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Street Corn Chicken Tacos

Street corn chicken tacos with juicy grilled chicken, charred street corn kernels, and creamy cotija cheese. Quick skillet corn topping plus warm flour tortillas makes an easy summer main with bright lime and cilantro.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
rest 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breast
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts Cut nothing; cook whole breasts then slice into strips after resting.
Street corn filling
  • 2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed If using frozen, use 2 cups frozen corn instead of fresh ears.
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup crumbled cotija cheese Measure 1/2 cup; name remains ingredient-only while this notes measurement.
Seasoning and herbs
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste Use to season chicken; add to the corn mixture if needed.
Taco assembly and toppings
  • 1 Warm flour tortillas Warm before filling.
  • 1 shredded cabbage
  • 1 fresh cilantro For serving in addition to chopped cilantro if desired.
  • 1 lime wedges

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and cook the chicken
  1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grill or pan-fry over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through, until juices run clear when sliced.
  2. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Slice into strips for easy taco filling.
Make the street corn mixture
  1. In a skillet, melt butter and sauté garlic for 30 seconds. Stir to keep garlic from browning too much.
  2. Add corn kernels and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until kernels are lightly charred and heated through.
  3. Stir in cotija cheese, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix just until the cheese softens and coats the corn.
Assemble and serve
  1. Warm flour tortillas. Fill each with sliced chicken and the corn mixture.
  2. Top with shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges. Serve immediately while the tortillas are warm.

Notes

Pro tip: For best street-corn flavor, cook corn until you see browned spots before adding cotija. Refrigerate leftovers in separate containers for up to 3 days; rewarm tortillas and chicken gently. Freeze chicken and corn mixture for up to 2 months (freeze without tortillas and toppings). For a lower-carb swap, use corn tortillas or lettuce wraps instead of flour tortillas.