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Chicken Street Tacos

Chicken street tacos with taco stand style grilled chicken marinated in lime, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Serve small corn tortillas with chopped grilled chicken, fresh cilantro, diced onion, salsa verde, and lime wedges for a classic Mexican street food bite.
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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 Street Tacos
  • 2 lb chicken thighs
  • 0.25 cup lime juice Fresh lime juice for the marinade.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt Use to taste.
  • 0.25 tsp pepper Use to taste.
  • 1 Small corn tortillas Use small tortillas for a street-taco size.
  • 0.5 cup Diced onion
  • 0.25 cup cilantro
  • 4 lime wedges For serving.
  • 1 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 add chicken thighs and coat well.
  2. Cover and refrigerate the chicken to marinate for 1-4 hours for the best lime-garlic flavor.
Grill and rest
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high and grill the chicken for 6-7 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
  2. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes, then chop into small pieces.
Warm tortillas and serve
  1. Warm small corn tortillas on the grill for about 20-30 seconds per side until flexible and lightly charred.
  2. Fill tortillas with chopped grilled chicken and top with diced onion, cilantro, and salsa verde.
  3. Squeeze fresh lime over the tacos right before serving.

Notes

For juicier chicken, keep a steady medium-high grill temperature and avoid overcooking past charred-on-the-outside, fully cooked-through. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; freeze chicken only (up to 2 months) and warm tortillas fresh. For a lower-carb swap, serve the grilled chicken over shredded lettuce instead of tortillas.