Salsa Chicken with Creamy Avocado Ranch Sauce

Smoky shredded chicken, warm salsa, and a cool tangy avocado ranch sauce all piled into a taco – that's my kind of backyard meal. I make this one when I want big barbecue flavor without babysitting a bunch of different pans.

Watch How to Make It

The chicken gets a solid layer of seasoning, then hangs out in the smoker low and slow until it pulls apart in tender, juicy strands. That salsa braise is the move, yall – it keeps every bite saucy instead of dry, while the creamy green sauce brings that fresh limey finish.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This is one of those cooks where the smoker does most of the work while you get to enjoy the smell rolling through the backyard. The chicken starts out smoky and savory, then turns rich and tender once the salsa gets involved.

I use both chicken seasoning and Mexican seasoning because they build flavor in different directions. One gives the chicken that classic barbecue backbone, while the other brings cumin, chile, garlic, and that taco-night kind of warmth.

Then there's the avocado ranch sauce. It's cool, smooth, a little tangy from the buttermilk and lime, and it balances the smoky salsa chicken like it was made for it. Trust me, once that sauce hits the warm shredded chicken, these tacos disappear faster than a cold beer in July.

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Ingredients & Tools You'll Need

For the chicken, you’ll need 5 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, 4 to 5 teaspoons chicken seasoning, 4 to 5 teaspoons Mexican seasoning, and 3 cups of salsa. I used Killer Hogs chicken seasoning and Malcom’s Grande Gringo Mexican seasoning, plus my grilled salsa, but use the seasonings and salsa you know your family likes.

For that creamy avocado ranch sauce, grab 1 ounce ranch mix, 1 avocado, 1 lime, 1 cup sour cream, and 1 – 2 cup buttermilk. The avocado needs to be ripe enough to give slightly when you press it, because a hard avocado will not blend into that silky sauce we want.

You’ll also need a smoker set to 275 degrees, a disposable aluminum pan, aluminum foil, a blender, and a couple forks or meat claws for shredding. I like the disposable pan here because the chicken braises right in the salsa and cleanup stays easy – nobody wants to scrub baked-on salsa after a good taco dinner.

How To Make It

This cook has two simple stages – smoke the seasoned chicken first, then cover it with salsa so it can braise until tender. The uncovered smoke gives the chicken some real barbecue character before the salsa locks in all that moisture.

Don't rush straight into shredding, either. The chicken needs to be tender enough that it pulls apart with almost no fight, and that little bit of patience is what makes the filling juicy instead of stringy.

Preparation

Start by seasoning both sides of every chicken breast with the chicken seasoning and Mexican seasoning. I like to press the seasoning onto the meat with my hands so it actually sticks instead of falling into the pan the second it hits the smoker.

Set the chicken breasts in a disposable aluminum pan with a little space between them. You don't need to add the salsa yet – leaving the chicken uncovered at the beginning lets the smoke kiss the surface and gives us a deeper flavor than a straight salsa braise.

Get your smoker steady at 275 degrees before the pan goes on. Clean smoke should smell light, savory, and woodsy, not sharp or heavy, so give your fire a minute to settle if it needs it.

While the chicken is nearing the end of its cook, make the avocado ranch sauce. Add the avocado, sour cream, buttermilk, juice from the lime, and ranch mix to a blender, then blend until it looks pale green, glossy, and completely smooth.

If the sauce looks too thick to drizzle, blend in a small splash more buttermilk. You want it thick enough to cling to the chicken but loose enough to run into all those little shredded edges.

Cooking

Place the pan of seasoned chicken on the 275 degree smoker and let it smoke uncovered for about 1 hour. At this point, the chicken should have a deeper golden color around the edges, the seasoning should look set instead of wet, and the whole backyard ought to smell like smoky chile and roasted chicken.

After that first smoke, pour the salsa over the chicken and cover the pan tightly with foil. Put it back on the smoker and let it braise for about 1 1 – 2 hours, until the chicken reaches at least 165 degrees internally and feels tender when pierced with a fork.

This is where most recipes go wrong: they cook chicken breasts until they only hit the safe temperature, then shred them before they have had time to soften in the salsa. I let the chicken finish covered in that salsa bath, so it turns pull-apart tender and absorbs flavor all the way through.

When you uncover the pan, the salsa should be bubbling gently around the chicken and the breasts should look soft enough to break apart at the edges. Grab two forks and shred right in the pan, mixing the meat through those smoky salsa juices until every strand is coated.

If the chicken resists and still feels firm in the middle, cover it back up and give it more time. Tender chicken doesn't need muscle – it should separate easily, feel juicy instead of chalky, and make a soft squishing sound as it folds into the salsa.

Serving & Variations

Load that saucy chicken into warm taco shells and spoon the creamy avocado ranch sauce right over the top. I like to serve extra salsa on the side too, because some folks want more smoke and heat while others are all about that cool ranch drizzle.

This chicken also works great over rice, tucked into burritos, or piled onto a big taco salad situation. Keep the sauce cold until serving, because that chilled creamy bite against hot smoky chicken is the whole reason this meal hits so hard.

A common consensus among home cooks is: use a salsa you would happily eat straight from the bowl, because its flavor becomes the base of the braising liquid. Mild, medium, spicy, chunky, smooth – that part is your call, but don't use a bland salsa and expect the smoker to save it.

Pro-tip: blend the avocado ranch sauce before you shred the chicken, then chill it while the chicken rests in the hot salsa. That short chill keeps the sauce thick and bright green, so it stays on top of the taco instead of melting into the filling.

Store leftover chicken in its salsa juices in the fridge, then reheat it covered so it stays moist. The avocado ranch is best fresh, but if you save it in a tightly sealed container with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface, the lime juice helps slow down browning.

Wrapping Up

This is the kind of smoked taco filling I keep coming back to because it brings big barbecue flavor without making dinner complicated. The chicken is smoky, the salsa makes it juicy, and that avocado ranch sauce cools everything down just right.

Fire up the smoker, let that pan do its thing, and don't be shy with the sauce. Recipe created by Big Ks Que for Trust Me Try It.

Salsa Chicken with Creamy Avocado Ranch Sauce

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 5 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4-5 tsp a chicken seasoning I used killer hogs
• 4-5 tsp Mexican seasoning I used Malcom’s grande gringo
• 3 cup salsa I used my grilled salsa recipe
• 1 oz ranch mix
• 1 avocado
• 1 lime
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Instructions

• Start by seasoning chicken with both seasonings .Covering both sides . Place chicken in a disposable aluminum pan. Place on 275 degree smoker. After one hour cover with salsa and cover . Let that braise for 1.5 hours.
• Towards the end place avocado , sour cream , buttermilk , lime juice and ranch seasoning in blender . Once chicken is done shred and build tacos ! Enjoy