Marinated grilled chicken which gets nicely charred makes these grilled chicken street tacos a tasty and healthy option if you are craving some street tacos.
Cinco de Mayo is today! Not that I ever need an excuse to eat some tasty Mexican food, but I never will miss an opportunity. From a chicken enchilada skillet to vegetarian burrito bowls.
For those interested, do you actually know what Cinco de Mayo is celebrating? It's actually a holiday to celebrate the date of the Mexican army's 1862 victor over France at the Battle of Puebla. But in the US, it's a day we celebrate Mexico's culture. So why is that? It's mainly related to marketing. Just like we celebrate Irish culture on St. Patrick's Day, May 5th is for Mexico.
Ok now that we've got that little history lesson out of the way, let's talk about these chicken street tacos. The star here is the chicken taco marinade that gives a ton of flavor and allows the chicken to char, whether you're using a grill or skillet.
With the addition of olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, garlic and some spices, you get a delicious chicken that's great for street tacos, burritos, burrito bowls or salads.
The grilled chicken is so good and so versatile, I recommend even making more than the recipe below as you can store them in the freezer and use when ready.
While this can be made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I recommend using chicken thighs as they are tender and won't dry out if you overcook them a little bit, which let's be honest you probably will as you want a good char.
So if you're looking to break out the grill and want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo or are just craving some good tacos, these grilled chicken street tacos are a great option.
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Ingredients Notes
- Chicken - I use chicken thighs as it remains juicy and has more flavor.
- Juice - fresh orange and lime juice helps tenderize the chicken and adds flavor.
- Spices - where most of the flavor for the chicken marinade comes from.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:
- I'm partial to chicken thighs, but chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken works.
- I like to make my own pico de gallo, but you can easily just use store-bought. You can also use something like a corn mango salsa.
- I like the flavor of the corn tortillas, but you can use flour tortillas as well. You could even make your own blue corn tortillas.
Step-by-Step Photos
Combine the chicken with all of the marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag or bowl and marinate in the fridge for 1 to 6 hours. Once ready, preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 425F - 450°F). Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes per side, until charred and done.
While chicken is resting, place tortillas on the grill for 30 seconds per side to get them charred. If making the pico de gallo, prepare at this point.
Once everything is ready, dice the chicken and prepare your tacos.
FAQs
Mexican street tacos are smaller tacos, that are usually served on corn tortillas. They are small it size which makes it easy for a "street traveler" to have a quick meal.
You can bake the chicken instead of grilling although you won't get the nice char marks that add to the flavor. Bake at 425ºF for 30 minutes on a sheet pan.
Since this cooks so fast, you'll know the chicken is done when it is no longer pink. If you have a thermometer it should be at 165°F.
If you're simply making tacos, corn tortillas are usually the way to go as it helps bolster the overall flavor. In fact, if you are eating tacos in Mexico, you probably won't even have an option of corn or flour tortillas.
However, you can use any type.
Leftovers will last in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge or 3 months in a freezer.
Street Taco Topping Ideas
- Pico de gallo or tomatoes and onion
- Shredded lettuce
- Avocado or guacamole
- Salsa
- Cheese
- Sour cream
- Sliced radishes
Side Dish Options
Tacos are great on their own but you can also add a side or additional toppings. Some options include:
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use chicken thighs: Yes I know thighs get a bad rap some time, but they have better flavor, get charred better and remain juicy even if you overcook.
- Be patient when it comes to the marinade: You want to marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, but I recommend trying to marinate for the full 6 hours so the chicken can absorb the flavor.
- Hot grill: There is nothing worse than preparing chicken and then placing it on the grill and you don't hear a sizzle. You want the grill hot so you can get that nice char. It needs to be at least 425°F.
- Let chicken rest: Yes even chicken should rest for a few minutes before you dice it up. If you chop into it immediately, the chicken will lose some of its juice.
Other Taco Recipes
If you’ve tried these grilled chicken street tacos or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Grilled Chicken Street Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 avocado, cored and diced
- 12 corn or flour tortillas, warmed
- queso fresco or favorite cheese (optional)
Pico de Gallo
- 1 cup tomato, finely chopped
- 1 cup white onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In large bowl or ziploc bag, add chicken, olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, and spices. Rub marinade all over chicken and place in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
- Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Preheat grill to 425-450°F or a pan to medium-high heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side.
- Transfer chicken to plate and cover with foil, letting rest for 5 minutes. Dice chicken into cubes.
- Grill some tortillas for about 30 seconds per side until charred and set aside.
- While chicken is resting, combine the chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice and sea salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Serve chicken on warm tortillas with diced avocado, pico de gallo, and some cheese if desired.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs: Yes I know thighs get a bad rap some time, but they have better flavor, get charred better and remain juicy even if you overcook.
- Be patient when it comes to the marinade: You want to marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, but I recommend trying to marinate for the full 6 hours so the chicken can absorb the flavor.
- Hot grill: There is nothing worse than preparing chicken and then placing it on the grill and you don't hear a sizzle. You want the grill hot so you can get that nice char. It needs to be at least 425°F.
- Let chicken rest: Yes even chicken should rest for a few minutes before you dice it up. If you chop into it immediately, the chicken will lose some of its juice.
Chris says
Love tacos!