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Garlic Butter Honey BBQ Chicken Tacos

Garlic butter honey BBQ chicken tacos with glossy, caramelized chicken and a honey-barbeque glaze that clings to warm corn tortillas. Quick skillet method gives tender chicken with a slightly sticky finish for easy, handheld tacos.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lb chicken breast, sliced thin
  • 0.5 cup BBQ sauce
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 5 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp cayenne
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • Fresh cilantro, diced onion, and lime for serving

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet
  • 1 griddle

Method
 

Make the honey BBQ sauce
  1. Combine BBQ sauce, honey, smoked paprika, and cayenne in a small bowl until smooth. The mixture should look evenly dark and glossy.
Cook the garlic butter chicken
  1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, with small bubbles around the edges.
  2. Add sliced chicken breast to the skillet and spread it into an even layer. Season with salt and pepper, then cook until nearly cooked through, about 10-12 minutes, with no pink showing at the thickest spots.
  3. Pour the BBQ-honey sauce over the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Watch for the sauce to reduce and start clinging to the chicken.
  4. Cook for another 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat until the sauce caramelizes slightly. The chicken should look darker and glossy, with a sticky glaze.
Warm tortillas and assemble
  1. Warm corn tortillas on a griddle until pliable and lightly marked, about 30-45 seconds per side. They should steam and flex without tearing.
  2. Fill each warm tortilla with glazed chicken. Top immediately with fresh cilantro, diced onion, and serve with lime wedges so the glaze looks fresh and dripping.

Notes

Pro tip: slice the chicken thin so it cooks fast and stays juicy while the glaze caramelizes. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until hot. Freezing: no, the tortillas don’t reheat well after freezing, but you can freeze the glazed chicken up to 2 months. For a lower-sugar option, use a sugar-reduced BBQ sauce and slightly decrease the honey to taste.