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Street Corn Chicken Tacos

Street corn chicken tacos with juicy spiced chicken, charred corn, and a creamy chili-lime elote-style dressing. Warm tortillas overflow with cotija, tajin, fresh cilantro, and lime for bold Tex-Mex taco flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
resting 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Taco filling
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs Slice or shred after resting.
  • 1 tbsp olive oil For cooking the chicken.
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning About 1 oz packet.
Street corn mixture
  • 2 cup corn kernels Char in a skillet until blistered.
  • 0.25 cup mayonnaise For the creamy dressing.
  • 2 tbsp Mexican crema or sour cream Use crema or sour cream.
  • 1 tbsp lime juice Adds brightness to the dressing.
  • 1 tsp chili powder For chili-lime flavor.
Taco assembly
  • 8 small corn or flour tortillas Warm before filling.
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese, crumbled Generously for topping.
  • Tajin For dusting and extra heat.
  • fresh cilantro Chopped, for topping.
  • lime wedges Serve with tacos.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the chicken
  1. Season the boneless skinless chicken thighs with taco seasoning. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then cook chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through to 165°F.
  2. Rest the cooked chicken for 5 minutes, then slice or shred. Keep juices in the meat for easier taco filling.
Char the corn
  1. Char corn kernels in a dry cast iron skillet over high heat for 4-5 minutes until blistered. Set aside until the chicken is ready.
Make the street corn dressing
  1. Stir together mayonnaise, Mexican crema or sour cream, lime juice, and chili powder until smooth. Fold in the charred corn until evenly coated.
Warm tortillas and assemble
  1. Warm the small corn or flour tortillas in a dry skillet or over an open flame. Heat just until pliable for filling.
  2. Fill each tortilla with sliced chicken and a generous spoonful of street corn mixture. Top with crumbled cotija, a dusting of Tajin, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Notes

Pro tip: For true street-corn flavor, blister the corn hard in a hot dry skillet before mixing—let it sit briefly so the dressing clings without steaming. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days (store tortillas separately if possible). Freezing is not recommended for the assembled tacos. For a lighter option, swap mayonnaise for Greek yogurt or use a crema/light sour cream in the dressing.