Mexican Chicken Street Corn Tacos
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Turn your favorite Mexican side dish into a main dish with this easy recipe for Mexican Chicken Street Corn Tacos! These tacos are packed with flavor from fajita grilled chicken, grilled corn on the cob, chili lime sauce, and cotija cheese. They have the delicious taste of elote in a tasty chicken taco!
Table of contents
Introducing your new favorite chicken taco recipe! These street corn tacos were inspired by this incredible Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad recipe that I shared earlier this summer. It turned out so delicious that I decided I needed to make more recipes that involved grilled corn, chili lime dressing, and cotija cheese!
These tacos were the first idea on my list and they did not disappoint! The flavor of these tacos is unreal. Layers of fajita marinated grilled chicken, tossed with grilled corn and jalapenos, salty cotija cheese, chili lime sauce, and creamy avocado, you seriously can’t beat the layers of flavor in these tacos.
The best news is, they’re actually really easy to make! Spend 10 minutes in the morning tossing the chicken in the marinade and making the chili lime sauce. When it’s dinner time, all you have to do is grill the chicken, jalapenos and corn, toss them together and pile them into warm tortillas.
In less than 30 minutes you’ll have the best Mexican street corn chicken tacos ready for everyone to dig into!
Ingredients
- Chicken – for this recipe you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. You’ll need one pound of chicken for this recipe. If using chicken breasts, I recommend slicing them in half lengthwise through the middle to allow more of the marinade to coat the chicken. This will also allow the chicken to cook faster and make it more tender.
- Lime juice – I always recommend fresh-squeezed juice for the best flavor. You’ll need juice for the chicken marinade and for the chili lime sauce. I recommend purchasing two small limes, just to make sure you have enough juice.
- Olive oil – or another neutral flavored vegetable oil, like avocado oil, to marinate the chicken.
- Fajita seasoning – I always recommend my homemade spice blend. It only takes 5 minutes to mix up and you can keep it in the pantry for up to 6 months. It’s a simple combination of pantry staples, like ground cumin, kosher salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder, and it adds wonderful flavor to the marinade for the chicken.
- Jalapenos – you’ll want two jalapenos for this recipe. If you don’t like spice, you can grill half of a green bell pepper instead.
- Corn – if corn on the cob is in season, I recommend grilling fresh corn for the most authentic flavor. If you can’t find corn on the cob, don’t worry, you can still make this recipe with canned or frozen corn. You’ll need 2 cups of corn kernels, which will be about 2 good-size ears of corn on the cob.
- Cotija cheese – this crumbly, salty Mexican cheese is delicious in these tacos. However, if you can’t find it in your grocery store, you can use queso fresco or feta cheese instead. Both will give you the same crumbly texture, but with a more mellow flavor.
- Fresh cilantro – this herb adds a fresh flavor to the tacos. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can omit it, or use fresh flat-leaf parsley in it’s place.
- Sour cream – half of the base of the creamy chili lime sauce.
- Mayonnaise – the other half of the base of the sauce. If you don’t like mayo, you can use all sour cream, but the sauce won’t be quite as thick in texture, or rich in flavor.
- Chili powder + salt + black pepper – to season the sauce for the tacos.
- Cayenne pepper (optional) – if you don’t like spice, do not add the cayenne pepper. I add just ½ teaspoon to the sauce, giving it a medium heat level. Without the cayenne pepper, the sauce is very mild in spice. You could also add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce to amp up the spice of the sauce, instead of using the cayenne pepper.
- Tortillas – I like to use corn tortillas for these street corn tacos. It seems fitting to pair corn with corn. My husband prefers flour tortillas. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either! To make 12 tacos with flour tortillas you’ll want to use smaller tortillas that are around 6 inches in size, usually labeled “fajita tortillas”.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe for street corn tacos easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Marinate the chicken. Toss 1 pound of chicken breasts or thighs with lime juice, olive oil, and fajita seasoning. Once it’s completely coated, place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
- Prepare the chili lime sauce. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl. Stir everything together, and optionally mix in cayenne pepper for spice. Place the sauce in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the tacos. This can be done up to a week in advance.
- Grill corn on the cob, jalapenos, and chicken. Preheat a grill over medium-high heat, between 350-400°F. Add the marinated chicken to the grill. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Add shucked corn on the cob to the grill and cook for 10 minutes, rotating throughout the cooking time. Add jalapenos to the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until black and bubbling on all sides.
- Prepare the taco filling. Once the chicken, corn, and jalapenos are off the grill, allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes. In the meantime, use a sharp knife, or corn cob stripper to remove the kernels from the ears of corn. Place them in a large bowl. Peel the jalapenos, remove the stem, then dice them up and add them to the bowl with the corn kernels. Dice the grilled chicken and add it to the bowl, then toss all of the ingredients together.
- Assemble the tacos. Heat the tortillas on the grill, or wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds. Once the tortillas are warm, spread 1-2 tablespoons of the chili lime sauce in the middle of each tortilla, top with the corn and chicken mixture. Sprinkle cotija cheese and fresh chopped cilantro over the tacos. Optionally add sliced avocado and an extra drizzle of chili lime sauce.
Quick tip! If you’re running short on time and don’t have time to marinate the chicken, you can simply rub the chicken with olive oil, then coat it in fajita seasoning before grilling.
