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Chicken Street Tacos

Chicken street tacos with grilled chicken thighs, bright lime marinade, and small corn tortillas for taco stand style Mexican street food. Charred, juicy chicken is chopped and served with fresh cilantro, diced onion, salsa verde, and lime wedges.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken marinade and chicken
  • 2 lb chicken thighs
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt and pepper Use to taste; season chicken and marinade.
Taco toppings
  • 12 Small corn tortillas Small tortillas for taco stand style serving.
  • 0.5 cup Diced onion
  • 0.25 cup cilantro
  • 1 lime wedges
  • 0.75 cup Salsa verde

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Combine lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper, then coat the chicken thighs evenly with the mixture. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours to flavor the meat.
Grill and char
  1. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat, then place chicken thighs on the grates. Grill for 6-7 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
Rest, chop, and warm tortillas
  1. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest, then chop into small pieces for easy taco filling. Warm small corn tortillas on the grill until pliable and lightly toasted.
Assemble the street tacos
  1. Fill warmed tortillas with chopped grilled chicken, then top with diced onion, cilantro, and salsa verde. Finish by squeezing fresh lime over each taco before serving.

Notes

For the best taco stand style char, keep the grill at medium-high and avoid moving the chicken too often while it sears. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; freeze grilled chicken (without toppings) up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use skinless chicken thighs or swap to chicken breast while keeping the same marinade time.