So I started getting real obsessed with tacos last summer. Fish tacos, chicken tacos, cauliflower tacos, mushroom tacos. If you can put it in a taco, I’m down.
These street corn chicken tacos were my latest and greatest creation last summer and were on repeat in our house for months. We’ve made them time and time again since then because we love how flavorful and filling they are! Plus, they’re super easy to customize with what you have on hand, grill or bake the ingredients, and so much more. Truly the best weeknight dinner for the family!
The base starts with my fabulous homemade sazon chicken thighs, then there’s a zesty street corn avocado salsa that’s topped off with my incredible jalapeño cashew sauce. Talk about an explosion of flavors!
Ingredients in street corn chicken tacos
These grilled chicken tacos are packed with flavor thanks to my homemade sazon seasoning, an easy avocado street corn salsa and a seriously addicting jalapeño lime cashew sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:
- For the chicken: we’re using my sazon grilled chicken thighs in these amazing tacos.
- For the corn: you’ll need 2 ears of fresh corn, olive oil, cumin and chili powder to get that delicious street corn seasoning.
- For the salsa: avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, red onion, salt & pepper. You’ll also add your grilled corn to complete this salsa.
- For the jalapeño lime cashew sauce: raw cashews, jalapeño, lime juice, garlic, onion powder, salt & pepper.
- For serving: corn tortillas (or your favorite tortillas), extra jalapeño and extra cilantro.
What is street corn?
Mexican street corn is typically grilled corn coated or tossed with mayo, sour cream, cheese, chili powder and lime juice. In this recipe, we’re adding in some cumin and tossing it with creamy avocado, cilantro and red onion to create a street corn inspired salsa to go in the tacos. YUM.
The jalapeño lime cashew sauce also acts as the mayo, sour cream & cheese to keep these healthy street corn chicken tacos dairy free.
Customize your street corn chicken tacos
These delicious grilled street corn chicken tacos are perfect for customizing to your taste & dietary preferences.
- Keep them gluten free: just make sure to use gluten free corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. You can also try using grain free tortillas, if you prefer. We love the Siete brand.
- Go lower carb: looking to reduce the carbs a bit? Serve all of the toppings over a bed of mixed greens, in lettuce cups, or even over cauliflower rice for an easy burrito bowl!
- Swap your sauce: if you’re nut free, try this avocado lime sauce instead.
- Make them plant based: keep these tacos vegan or vegetarian by swapping the chicken for tofu! Marinate your tofu in the same sazon seasoning and grill it using this methodor cook it over the stovetop.
How to grill chicken thighs for tacos
- Preheat your grill to medium high and lightly oil the grates.
- Cook your chicken thighs for 6-8 minutes on one side.
- Flip, and cook your chicken on the other side for 6-8 minutes more. When the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F your chicken is done.
Looking for more tips & tricks for grilling chicken? Check out our guide on how to grill the perfect chicken, and get perfectly grilled vegetables (like corn)!
Looking to bake them instead?
If you don’t have a grill you can easily bake these chicken thighs!
- After marinating them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake your chicken thighs for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165.
You can also roast the corn roast on a sheet pan lined with foil for 25 minutes at 375 – 400 degrees F. Don’t forget to get all of our tips for baking chicken here!
Easily prep these tacos ahead of time
You can easily save time and prep a few of the street corn chicken taco components 1-2 days ahead of time! Here’s what I’d recommend:
- Prep the sauce. Reminder that you do not need to soak the cashews for 2 full hours — simply boil water and let them soak in the hot water for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can make the entire jalapeño cashew lime sauce the day before and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it! You’ll just want to give it a good stir before using it.
- Marinate your chicken. You can also marinate your chicken for up to 24 hours before grilling it! This will not only save you time but it will also give the chicken extra flavor. Coat the chicken in all of those spices and store it in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
Once you’ve prepped the sauce and chicken, you’ll just have to grill the chicken with the corn, assemble your tacos, and enjoy!
