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Chicken Street Tacos

Chicken street tacos with charred corn tortillas and tender shredded chicken, cooked in a hot skillet for smoky, lightly charred edges. Finished with raw onion and cilantro for bright crunch and a classic street-food feel.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
marinating 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs or breasts
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into chunks
Lime marinade
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
  • 6 garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp oregano
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste
Taco toppings
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 0.5 cup diced white onion
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 Lime wedges and hot sauce for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Toss chicken with lime juice, minced garlic, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt and pepper until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 10 minutes, up to 2 hours, until fragrant and the chicken looks glossy.
Cook and char the chicken
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until hot, then spread the chicken in a single layer. Cook 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through and lightly charred, then break into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Char tortillas and assemble
  1. Char corn tortillas directly over a gas flame or in a dry skillet until warm and spotty brown, flipping as needed. Fill each tortilla with chicken and top with diced onion and cilantro, then serve immediately with lime wedges and hot sauce.

Notes

For best street-style flavor, don’t skip the lime-and-spice marination; 10 minutes is enough to scent the chicken, and up to 2 hours keeps it juicy. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat chicken in a skillet until hot; freeze chicken only up to 2 months (tortillas are best fresh). For a gluten-free swap, use corn tortillas (already included) and check that hot sauce is gluten-free.