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Chicken Street Tacos

Chicken street tacos with charred corn tortillas filled with tender shredded chicken and simple street-style toppings. Quick skillet cooking delivers lightly charred, flavorful chicken for authentic Mexican taco night.
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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 thigh chunks
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts Cut into chunks.
Chicken marinade
  • 0.25 cup lime juice For marinating.
  • 6 garlic Minced.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil For seasoning and browning.
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp oregano
  • salt To taste.
  • black pepper To taste.
Taco shells and toppings
  • 12 corn tortillas Char directly over flame or dry skillet.
  • 0.5 cup white onion Diced.
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro Chopped.
  • lime wedges For serving.
  • hot sauce For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Toss the chicken with lime juice, minced garlic, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Cover and let marinate for at least 10 minutes, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator, so the flavors sink in.
Cook and lightly char
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat until very hot. Cook the chicken in a single layer for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through and lightly charred.
  2. Break the chicken into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks, keeping the heat on high for continued browning and char.
Char tortillas and assemble
  1. Char the corn tortillas directly over a gas flame or in a dry skillet for a few seconds per side until blistered and lightly charred. Work in batches so tortillas stay warm and flexible.
  2. Fill each tortilla with the cooked chicken and 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 it browns instead of steams; if your skillet is crowded, cook in batches. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days and reheat in a hot skillet until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended for the tortillas, but the cooked chicken keeps in the freezer up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use chicken breast and reduce olive oil to 1 tbsp without changing the spices.