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A smoked chicken taco

Smoked Chicken Tacos Recipe

Smoked Chicken Tacos are one of the tastiest things to make when you have leftover smoked chicken. Shredded and piled high on tortillas with all the fixings, these chicken tacos are always a hit.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Assembly Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
10 Servings
Calories: 263kcal
Author: Laura Lynch

Equipment

Ingredients

For a whole chicken:

  • 3 pound (1 kg) whole chicken
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
  • 1/4 cup (18 g) chicken dry rub

For pulled chicken:

  • 1 pound (454 g) pulled chicken

For the tacos:

  • 1/2 cup (82 g) roasted corn kernels
  • 10 tortillas corn or flour
  • 1/4 cup (38 g) Cotija cheese crumbled
  • 2 jalapenos sliced
  • 1/4 cup (4 g) cilantro chopped
  • 1 avocado thinly sliced
  • BBQ sauce or hot sauce optional

Instructions

To smoke the chicken:

  • Fill your pellet grill or smoker with your choice of fruit wood pellets or chips. Preheat the smoker to 225-250°F (107-121°C).
  • Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub it all over with olive oil.
  • Apply dry rub generously all over the chicken, inside and out.
  • Place a drip pan filled with apple juice or chicken broth below the grate to add moisture and catch drippings.
  • Put the chicken on the smoker, breast side up, and close the lid. Let it smoke for about 3-4 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the breast.
  • Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the smoker and let it rest until it’s cool enough to handle.
  • Pull the chicken off the bones and shred it with a fork or with your hands. You can leave the skin on or remove it and chop it up with a knife to add back into the pulled chicken later on.

To make the tacos:

  • Spread the corn kernels on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Roast it at 400° F for 40 minutes, until it’s a bit charred.
  • Mix the shredded chicken with BBQ sauce.
  • Heat the tortillas for 1-2 minutes on the stovetop or for 15 seconds in the microwave.
  • Fill the tortillas with chicken, roasted corn, cotija cheese, jalapeno slices, cilantro, and avocado. Top with BBQ sauce, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg