Chicken Tacos {Mexican Street Corn}

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Easy chicken tacos with a delicious corn and avocado topping! 

Overhead shot of chicken tacos on a plate

Chicken Tacos

My love of Mexican street corn (elotes) is definitely not a secret here on the blog. I’ve used those flavors in a pasta salad, burrito bowls, and a healthier quinoa salad and now I’m sharing these street chicken tacos “Mexican street corn” style!

These easy chicken tacos are addicting! I’ve made them many times now and the whole family gives them a huge thumbs up. They’re simple to make, filling, healthier than most tacos, and best of all they’re packed with amazing flavors.

The tacos start with tortillas (corn or flour) and they’re filled with seasoned chicken, topped with a Mexican-street corn inspired salsa (corn, green onions, cilantro, spices), and garnished with cheese, fresh avocado, and fresh lime. The finishing touch? An easy chili-lime sauce. It might sound like a lot, but I promise these come together quickly and efficiently! Not to mention the effort is well worth the reward 🙂

Of course we’ve got the corn and avocado topping I’ve talked about a few times, but beyond that, there are lots of options to add! Our favorites: Cotija cheese, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, and jalapenos. Some other ideas: cilantro-lime rice (or quinoa) (add right in the tacos), black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, etc. If you don’t like/don’t have Cotija cheese you could also use Queso Fresco.

As far as the corn topping for these tacos: there are a couple of options for the corn in this salad. One is going to authentic route and grill the corn until lightly charred all over. If you have a grill and the extra time, I would highly recommend going this route — it is incredible what freshly grilled corn does for these tacos! The other options are easier and less time consuming which I know a lot of you are a fan of (including me 99% of the time!).

Option #1: buy pre-roasted canned corn (near regular canned corn in the grocery store) and use 2 cans of that drained.

Option #2: buy just regular canned corn and roast it for a few minutes on the stovetop. 🙂 Once the corn is grilled and cooled, you’ll toss it with fresh green onions and fresh cilantro, add some lime juice and cumin and then spoon it right over the sliced chicken. You can also add an avocado to this corn mixture which is what we love to do 🙂 If you aren’t a fan of avocado, feel free to leave it off entirely!

 

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Mexican Street Corn Tacos

5 from 21 votes
Easy chicken tacos with a delicious corn and avocado topping! 
Print Recipe

Mexican Street Corn Tacos

5 from 21 votes
Easy chicken tacos with a delicious corn and avocado topping! 
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword chicken taco recipe, chicken tacos
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Chelsea Lords
Calories 347kcal

Ingredients

Grilled Chicken

  • 1 and 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice + 1 teaspoon lime zest (~2 limes)
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 and 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • Salt & pepper

"Street Corn" Topping

  • 1 (15 oz.) can fire-roasted corn OR 2 large cobs of corn (1-3/4 cup corn)
  • 1 large avocado, diced
  • 1/2 cup (33g) green onions, thinly sliced (~3 green onions)
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (~1/3 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno
  • 12 small (street-sized) Tortillas (flour or corn)
  • Optional: Cotija or Queso Fresco Cheese, black beans, additional lime wedges/juice & cilantro

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup full fat regular mayo
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha

Instructions

  • Trim the chicken breasts of fat and pound them to even thickness to ensure even grilling. You can also slice them evenly in half widthwise for a quicker grill. Place the prepared chicken in a large ziplock bag and set aside.
  • In a small bowl whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, minced garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and salt + pepper (I use about a teaspoon of each). Once the mixture is well combined, remove 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture and reserve for later.
  • Add the rest of the marinade in the bag with the chicken. Seal the bag and then knead with your hands to ensure all of the chicken is well coated. Place in the fridge and marinate for at least 45 minutes and preferably 2-3 hours. Don't marinate longer than 5 hours.
  • Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 450 degrees F.) Generously oil the grill (I drench a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates. Don't skip this step.) Husk the corn and rub olive oil over the corn. Sprinkle the corn lightly with salt and pepper. Place the corn on one half of the grill.
  • Remove chicken from marinade and discard remaining marinade. Grill the chicken (on the other half of the grill) turning once halfway through grilling, about 4-6 minutes per side (until the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 degrees F.). Baste the chicken with the reserved marinade as you grill and after flipping. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes so the juices can re-distribute. Thinly slice the breasts. As you baste the chicken, flip the corn too. Remove the corn when grilled to your liking (about 15-20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes) (Alternative corn preparation: see note)
  • In the last 2 minutes of grilling, add the flour or corn tortillas to the grill. Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray, lightly sprinkle with salt, and then place on the grates for 30-45 seconds, flip and leave on for another 30-45 seconds. Remove and immediately fold into taco shape and set aside to slightly cool.
  • Allow grilled corn to cool and then slice it off the cob. Toss the grilled corn with the chopped avocado, thinly sliced green onions, finely chopped cilantro, and finely chopped jalapeno. Add a tablespoon of fresh lime juice (optional) and toss together. Set aside.
  • For the sauce: whisk everything together until smooth and combined. Taste and adjust to personal preference (additional salt, pepper, sriracha, etc.)
  • Fill up the grilled/warmed tortillas with thinly sliced cooked chicken, a generous spoonful of the corn-avocado mixture, and a good spoonful of the sauce. Additionally add extra lime juice, cilantro, and/or cotija cheese. Enjoy!

