Healthier Chicken BWW Street Tacos

Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) is a popular American restaurant and sports bar chain that specialises in serving chicken wings, along with a variety of other food and beverage options.

Why You’ll Like It

This recipe offers a world of possibilities, allowing you to create a bdubs dish that suits your taste buds perfectly:

1. Healthy! A healthy diet provides a balanced ratio of macronutrients. Are you impressed?
2. Authentic: They taste like authentic comfort food with bold and vibrant flavours like BWW street tacos.
3. Budget: If you live far from any BWW chain or don’t want to spend $40 on street food, these homemade tacos are even cheaper, and you can serve this recipe for 4 for under $10.

For The Perfect BWW Tacos

• For extra flavour, marinate the chicken overnight. Chicken thighs may absorb flavours more than the breast.
• For cooking chicken, apart from frying it in a pan, I love to use the air fryer for this recipe. But you can also use the grill, barbecue, or oven if you have no other option. Avoid deep frying or boiling (at all costs!) as the taste will not be the intended one.
• If you want to use the air fryer, place the chicken in the air fryer pan and cook for at least 20 minutes, or follow your air fryer instructions.

What You Need

Here are the ingredients for 6 tacos, but you can look at the complete recipe card at the bottom of the article.

• Taco shells – (6 – 8 taco shells). The trick here is to warm them up before serving them.
• Boneless chicken thighs – (1 lb boneless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts). If you use chicken breast I suggest leaving more time to marinade since they tend to absorb less the flavors.

FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE

• Olive oil – 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Garlic powder – 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Onion powder – 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Chili powder – 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt – 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste

FOR THE GARLIC PARMESAN SAUCE

• Olive oil – 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Mayonnaise – 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Sugar – 1 teaspoon sugar
• Parmesan cheese – 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Use store-bought grated parmesan cheese or grate your own. If you want a cheaper cheese you can use Grana or Pecorino Romano
• Apple cider vinegar – 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.  If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, I suggest you skip the ingredient.
• Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon lemon juice. This is usually the equivalent of the juice of 1/4 of a lemon.
• Kosher salt – 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Red pepper flakes – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
• Oregano – 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• Basil – 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• Black pepper – 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Thyme – (1/8 teaspoon) dried thyme
• Red chili pepper flakes – 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes.

FOR THE PICO DE GALLO

• Tomatoes – 3 medium-sized diced tomatoes, like Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes
• Onion – 1 medium chopped red or white onion, diced
• Cilantro – 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• Lime – juice of one lime

FOR THE SOUTH WESTERN RANCH SAUCE

• You can use 4 tablespoon Buffalo Wild Wings Southwestern Ranch Sauce or Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Seasoning

FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE

1. Make sure the chicken is not frozen and, ideally, at room temperature.
2. Cut the chicken into half-inch pieces.
3. Place the chicken thighs in a bowl
4. Add all the marinade ingredients to it: olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and salt.
5. Mix well making sure all parts of the chicken are well coated in marinade and cover.
6. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins. Look at more marination tips below.

FOR THE GARLIC PARMESAN SAUCE:

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl

FOR THE CHICKEN

1. Put the chicken on a skillet or cast iron and fry for around 6 minutes. See the tips for notes on cooking in the air fryer or using other methods.
2. Set aside the chicken to cool.

FOR THE BWW STREET TACOS

1. Warm the taco shells
2. Toss the garlic parmesan sauce on the chicken in a bowl. Make sure to cover all the chicken pieces.
3. Stuff the tacos with the chicken pieces.
4. Top them with the pico de gallo.
5. Add some Southwestern ranch (storebought or mix the ingredients).
6. Serve and enjoy.

Variations

• Protein: Swap the chicken for vegan chicken or beef strips — I’ve tried both, and they’re just as delicious! I also like cooking extra chicken to serve on the side for an extra protein boost.
• Sauce: Got leftover Culichi sauce in the fridge? Marinate the chicken as usual, but swap the Parmesan Garlic Sauce for the Culichi sauce. So easy!

Saving BWW Tacos For Later

The Buffalo sauce can be kept in a refrigerator for a few days, so when preparing it prepare enough to use for another busy day.

Serving The BWW Street Tacos

Pairing the right drink with tacos may take your food experience up a notch. If you’ve never tried to experiment with drinks, I suggest to try:

• Agua Fresca provides a cooling and slightly sweet contrast to the savory and spicy flavors of the tacos.
• An ice-cold Mexican beer, such as a lager or a pilsner, is a classic choice to enjoy alongside street tacos as the light and crisp nature of Mexican beers can help cleanse the palate and provide a refreshing counterbalance to the richness of the taco fillings.
• Margarita, with its tangy and citrusy flavors, is a fantastic pairing with any Mexican food.
• Mezcal or Tequila: For those who appreciate spirits, sipping on a quality mezcal or tequila can enhance the flavors of the street tacos.
• Horchata is a Mexican rice milk beverage flavored with cinnamon that can provide a soothing and mellow complement to the spiciness of the tacos.

For More Street Food

How about these street food ideas:

• Mexican Birria Tacos
• Korean Rabokki with Tteok and Ramyon
• PF Chang’s Crispy Honey Chicken
• Keto Chicken Quesadilla
• Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce

Health Info