My family goes crazy for these grilled chicken tacos, and I love how EASY they are to make! Marinated chicken thighs are grilled to perfection and served with warmed corn tortillas, pico de gallo, and cilantro.
The past two weeks we have been using our grill to make dinner almost every single night. We’re a little obsessed. Nothing says summer to me like kids playing in the sprinklers in the backyard while Jeff and I heat up the BBQ and cook an amazing dinner.
I love all of the fresh foods of summer. We LOVE any type of kebabs on the grill (these Cajun Chicken and Sausage Kebabs are Jeff’s all-time favorite). A huge family favorite are these Hawaiian Chicken Teriyaki Bowls and we also love making grilled pizza or grilling steaks and hamburgers.
These chicken tacos are also at the top of our list of favorites. They are so incredibly flavorful and EASY to make. You can make the marinade several days in advance, if you want, and you could even marinate the chicken the night before.
What are street tacos?
Mexican street tacos are smaller tacos, typically served on corn tortillas. They are small in size, making it easier for a “street traveler” to enjoy a quick meal. The filling is served on two small corn tortillas so that they don’t rip or tear when piled high with toppings.
Some tips for this recipe:
Grill with chicken thighs.
I like using chicken thighs because they’re a little more forgiving on the grill–they are super flavorful and don’t dry out as easily as chicken breasts. That said, you can definitely use chicken breasts for this recipe, just be careful not to cook them too long.
Let the meat rest.
Whatever cut of chicken you decide to use, let the meat REST for a few minutes before chopping it up. This is super important in allowing the meat to absorb all of the yummy juices before you cut into it. (The same goes for pretty much any other meat/steak you cook).
For the Tortillas:
Corn tortillas are the BEST to use for these chicken street tacos. I love these mini corn tortillas that are specifically intended for street tacos, but you can use regular corn tortillas instead. I usually heat my corn tortillas on a griddle or skillet for a few minutes on each side.
You could even throw them on the grill for a few seconds. The microwave is my least favorite way to warm corn tortillas because they stay soft and flimsy, allowing them to fall apart easier when you add all of your taco toppings.
Fresh pico de gallo is a must!
As with most tacos, the toppings are a key part of the awesomeness, and this homemade pico de gallo is the perfect accompaniment to these! It’s incredibly easy to make yourself, or you can even buy a small container from the grocery store (usually in the produce section).
As a last resort you can substitute regular salsa, but these really are soooo good with fresh pico.
Hope you enjoy these AMAZING grilled chicken street tacos as much as we do! We love them with a side of authentic Mexican rice (of course!), grilled corn on the cob and fresh watermelon. That’s a five star meal right there!
Consider serving with:
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Mouth-watering Mexican grilled chicken layered on corn tortillas with fresh pico de gallo. These are the BEST chicken tacos!
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 20-22 mini white corn tortillas , warmed on a skillet*
- Pico de gallo
- 1 /2 cup fresh cilantro , chopped
- fresh lime juice
- hot sauce , optional (our favorite for Mexican food is Valentina)
- sour cream , optional
- 4 Tablespoons orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ Tablespoons lime juice
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1½ Tablespoons ancho chili powder or chipotle chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Make chicken marinade by combining all marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add chicken thighs.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat grill over medium-hight heat. Oil the grill with canola oil or spray generously with cooking spray. Remove chicken with marinade and place on hot grill.
Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping once (thickest part of the chicken thigh should register about 165 degrees).
Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes before chopping into small pieces.
Layer two warmed mini corn tortillas together. Top with chopped chicken, pico de gallo, cilantro, hot sauce, and sour cream (optional). Spritz with a little bit of lime juice. Serve immediately.
Serve with a side of Mexican Rice or another Mexican side dish.
Recipe Video
*you don’t have to double-up on the tortillas to serve them. If you choose not to, then you only need about 10-12.
Tips for making perfect street tacos are listed above in the post!
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
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Ben Myhre says
ooo… thanks for the post. These look delish… and I am on a mexican food kick!
Kristina says
These tacos are AMAZING!! So glad I decided to make them, they’ll be a “go to” for my husband and I for sure!!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks SO much Kristina! I’m so glad you and your husband liked them, and thanks for commenting 🙂
Liz says
New family favorite. A fun twist on tacos and packed with flavor! We added some hot sauce to kick up the heat.
Jessica Flory says
These were DELICIOUS!!! Your homemade pico de gallo put them over the top. So good and so easy!!
Nikki Rodberg says
Made this last night, DELICIOUS!!!!
Lauren Allen says
I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks so much for commenting 🙂
marcus says
made these with my mum they were delicuos
Joan says
These are AMAZING! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Lauren Allen says
Thanks for commenting!—I’m happy you liked them!!
