Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos
Marinated grilled chicken with a homemade street corn salsa, fresh avocado, cotija cheese, and spiced Mexican crema. These tacos will become a family favorite in no time at all!
As most of you know, I live in sunny Arizona and we are known for our Mexican food. We are pretty much taco connoisseurs and know a phenomenal taco when we taste it.
I love a good taco place that uses some creativity to change up a traditional taco. This is what we are doing here with these Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos. There is flavor, there is texture, there is spice, and you will want to keep coming back for more. I can't get enough of these Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos!
How many of you out there have tried Mexican street corn? It is usually served on the cob, slathered with mayo, cotija cheese, and a sprinkle of lime and chili powder. We were just in California and stood in line TWICE at an ultra-popular taco joint just to eat their street corn on the cob and tacos. Completely worth it.
So why not combine a traditional Mexican grilled chicken taco and creamy Mexican street corn? Oh and then add in some sliced avocado because we all know that is elevating the taco and making it that much better.
It all starts out with marinating chicken breast (or thighs) with fresh lime juice, oil, and Mexican spices. This is the base of the taco and needs to be juicy, moist, and bursting with fresh and bright Mexican flavors. Let it marinate for about 30 minutes and then throw it on the grill and cook it until it is no longer pink. If you want to expedite the process, use chicken tenderloins as they cook so much faster!
The Mexican street corn is made by using fresh or frozen white corn (both cooked) and then folding in a little mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, and Mexican spices. If you want to take a shortcut, there is a Mexican street corn dip sold at Costco and people are really digging it right now. You can always add a dollop of that and call it good.
I love to make a spicy Mexican crema and keep it in my refrigerator at all times. You can drizzle it on anything from tacos to quesadillas to enchiladas to nachos. It is so simple and made with sour cream or Mexican crema and taco sauce. That's it! Instead of just using sour cream, it gives it a spiced flavor boost and helps to thin it out to make it easier to drizzle on Mexican food. It is optional with these tacos but I highly suggest it.
How to make Grilled Chicken Tacos with Mexican Street Corn:
- Marinate chicken with lime juice, oil, and Mexican spices for at least 30 minutes. Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush grill with oil to prevent sticking. Place chicken on the grill. Cook for approximately 5 - 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of chicken. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees.
- Make street corn salsa by stirring together cooked corn, mayo, fresh lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, and Mexican spices.
- Heat corn tortillas in a small amount of oil heated in a medium skillet. This helps to keep them soft when making tacos.
- Make spicy crema by stirring together sour cream or Mexican crema and your favorite hot taco sauce.
Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Mexican Grilled Chicken:
- 2 lbs Chicken Breasts (or tenderloins or thighs)
- ⅓ to ½ cup Canola Oil (or EVOO)
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice (about 2 to 3 limes)
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper
Street Corn:
- 2 cups Cooked Corn (from corn on the cob or frozen white corn)
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
- ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder
- ¼ cup Cilantro
- ½ Jalapeno (chopped)
- 2 Green Onions (sliced)
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Salt
Garnish:
- 6 to 12 Corn Tortillas
- 1 to 2 Avocados (sliced)
- ½ cup Cotija Cheese
- Cilantro
Mexican Crema (optional):
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 3 Tablespoons Taco Sauce (or more depending on spice preference, I prefer to do more taco sauce)
Instructions
Grilled Chicken:
- In a bowl, stir together oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pierce chicken breasts with a fork. Place in a large Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. 4 - 5 hours is ideal. Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush grill with oil to prevent sticking. Place chicken on the grill. Cook for approximately 5 - 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of chicken. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees. Cut into pieces.
Street Corn Salad:
- Cook corn and place corn kernels in a bowl. Stir in mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, cilantro, jalapeno, green onions, and garlic salt.
Assembling Chicken Tacos:
- If using corn tortillas, heat a small amount of oil in a skillet. Place corn tortillas one-by-one in a skillet and soften in the oil for a few seconds. Remove and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Top with chicken, street corn, fresh avocado slices, and sprinkle with cotija cheese and cilantro.
Carol Faye
I made these street corn tacos tonight and my family LOVED them....thank you so much for this recipe....it is our new family favorite!❤️????
Gayle
These were sooo good! Minus the cumin, we aren't fans. I've shared this recipe at work and WILL definitely make it again.
Sheri
Oh my goodness - the corn salad is DELICIOUS! The only thing I did differently was to the char the corn in a cast iron skillet with butter & olive oil. I wanted to hide somewhere and eat the whole bowl!! Lol
Tammy
This recipe has become one my family’s favourites. Delicious, easy to prepare! Thanks for sharing.
Joy
Hi! Planning to make this tomorrow for dinner with friends and have a couple of questions. Do you have any taco sauces that you recommend? I don’t use that otherwise and would love to know which ones you like. Also, does the corn need to be white instead of yellow? Is that important? Looking forward to making these. Thanks!
Stacie A
These just became our favorite new tacos. I have a challenging crowd … all the way from foodie down to picky child. The recipe is so easy and the meat is so flavorful. Here are some of my tips. Definitely use thigh meat. It’s much more forgiving, has a lot more flavor and is so juicy. And stick with an oil that has a high burn point. If you want to get a nice char you will need to go over 350° so I would not recommend olive oil in this case. Definitely take the time to char the corn on the grill if you already have the grill going anyway. It adds an excellent second layer of flavor to your corn salad. And finally, Costco makes a really yummy cilantro lime Crema that you can put on top instead of making your own if you want. Thanks so much for this great recipe!
Keith
Awesome tacos!
Lisa
Loved them!
Naomi
These were awesome! The whole family loved them. Totally going on the list too make frequently.
Christine
Made this tonight and everyone loved it. I keep making recipes from your site and they haven't failed me yet. Thank you!
Chris
Hi! I can’t wait to make these. I see it makes 6 servings. Is that 6 tacos? I’m trying to se if I need to double it for my fam 😊
Hailey
This recipe is to die for! Love the corn salad so much.
Terri
Everything about this recipe was fantastic! Will make it over and over again!
DORIS Ann DONELLA
This receipe is very good and I will make it again. I used a mojo sauce when reheating the left over chicken from a prior meal instead of using the ingredients in the "mexican grilled chicken". Loved the street corn, garnish and medican crema. YUMMY - Used slightly fried corn tortillas