Grilled Chicken Street Tacos

I have to say, Taco Tuesday (and sometimes Taco Wednesday… or even Thursday!) is basically a holiday in our house. I love that everyone gets to build their own version of the perfect taco, which means everyone is happy— and as a mom, that is a win. These grilled chicken street tacos have been on regular rotation lately because the flavors get the most rave reviews. They make even the pickiest eaters happy and only take a few minutes to prep.

These grilled chicken street tacos consist of cubes of juicy grilled chicken placed inside a corn tortilla and topped with cubed avocados, freshly diced onion, and cilantro. Now, less talking and more eating!

Street Tacos vs. Regular (Americanized) Tacos

“Street tacos” are part of Tex-Mex cuisine, combining a mixture of Mexican and American flavors. The term “street taco” originated when Mexican migrants working in mines and on railroads made tacos for their meals. Their tacos were called “street food” or “lower-class” food, but these delicious tacos have nothing low-class about them today.

Mexican street tacos differ from regular tacos mainly in the ingredients used. Regular (Americanized) tacos often use larger corn or flour tortillas and are served with additional toppings like shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

How to Make Grilled Chicken Street Tacos

This grilled chicken street taco recipe has two easy parts — preparing the chicken and assembling the taco.

Make the Chicken

The most important part of the chicken street taco is the juicy, savory chicken. Feel free to prepare and grill the chicken ahead of time!

• Trim the chicken thighs: Cut off any extra fat from the chicken thighs, then place the thighs in a large ziplock bag.
• Make the chicken marinade: The marinade for chicken street tacos is a mix of orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, oil, chili powder, salt, and cumin. Mix it all together.
• Marinate the meat: Add the marinade into the bag and combine well. Marinate for 2-5 hours.
• Grill the chicken: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, then grill the chicken until it is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the chicken thigh.

Assemble the Street Taco

Once the chicken is grilled, the rest of the taco assembly is crazy easy.

• Cut the ingredients: Cut the chicken and avocado into similar size small pieces. Dice the onions and chop the cilantro.
• Assemble the taco: Place chicken into the center of a tortilla, then top with remaining ingredients.
• Serve: Serve alongside lime wedges.

Tips for the Best Grilled Chicken Street Tacos

My family and I love this recipe for the delicious chicken paired with the fresh taco toppings. There’s not much that can go wrong here, but there are a few ways to make sure it goes “right” most optimally!

• Use chicken thighs: Chicken thighs work the best for street tacos. They are more tender and retain more moisture compared to chicken breast.
• Remove the extra fat: For more lean pieces of meat in the taco, remove any extra fat from the chicken prior to marinating.
• Give the chicken ample time to marinate: Allow enough time for the chicken to marinate and soak in the delicious flavors. I suggest anywhere from 2-5 hours.
• Grill the chicken: Grilling the chicken gives the best flavor. (FYI: here are the tools I always use when grilling). However, pan frying or baking is good when grilling is not an option.
• Check the temperature: Avoid under or over-grilling the chicken. Chicken is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. This instant read thermometer has been my favorite for years!
• Rest the chicken: After the chicken is finished grilling, let it rest for a few minutes before cutting. This helps keep the juices inside the meat.
• Add more spices to the marinade (optional): To change up the flavor, add your favorite special spices such as chili powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano. Or, go with the classic spices like salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to increase the flavor.
• Double up on the tacos: In many restaurants, street tacos come with two double-stacked corn tortillas because it makes the taco sturdier. It is not necessary, but it helps prevent the taco contents from breaking through one tortilla.

Storing & Reheating Grilled Chicken Tacos

Assembled street tacos don’t store well, but there is good news — the chicken does! Store and reheat the chicken per my tips, then prepare the onion, avocado, and cilantro fresh when you’re hungry for another taco.

• Refrigerator: To store the cooked chicken for up to four days, place it in an airtight container in the fridge. Store it either cubed or as a whole grilled thigh.
• Reheat: Reheat the chicken cubes in a skillet on medium high heat until warmed through.

More Tex-Mex Foods to Love

• Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers – Mexican-flavored spin on the typical stuffed pepper
• Shaved Beef Tacos – Ready in 20 minutes and bursting with flavor!
• Carnitas Tacos – Flavorful pork tacos
• Easy Chicken Enchiladas – Just a handful of ingredients for a cozy Tex Mex dinner

Recipe

Grilled Chicken Street Tacos

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Servings

8 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin

These grilled chicken street tacos are made with chicken marinated in a tangy orange-lime marinade, then topped with onion, avocado, and cilantro. Muy delicioso!

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

• 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless skinless
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 cup cilantro chopped
• 1/4 cup oil olive or avocado
• 3 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin

To Serve Chicken Street Tacos

• 16 mini corn tortillas
• 2 avocados cut into cubes
• 1 small white onion diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
• 3 limes sliced for garnish

US Units – Metric

Instructions

Chicken Marinade

• Trim off any extra fat on the chicken thighs. Place the thighs in a large ziplock bag.
  
• Add in the orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, oil, chili powder, salt, and cumin. Stir to combine it all together. Leave it to marinate for 2-5 hours.
  
• Preheat a grill to medium high. Grill the chicken until both sides are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  

To Serve Chicken Street Tacos

• Cut chicken into small cubes, the avocado into similar size pieces, and dice the onions. Chop the cilantro.
  
• Place chicken into the center of a tortilla. Top it off with avocado, onion, and cilantro. Serve alongside lime wedges. Enjoy!
  

Nutrition Facts

Grilled Chicken Street Tacos

Amount Per Serving

Calories 525 Calories from Fat 315

% Daily Value*

Fat 35g54%

Saturated Fat 7g35%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 8g

Monounsaturated Fat 18g

Cholesterol 111mg37%

Sodium 420mg18%

Potassium 673mg19%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 8g32%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 23g46%

Vitamin A 621IU12%

Vitamin C 19mg23%

Calcium 77mg8%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.