Skip the restaurant tonight and make this flavor-packed grilled chicken street tacos recipe instead! These Mexican-inspired tacos are served with homemade pico de gallo for a delicious flavor experience! {Gluten-free}
Table of Contents
Best Grilled Chicken Street Tacos
If you’ve ever had Mexican chicken street tacos, you know how incredible they are. From the marinated chicken to the soft tortillas and spicy salsa, they’re a masterful mix of flavors and textures.
This is a recipe your family will be begging you to make again and again!
What Are Street Tacos?
Traditionally made and served by street vendors, Mexican street tacos are small bite-sized tacos made with various ingredients and toppings.
In Mexico, authentic street tacos are often made with deliciously charred meat, onions, and fresh cilantro on soft corn tortillas. They’re a simple dish with incredible flavors like lime, garlic, and more.
These chicken tacos start with this traditional base with chicken marinated in a lime juice marinade. Then, they’re topped with homemade pico de gallo and any of your favorite toppings! They’re so easy to make and are absolutely loaded with flavor!
Why We Love These Street Tacos with Chicken
- Quick & Easy: Once the chicken breasts are marinated, they’re ready to be grilled while you assemble the rest of the toppings. They’ll be on the table with just a few minutes of work!
- Grilled on the BBQ: Although it’s nice to have regular tacos, there’s something so wonderful about marinated meat cooked on the grill. It has that amazing smoky flavor, taking the rest of the ingredients to the next level!
- Crowd-pleasing: Since it’s easy to customize these street tacos, everyone can make them exactly to their liking. They’re fantastic for your next Taco Night!
- Make Ahead: If you marinate the chicken in the morning, it will be ready to grill that night. Perfect for busy nights!
Ingredient Notes
For the chicken:
- Chicken breast: Pound or slice your boneless skinless chicken breasts horizontally to make the pieces thinner. They’ll absorb the lime marinade better and cook faster.
Chicken marinade ingredients
- Fresh cilantro: Finely mince cilantro to add a fresh, herby flavor to the chicken marinade.
- Lime juice: Tart lime juice will infuse flavor into every bite of the chicken.
- Minced garlic: Fresh garlic has a sharper bite and stronger flavor than garlic powder and is a better choice for this recipe.
- Olive oil: A little oil helps the meat hold onto the marinade and will give the chicken a delicious crust on the grill.
- Seasonings: Combine cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper for extra flavor and heat in this chicken taco recipe.
For the pico de gallo:
- Yellow onion: Soak the onion in ice water for a few minutes to reduce the sharpness. You can also substitute red onion for a milder flavor.
- Roma tomatoes: Core and finely dice Roma tomatoes, which are naturally firmer and less juicy than regular tomatoes.
- Jalapeno peppers: Remove the seeds and membranes, then dice finely for a pop of heat.
- Cilantro: Chop the cilantro into small pieces to get some in every bite of this pico de gallo.
- Lime juice: Fresh lime juice will give this pico a zesty flavor! Feel free to add the lime zest for a stronger lime flavor.
- Salt and pepper
For the tacos:
- Tortillas: Choose street taco size flour or corn tortillas based on your personal preference. Traditional street tacos are made using warm corn tortillas.
- Favorite toppings: Set up a station with your toppings, like cotija cheese, avocado, sour cream, and lime wedges, so everyone can make their tacos to their liking.
How to Make Chicken Street Tacos – Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken Street Taco Marinade
- Trim chicken breast of excess fat. If the breasts are large, place between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until they are a uniform ¼” thickness, or slice in half horizontally.
- In a large bowl or gallon zip top bag, place the cilantro, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, cayenne, salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Add the chicken and the chicken taco marinade for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Step 2: Make the Homemade Pico De Gallo
- Place the onions in a bowl of ice water for about 10 minutes, then drain. This will take some of the bite out of the raw onion. Combine all of the pico de gallo ingredients in a small bowl, taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
Step 3: Cook the Chicken
- Take the chicken out of the refrigerator while the grill heats up. Preheat outdoor grill, or indoor grill pan to medium high heat. Grill the chicken for 3-5 minutes per side, until an instant read thermometer reads 165℉ in the thickest part of the chicken.
