Crockpot Bbq Chicken Tacos

By Becky Hardin

Updated Jan 23, 2025

Crockpot Chicken Tacos are my go-to family dinner recipe. I make these slow cooker tacos with shredded honey BBQ chicken, mango salsa, black beans, and cheese. They’re incredibly simple to put together and perfect for Taco Night or Cinco de Mayo. Believe me, these are the best BBQ chicken tacos ever!

crockpot chicken tacos with mango salsa - 5

I hope you love these Crockpot shredded chicken tacos as much as I do. Making BBQ chicken tacos in a slow cooker is so simple, and they turn out so tasty. Most of the time these tacos are served with crunchy slaw but I gave it a fruity twist altogether.

Mango salsa on top adds a fresh, fruity twist to the BBQ chicken tacos. It’s such a tasty and flavorful combo, you may end up overeating!!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Tacos

Making honey BBQ chicken in a slow cooker is a game changer. Just let the chicken cook, shred it, then assemble your tacos and top with fruit salsa. The sweet BBQ sauce is such an addicting flavor for these tacos! And it goes so well with the mango salsa.

Shredded BBQ chicken tacos are healthy , easy to assemble, and a great addition to taco night, Cinco de Mayo , or game day. I must say, my crockpot chicken tacos are the easiest meal for weeknights, parties, and game day.

Ingredients

Chicken: Use skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs. Frozen chicken is also good, just make sure to thaw them completely before cooking.
BBQ Sauce: Use any kind of BBQ sauce for these chicken tacos! Remember we’re adding honey and brown sugar to make it sweet, but you can skip that if you prefer.
Taco Shells: I use hard taco shells for extra crunch. But my recipe goes perfect with soft tacos as well.
Pepper Jack Cheese: I make a barrier between the shell and chicken by using a slice of pepper jack cheese. It blends well with everything else. Otherwise the taco shell can get soggy.
Corn: I use canned corn, but homemade corn is also perfect.
Black Beans: Again this is my second canned ingredient. Feel free to use fresh black beans.

What toppings are good for BBQ chicken tacos?

I’m adding corn, black beans, mango salsa, and cotija cheese to top off these crockpot chicken tacos. It’s a great flavor mix with the sweet honey BBQ sauce.

You could also add shredded lettuce, a different type of cheese, sour cream, or jalapeños. Crunchy slaw made with cabbage, carrots, lettuce is one of the most sought after topping.

Tips For Success

This crockpot honey BBQ chicken is perfect for hard taco shells. But you can also use it to make soft tacos, burritos, nachos, sandwiches, burgers and more!
Don’t make mango salsa in advance, fruits tend to release water overtime and can make tacos soggy.
Place a slice of cheese in the bottom of the taco shells before adding the chicken. It creates a barrier between the sauce and shell, so they stay crispy.
Keep chicken on the warm setting in your crockpot while serving.
You can easily double the recipe if you have a large enough slow cooker.

How to Store and Reheat

You can make the shredded BBQ chicken beforehand and store it in the fridge. Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freeze: I prefer to make shredded chicken in advance as it is easy to assemble later and freezes well. Just use freezer-friendly bags and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator and warm in a saucepan. You can assemble your tacos when ready.

bbq chicken taco topped with beans and corn - 6

Serving Suggestions

I love how honey BBQ chicken brings its own flavors perfectly complemented by sweet/salty mango salsa. And the crunch of hard taco shell with every bite, what more could you ask for?

Add vegetable salads like Peruvian Chopped Salad , Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad , Green Goddess Salad , Creamy Cucumber Salad to make this a complete meal—packed with protein, carbs, fat, and fiber.

