Bourbon Barbecue Chicken Tacos

April Fools' Day. Justin put salt in the sugar bowl, which is the oldest trick in the book and which still worked because I was making coffee at five in the morning and did not think to verify the contents of the sugar bowl because I am a forty-one-year-old woman and trust is the default at five in the morning. The coffee was awful. Justin laughed from the hallway. I would have been angry except that Justin laughing is not something that happens often enough, and the sound of it was worth the ruined coffee.

I hauled to Sioux Falls this week, two days up and back. South Dakota in April is Nebraska but colder and with more wind, which should not be possible but is. The slow cooker had beef and vegetable soup — chunks of stew meat, potatoes, carrots, corn, green beans, tomato sauce. Road food. Real food. The kind of food that makes the cab feel less like a cab and more like a moving kitchen, which is what it is.

Amber joined the track team at Grand Island Senior High. She runs the 800 and the mile, which surprises no one because Amber has always been a distance person — steady, patient, built for the long haul. Like me, but in sneakers instead of a semi. I rearranged my Thursday route to be home in time for her first meet. She finished third in the 800. I screamed from the bleachers, which is not my style, and Amber looked at me with the specific mortification of a fifteen-year-old whose mother has just embarrassed her in public, and the look was worth it. Every decibel was worth it.

I made taco night for the family. Ground beef, homemade seasoning (chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt), hard shells, soft tortillas, all the toppings. Taco night is the great equalizer — everyone builds their own, nobody complains, and the cleanup is the same controlled disaster every time. Tyler puts everything on his. Justin puts meat and cheese only. Amber adds sour cream and lettuce. Josie makes a taco that is ninety percent cheese, which is not a taco but a cheese delivery system.

Taco night already belongs to this family in the best possible way — everyone builds their own, nobody argues, and Josie’s cheese tower passes as a taco in this house without debate. But after a week that gave me salty coffee I didn’t ask for, six hundred miles of South Dakota wind, and the sound of Amber crossing the 800-meter finish line in third place while I screamed like a person who screams, I wanted taco night to be a little more. These Bourbon Barbecue Chicken Tacos delivered exactly that — smoky, saucy, and just fancy enough to feel like a celebration without making anyone fill out a comment card.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 small flour or corn tortillas
1 cup coleslaw mix
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup pickled red onions
Fresh cilantro for topping
Lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, bourbon, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Set aside.
Season the chicken. Pat chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt and black pepper on both sides.
Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and cook 5–6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour the bourbon barbecue sauce into the same skillet and simmer 2–3 minutes, stirring to pick up the browned bits, until slightly thickened.
Shred and coat. Shred the chicken using two forks, then return it to the skillet. Toss to coat thoroughly in the sauce and heat through, about 2 minutes.
Warm the tortillas. Heat tortillas directly over a gas burner or in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side until warm and lightly charred.
Assemble the tacos. Pile saucy chicken onto each tortilla. Top with coleslaw mix, a dollop of sour cream, pickled red onions, and fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Bourbon Barbecue Chicken Tacos — Taco Night, Elevated for the Crew That Earned It