Step 4: Assemble the Tacos
- Rest the chicken for a few minutes under foil. Warm the tortillas as directed on the package. Slice chicken thin against the grain and serve immediately with the pico de gallo and your favorite taco toppings.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- The finer you mince the cilantro for the marinade, the more flavorful it will be.
- To easily, core and seed the Roma tomatoes for the pico, make a triangular cut under the core, grab it, and peel. The core and seeds should come right out.
- If using corn tortillas, these are often doubled up as they tend to break more easily when folded.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used as a substitute for the chicken breast. It may take a few more minutes on the grill to cook through to 165℉. Chicken tenderloins can also be used.
Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour but not more than 8 hours. The acid in the marinade helps to break down the fibers of the chicken, and if left too long could ruin the texture.
Although authentic Mexican street tacos are often not served with cheese, a little melty cheese tastes fantastic on the grilled meat! The best cheese for street tacos is cotija, which is naturally crumbly in texture and tastes similar to Parmesan cheese. A little goes a long way, so you need just a sprinkle for lots of flavor.
Storage Guidelines
To refrigerate: Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store pico de gallo separately.
To freeze: Chicken can also be frozen in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to 2 months, thaw before reheating.
To reheat: Reheat in a pan on the stove or in the oven until heated through.
Toppings for Street Tacos
There are so many ways to make this chicken street taco recipe your own! Try making a taco bar with all these fixings and let your family or guests serve themselves.
Try topping with:
- Diced avocado
- Cojita cheese
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Crumbled queso fresco cheese
- Guacamole
- Lettuce
- Diced jalapeno for extra heat
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce
- Fresh salsa
Pro Tip: These tacos could also be served with a cilantro lime slaw or grilled pineapple, or mango pineapple salsa for another variation.
Sides for Street Tacos
To turn this flavorful chicken street tacos recipe into a complete meal, offer it will these delicious sides:
- Refried beans
- Fajita veggies
- Chips & salsa
- Mexican rice
- Mexican Quinoa Salad
- Mixed Bean Salad
- Mexican Meatball Soup
- Black Bean Tostadas
Recipe Variations
- Make Mexican street taco-flavored burrito bowls: Skip the tortillas and serve the meat and toppings over cilantro lime rice and black beans. Great for meal prep!
- Change up the salsa: Instead of pico de gallo, you could use any fresh salsa (homemade or from the grocery store). Salsa verde has a bright, refreshing flavor that pairs perfectly with this marinade.
- Sheet pan street tacos: To feed a crowd, cook the chicken on a large sheet pan in the oven.
More Similar Recipes
- Authentic Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
- Crock Pot Taco Meat
- Spicy Shrimp Tacos
- Easy Lentil Tacos
- Beef Nachos Supreme
- Vegetarian Quesadillas
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Grilled Chicken Street Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro finely minced
- Juice of 1 large lime
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
For the pico de gallo:
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 6 Roma tomatoes cored and diced finely
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeds and membrane removed, diced finely
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- Juice of one lime
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the tacos:
- 8-10 street taco size flour or corn tortillas
- Taco toppings of choice for serving: cotija cheese, avocado, sour cream, lime wedges, etc.
Instructions
- Trim chicken breast of excess fat. If the breasts are large, place between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until they are a uniform ¼” thickness, or slice in half horizontally.
- In a large bowl or gallon zip top bag, place the cilantro, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, cayenne, salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Add the chicken and marinade for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
- Make the pico de gallo: Place the onions in a bowl of ice water for about 10 minutes, then drain. This will take some of the bite out of the raw onion. Combine all of the pico de gallo ingredients in a small bowl, taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
- Take the chicken out of the refrigerator while the grill heats up. Preheat outdoor grill, or indoor grill pan to medium high heat. Grill the chicken for 3-5 minutes per side, until an instant read thermometer reads 165℉ in the thickest part of the chicken.
- Rest the chicken for a few minutes under foil. Warm the tortillas as directed on the package. Slice chicken thin against the grain and serve immediately with the pico de gallo and your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
- The finer you mince the cilantro for the marinade, the more flavorful it will be.
- To easily, core and seed the Roma tomatoes for the pico, make a triangular cut under the core, grab it, and peel. The core and seeds should come right out.
- If using corn tortillas, these are often doubled up as they tend to break more easily when folded.
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