Chicken Street Tacos Recipe with juicy chicken breasts coated in flavorful chicken taco marinade, grilled and served in warm charred tortillas with your favorite toppings.

It’s a simple and flavorful dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights!

Grilled chicken street tacos on a plate garnished with cilantro, red onion and white sauce.

Try this chicken street tacos recipe covered in a smoky, spicy chicken taco marinade with a bit of citrus tang, made on the grill or in a cast iron skillet.

Tacos are delicious and effortless meals and there are so many ways to enjoy them! From Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos or ground chicken tacos, we could eat chicken tacos for dinner every night.

Ingredients for Chicken Street Tacos Recipe

Chicken street tacos recipe gets its flavor from the marinated chicken! Most of these spices you probably already have on hand in your spice rack plus other simple ingredients.

Chicken breasts, tortillas, oil, lime, cumin, chili powder, oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper in small glass bowls.
  • Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs will work.
  • Oil: Olive oil works great, but you can use another oil if you like.
  • Spice rub mix: Mexican inspired mix includes ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, freshly ground black pepper and salt. You can also use a homemade taco seasoning.
  • Fresh garlic and a splash of lime juice: Fresh is key to really maximize flavor. You could use another citrus like orange juice.
  • Tortillas: Chicken street tacos are traditionally served with corn tortillas but flour tortillas can hold more toppings.
  • Toppings: Traditional Mexican chicken tacos are topped with onion, cilantro, and lime. But load them up with a drizzle of sour cream or any of your favorite taco toppings!

How to Make Chicken Street Tacos

Here is a quick overview how to make chicken street tacos. The hardest part is waiting for them to marinate! Then just grill and enjoy.

Cutting chicken breasts with a knife on cutting board.

Prep: Slice the boneless skinless chicken breasts into thin cutlets. Then place the sliced chicken into a large bowl.

Bowl with spice mix, oil, lime juice and chicken breasts.

Season: To make chicken taco marinade, add cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, black pepper, salt, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil to the bowl.

Chicken breasts marinating in a bowl.

Marinate: Mix everything together, then cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for about 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.

Chicken breasts on a cast iron pan.

Grill chicken: Now rub a cast iron skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Grill the chicken over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes.

Marinated chicken breasts cooked on a cast iron skillet.

Turn the chicken over: Then flip the chicken breasts over and cook for another 3-4 minutes. You want to make sure it is fully cooked through.

Use a meat thermometer to check chicken doneness. It should reach about 150 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted into the thickest part. And then as meat rests, it will get to optimal temperature.

Fork and knife used to cube grilled chicken breasts on a cutting board.

Cut the chicken: Chop grilled chicken breasts into cubes and now you are ready to assemble your marinated chicken tacos!

Tips for Best Results

Here are a few tips for the best chicken street tacos recipe results!

  • Char the tortillas: If you have a gas stovetop, use tongs to lightly char the outside of your flour tortillas or corn tortillas for extra flavor.
  • Don’t skip the oil: The oil is important for keeping the chicken from sticking to the pan, as well as helping the spice mix and grilled chicken marinade to soak into the meat.
  • Cut the chicken to an even thickness: When you slice the chicken breasts into cutlets, make sure the thickness of each is about the same for more even cooking and better distribution of spices.
  • Let the meat rest: After it is done cooking, let the chicken juices settle back into the meat before chopping.
  • Slow cook the chicken: After marinating, you can also cook chicken in the slow cooker instead of grilling.

Additional Topping Ideas

Red onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime may be classic, but here are some other ways to jazz up your chicken street tacos.

  • Learn how to cut an avocado for perfect cubes.
  • Sour cream drizzled on top.
  • In season try fresh peach salsa.
  • Shredded lettuce or shredded cabbage.
  • Mexican cheese like cotija or queso fresco.
  • Pickled jalapenos.

Serving Recommendations

To serve chicken tacos, fill up warm tortillas with juicy grilled chicken, cilantro, red onion, or optionally pico de gallo and guacamole!

For a complete fiesta, serve these chicken street tacos with these side dish options!

How to Store

Store: Store leftover grilled marinated chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Perfect for weekday lunches or busy nights. Warm up the chicken on the stovetop in a pan just enough to keep it from getting dry. Then assemble your chicken tacos for a great meal!

Freeze: Place any leftover cooked chicken taco meat in a freezer bag. It will last for about 2 months. Use in red sauce enchiladas!

More FAQs

What is the difference between a taco and a street taco?

The difference between street tacos and regular tacos is that they are smaller. Meat is placed into a warm tortilla and then topped. Corn tortillas are traditional, and often two smaller ones are used. If you like a lot of toppings, though, flour tortillas tend to hold up better.

Can I cook chicken in a skillet?

If you do not have a grill pan and the weather is not cooperating to grill outdoors, pour both chicken and marinade right into the skillet. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes, flip and cook some more until juices run clear.

Can I bake the chicken instead?

Yes, you can bake chicken for street tacos by following my cilantro lime chicken or chili lime chicken recipes.

How can I tell when chicken is ready?

You can tell when chicken is done by checking it with an internal thermometer and it reads 165 degrees F. Chicken juices will also run clear and the inside will no longer be pink.

More Taco Recipes to Try

You may also love these healthy taco recipes!

Chicken street tacos served with some cilantro, red onion, white sauce and pico de gallo in the background.
Chicken street tacos wrapped in tortillas with cilantro and guacamole.

Chicken Street Tacos

Chicken Street Tacos with juicy chicken breasts coated in flavorful chicken marinade, grilled and served with your favorite toppings.
5 from 11 votes
Servings 8 tacos
Calories 226
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Start off by slicing the boneless skinless chicken breast into thin cutlets. Then place the sliced chicken into a large bowl.
  • Now add the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, black pepper, salt, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil.
  • Mix everything together, then cover it and let the chicken marinate for about 2-3 hours in the fridge.
  • Now rub a cast iron skillet with a little bit of olive oil (just to coat). Grill the chicken at medium-high heat on both sides for about 3-4 minutes.
  • Then cut the cooked chicken into cubes and serve with warm flour tortillas. Tip: If you have a gas stovetop, use tongs to lightly char the outside of your tortilla for extra flavor.
  • Now load up your chicken tacos with your favorite toppings. We love to add red onion, cilantro, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream. But you can add whatever you like.

Notes

  • Store: Store leftover chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • Freeze: Place any leftover cooked chicken in a freezer bag for 2 months.
  • Reheat: Warm up the chicken on the stovetop in a pan just enough to keep it from getting dry. 
  • Char the tortillas: If you have a gas stovetop, use tongs to lightly char the outside of your tortillas for extra flavor.
  • Don’t skip the oil: The oil is important for keeping the chicken from sticking to the pan, as well as helping the spice mix and marinade to soak into the meat.
  • Cut the chicken to an even thickness: Make sure the thickness of each chicken breast is about the same for more even cooking and better distribution of spices.

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 613mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Olena Osipov
Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious! I made this exactly as written except I grilled it. I served it with a slaw salad and avocado mash (from Ina Garten) and my kids added cheese and salsa. I made this alongside roasted salmon tacos for those that don’t like chicken. I will definitely make it again. Simple and yummy.

    1. 5 stars
      I just made the recipe. It was delicious!! I shredded my chicken breasts. I used lettuce, red onion, cilantro and salsa. I used small organic tortillas, which made them like street tacos. We had pinto beans and tortilla chips. Thank you for sharing.

  2. 5 stars
    These turned out great! We used less cumin and less smoked paprika than the recipe calls for but the chicken was still so so flavorful I didn’t miss them. We Will make this again!

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