BBQ Chicken Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

These BBQ Chicken Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa are topped with black bean & corn salsa for an incredibly easy (and delicious) dinner!

We love a good, simple protein that can be scooped into a tortilla + jazzed up with flavorful toppings, and we think this meal reigns supreme in that category! Tangy, spicy, sweet BBQ sauce (you pick your favorite kind, but we LOVE this homemade BBQ sauce recipe) and chicken breasts (or thighs) cook together until the chicken is perfectly shreddable. Then, it gets scooped into tortillas and topped with a flavor-packed black bean and corn salsa that’s the *perfect* BBQ chicken topper. (It also tastes great on a crunchy tortilla chip!)

Like our Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Stuffed Peppers, and Beef Taco Casserole, these BBQ chicken tacos are a hearty Tex-Mex-inspired meal that’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner or meal prep lunch, but are crowd-pleasing enough to serve at your next family gathering. 

Best yet, they can be made in the speedy Instant Pot, hands-off slow cooker, or on the trusty stovetop, so you can choose whichever cooking method works best for you.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• With the Instant Pot method, you can have dinner on the table in just 20 minutes! Or, set it and forget it in the slow cooker.
• Crowd-pleasing combo of BBQ chicken and flavor-packed bean and corn salsa
• Hearty and filling without weighing you down
• Great make-ahead or meal prep option (just wait to assemble the tacos until you’re ready to eat)

BBQ Chicken Tacos Recipe Ingredients

These tasty tacos come together so easily, with minimal dirty dishes to clean when you’re done. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.

• Chicken –  use 1 ½ pounds chicken breast tenders or thighs
• BBQ sauce – sweet-and-tangy BBQ sauce is this recipe’s secret weapon 
• Salt – seasons both the meat and the salsa 
• Black Beans – rinse one can of black beans, and…
• Corn – …one can of corn
• Red Onion – then, finely slice a ¼ cup of red onion, and…
• Jalapeño – …finely chop 1 jalapeño.
• Cilantro – chop up ½ cup of cilantro, and…
• Limes – …juice two limes, plus some wedges for serving
• Tortillas – everything gets wrapped up in your choice of corn or flour tortillas

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Recipe Variations and Modifications

• Use slaw instead of salsa – instead of topping your BBQ chicken tacos with the black bean & corn salsa, you can use slaw as a topper. A few of our favorites are Mexican Street Corn and Kale Slaw, Creamy Green Apple Coleslaw, and Chunky Mexican Coleslaw.
• Make bowls instead of tacos – If you are out of tortillas, or would just prefer to eat this burrito bowl style, scoop your BBQ chicken onto a bed of white rice (here’s why we choose white over brown), and top with the black bean & corn salsa and any extras you’d like.

How to Make BBQ Chicken Tacos

Not only is this recipe fast and delicious, it’s super flexible too. To make this simple shredded BBQ chicken, you can choose from three different cooking methods: an Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop. You can find easy instructions for all three below.

How to Make BBQ Chicken in the Instant Pot

We LOVE the Instant Pot around here. It’s quick, easy, and truly a lifesaver on busy nights. Here’s what you’ll need to do if you choose to go the IP route.

Step 1: place the chicken breasts or thighs + BBQ sauce in the Instant Pot.

Step 2: Cook on high pressure. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, double-check that the pressure valve is set to ‘sealing,’ and set the IP to cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Shred the chicken. Once the time is up, manually release the pressure (turn the pressure valve from ‘sealing’ to ‘venting’), and remove the lid. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot, shred it with two forks (OR the paddle attachment on a stand mixer), and add it back to the IP to soak in all of the BBQ-y goodness.

How to Make BBQ Chicken in the Slow Cooker

This is a great method if you’re out and about for the day, or just prefer to let your kitchen slowly fill with the mouthwatering aroma of BBQ chicken.

Step 1: add BBQ sauce + chicken to the slow cooker.

Step 2: set the slow cooker to cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or high heat for 3-4 hours, until chicken pulls apart easily with a fork.

Step 3: shred the chicken. Once it can be easily shredded, remove the chicken from the slow cooker, shred it with two forks (OR the paddle attachment on a stand mixer), and then add it back into the slow cooker with the BBQ sauce.

