These Street Corn Cajun Chicken Tacos are a fun twist on taco night and the perfect end-of-summer meal using fresh corn on the cob!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Corn tortillas – you can also use flour tortillas or make these tacos low-carb by using lettuce wraps.
- Red and green peppers – use any colour bell pepper that you fresh.
- Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are best for this recipe but you can use any kind you have on hand as long as they’re fresh, seeded and diced.
- Red onion – yellow or white onion would be the best substitutes here although they have a slightly milder flavour.
Cajun chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – try using boneless skinless chicken thighs, ground turkey or even ground beef for these tacos.
- Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Cajun seasoning – use a store-bought version or make your own blend.
Street corn
- Corn on the cob – the fresh corn is what makes this recipe so delicious. If corn isn’t in season, you can use canned or defrosted frozen corn instead.
- Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Sour cream – mayonnaise would be a good replacement for sour cream.
- Feta cheese – cojita cheese would also be delicious in this street corn.
- Lime juice – fresh lime juice is preferred but the bottled variety can be used in a pinch.
- Chili powder – you can also use a combination of paprika, cumin and cayenne for a similar flavour.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but you can also use jarred minced garlic.
- Cilantro – leave this out altogether if you don’t have any on hand.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make this recipe
- Soak the corn.
- Grill the chicken and corn.
- Prepare your toppings.
- Make the street corn.
- Assemble your tacos.
- Serve and dig in!
What is street corn?
Mexican street corn, also known as elote, is a summer staple! It's essentially corn on the cob that has been barbecued or grilled and then slathered with a combination of tangy and creamy flavours. It is traditionally served as corn on the cob by street vendors as a snack or in restaurants as a side dish but it is also eaten as corn kernels.
Whether it's served on the cob or as kernels, make your elote by adding mayonnaise (I'm using sour cream), cotija cheese, lime juice and a variety of spices to kick up the flavour!
Frequently Asked Questions
A street taco is different from the popular “taco night” taco. It consists of grilled meats served on a soft corn tortilla and topped with fresh veggies like onions and tomatoes. Street tacos are a smaller serving so they make the perfect snack between meals or the perfect accompaniment to cocktail hour.
You can either grill or bake the corn for these tacos but I prefer grilling them – nothing quite beats the taste of fresh corn off the grill! Soak the corn cobs in a bowl of water for 15 minutes then brush it will olive oil and stick them on the grill for 10 minutes at medium-high heat.
I personally prefer to use corn taco shells since they’re the most authentic option, but you can use any tortilla of your choice. You can even use lettuce wraps if you’re looking for a low-carb option or turn this recipe into burrito bowls by serving the chicken and street corn over rice.
These tacos are a full meal on their own but if you're looking for side ideas, you can't go wrong with margaritas, chips and guac!
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Storing and reheating
I suggest storing the chicken separately from the tortillas, street corn and toppings so you can reheat it separately. If you store it in an airtight glass container, it’ll last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. When you're ready to enjoy the dish, sprinkle a bit of water over top of the chicken to prevent it from drying out, then reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. While it is heating, warm up your corn tortilla and then assemble your tacos fresh from there.
Freezing the chicken
If you have leftover chicken, freeze it for later! You can freeze the extra chicken either raw or cooked. Once the cooked chicken has cooled down to room temperature, store it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge then microwave it or reheat it in the oven before using it in your fresh tacos or another meal.
If you are freezing raw chicken, you can freeze it as is or marinated for the next time you create this dish! Freeze the chicken in a freezer bag or an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you're ready to enjoy the chicken, move it from the freezer to the fridge overnight and then follow the cooking instructions in the recipe card below.
More taco recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls for storing the leftovers.
- I get all chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get these metal taco holders for easy assembly – they can be used to heat tacos into the oven too!
Street Corn Cajun Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1/2 red pepper diced
- 1/2 green pepper diced
- 2 tomatoes seeded and diced
- 1/2 small red onion diced
Cajun Chicken
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp storebought Cajun seasoning
Street Corn
- 4 cobs of corn
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Garnishes
- Cilantro
- Limes
- Jalapeno
- Salsa
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat BBQ to med-high heat, or oven to 425 F, and soak corn cobs for 15 minutes in a bowl of water.
- Coat chicken in olive oil and cajun seasoning. Add to grill or oven once preheated and cook for 20-25 min until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
- Meanwhile, prepare other veggies and toppings. Brush corn with olive oil and grill or bake for 10-12 min. Remove and let cool, then cut all the corn off the cob and place into a large bowl. Toss with sour ceam, feta, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper.
- Brush corn tortillas with olive oil then grill for 2-3 min. Meanwhile, dice red onion and bell peppers. Saute in a skillet over high heat with some olive oil and salt & pepper for 2-3 minutes until charred.
- Add chicken, bell peppers, red onion and street corn to tortillas in that order. Garnish with toppings of your choice and enjoy!
Share With Me!
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