Natasha M says
This chicken marinade is the best I have used so far for street tacos!! Disclaimer that I did not have orange juice so I used a half a can of pineapple juice and pineapples, then threw the other half of the can of chopped pineapple into my salsa. It was LIGHTS. OUT.
Lauren Allen says
Thank you for sharing! I love your substitution of pineapple juice, and how you added it to your salsa. YUM! (And if you liked this recipe, you should totally try the Carne Asada Tacos https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/carne-asada-tacos/ –those and these chicken street tacos are two of my all time favorites!) Thanks again for sharing Natasha, and for following TBFS!
Colleen says
Made these last night. DELICIOUS!
LOVE the PICO
Marsha says
I am SO making these! I had some chicken tacos from a street truck the other day and I came across your recipe while searching for one so I could make my own. -They were so good! I am excited to try your recipe as this is all I could find that looked like they would be about the same! Thanks for sharing. =)
Lauren Allen says
So happy you found me–I hope you love them as much as I do!! I’d love to hear what you think 🙂
Jodi Fortner says
Can’t wait to dig the grill out from the snow, it’s so cold in OHIO right now!
Did you use Mexican oregano in the marinade or the Mediterranean variety? I have a bottle that I’ve never used, it’s not similar to Mediterranean at all and it wasn’t what I wanted for Italian food. Please let me know!
Lauren Allen says
Hi Jodi, I used Mexican oregano. Hope you love the tacos! Stay warm 🙂
Stephanie says
I’m craving these, but alas, it’s winter and not really grilling season. Could I cook the chicken on the stove top? What’s the best way?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Stephanie, Absolutely! I would recommend using a grill pan. (If you don’t have one, they are AMAZING and not very expensive). You could also broil them in the oven on the top rack (for 5 minutes or so on both sides) and I think they would turn out great. I would love to hear how it goes!
Trish says
Made these tonight, very very good. Love the cinnamon flavor that sneaks up at times. I would put less chipotle chilli powder next time tho, I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy 😉
Trish says
side note to my post, I did use canned chicken for a super fast meal. marinated it just the same.
Paige says
First time ever making chicken tacos. These were great! Even my very finicky eater son enjoyed them.
Thanks for the recipe!
Have just started following you. Love what I see so far.
Lauren Allen says
Thanks so much for sharing! I’m happy you found me–hope you get to try some more recipes soon! 🙂
Brittney Tanis says
Best tacos ever. The marinade is so flavorful! We added avocados, cilantro, feta cheese, pico de gallo, a little organic salsa and sprinkled the top with just a touch of lime juice. I could literally eat this EVERY DAY. Thank you! Bookmarking this recipe for life.
Lauren Allen says
Thank you so much Brittney, I’m so happy you loved these as much as I do! And I agree, I could totally eat these every day 🙂 (You should try the carne asada tacos next time because those are my other favorite! https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/carne-asada-tacos/ ) Thanks again for taking the time to comment <3
Eva says
These are so delicious. Love this marinade. We’ve made them 4 times in three weeks!!!
Lauren Allen says
I am so happy you have liked them so much! Thanks Eva!!
Kristin says
Hi Lauren! I’ve chosen this recipe as part of a tequila pairing dinner we’re having with some friends next weekend. I’m wondering how much adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo) you think would be adequate to swap out for the chipotle powder in the marinade. I don’t want to overdo it…
Looking forward to hearing back & trying out the recipe!
Lauren Allen says
Hi Kristin, I would try about 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce. Sounds like fun–I’d love to hear how you like them!
JoAnne says
These tacos are so good!! I have been looking for a recipe for Mexican marinated chicken like the chicken my daughter buys at a Mexican market in the central valley. This was so good the only thing I changed was I added 1/4 of a cup of canola oil. We had it with mango, avocado, cilantro and red onion. Big hit!! Next time we will try it with radishes, onion and cilantro. I can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Lauren Allen says
Thank you so much JoAnne! I love your topping ideas–fantastic. I’m happy you found me, and I hope you get to try some more recipes soon!
Kristin Overton says
We made these last night as the second course of our ‘tacos + tequila pairing dinner’ for about 16 friends- everyone RAVED about them!! As one of the previous commenters suggested, I used the juice from a can of pineapple in the marinade (which I did for at least 24 hours) and used the crushed pineapple in the pico recipe. It made a TON of pico, but it was gone in no time! I was asked repeatedly for both of these recipes, so I’ll be sending the link to this recipe out shortly!
Rather than grilling the chicken, I dumped the thighs with the marinade into a baking dish and threw it in the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes or so. I was frantically trying to keep up making margaritas, so I didn’t have time to grill anything- turned out phenomenal. Will absolutely make these again!
Lauren Allen says
What a fun dinner idea–I’m so thrilled they were a hit at your party! Thank you for sharing. Also, thanks for the tip about baking them, and I love your idea of adding pineapple juice and crushed pineapple to the pico. YUM!
