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Mexican Chicken Street Tacos

Mexican chicken street tacos with charred, lime-marinated chicken and doubled small corn tortillas. Marinated thighs are seared in a screaming hot cast iron skillet for a smoky caramelized edge, then piled with onion and cilantro.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Marinated chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste
Taco filling and serving
  • 12 small corn tortillas
  • 0.5 cup white onion, finely diced
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 lime wedges for serving
  • 1 salsa verde for serving
  • 1 avocado for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Mix lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until combined, then coat the chicken thighs thoroughly.
  2. Cover and marinate the coated chicken for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Char and cook
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet until screaming hot over high heat, then add the marinated chicken in a single layer.
  2. Cook the chicken for 5–6 minutes per side until charred and cooked through, then transfer to a plate.
Rest, chop, and warm tortillas
  1. Rest the cooked chicken for 5 minutes, then chop or slice it into small pieces.
  2. Warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet or directly on the flame and double them up for serving.
Assemble street tacos
  1. Fill each double tortilla with the chopped chicken.
  2. Top with diced white onion and fresh cilantro, then finish with a squeeze of lime, salsa verde, and sliced avocado.

Notes

For maximum char, use a very hot cast iron skillet and avoid overcrowding so the chicken sears instead of steams. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months (warm tortillas fresh). For a lighter option, swap olive oil for half the amount of olive oil and add an extra squeeze of lime to keep the flavor bright.