Grilled Chicken and BBQ Coleslaw Tacos

Grilled Chicken and BBQ Coleslaw Tacos ~ Dry rubbed chicken breast grilled, diced, and served in a warm grilled corn tortilla topped with a creamy spicy sweet bbq coleslaw.We are officially more than halfway done with the month of May. We are rapidly approaching the halfway mark of the year. Can someone please tell me where the days, weeks, and months have gone? My daughter will be on summer break in less than one week! ONE WEEK!!!!

Can you hear the panic in my voice?

As a kid, I loved summer vacation, I mean what kid doesn’t. But as a more-than-full-time working single mom, summer break is freaking me out! Breathing…breathing…breathing…

So instead I choose to focus on all the wonderful aspects of summer vacation. Sunshine. Iced coffee and iced teas. Not being perpetually cold. Flowers. No snow. Grilling.

Yes, these are all things that make me happy for summer. I dusted off the grill a few weeks ago and have been using it once or twice a week. Of course, almost every time I plan to grill, the clouds roll in and the rain falls. That’s exactly what happened with this fantastic grilled chicken and bbq coleslaw taco recipe.I invited friends over for dinner AFTER checking the forecast. Then the forecast changed. Problem was solved by pulling my car out of the garage and the grill in. And as these go, at the tail end of grilling, I ran out of propane. Luckily the grill was hot enough to finish the chicken, but not quite hot enough to fully grill my tortillas, so if they look slightly anemic, that’s why.

This post is sponsored by Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q.  As part of my new on-going relationship with them, I received Original Bar-B-Q Sauce, Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce, and Chicken Spice Rub to create recipes with and review, however all thoughts and opinions, glowing, gushing, or otherwise, are 100% my own.

BBQ sauce is my favorite condiment, even over ketchup and I adore ketchup. You’d be down right appalled if I shared some of the things I put bbq sauce on, so I’m going to keep that my little secret.

When the opportunity arose to partner with Stubb’s, I was excited. My number one criteria (outside taste, of course) when choosing bbq sauce, or any condiment/product for that matter is no high fructose corn syrup. Stubbs’s sauces and rubs are free from HFCS along with no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. Stubbs’s products are available at most national retailers.

The hardest part for me where Stubb’s was concerned was figuring out what to make. The Chicken Spice Rub sent in my package narrowed my protein down quickly, but I needed to be more creative than just grilling some rubbed chicken and pouring sauce over it. The brainstorming process led to these tacos as did my current obsession with tacos. I wanted to leave the chicken dry, not covered in sauce so I could truly taste the rub. This was an excellent choice on my part. That chicken was succulent and the rub was amazing. I still had to use the sauce, and once upon a time I made a BBQ Bacon Cheddar Macaroni Salad and thought, what other salads could I make with a bbq sauce base. Coleslaw!

Yeah baby, that was the ticket. Creamy, sweet and spicy, this coleslaw using Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce, packed quite the punch combined with the chicken in the simple tortilla. I loved the coleslaw so much, I ate the leftover bit for breakfast the next morning and finished it off for lunch.

When making the coleslaw, make it at least 3-4 hours ahead of when you want to use it. The reason is as it sits together, the salt in dressing is going to extract the liquid from the vegetables and making the slaw slightly runny. That juice, once the taco is assembled, works its way through the chicken, pulling the whole dish together. Also, make sure you pull the coleslaw out of the fridge at least 10 or so minutes before you want to serve it. For the chicken, allow them to warm up from the chill of the refrigerator for a few minutes, and then liberally apply the rub to both sides. Let that rub sit on there for at least 30 minutes before grilling.

These tacos are easy to make and seriously flavor packed. Have napkins handy, or eat over your plate, those juices will leak out your taco, down your hands. I forsook the napkins and simply licked my fingers clean, but I’m a rebel. 

Grilled Chicken and BBQ Coleslaw Tacos

Course: Grilling

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 -8

Author: Michelle De La Cerda

Print

Ingredients

BBQ Coleslaw

• 1 small head green cabbage; chopped (about 1 lb/6 cups chopped)
• 1 1/2 cup shredded carrots (about 6 oz whole carrot)
• 1 large red bell pepper; diced
• 4-6 green onions; diced

Slaw Dressing

• 4 1/2 tbsp greek yogurt
• 3 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise or salad dressing (you know that other brand with the tangy zip)
• 4 tbsp Stubb's Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce
• 1/8 tsp plus large pinch salt; to taste
• 1/8 tsp black pepper; to taste

Chicken

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast (BL/SL); pounded for size uniformity
• 3-4 tbsp Stubb's Chicken Spice Rub
• Oil (if needed for the grill)
• Corn tortillas

Instructions

BBQ Coleslaw

1. Prepare the vegetables and combine in a large bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients, sans the large pinch of salt.
3. Incorporate the dressing into the vegetables, taking care that they are fully coated.
4. Sprinkle the large pinch of salt over the now mixed slaw, and stir.
5. Cover and chill for 3-4 hours.

Chicken

1. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, and allow to sit out for a few minutes, just enough time to get the icy chill off them.
2. Pound the chicken so the thickness is even throughout.
3. Sprinkle the dry rub liberally over each side of the breast, massaging it into the meat.
4. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium-high.
6. When ready to grill, if needed, apply the oil to the grates.
7. Make sure the flames are not too high, place the chicken on the grill, close the lid and allow to cook for 6-8 minutes.
8. Pull the coleslaw out of the refrigerator.
9. Flip the chicken over and cook covered for another 6 minutes.
10. Remove chicken from the grill and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before dicing.
11. Reduce the heat on the grill to low.
12. Place tortillas all on the grill, watch them, once they start to curl and bubble (a minute or so), flip them over and cook again.
13. Place them in a towel or tortilla holder to keep warm until ready to serve.

Assembly

1. Layer the chicken in the corn tortilla, top with BBQ coleslaw, fold and eat.

Hope you enjoyed these Grilled Chicken and BBQ Coleslaw Tacos. To see more fantastic Stubb’s Sauces, Rubs, and more, you can find them online at their Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Thank you for sharing!