Next time you should totally try the carne asada ones on my site. I make them “street taco” style to, and they’re amazing! https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/carne-asada-tacos/
Frannie says
This was wonderful and a life saver. I was making dinner and ran out of beef for tacos so I needed to use up the chicken breast I had on hand. Without the lime (I didn’t have any) it was still delicious. Would definitely do again. Can’t wait to try with dark meat chicken. Thanks a billion!
Lauren Allen says
Nothing makes me happier to hear! So happy it worked into your meal so well. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Kelly @View Along the way says
OMG – this was outstanding! I followed the recipe exactly, added your Pico de gallo (with some crushed pineapple) and some crispy vegetable slaw, and it made the best homemade street tacos I’ve made. Thank you so much!
Lauren Allen says
That’s what I LOVE to hear! So happy you enjoyed them– and I love your topping ideas! Thanks for coming back to comment.
Linda says
Used chicken breasts instead of thighs and a mixture of ancho + chipotle ground pepper. So delicious! I ate the leftovers for two more days! Making this again tonight but trying it with a skirt steak instead. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Lauren Allen says
Sounds delicious–love the idea of using skirt steak. Thanks for sharing Linda, I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
Allison says
This was easy to make and delicious. The chicken thighs were so tender.. There were no leftovers. We’ll definitely make it again.
Barbara says
Was thinking of making this for a party as part of the taco bar. Any suggestions on making the chicken in advance ? What would be the best way to keep it warm without drying it out?
Thanks!
Looks dish looks fantastic !
Lauren Allen says
Hi Barbara, the best way is to prepare it in the marinade in advance, but cook it fresh. If you’d like to cook it in advance, it really depends on how far in advance you need? Will you need to reheat it completely? It would have to be refrigerated if not eaten very quickly after it’s cooked…
Mrs. B says
I’m looking for a recipe for a large party. Can I grill the chicken in the morning, cut it up in the afternoon before the party and heat up the meat in oven? Any suggestion on how to keep the chicken moist while heating it up?
Lauren Allen says
Hi there, I think if you use chicken thighs, that would work (breasts would dry out). Heat it in the oven at 325 degrees–spritz the chicken with a little water or extra marinade and cover with foil. I’d love to hear if you try it!
maureen sullivan says
Love this recipe! As does the entire family. The marinade for the chicken thighs truly makes the flavor pop. Made last week and, by request, making again tonight for Taco Tuesday! Had my 15 yr old whip up the Pico de Gallo while I did the rest. So yummy.
Lauren Allen says
Thanks Maureen! I’m so glad to hear it was family approved (and I’m happy you got your teenager to help cook! 😉
Sherry Van Ness says
Made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! We love Mexican food and wanted something different to make with boneless chicken thighs! We loved it. Made no changes to it. But I did make some Chipotle Lime Crema to drizzle over top. Yummy! Thx for the recipe!
Melissa Gall says
Made these last week, and woke up craving them for breakfast! We are having a get together tmrw, and because of this recipe, we are doing a taco bar! We put the marinade on chicken breasts and used the infrared smoker to cook them
Oooooohhhh mmmyyyyyyy chicken was it so good!!!! I refuse to share this recipe, it goes in my vault! Thank you!
Kayla says
Fantastic recipe!! I had my boyfriend over the other night and together we made the tacos, your pick de gallo, and Skinnytaste guacamole. It all went together so well! Will definitely be a go-to meal from now on!
Boni says
This is such a great recipe. I actually septupled this recipe for an event at work and it turned out great. Everyone loved it and I know I will make it again, on a smaller level. 🙂
Sean says
This recipe really made some amazing tacos. But I also serve them on a plate paired with baked beans. Good either way! Thanks!
Jessica salamat says
With the citrus, how does marinating the chicken over night taste? Does the lime juice cook it/make it rubbery?
Thank you
Lauren Allen says
No,I don’t think it will.
J. CREEK says
Outstanding! Thank you. This will be my go to chicken tacos. I used bone in breasts and roasted in a cast iron skillet over poblanos peppers. Those where then diced and mixed into the chicken. Excellent marinade.
Maggie Unzueta says
My mouth is watering. I have to make this tonight!
RonC says
Thanks for Sharing!! We will try it next week after school one night!
Keitra hartsfield says
Could I possibly fry the chicken thighs in a pan since I have no grill? But would it have the same taste and flavor because this seems amazing
Lauren Allen says
Hi Keitra,
I would recommend using the broiler in your oven. Cook on one side for about 5 minutes and then flip them and cook on the other side. You won’t get quite the same taste as the grill but I think they will still taste great!
Kate says
Yes!! I was able to prep dinner while my kids were napping. This marinade is a WIN. I substituted the Pico de Gallo for a fresh chopped onion/cilantro mixture for a more authentic so-cal street taco. My (picky) husband approved and this will be added to our regular rotation!