How to char tortillas
Your corn tortillas will be extra delicious with a little charring on them!
- Turn on your stovetop burner to the lowest setting.
- Place one tortilla on the burner and let it heat up for about 45 seconds – checking frequently to make sure it’s not burning.
- Once it has the desired char, carefully flip the tortilla with tongs and char on the other side.
- The tortilla might puff up a bit once you flip, which is okay!
- Cover your tortillas with a dishtowel as you finish them so that they stay warm.
More grilling recipes you’ll love
- Seriously Good Sweet Potato Cheddar BBQ Chicken Burgers
- Spicy Ranch Chopped Chicken Cabbage Salad
- Street Corn Pasta Salad with Cilantro Pesto + Goat Cheese
- How to Grill Pizza that’s Crispy, Chewy and Ready in only 15 Minutes
Get all of our delicious grilling recipes here!
I hope you love these crazy good street corn chicken tacos! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. You can also share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. Enjoy, xo!
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Crazy Good Street Corn Chicken Tacos
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Prep Time 45 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
ServesServes 4 servings
Incredible street corn chicken tacos made with flavorful sazon grilled chicken, seasoned grilled corn, fresh avocado salsa and an addicting jalapeño lime cashew sauce. These delicious grilled street corn chicken tacos are the perfect summer recipe the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- For the sazon chicken:
- 1 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- Optional: ¼ teaspoon cayenne (only if you like a little heat)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the grilled corn:
- 2 ears of corn, washed
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- For the salsa:
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup finely diced cilantro
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 lime, juiced
- Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
- For the jalapeno lime cashew sauce:
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup water, plus more to thin if necessary
- 1 medium jalapeno, seeded
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For serving:
- 8 soft corn tortillas
- Extra thinly sliced jalapenos
- Extra cilantro
Instructions
Soak the cashews in 2 cups of warm water for at least 2 hours; otherwise I've found that you can easily speed up the process by adding the raw cashews to a pot with water and placing over high heat. Bring water to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat; let the cashews sit for about 30 minutes in the hot water, then drain.
Once the cashews have finished soaking you'll be ready to make the sauce: add drained cashews, fresh water, jalapeno, garlic, fresh lime juice, salt, onion powder and black pepper to a blender. Blend on high until sauce comes together. If you want a bit of a thinner sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons more water. Set aside.
While your cashews are soaking, you can marinate your chicken: in a large bowl add chicken, olive oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, salt and pepper. Toss together to coat the chicken and allow it to marinate for 30 minutes-1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
Next prepare your corn: drizzle corn with olive oil and rub with chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper.
Now it’s time to grill both the chicken and the corn: preheat grill to 400 degrees F. Place the corn and chicken directly on the grill. Turn corn occasionally until charred and cooked for about 15-20 minutes. Grill chicken thighs for 6-8 minutes per side or until fully cooked and the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm, then chop into bite sized pieces.
Allow corn to cool a bit before cutting it off the cob and placing corn into a medium bowl along with following ingredients for the salsa: diced or sliced avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, lime and salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to combine.
Char your tortillas if you’d like, then top each with a spoonful of the jalapeno cashew lime sauce, chicken, street corn mixture, extra jalapenos and an extra drizzle of cashew lime sauce on top. Enjoy! Serves 4; 2 street corn chicken tacos each.
Recipe Notes
To bake the chicken: after marinating them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake your chicken thighs for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165.
To roast the corn: after seasoning your corn, roast it on a sheet pan lined with foil for 25 minutes at 375 - 400 degrees F.
See the full post for ways to customize these tacos and how to make them ahead of time for ease!
Nutrition
Serving: 2tacosCalories: 512calCarbohydrates: 43.6gProtein: 30.4gFat: 26.3gSaturated Fat: 4.6gFiber: 10gSugar: 5.5g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by:Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on August 25, 2020, and republished on July 21, 2021.
