Change up your next Taco Tuesday a bit by adding Elote-style corn salad (esquites) to these grilled chicken tacos. They are sure to become a weeknight dinner favorite!
If you love Mexican Street Corn, check out this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad or this Mexican Street Corn Dip. Both are huge crowd-pleasers!
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Contents:
The idea of Taco Tuesday is so great for busy food lovers who want to have something easy yet interesting ready for dinner after a long day at work. These lime chicken tacos take their cue from Mexican Street food. They are made mostly on the grill and come together in less than 30 minutes after the chicken finishes marinating. They bring together a smoky flavor from the corn with the tangy lime from the chicken and the spice from the elote sauce.
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast: You can grill more than 8 ounces if you like and save the rest for use later in the week. The marinade is enough to cover up to 16 ounces.
- Lime juice + zest: Fresh lime juice will always give you the best flavor. You'll need one large lime. Be sure to zest the lime before you juice it! This handheld juicer makes it really easy to juice both limes and lemons.
- Fresh sweet corn: From the farmstand or farmer's market is the best option (or from your garden of course, if you happen to be growing corn). If not, try to find sweet corn instead of standard yellow corn.
- Fresh cilantro: I don't recommend substituting dried in this recipe.
- Avocado: You could substitute guacamole if you happen to have some on hand.
- Corn tortillas: Small 6" tortillas are ideal for this recipe. I often warm and slightly char them on the grill after I finish cooking the chicken.
- Queso fresco: This is my favorite option for these tacos but you can substitute cotija or Monterrey jack if you like.
How to make these tacos
Pulling these together is a breeze. When you get home from work or about 30 minutes before you want to start cooking, make the marinade and pour it into a zip-top bag with the chicken. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you preheat the grill and prep the corn and the sauce. Then it's time to cook!
Step 1 | Marinate the chicken. You start this dish by dredging the chicken breasts in a combination of flour, dried thyme, salt, and pepper
Step 2 | Heat the grill. While the chicken is marinating, preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F). Brush the corn with olive oil and set aside until you are ready to grill.
Step 3 | Make the sauce. Start the elote sauce by combining the sour cream, mayo, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and chipotle in a medium mixing bowl. Refrigerate until the corn is done grilling.
Step 4 | Grill the chicken. When the chicken is done marinating, place it on the preheated grill and cook for 6-7 minutes per side until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove the chicken and corn from the grill when done. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
Step 5 | Grill the corn. While the chicken is grilling add the corn to the grill and cook for approximately 5 minutes per side or until it begins to char. Try to get all four sides charred.
Step 6 | Heat the tortillas. Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm on the grill over low heat for 2-3 minutes. See the tips below if you want to kick your tortillas up a notch and char them.
Step 7 | Finish the sauce. Using a sharp knife or corn removal tool, remove the corn kernels from the cob. Add them to the bowl with the sauce and mix well.
Step 8 | Assemble the tacos. Place the tortillas on plates or a serving dish and top with grilled chicken, elote sauce, avocado slices and some cheese. Serve immediately.
Meal prep tips: You can make the chicken and the esquites a day ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator. You can either reheat the chicken or use it cold - the tacos are great both ways.
Charring the tortillas
Add a little extra punch to your tortillas and make them extra delicious by charring them a bit. The process is easy:
- After the chicken and corn finish cooking, turn your grill to the lowest setting. If it has multiple burners, turn all but one off.
- Place the tortillas on the part of the grill with the burner still on and let it sit for about a minute. Check it frequently to make sure it's not burning.
- Once the desired char has been reached, remove the tortillas from the grill and assemble the tacos.
You can substitute flour tortillas for the corn, but they will char more quickly so keep a close eye on them.
Storage Tips
The best way to store any leftovers is to keep them in separate airtight containers and then assemble the tacos when you are ready to eat.
Serving Suggestions
Tacos are pretty much a meal all on their own, so often I just serve them on their own. If you want to add a simple starter, you can never go wrong with this Healthy Cowboy Caviar. These Grilled Peaches would be a nice finish to this light summer meal.
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Grilled Street Corn Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
For the corn:
- 2 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons light sour cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon lime zest
- pinch of ground chipotle pepper
For the tacos:
- 6 white corn tortillas
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup queso fresco, crumbled
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Combine the lime juice, honey, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well and pour into a large zip-top bag. Add the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Heat the grill. While the chicken is marinating, preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F). Brush the corn with olive oil and set aside until you are ready to grill.
- Make the sauce. To make the sauce combine the sour cream, mayo, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and chipotle in a medium mixing bowl. Refrigerate until the corn is grilled.
- Grill the chicken. When chicken is done marinating, place it on the preheated grill and cook for 6-7 minutes per side until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove the chicken and corn from the grill when done. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
- Grill the corn. While the chicken is grilling also add the corn to the grill and cook for approximately 5 minutes per side or until it begins to char. Try to get all four sides charred.
- Heat the tortillas. Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm the tortillas on the grill over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Mix the elote sauce. Using a sharp knife or corn removal tool, remove the corn kernels from the cob. Add them to the bowl with the sauce and mix well.
- Assemble the tacos. Place three tortillas on a large plate or serving dish. Add chicken and top with corn, avocado and cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.
This post was originally published in August 2021. It was updated in September 2023 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.
Jessica Canva
Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe this wrap would great to grab on the go ...
EA The Spicy RD
Street tacos + Mexican corn sound like a match made in heaven! Can't wait to make these!