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Chicken Street Tacos

Chicken street tacos with charred corn tortillas and tender shredded chicken—quick to make and big on street-style flavor. Marinate the chicken, sear until lightly charred, then pile it into hot tortillas 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: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs or breasts
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into chunks
Lime juice
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
Garlic
  • 6 garlic, minced
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin
Chili powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
Oregano
  • 0.5 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper
  • 0.1 salt and pepper to taste
Corn tortillas
  • 12 corn tortillas
Diced white onion
  • 0.5 cup diced white onion
Fresh cilantro
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges
  • 1 lime wedges and hot sauce for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Toss the chicken with lime juice, minced garlic, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Make sure every piece is coated, then squeeze any excess marinade over the top.
  2. Let the chicken marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator. The chicken should look glossy with seasoning while it rests.
Cook until lightly charred
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat until hot. Add the chicken in a single layer.
  2. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through and lightly charred. Break into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Char tortillas and assemble
  1. Char the corn tortillas directly over a gas flame or in a dry skillet. Heat until spots appear and the tortillas are pliable.
  2. Fill each tortilla with chicken, then top with diced onion and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges and hot sauce.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the chicken in a single layer so you get real browning and char instead of steaming. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat in a hot skillet until warmed through (tortillas are best charred fresh). Freezing: chicken freezes well for up to 2 months, but tortillas should not be frozen. Dietary swap: use chicken breast for a leaner option, or use pork instead if you want a different street-taco profile while keeping the same marinade.