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Chicken Street Tacos

Chicken street tacos with taco stand style grilled chicken, bright lime marinade, and quick char. Served in small corn tortillas with onions, fresh cilantro, salsa verde, and a final squeeze of lime.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken street taco filling
  • 2 lb chicken thighs
  • 0.25 cup lime juice freshly squeezed for best flavor
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • salt and pepper use to taste
Toppings and serving
  • 1 Small corn tortillas small tortillas for street taco style
  • 1 Diced onion, cilantro, lime wedges serve as a mix
  • 1 Salsa verde

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then add chicken thighs and coat well. Marinate for 1-4 hours in the refrigerator so the flavors penetrate.
Grill the chicken
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, then place the marinated chicken on the grates. Grill for 6-7 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
Rest and chop
  1. Transfer the grilled chicken to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes, then chop into small pieces. This helps the juices redistribute so the pieces stay tender.
Warm tortillas
  1. Warm small corn tortillas on the grill just until pliable with light char marks. Keep them warm while you assemble tacos.
Assemble and finish
  1. Build tacos by filling warm tortillas with chopped grilled chicken, then top with the diced onion and cilantro. Spoon over salsa verde for an authentic street taco style finish.
  2. Squeeze fresh lime over the tacos right before eating. Serve immediately while tortillas are warm.

Notes

Pro tip: Slice chicken into smaller pieces right after resting for easier filling and more char in every bite. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; freeze the cooked chicken only (up to 2 months) and reheat for best texture. For a lower-sodium swap, use a reduced-salt seasoning mix in place of added salt while keeping the lime marinade.