5-Star Review

“Cannot. Stop. Drooling. Seriously, these look AMAZING! And I love the ease of the slow cooker! A must try, for sure! – Karly

Ingredients1x2x3x

▢ 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
▢ 18 ounces barbecue sauce (1 bottle) — just use your favorite
▢ ¼ cup honey
▢ ¼ cup brown sugar
▢ 8 Old El Paso Stand and Stuff Taco Shells
▢ 8 slices pepper jack cheese
▢ 1 cup canned corn drained and rinsed
▢ 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
▢ 2 cups mango salsa ingredients below
▢ 1 cup cotija cheese or feta
▢ ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

For Mango Salsa

▢ 1 ripe mango peeled and chopped
▢ ½ red onion diced
▢ 1 jalapeño seeds removed, diced
▢ ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
▢ 2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime

Video

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients for the mango salsa and refrigerate in a sealed container. (It’s also great on chips!) 1 ripe mango, ½ red onion, 1 jalapeño, 2 tablespoons lime juice, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, honey, and brown sugar. 18 ounces barbecue sauce, ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup brown sugar
Place the chicken in a slow cooker. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Now pour the sauce over the chicken.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3 ½ hours, covered.
Use two forks to shred the chicken.
To assemble the tacos, add one slice of cheese to the bottom of each Old El Paso Stand and Stuff Taco Shell. This will help to keep them crispy. 8 slices pepper jack cheese, 8 Old El Paso Stand and Stuff Taco Shells
Spoon 3-4 tablespoons chicken into each shell. Top with a tablespoon of corn, beans, and then 2 tablespoons of the mango salsa. Top with cotija cheese and cilantro and serve! 1 cup canned corn, 1 cup canned black beans, 2 cups mango salsa, 1 cup cotija cheese, ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Enjoy!

Becky’s Tips

This crockpot shredded honey BBQ chicken is perfect for hard taco shells. But you can also use it to make soft tacos, burritos, nachos, and more!
The mango salsa is fresh and fruity. Don’t make it in advance, fruits tend to release water overtime.
Place a slice of cheese in the bottom of the taco shells before adding the chicken. It creates a barrier between the sauce and shell, so they stay crispy.
Keep chicken on the warm setting in your crockpot while serving!
You can easily double up the recipe if you have a large enough slow cooker.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

How to Make Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos

Prepare mango salsa: In a medium size bowl add 1 ripe mango chopped into pieces, ½ diced red onion, 1 diced jalapeño, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, and ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro and combine well. Refrigerate mango salsa until ready to use.

Honey BBQ Sauce: In a small bowl combine 18 ounces BBQ sauce with ¼ cup of honey and ¼ cup of brown sugar to make honey BBQ sauce. Keep it aside.

Slow Cooker Chicken: Place 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker.

Now pour the honey BBQ sauce on top.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3 ½ hours, covered.

Shred Chicken: The easiest way to shred chicken for these tacos is to let the chicken breast cook whole, then use two forks to pull and shred it into pieces. You’ll have one fork in each hand, hold one steady, then pull the other through the chicken until it shreds.

Assemble Tacos: To assemble taco, open the pack of 8 Old El Paso Stand and Stuff Taco Shells and add one slice of pepper jack cheese out of 8 slices to the bottom of each taco shell. This will help to keep them crispy.

hard taco shells with a slice of cheese in each - 13

Gather all toppings ingredients like 1 cup of drained & rinsed corn and black beans each, 2 cups of mango salsa,1 cup of cotija cheese, and ½ cup of chopped fresh cilantro. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons chicken into each shell.

slow cooker pulled chicken in taco shells - 14

Top with a tablespoon of corn, beans, and then 2 tablespoons of the mango salsa. Top with cotija and cilantro and serve!

shredded chicken tacos topped with mango salsa, corn, and black beans - 15

Making the shredded honey BBQ chicken in the slow cooker is so easy. Once it’s done cooking, you can just assemble your tacos!

One of the things I love about this recipe is that you can use the same process for any flavor of shredded chicken tacos you want. If honey BBQ isn’t your favorite, you can make other flavor combinations to make crockpot chicken tacos however you like.

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