Chicken Street Tacos with Salsa Verde Crema
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!
Servings: 12 street tacos
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.