How to Make BBQ Chicken on the Stovetop

If you don’t have an Instant Pot or slow cooker (or if you just prefer cooking on the stovetop), don’t fear! We’ve got you covered with these stovetop instructions.

Step 1: place the chicken in a large skillet with matching lid and cover with 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce, then add water until the chicken is just covered (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups).

Step 2: turn the heat to medium and place the lid on the skillet. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes, until chicken pulls apart easily with a fork.

Step 3: remove the chicken from the liquid and shred with two forks or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer. Toss with the additional 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce, then add salt if needed and set aside.

How to Make Black Bean and Corn Salsa

It doesn’t get easier than this: just chop, slice, and mix. 

Step 1: combine all of the prepared ingredients in a bowl with a pinch of sea salt.

Step 2: mix well!

Recipe Tip

Cuts of chicken: you can use chicken breasts or thighs in this recipe., but we prefer thighs. Since they are higher in fat, they retain more moisture and don’t dry out easily. However, chicken breasts and tenders will also shred easily and taste great here as well – so use whatever you have on hand.

How to Serve

I love these BBQ chicken tacos on a toasted tortilla (I just used the flame on my stovetop for this). Once toasted, scoop in some shredded BBQ chicken and top with the black bean & corn salsa.

How to Store and Reheat

The shredded BBQ chicken and black bean & corn salsa should be stored separately in airtight containers (these glass ones are our favorites) in the fridge. Stored this way, the BBQ chicken + salsa should stay good for up to five days. When you’re ready to eat, assemble the tacos + enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

More Favorite Taco Recipes

How to Make Salmon TacosEasy Chicken Tinga TacosCrispy Black Bean Tacos with Avocado Cream SauceCopycat Cheesy Gordita Crunch

If you tried this BBQ Chicken Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa, or any other recipe on the Fed & Fit website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below!

Easy BBQ Chicken Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

4.88 — Votes 8 votes

By Cassy Joy Garcia

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

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These BBQ Chicken Tacos are a perfect weeknight meal with shredded BBQ chicken and a fresh black bean and corn salsa!

Ingredients  

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For the BBQ Chicken:

• ▢ 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, tenders or thighs
• ▢ 1 cup BBQ sauce
• ▢ Salt, to taste

For the Black Bean & Corn Salsa

• ▢ 1, 15- ounce can black beans, rinsed
• ▢ 1, 15- ounce can corn, rinsed, or 1 3/4 cup fresh or frozen and defrosted corn kernels
• ▢ 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• ▢ 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and finely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup packed cilantro, chopped
• ▢ 2 limes, juiced, about 4 tablespoons
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For Serving:

• ▢ 8 to tortillas, warmed (we used corn)
• ▢ Lime wedges

Instructions 

• Make the BBQ Chicken

  Instant Pot Method:

  Place the chicken, 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce, and 1/4 cup of water in the Instant Pot, then seal the lid and set to cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Once the timer goes off, manually release the pressure and remove the chicken from the liquid, then shred with two forks or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer. Mix the chicken with the remaining 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce, add salt if needed, and set aside.

  Slow Cooker Method:

  Place the chicken and BBQ sauce (the full cup) in a slow cooker and set to cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4, until the chicken pulls apart easily with a fork. Once done, shred with two forks or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, add salt if needed, and set aside.

  Stovetop Method:

  Place the chicken in a large skillet with matching lid and cover with 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce, then add water until the chicken is just covered (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups). Turn the heat to medium and place the lid on the skillet. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes, until chicken pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred with two forks or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer. Toss with the additional 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce, then add salt if needed and set aside.
• Make the black bean and corn salsa: Add all of the salsa ingredients to a small bowl and stir until fully combined.
• Place chicken in a warmed tortilla, then top with the salsa and serve with lime wedges!

Nutrition

Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 54.3g | Protein: 48.8g | Fat: 6.7g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Cholesterol: 124.1mg | Sodium: 842.7mg | Fiber: 11.5g | Sugar: 7.8g

Additional Info

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 476

Keyword: bbq chicken, instant pot, shredded chicken, slow cooker, tacos

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