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Chicken Street Tacos

Chicken street tacos with charred corn tortillas and tender shredded chicken are built for a quick, street-style Mexican dinner. You’ll marinate the chicken in lime, garlic, and spices, then sear on a hot griddle for lightly charred edges before topping with raw onion and cilantro.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
marinate 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts Cut into chunks.
  • 1 tbsp lime juice Use 1/4 cup total.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 clove garlic Minced (6 cloves).
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp oregano
  • 1 salt To taste.
  • 1 pepper To taste.
Toppings & Serving
  • 12 corn tortillas Char directly over flame or dry skillet.
  • 0.5 cup white onion Diced (raw).
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro Chopped (raw topping).
  • 1 lime wedges For serving.
  • 1 hot sauce For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. In a bowl, toss chicken with lime juice, minced garlic, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Cover and marinate for at least 10 minutes (up to 2 hours) in the refrigerator for deeper flavor.
Cook the chicken
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat. Cook chicken in a single layer for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through and lightly charred, breaking it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Char and fill the tortillas
  1. Char corn tortillas directly over a gas flame or in a dry skillet until warm and lightly blistered. Fill each tortilla with chicken and top with diced onion and cilantro.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately with lime wedges and hot sauce so the tortillas stay hot and the toppings stay crisp and bright.

Notes

Pro tip: for more authentic street-style texture, char the tortillas right before assembling and keep the chicken hot so nothing steams. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat chicken in a skillet to re-crisp the edges (tortillas are best warmed fresh). Freezing: freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use chicken breast and reduce olive oil to 1 tbsp without changing the spice mix.