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Street Corn Chicken Tacos

Street corn chicken tacos with juicy grilled chicken, charred-style corn kernels, and a creamy cotija-lime mixture. Quick skillet sauce coats warm tortillas for an easy summer taco dinner with classic Mexican street-corn flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts Cut into even-thickness breasts if needed for uniform cooking.
Street Corn
  • 2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed (or 2 cups frozen corn) If using frozen corn, cook in the skillet a minute or two longer until hot and lightly browned.
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup crumbled cotija cheese Use cotija for the salty, crumbly texture; substitute with feta if needed.
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped Reserve a little for serving if you like.
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 0.25 Warm flour tortillas Warm before assembling so they stay pliable.
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper to taste Season chicken and adjust corn mixture to taste.
Toppings
  • 0.5 shredded cabbage
  • 0.25 fresh cilantro, chopped Use extra for topping if desired.
  • 0.5 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, then transfer to a plate.
  2. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice into strips. This keeps the juices in so the strips stay tender.
Make the street corn mixture
  1. In a skillet, melt butter and sauté garlic for 30 seconds. Stir just until fragrant and lightly softened.
  2. Add corn kernels and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Continue until the kernels are hot and starting to brown at the edges.
  3. Stir in cotija cheese, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix until the cheese softens and coats the corn into a creamy, clinging topping.
Assemble and serve
  1. Warm flour tortillas so they stay flexible. Fill each tortilla with sliced chicken and the corn mixture.
  2. Serve with shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges. Add extra salt or lime to taste if needed.

Notes

Pro tip: for more charred corn, let the skillet corn cook without stirring for 30-60 seconds between stirs. Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers up to 3 days; freeze chicken up to 2 months (corn mixture is best eaten fresh). Dietary swap: use dairy-free feta alternative in place of cotija for a dairy-light version while keeping the tangy profile.