Recipe tips
- If you’re using canned or frozen corn, you’ll want to cook the corn kernels on the stove. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (avocado oil, canola oil, or olive oil) to a large cast iron skillet on the stove over high heat. Once hot, add 2 cups of corn kernels and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the corn becomes slightly charred.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can make the entire recipe on the stove. Follow the instructions above for cooking canned or frozen corn in a skillet. Dice up the jalapenos and add them to the skillet with the corn. They’ll cook together in the same time. Heat another large skillet, or grill pan, on the stove over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the marinated chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Follow the rest of the recipe as instructed.
- If you don’t like spice, omit the jalapenos and do not add the cayenne pepper to the sauce. This will make mild street corn tacos. You can replace the jalapenos with half of a green bell pepper, if you’d like.
- If you like a lot of spice, feel free to use serrano peppers instead of the jalapenos and add an extra ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the sauce.
- This recipe is gluten free, when using the ingredients shown above, including my homemade fajita seasoning and corn tortillas. If using store-bought seasoning, always check the label to make sure it’s gluten-free.
Make ahead and storage tips
The chili lime sauce can be made up to a week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the tacos.
Store leftover taco filling (the chicken, corn, and jalapenos) in the fridge for up to 6 days. I recommend reheating the filling in a skillet on the stove before making more tacos. Simply heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the filling and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until it’s warm. Assemble the tacos as instructed in the recipe.
Optional additions
Top these Mexican street corn tacos with any of these additions to mix up the flavor and add more spice or texture!
- ½ cup cooked, crumbled bacon
- ½ cup minced red onions
- ½ cup pickled onions
- 1 serrano pepper (for more spice!)
- 1 avocado (sliced)
- Lime wedges (for juicing over the tacos)
What to serve with them
Pair the tacos with any of these delicious Mexican side dishes!
More taco recipes
Fill up your calendar with each of these taco recipes to make Taco Tuesday a weekly tradition!
Mexican Chicken Street Corn Tacos
Turn your favorite Mexican side dish into a main dish with this easy recipe for Mexican Chicken Street Corn Tacos! These tacos are packed with flavor from fajita grilled chicken, grilled corn on the cob, chili lime dressing, and cotija cheese. They have the delicious taste of elote in a tasty chicken taco!
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or thighs *see note below
- 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice, approximately 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning, click link for recipe
Vegetables
- 2 jalapenos
- 2 ears corn on the cob, shucked (or 16 ounce can of corn, drained)
Chili lime sauce
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice, fresh-squeezed
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional – for spice
For serving
- 12 corn tortillas
- ½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled (or queso fresco)
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
Marinate the chicken.
- Add the chicken thighs or breasts to a large bowl, or zipper bag.
- Add the lime juice, olive oil and fajita seasoning. Toss until the chicken is fully coated in the marinade.
- Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
Prepare the chili lime sauce.
- In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Optionally add cayenne pepper for heat. Cover and place the sauce in the refrigerator.
Grill the chicken, jalapenos and corn.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat, between 350-400°F.
- Use tongs to remove the chicken from the marinade and let any excess marinade drip off, then place the chicken on the grill.
- Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the grill, loosely cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Add the shucked corn on the cob directly to the grill and cook for 10 minutes, rotating throughout the cooking time.
- Add the jalapenos to the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until black and bubbling on all sides.
- Remove the corn on the cob from the grill and use a sharp knife to remove the corn kernels and place them in a large bowl.
- Remove the jalapenos from the grill, peel them, slice off the stem, dice them up, and add them to the bowl with the corn kernels.
- Dice the grilled chicken and add it to the bowl with the corn kernels and diced jalapenos. Stir to combine everything.
Assemble the tacos.
- Heat the tortillas on the grill, or wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the chili lime sauce in the middle of each tortilla. Top with the corn and chicken mixture. Sprinkle cotija cheese and cilantro over the chicken. Optionally add sliced avocado.
Notes
- If using chicken breasts for this recipe, I recommend slicing them in half lengthwise through the middle to allow more of the marinade to coat the chicken. This will also allow the chicken to cook faster and make it more tender.
- If you don’t have time to marinate the chicken, you can simply rub the chicken with olive oil, then coat it in fajita seasoning before grilling.
- If you’re using canned or frozen corn, you’ll want to cook the corn kernels on the stove. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (avocado oil, canola oil, or olive oil) to a large cast iron skillet on the stove over high heat. Once hot, add 2 cups of corn kernels and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the corn becomes slightly charred.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can make the entire recipe on the stove. Follow the instructions above for cooking canned or frozen corn in a skillet. Dice up the jalapenos and add them to the skillet with the corn. They’ll cook together in the same time. Heat another large skillet, or grill pan, on the stove over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the marinated chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Follow the rest of the recipe as instructed.
- The chili lime sauce can be made up to a week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the tacos.
- Store leftover taco filling (the chicken, corn, and jalapenos) in the fridge for up to 6 days. I recommend reheating the filling in a skillet on the stove before making more tacos. Simply heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the filling and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until it’s warm. Assemble the tacos as instructed in the recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 246kcal (12%)Carbohydrates 20g (7%)Protein 12g (24%)Fat 13g (20%)Saturated Fat 4g (20%)Polyunsaturated Fat 4gMonounsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 35mg (12%)Sodium 504mg (21%)Potassium 328mg (9%)Fiber 3g (12%)Sugar 3g (3%)Vitamin A 279mg (6%)Vitamin C 8mg (10%)Calcium 86mg (9%)Iron 2mg (11%)
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