These chicken street tacos are easy to make on the griddle or in a skillet. With a simple homemade Mexican-style marinade and a vibrant salsa verde cream sauce that compliments the spicy flavors, this easy street taco recipe is perfect for Taco Tuesday at home!
Chicken Street Tacos Video
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Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
Our chicken street tacos recipe is very versatile, so you can substitute chicken breasts, dial up the heat with some cayenne pepper, or add your favorite taco toppings. Here’s a look at the ingredients and some suggested substitutions:
- boneless skinless chicken thighs – You can substitute chicken breasts if you wish, but the dark meat of the thighs is less prove to drying out if you accidentally overcook it. You will need about 6 chicken thighs for this recipe.
- lime and lemon – The juice and zest of both citrus fruits adds a nice freshness to the marinade. We’ve also had success with adding pineapple juice for Mexican marinades, as long as you don’t marinate the chicken for longer than 3 hours. Our favorite Blackstone steak fajitas recipe uses pineapple juice.
- garlic – We prefer to use freshly minced garlic cloves, but you can substitute the jarred minced garlic if that’s what you have on hand.
- spices – You’ll need these spices for the homemade marinade: chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, oregano, and salt and pepper. You can substitute regular paprika for smoked paprika if needed.
- street taco sized tortillas – We prefer corn tortillas for these street tacos, but you can use flour if you prefer. Or for larger tacos, use fajita-sized tortillas.
- olive oil – Needed for the marinade.
- cooking oil – You’ll need a high heat cooking oil for cooking the chicken. We prefer avocado oil, but other oils like canola oil or tallow will also work.
- street taco toppings – Like pico de gallo, diced red onion, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and Cotija cheese. Our grilled tomatillo salsa would also be great as a condiment!
Homemade Marinade for Chicken Street Tacos
These chicken street tacos are packed with flavor thanks to a simple homemade Mexican-style marinade. With fresh squeezed lime juice and just the right amount of spice, the simple marinade is perfect for chicken street tacos that taste like they came off of your favorite taco food truck!
Simply add the marinade ingredients to a large bowl or gallon-sized zip top bag. Mix the marinade in the bag or bowl, and add the boneless skinless chicken thighs. Make sure that each piece of chicken is fully coated, mixing and massaging so that the marinade gets in all of the nooks and crannies of the thighs. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 8 hours.
Making the Salsa Verde Crema
While the chicken is marinating, go ahead and make the salsa verde cream sauce so that the flavors can marry together in the fridge. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a blender cup, and blend briefly until smooth. Then pour into an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
How to Make Chicken Street Tacos
This easy street tacos recipe can be made on a griddle or in a skillet. Here’s a step-by-step look at cooking the chicken thighs after they’ve been marinated. More detailed instructions are provided in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1: Cook the marinated chicken on the first side. Place the chicken on the heated griddle and cook untouched on the first side for about 4-5 minutes. When you place the chicken on the griddle, be sure to press down gently so that the entire thigh is in contact with the cooking surface. This helps the Mexican chicken thighs develop a nice char.
Step 2: Flip and continue to cook until chicken is done. After about 4-5 minutes, flip the chicken to the second side and continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until the internal temperature of each thigh reaches 165°F.
Step 3: Dice the Mexican chicken for street tacos. Transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board, and let rest for 5 minutes. Then dice into small bite-sized pieces.
Step 4: Assemble the chicken street tacos. While the chicken is resting, heat the tortillas on the griddle or in a skillet until both sides are lightly browned. Then assemble your chicken street tacos by adding some diced chicken, salsa verde crema, and your favorite toppings.
Cooking the Mexican Chicken in a Skillet
This recipe, as with most griddle recipes, can also be made in a skillet on the stovetop. The process is the same as cooking the thighs on the griddle – after all, as I always say, “A griddle is basically just a giant skillet.”
For skillet cooking, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil and cook 3 chicken thighs at a time in the pan. Allow the thighs to cook untouched on the first side for about 4-5 minutes to develop a nice char before flipping to the second side. Continue to cook until the thickest part of the chicken thighs reaches 165°F.
Storage Instructions
Store the chicken and salsa verde crema in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Both will stay good for about 3 days. To reheat the chicken, spread out on a microwave safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave on 50% power until heated through.
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Of course! But fair warning – chicken breasts tend to dry out quicker if you accidentally over-shoot the internal temperature. That’s why we prefer boneless chicken thighs, especially for griddle cooking.
How can I make these chicken street tacos spicier?
Turn up the heat by incorporating a finely diced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce into your chicken marinade or blend it in with the salsa verde crema. Or you can also add a dash of cayenne pepper to the marinade mixture.
Be sure to check out some of our other favorite taco recipes to make on the griddle:
- Mexican Potato Tacos – Also called Tacos de Papas, these easy tacos are made with cheesy mashed potatoes… sounds odd, but they’re fantastic!
- Chorizo Breakfast Tacos – With spicy chorizo, scrambled eggs, and diced potatoes, these chorizo tacos are a great excuse to eat tacos for breakfast!
- Easy Fish Tacos – With perfectly crispy fish and a homemade mango pico, these delicious tacos are great for Taco Tuesday this summer!
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Chicken Street Tacos with Salsa Verde Crema
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs about 6
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or substitute regular paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 12 street taco sized corn or flour tortillas
- 2-3 tablespoons cooking oil for cooking the chicken
For the Salsa Verde Crema:
- 1 cup salsa verde
- ½ cup sour cream or crema
- ¼ cup cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the olive oil, juice and zest of the lime and lemon, garlic, and all seasonings. Pour into a zip top bag. Remove excess fat from your chicken thighs and place them in the bag. Squish them around so they are coated in the marinade. Zip the bag, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours.
- While the chicken is marinating, make the salsa verde cream. Combine the salsa verde, sour cream or crema, cilantro, and juice of 1 lime in a blender and blend until the cilantro is in small pieces. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate until cold. *The flavors are best after sitting in the fridge for 24 hours, in my opinion.
- Heat griddle on medium heat until it reaches about 400℉. *See notes for skillet cooking instructions.
- Place the chicken on the heated griddle and cook untouched on the first side for about 4-5 minutes. When you place the chicken on the griddle, be sure to press down gently so that the entire thigh is in contact with the cooking surface. After 4-5 minutes, flip the chicken thighs to the second side and continue to cook untouched for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the thighs reaches 165℉. *Cooking times may vary based on the size of the chicken thighs and the griddle temp.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces.
- While chicken is resting, warm the tortillas on the griddle. Then wrap the warmed tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep them soft and pliable.
- Assemble your chicken street tacos. Add some of the chicken on top of the warm tortillas. Top with a spoonful of pico de gallo, a sprinkle of red onion and cotija cheese, and drizzle with the salsa verde crema. Squeeze a small lime wedge over the top, if desired.
Video
Notes
- For Skillet Cooking – Heat a skillet, preferably a cast-iron, over medium heat and add about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add about 3 chicken thighs to the pan and let cook untouched for 4-5 minutes. Then flip to the second side and continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until the center reaches a temperature of 165℉.
- Storing and Reheating Leftovers – Store the chicken and salsa verde crema in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Both will stay good for about 3 days. To reheat the chicken, spread out on a microwave safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave on 50% power until heated through.
- Make it Spicier – Turn up the heat by incorporating a finely diced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce into your chicken marinade or blend it in with the salsa verde crema. Or you can also add a dash of cayenne pepper to the marinade mixture.
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