Video

Recipe Notes

Alternative #1: use pre-roasted canned corn -- drain and allow to dry. Alternative #2: use regular canned corn: heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes or until very hot. Drain corn and place in a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes stirring once in between or until browned. Avoid stirring too often as this will keep the corn from getting a good roast.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 347kcal

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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The ultimate BEST EVER chicken tacos! With a Mexican Street Corn topping and the best sauce! via chelseasmessyapron.com #taco #easy #quick #chicken #delicious #marinade #corn #avocado #salsa #sauce
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Recipe Rating




49 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Fabulous recipe! Everyone in my family loved it and I will definitely make it again. Great fresh flavors. A consideration is this recipe is fairly involved and not necessarily easy to make on a week night – for me it’s better for a weekend meal that can be prepared at a relaxed pace. Thanks for sharing!

  2. 5 stars
    This was delicious!!! But to make it faster, I cooked the chicken in the crockpot and shredded it. I couldn’t find fire roasted corn either so I used thawed frozen corn.

  3. 5 stars
    These were great. My kids also loved them. They’re not big fans of avocado but they ate these with no hesitation. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Ahh i’m so happy to hear this! It’s such a mom win when you get your kids to eat something they don’t normally! Thanks Sherri! 🙂

  4. 5 stars
    These tacos are delicious! The chicken has great flavor. I love the sauce and the corn topping. I added 1 can of black beans to the corn topping, since I love them and also wanted more fiber. This recipe is a keeper, and I will make this again and again. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

    1. Yay!! So happy these were a hit 🙂 And the black beans sound delicious! Thanks for the comment Kristin!

  5. I tried these tacos a couple of months ago. Wow! You knocked it out of the park with these! I just bought the ingredients to make them for the 4th time! This is a keeper!

    Thanks so much for sharing.

  6. 5 stars
    I have tried several of your recipes and this is my FAVORITE! We make these quite a bit and recently deep fried cod and shrimp rather than using chicken. It was fabulous! I love the sauce and all the toppings! The rice is excellent too!

    1. Yay!! So thrilled these are the favorite! (They’re one of mine as well :)) The cod and shrimp sound amazing! Thanks Amber!

  7. 5 stars
    I can’t say enough about this recipe. I’ve made it twice this week. My family loved it! I used the instapot modification and sauteed the corn on my stove. So, so good!

  8. 5 stars
    Made these delicious tacos tonight for dinner. Loved the corn/avocado topping. Served along with some yellow rice.

  9. 5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe a few times and my whole family loves it!!! I made it with chicken and shrimp, so delicious ????

  10. 5 stars
    Apparently I was so excited to make these that I forgot to make the sauce! Haha! Even without it, these tacos were absolutely delicious! I used Trader Joe’s frozen fire roasted corn for the topping and was perfect. Thank you for this awesome recipe! 🙂

      1. Just a little update…these tacos are in our regular rotation and everyone absolutely loves them. My 17 year-old told me to never make any other tacos but these. 😂 Also, I never forget to make the sauce anymore – so delicious! Thanks again!

  11. 5 stars
    These are the best tacos ever. I slice the chicken up before cooking and marinate it, and then cook it in my cast iron as I don’t have a grill. Absolutely delicious!

  12. 5 stars
    These chicken tacos were delicious. I was searching for a healthier taco and came across this recipe. I omitted the avocado and cilantro because I do not like it. Other than that I followed the recipe as is. The flavors were amazing and the lime gives it a refreshing taste. I will definitely making these again.

  13. 5 stars
    I cannot thank you enough for sharing this recipe. I had never tried Cotija cheese before and it has become my go-to cheese with Mexican recipes. It pairs so well with the sauce. Also, the flavor of the chicken is so delicious, I now double the recipe and use the leftover chicken in salads or even as part of a Mexican pizza. Cannot wait to explore your other recipes!

    1. Cotija is a game changer! I am so thrilled you love these Chicken Tacos! Thanks for your comment Christine! 🙂

  14. 5 stars
    I had about 20 people over for dinner and made your recipe! It was such a hit everyone loved the rice, tocos and toppings. We didn’t have any leftovers.That is always a good sign!

  15. 5 stars
    Every time I make these tacos, people go crazy. I have requests from friends all the time to serve these when I invite them for dinner. I double the recipe when I’m serving 8 people.

  16. excited to enjoy! what do I do with the 3-4 TBS of sauce for chicken marinade that I reserved in the beginning?

    1. Hey Jennette, this set aside marinade is for “basting” the chicken while its grilling just to give it more flavor!

    1. Because of the lime juice we don’t want to marinate longer than 5 hours as the acidity from the limes will start cooking the chicken! Hope this helps! 🙂

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