crispy bbq chicken tacos

for when it's too hot to grill

Having spent two weeks in North and South Carolina earlier this month, I can attest that there does indeed exist a temperature/heat index at which point it simply becomes too hot to spend absolutely any time outdoors, let alone standing over hot flames cooking your food.

But it’s summertime, Caro! We have to grill all of our food! No. We do not.

Last week (tiny tomato pasta!) and the week before (esquites chicken salad!) we made beautiful summer food. This week it’s time for a quick, simple meal that happens entirely indoors. In the air conditioning. No trips to the (outdoor, non-air conditioned) farmer’s market required.

Crispy BBQ chicken tacos! We’re very quickly cooking up some ground chicken with onions, spices, and BBQ sauce, smacking it onto flour tortillas with a smattering of cheese, then baking them until shatteringly crisp. Oh man, they’re so good! They’re such a crowd pleaser! They’re so easy!

Here are a few other options for your it’s-too-hot-to-cook-outside-this-week meal plan:

• Blackened fish taco bowls: You can use the second half of that bunch of cilantro for these! You may end up a little short (the bowls calls for a full bunch), but they’ll still be delish. Buy the biggest bunch you can when shopping!

• Summery pork and peach bowls: Alternatively, you could use your leftover cilantro for these bowls.

• My mom’s egg salad: Here’s a great one to make if you’re on a beach vacay (or not)! Make it to have on hand for easy lunches throughout the week.

• Slow-roasted ribs with herby crunch potatoes or slow-roasted pork butt: Either would be a perfect use for that leftover bottle of barbecue sauce!

• Sheet-pan summer corn pizza: Here’s a peak-summer oldie from the archives that you can cook indoors.

---

crispy bbq chicken tacos

Makes 6 to 8 tacos

Cook time: ~40 minutes