese take these to the next level.
At around 240 calories and 12 grams of protein per taco (with cheese), these are a lighter yet indulgent option for taco night. Whether it’s a quick weeknight dinner or a crowd-pleaser, these tacos hit all the right notes.
👩🍳 For more Tex Mex recipes, check out my healthy baked chicken tacos, chorizo and egg breakfast tacos, my hearty Mexican chicken and rice casserole, or my Tex Mex stuffed sweet potatoes.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this ground chicken tacos recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Ground chicken: Lean, protein-packed, and absorbs flavors beautifully.
- BBQ sauce: Smoky and tangy; use your favorite brand for a personal touch.
- Spices: Smoked paprika and cumin bring warmth and depth.
- Pickled onions: Red onion, vinegar, honey, and salt for tangy crunch.
- Speedy guacamole: Avocado, lime, cilantro, and garlic—a creamy, zesty topping.
- Small tortillas: Regular or low-carb, your choice!
- Cheese: Cheddar for a creamy, sharp contrast but leave it out if you want.
- Fresh cilantro & hot sauce: For a fresh and spicy finish.
How To Make Ground Chicken Tacos
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos.
- Pickle the onions: Combine onion, vinegar, water, honey, and salt. Let them sit.
- Sauté aromatics: Cook diced onion in olive oil, then add garlic until fragrant.
- Brown chicken: Add ground chicken, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Season & sauce: Stir in spices, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, and a splash of water. Simmer.
- Make guac: Mash avocado with lime, garlic, cilantro, salt, and tomato.
- Assemble tacos: Layer tortillas with chicken, guac, pickled onions, cheese, and hot sauce.
Watch The Video
Recipe Tips
- Customize your BBQ sauce: Use smoky, spicy, or sweet BBQ sauce to match your taste.
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of cayenne or chili flakes to the chicken for heat.
- Make it into a salad: You can also serve this as a ground chicken taco salad over a bed of lettuce and some corn chips crushed up.
Other Fun & Unique Toppings
To make these tacos stand out, try some unexpected but delicious toppings!
- Charred pineapple salsa: Mix chopped charred pineapple with red onion, cilantro, and a splash of lime juice for a sweet, smoky contrast. Try my grilled pineapple salsa here.
- Creamy avocado slaw: Toss shredded cabbage with a bit of mashed avocado, lime juice, and a hint of sour cream for a creamy, tangy slaw. Try this avocado cabbage slaw recipe.
- Gochujang mayo: Mix a touch of gochujang (Korean chili paste) with mayo for a mildly spicy, umami-rich drizzle that adds depth. If you love Korean flavors, try my Gochujang chicken here.
- Crispy fried shallots: These add an irresistible crunch with a savory, slightly sweet flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these tacos with a light side like Mexican corn salad or a zesty lime and cilantro rice or Mexican red rice. Try my spicy salsa tatemada for a little kick. A chilled margarita wouldn’t hurt either!
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Ingredients
For Pickled Red Onions
- ½ red onion diced small
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
For BBQ Ground Chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion finely diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lb ground chicken about 450-500 grams
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons BBQ sauce smokey preferred
For Speedy Guacamole
- 1 large avocado ripe, flesh scooped out, or use 2 small avocados
- Juice of ¼ lime
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 garlic clove minced or grated, about ½ tsp
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro aka coriander
- ½ tomato diced
Other toppings
- 12 small tortillas I used regular and low-carb
- 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese this is optional but I used it for full flavor combination, about 1 tablespoon per tortilla
- Fresh cilantro
- Hot sauce your choice
Instructions
- Pickle the onions: combine diced onions with vinegar, salt, honey and water. Set aside.
- Cook the aromatics: In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Brown the Chicken: Add the ground chicken to the skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook until the chicken is browned, about 6 minutes. Then, season with salt, smoked paprika, and cumin and cook for another minute together.
- Add sauces: Stir in the tomato paste and BBQ sauce, add a splash of water, about 2 tablespoons, and let it simmer for a few minutes to combine the flavors and thicken slightly. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the guacamole. Mash avocado, add garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt and chopped tomatoes and mix. Set aside.
- Assemble Tacos: Spoon the smoky BBQ chicken mixture into warmed tortillas, along with guacamole, a couple of teaspoons of cheese (if using), some pickled onions, and a drizzle of hot sauce.
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