Bang Bang Chicken Tacos are an easy weeknight dinner with tender seasoned chicken, a creamy sweet-spicy sauce, and crunchy cabbage tucked into soft tortillas. They have the bold flavor of bang bang chicken, but skip the breading and frying so the recipe stays simple.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Bang Bang Chicken Tacos
🕒 Ready In: ~25 minutes
👪 Serves: 4 servings
🍽 Calories: ~520 per serving estimated
🥣 Main Ingredients: Chicken breast, bang bang sauce, flour tortillas, purple cabbage, cilantro
📖 Dietary Info: Dairy-free; gluten-free option
👌 Difficulty: Easy - season, cook, sauce, assemble
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The sauce is creamy, tangy, a little sweet, and just spicy enough to make the tacos feel fun without being too heavy. The cabbage adds crunch, the cilantro keeps everything fresh, and the chicken cooks quickly in a skillet.
These are great for taco night when you want something different from the usual ground beef or shredded chicken tacos. If you love easy taco recipes, try our Citrus Chicken Tacos, Ground Pork Tacos, or Sheet Pan Chicken Tostadas next.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Why You'll Love these Bang Bang Chicken Tacos:
- Key Ingredients:
- Easy Substitutions & Variations:
- How to Make Bang Bang Chicken Tacos:
- Recipe Notes & Tips:
- How to Store:
- Bang Bang Chicken Tacos FAQs:
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- Bang Bang Chicken Tacos
Why You'll Love these Bang Bang Chicken Tacos:
Sweet and Spicy Flavor: The creamy bang bang sauce adds just the right mix of sweetness, heat, and tang.
Easy Weeknight Tacos: The chicken cooks quickly in a skillet, making this a simple dinner for busy nights.
No Breading or Frying: You still get the bold bang bang chicken flavor without extra steps.
Crunchy and Fresh: Purple cabbage and cilantro add texture and keep the tacos from feeling too heavy.
Key Ingredients:
- chicken breast. Cooks quickly in the skillet and gives the tacos a lean, filling base. Cut it into even pieces so it cooks at the same rate.
- paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. These season the chicken before it gets tossed with the sauce, so every bite has flavor.
- mayonnaise. Creates the creamy base for the bang bang sauce.
- sweet chili sauce. Adds sweetness, tang, and mild heat to the sauce.
- sriracha. Gives the sauce its spicy kick. Add more or less depending on how much heat you want.
- purple cabbage. Adds crunch and color to the tacos while keeping them fresh.
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for exact quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations:
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free tortillas and double check that your sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and seasonings are gluten-free.
- Use chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breast for a juicier option.
- Make it lighter: Use part Greek yogurt and part mayonnaise in the sauce if you want it a little lighter, but the flavor will be tangier.
- Adjust the spice: Use less sriracha for milder tacos, or add extra sriracha if you want more heat.
- Add more toppings: Sliced avocado, green onions, jalapeños, lime juice, or a simple cabbage slaw all work well with these tacos.
How to Make Bang Bang Chicken Tacos:
- Step 1: Toss the chicken with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Step 2: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through.
- Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and lime juice until smooth. Reserve about ¼ cup of the sauce for serving.
- Step 4: Toss the cooked chicken with the remaining sauce until evenly coated. Fill each tortilla with shredded cabbage, Bang Bang chicken, and cilantro. Drizzle with the reserved Bang Bang sauce.
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- Cut the chicken evenly: Keeping the chicken pieces close in size helps them cook at the same rate.
- Do not overcook the chicken: Chicken breast can dry out if cooked too long, so cook just until browned and fully cooked through.
- Adjust the sauce to taste: Add more sriracha for extra heat, more honey for sweetness, or more lime juice for tang.
- Warm the tortillas first: Warm tortillas are softer, easier to fold, and less likely to tear when filled.
- Serve right away: These tacos are best fresh so the cabbage stays crunchy and the sauce stays creamy.
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How to Store:
Refrigerator: Store leftover bang bang chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Keep Toppings Separate: Store the cabbage, cilantro, tortillas, and sauce separately if possible so the tacos do not get soggy.
Reheating: Reheat the chicken gently in a skillet or microwave until warmed through, then assemble the tacos fresh.
Bang Bang Chicken Tacos FAQs:
They have a mild to medium heat from the sriracha and sweet chili sauce. For less spice, use less sriracha. For more heat, add extra sriracha or sliced jalapeños.
Yes, you can cook the chicken and mix the sauce ahead of time, but keep the tortillas, cabbage, cilantro, and sauce separate until serving. This keeps the tacos from getting soggy.
Purple cabbage, cilantro, avocado, green onions, jalapeños, lime juice, and extra bang bang sauce all work well. Crunchy toppings are especially good because they balance the creamy sauce.
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Bang Bang Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 8 small flour tortillas
- 2 cups purple shredded cabbage
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Toss the chicken with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and lime juice until smooth.
- Reserve about ¼ cup of the sauce for serving. Toss the cooked chicken with the remaining sauce until evenly coated.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave until soft.
- Fill each tortilla with shredded cabbage, Bang Bang chicken, and cilantro. Drizzle with the reserved Bang Bang sauce.
Nutrition
Notes
- Cut the chicken evenly: Keeping the chicken pieces close in size helps them cook at the same rate.
- Do not overcook the chicken: Chicken breast can dry out if cooked too long, so cook just until browned and fully cooked through.
- Adjust the sauce to taste: Add more sriracha for extra heat, more honey for sweetness, or more lime juice for tang.
- Warm the tortillas first: Warm tortillas are softer, easier to fold, and less likely to tear when filled.
- Serve right away: These tacos are best fresh so the cabbage stays crunchy and the sauce stays creamy.
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