So I’ve been real obsessed with tacos this 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 are my latest and greatest creation that you absolutely HAVE to make. They’ve been on repeat in our house the entire summer and we love how flavorful and filling they are. 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 jalapeno 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.
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 per side, flipping once. When the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F your chicken is done.
Feel free to check out our guide on how to grill the perfect chicken.
How to bake chicken thighs for tacos
If you don’t have a grill you can easily bake these chicken thighs! After marinating them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and bake your chicken thighs for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165.
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 dish towel as you finish them so that they stay warm.
Customize your street corn chicken tacos
These delicious grilled chicken tacos are perfect for customizing to your taste & dietary preferences.
- Keep them gluten free by making 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.
- Want to make them lower carb? Serve all of the toppings over a bed of mixed greens, in lettuce cups, or even over cauliflower rice for an easy burrito bowl!
- If you’re nut free, try this avocado lime sauce instead.
- Make these tacos vegan or vegetarian by swapping the chicken for tofu! Marinate your tofu in the same sazon seasoning and grill it like these kabobs or cook it over the stovetop.
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!
Crazy Good Street Corn Chicken Tacos
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
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!
- 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 back pepper
- For serving:
-
8
soft corn tortillas - Extra thinly sliced jalapenos
- Extra cilantro
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.
Nutrition
Servings: 4 servings
Serving size: 2 tacos
Calories: 512kcal
Fat: 26.3g
Saturated fat: 4.6g
Carbohydrates: 43.6g
Fiber: 10g
Sugar: 5.5g
Protein: 30.4g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
