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–+ servings
smoked chicken tacos on a plate

Smoked Chicken Tacos

Meghan Martigan
Learn how to make smoked chicken tacos! We start with an easy yet flavorful marinade rub on boneless chicken thighs, then smoke and assemble our delicious smoked chicken tacos.
Whether you’ve got a Pit Boss or Traeger pellet grill, a Masterbuilt electric smoker, or a simple gas grill, you can make delicious smoked chicken tacos right at home!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Marinating Time 2 hours
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, barbecue, BBQ, Cuban, Grilling, Hispanic, Mexican, Smoked
Servings 4 servings
Calories 750 kcal

Equipment

  • Grill, Pellet Grill, or Smoker Set up for INDIRECT heating

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Marinade Rub

  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
  • 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • ½ teaspoon Oregano
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

For the Tortillas

  • Corn or Flour tortillas about 2-3 per person
  • Olive Oil Spray if using corn tortillas

Optional Toppings

  • Freshly Shredded Cheese
  • Shredded Cabbage Mix
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • Chopped Tomatoes
  • Chopped Cilantro
  • Salsa
  • Sour Cream
  • Cilantro Lime Crema

Instructions
 

Marinate the Chicken

  • Mix the marinade rub ingredients together in a small bowl to form a paste.
    smoked chicken taco marinade in a measuring cup
  • Place the chicken in a resealable gallon-sized bag and add the rub to the bag.
    chicken thighs marinating in a bag
  • Seal and move the chicken around to distribute the rub evenly all over the chicken.
  • Refrigerate the bag for anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

Set up the Grill or Smoker

  • Light or turn on your smoker, grill or pellet grill and set up the temperature to 250°F. If using a grill, only light a small amount of charcoal or light a single burner on one side for indirect cooking
  • Brush the grill grates with oil to keep the chicken from sticking.
  • Add your wood chunks directly to the firebox of a smoker, or use chips in a smoker box, or pellets in a tube smoker or pellet grill.
    pellets in a z grills pellet grill hopper
  • Once smoke is being produced and the grill or smoker is at 250°F, put your seasoned chicken on the COOL side of the grill.
    chicken thighs smoking on a pellet grill for smoked chicken tacos

Smoke the Chicken

  • Smoke the chicken thighs for about 1 hour until they have reached an internal temperature of at least 175°F using an instant read thermometer.
    checking the internal temperature of a smoked boneless skinless chicken thigh reading 175 degrees F
  • Rotate and flip the chicken every 15 minutes or so to make sure it cooks evenly.
    chicken thighs smoking on a pellet grill for smoked chicken tacos
  • Remove chicken to a cutting board and allow the meat to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
    smoked chicken thighs on a cutting board
  • Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.
    chopped up smoked chicken thighs for smoked chicken tacos

Prepare the Corn Tortillas

  • This can be done while the chicken is smoking.
  • Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray each side of the tortillas with canola or olive oil spray.
  • Add tortillas to the skillet in a single layer. Heat until warm on one side, flip, and heat until warm on the other side, then transfer to a plate. Repeat until all the tortillas have been heated.
  • Place the plate in the oven on WARM to keep them warm while the chicken finishes cooking.

Serve the Smoked Chicken Tacos

  • Set out the toppings of your choice
  • Fill the warm tortillas with chopped smoked chicken and your favorite toppings and enjoy!
    smoked chicken tacos on a plate

Notes

Cilantro Lime Crema Recipe from Bake it After All available HERE.

Nutrition

Calories: 750kcal
Keyword electric smoker tacos, masterbuilt tacos, pit boss chicken tacos, smoked chicken tacos, tacos with smoked chicken, traeger chicken tacos, traeger tacos
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