The best Mexican Chicken Street Tacos are made with chicken! This mouthwatering chicken taco has all the delicious flavors and ingredients that we love - chicken marinated in aromatic spices, wrapped in soft tortillas, and topped with fresh, zesty toppings.
Cook the chicken on the grill, pan or oven!
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Easy Mexican Chicken Street Tacos
Celebrate Taco Tuesday and make an epic Taco Board or easy Shrimp Tacos, Steak Tacos, or Tuna Tacos. These will not disappoint!
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts or thighs - use what you have but thighs are the best option here, they are quite forgiving and will result in extra juicy and tender chicken. Both options are fine with the marinade.
- Tortillas - typically you'll find that street tacos are served in very small tortillas (mostly corn tortillas) which are about 4-5 inches in diameter. However, in our version, you can use whatever you like or cut out smaller ones from 8 inches if this is what you have. And don't forget to warm these (explained below) before assembling.
- Seasonings - you'll be surprised but generally, Mexican street tacos have very limited seasonings and most of the flavor comes from the hot sauce. We are using a little mix of different tacos or you can use your own or store-bought taco seasoning mix.
- Lime juice - I used the classic option but feel free to use more exotic flavors such as pineapple or orange juice.
Step by step photos can be found below the recipe card.
My Favorite Tools
- Grill Pan - in case you don't want to mess with the grill! I also like using an enameled cast iron skillet for a quick sear - it gives chicken that nice char.
- Taco holder stands - If you make tacos often, these holders make serving way easier.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons - Measure your ingredients like a pro.
- Chef's knife or mini chopper - For cutting veggies.
- Wooden cutting board
- For a perfect Taco Board: Colorful taco plates or boards and cute ramekins for sauces/salsa.
If you use your air fryer often, you can also browse my Amazon storefront with my favorite air fryer tools and kitchen gadgets here, where I've collected many of the accessories I personally use.
How To Warm Tortillas
To make your tortillas pliable and not break easily, we need to heat them before use. There are 3 great methods I recommend.
Tips
- Flavor - you can taste flavors of cumin, and little lime, with added smokiness and heat from chili and cayenne. Kid friendly too! If you want to make it hot, double the amount of chili & cayenne.
- Got a slow cooker? Place the chicken + seasonings in the crock pot in the morning or the previous night, let it cook through, and serve with tacos.
- If you're planning to load these tacos, go for standard taco size rather than mini. Small ones will break easily once stuffed with many toppings.
- Marinade - Make sure to give your chicken enough time to marinate in the spices and lime juice, ideally for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to fully blend.
- To ensure that your chicken is safely cooked through, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. Chicken is ready once its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the chicken is cooked, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting. It will absorb all the tasty juices so much better.
- If you are worried about the meat being dry, stick with chicken thighs instead. They are almost guaranteed to be always juicy and tender.
Make It Healthier
- Serve tacos in lettuce leaves instead of tortillas.
- Use corn tortillas instead of wheat.
- Use turkey for a leaner meat option.
- Bake the chicken in the oven, slow cooker or air fryer.
What To Serve With Tacos
- Sides: tortilla chips + dips + homemade salsa, Mexican corn or street corn salad, crema, slaw, black bean salad, Mexican rice.
- Mains: rice and beans (refried beans and cilantro lime rice), slow cooker frijoles charros, Taco salad, enchiladas.
- Drinks: Skinny Watermelon Margarita, and Spicy Watermelon Basil Margaritas (Frozen) for dessert!
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To store. Cooked leftover chicken without the taco shells will be good in the fridge for 2-3 days. Keep the filling and tortillas separate from each other.
- To Reheat. To reheat the chicken, add a little cooking oil to a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until it's piping hot. Or you can use the microwave. Make sure to cover the chicken with a microwave-safe lid with holes. I also like to splash some water or milk on top of the filling so it is not dried out by the end of reheating.
- To Freeze. Place the chicken in an airtight ziplock bag or container and then freeze. You can freeze the meat for up to 2-3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
How To Make Ahead Mexican Tacos
- Marinate the chicken for 3-6 hours or overnight. This will help the chicken to soak up all the juices and make it even more tender.
- Slice the toppings or make sauces ahead of time as well.
- Keep the chicken and toppings separately in the food containers until ready to use.
- On the day of making, warm the tortillas, cook the chicken and assemble the tacos.
More Chicken Recipes
Before You Head Out
If you gave this recipe a try, I'd be so thankful if you could leave a ★★★★★ rating and review below. It helps other readers, supports my work, and means the world to me. Thank you for being part of The Yummy Bowl family. Happy cooking! ❤️
Recipe Card
Mexican Chicken Street Tacos (Grill Pan, Oven)
The best Mexican Chicken Street Tacos are made with chicken! This mouthwatering dish has all the delicious flavors and ingredients that we love - chicken marinated in aromatic spices, wrapped in soft tortillas, and topped with fresh, zesty toppings.
Ingredients
Method
- Add the chicken to a bowl together with seasonings, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Marinate for 3-6 hours (ideally) or if in a rush - 1 hour. For better results pound the chicken first. We will cut them into cubes later.1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breast, 3 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon ground chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 ½ tablespoon lime juice, ½ teaspoon cayenne
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil, and once hot add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes, then flip and cook another 6-8 minutes until done. Check for doneness with meat thermometer, it should register 165 F.
- Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.Then dice into small cubes. Serve with more lime juice, taco shells, onion, bell peppers, lime, cilantro and sour cream.1 ½ tablespoon lime juice, hard or soft corn tortillas, cilantro leaves, bell peppers, sour cream, chopped brown or red onion
- Serve with favorite toppings: freshly made guacamole on the side, pico de gallo, salad, jalapenos, and lots of lime wedges.1 recipe pico de gallo, 1 recipe guacamole, lime wedges
Nutrition
Notes
- Nutrition is calculated with the main ingredients + white corn tortillas but minus the toppings.
- For original flavor, serve these tacos with just cilantro, lime juice and onion.
- You can also bake the chicken in oven: place the chicken on a sheet pan or baking dish lined with foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the chicken is cooked, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting. It will absorb all the tasty juices so much better.
- To Reheat. To reheat the chicken, add a little cooking oil to a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until it's piping hot. Or you can use the microwave. Make sure to cover the chicken with a microwave-safe lid with holes. I also like to splash some water or milk on top of the filling so it is not dried out by the end of reheating.
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Let us know how it was!More Mexican Inspired Recipes
Looking for more amazing taco recipes? Don't miss our tasty Mexican recipe collection. Here are some of our favorites:
How To Make Mexican Chicken Street Tacos
- Place the chicken into a zip-lock bag or a bowl together with seasonings, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Close the bag and massage the chicken until fully coated in the mixture. Marinate for 3-6 hours (ideally) or if in a rush, 1 hour. For better results, pound the chicken first. We will cut them into cubes later.
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil, and once hot add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes, then flip and cook another 6-8 minutes until done.
- Check for doneness with meat thermometer, it should register 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Then dice into small cubes.
- Serve with more lime juice, taco shells, onion, cilantro and sour cream.
Oven & Grill Instructions
- OVEN INSTRUCTIONS: Bake the chicken in the oven: place the chicken on a sheet pan or baking dish lined with foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- GRILL INSTRUCTIONS: Cook the marinated chicken on a hot preheated grill for 4-5 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes, then dice into small cubes.
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Julia | The Yummy Bowl
We love serving mexican street tacos for a lazy dinner meal anytime!