Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Season and dredge
- Combine all-purpose flour, paprika, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper until evenly mixed.
- Dredge chicken pieces in the flour mixture, pressing lightly so the coating clings to all sides and no bare spots remain.
Fry and drain chicken
- Heat oil for frying to 350°F and deep fry the coated chicken until golden and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
- Drain the fried chicken on paper towels and cut into bite-sized pieces once cool enough to handle.
Char the corn
- Charr corn kernels in a hot skillet until lightly blackened, about 3-4 minutes, stirring as needed to brown evenly.
Make jalapeño lime ranch
- Whisk together Mexican crema, fresh lime juice, and jalapeños to create the ranch drizzle until smooth and lightly thick.
Assemble the tacos
- Warm flour tortillas, then fill each with fried chicken and top with charred corn and bacon crumbles.
- Drizzle with jalapeño lime ranch and garnish with Cilantro and lime for serving, finishing with a visible lime wedge on top of each taco.
Notes
For the crispiest tacos, assemble right after frying and charring so the coating stays crunchy against the creamy jalapeño lime ranch. Store components separately: refrigerated fried chicken and ranch in airtight containers up to 3 days; charred corn up to 2 days. Reheat chicken in a 400°F oven or air fryer until hot and crisp; warm tortillas briefly in a dry skillet. Freezing is not recommended for best texture, but you can freeze ranch in a sealed container up to 1 month. For a lighter option, use skinless chicken and cook in an air fryer using the same flour-spice coating.