So I started getting real obsessed with tacos last 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 were my latest and greatest creation last summer and were on repeat in our house for months. We’ve made them time and time again since then because we love how flavorful and filling they are! Plus, they’re super easy to customize with what you have on hand, grill or bake the ingredients, and so much more. Truly the best weeknight dinner for the family!
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 jalapeño cashew sauce. Talk about an explosion of flavors!
Sign up for our FREE Ultimate Guide to Grilling
This comprehensive email series and FREE, printable e-book have all of the tips, tricks and tutorials you’ll need to gain confidence behind the grill this summer (and all year round!) You’ll learn:
- Exactly how to operate your gas grill + get all of our recommended grilling tools
- How to grill amazing proteins to use in your fav recipes
- The best way to grill any type of veggie
- And even how to make desserts on the grill
Sign up here and enjoy a full summer of delicious grilling!
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.
Customize your street corn chicken tacos
These delicious grilled street corn chicken tacos are perfect for customizing to your taste & dietary preferences.
- Keep them gluten free: just make 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.
- Go lower carb: looking to reduce the carbs a bit? Serve all of the toppings over a bed of mixed greens, in lettuce cups, or even over cauliflower rice for an easy burrito bowl!
- Swap your sauce: if you’re nut free, try this avocado lime sauce instead.
- Make them plant based: keep these tacos vegan or vegetarian by swapping the chicken for tofu! Marinate your tofu in the same sazon seasoning and grill it using this method or cook it over the stovetop.
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 on one side.
- Flip, and cook your chicken on the other side for 6-8 minutes more. When the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F your chicken is done.
Looking for more tips & tricks for grilling chicken? Check out our guide on how to grill the perfect chicken, and get perfectly grilled vegetables (like corn)!
Looking to bake them instead?
If you don’t have a grill you can easily bake these chicken thighs!
- After marinating them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake your chicken thighs for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165.
You can also roast the corn roast on a sheet pan lined with foil for 25 minutes at 375 – 400 degrees F. Don’t forget to get all of our tips for baking chicken here!
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 dishtowel as you finish them so that they stay warm.
More grilling recipes you’ll love
- Seriously Good Sweet Potato Cheddar BBQ Chicken Burgers
- Spicy Ranch Chopped Chicken Cabbage Salad
- Street Corn Pasta Salad with Cilantro Pesto + Goat Cheese
- Blackened Salmon Tacos with Forbidden Rice & Mango Guacamole
- How to Grill Pizza that’s Crispy, Chewy and Ready in only 15 Minutes
Get all of our delicious grilling recipes here!
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
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!
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
-
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.
Recipe Notes
To bake the chicken: after marinating them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake your chicken thighs for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165.
To roast the corn: after seasoning your corn, roast it on a sheet pan lined with foil for 25 minutes at 375 - 400 degrees F.
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on August 25, 2020, and republished on July 21, 2021.
75 comments
It took a while to get all the ingredients as the list is huge but it was delicious!!
Thank you!!
There are quite a few components but all worth it! Glad you loved them!
Can’t wait to make this! What are your thoughts on using a poblano pepper in the cashew sauce rather than a jalapeno?
My thoughts are YES, sounds amazing!
These tacos are so like party in the mouth. So much flavor!! This is your best recipe that I’ve tried.
Absolutely! So glad you loved them 🙂
This recipe is SO BEYOND!! Every single bite was bursting with flavor. I especially loved the zest of the jalapeno lime cashew sauce. Thank you for this creation!
So happy you loved them! That cashew sauce is the best 🙂
Made these tonight – didn’t have corn so I made without the corn and it was sooo good! Can’t wait to try again with the corn.
Perfect! Glad you liked them regardless!
What a great combination of flavors! I loved this recipe a lot, thanks again, Monique. <3
So happy to hear that, Vanessa!
These really are crazy good. I used Trader Joe’s cauliflower thins and didn”t have ingredients for the salsa but wow, those spices on the chicken + corn + the crema made an incredible blend of flavors.
Perfect! Delicious either way 🙂
These were the best chicken tacos ever! I didn’t have corn on the cob, so I used frozen corn and charred it in a pan with the oil and same seasoning. I was afraid my family wouldn’t like the avocado salsa but we gobbled it down with that awesome cashew lime sauce. OMG. The only thing, if you want the sauce spicy, leave some of the seeds in the jalapeno. I was afraid and took all the seeds out and it had very little spice. So yummy!, that sauce can easily be used as a dressing on taco salad as well. Go Monique. You did it again!
My absolute favorite dinner recipe EVER. Everything about it is amazing. Made them with my boyfriend and we were both so satisfied with all the flavors. amazing tacos overall.
These were absolutely amazing! My 19 year old daughter and I loved every bite. This will be a regular for us. I have followed you for well over a year and for some reason just started making your recipes. There hasn’t been one that has disappointed. Thank you for your love of creating and sharing.
Love that! I hope you keep finding recipes here that you like 🙂
I baked my chicken and used Trader Joes frozen roasted corn because I’m lazy and these tacos were still so amazing! They def took taco night to the next (& healthy) level!
Perfect! So happy to hear that 🙂
Absolutely delicious! A meal I will most definitely cook again for the family.
Such a great dinner! Glad you enjoyed!
My girlfriends and I LOVE tacos… Anytime they come to visit they request this recipe. The seasoning on the chicken is one we use even when not eating tacos.
DELICIOUS! I loved them and so did my picky husband! 10/10 will do again! Thank you!! 🙂
So happy to hear that!
Delicious tacos!! Big hit!! Definitely will make these again!!
Glad you loved them!
Made these last night and they were incredible! I love your recipes!
I’m so glad!!
This is a new favorite! Particularly the corn salsa. I love to make it to add to pork tostadas. Or any tacos really! Thanks for the delicious recipe! I need to try the chicken again. My first run I accidentally used a tsp of cayenne instead of a tsp cumin, holy hot!
Love that! Whoops – glad you measured correctly the next time around 😉
The best, FRESH and light tacos! Loved how easy they were and the easy ingredients. Will be adding this to the rotation this summer!
So glad you loved them!!
I baked the chicken as suggested if you don’t have access to a grill (as well as the corn) and they were insanely good!! Will definitely be making again.
Perfect! So glad you loved these!
Oh my word these truly are CRAZY good. Wow, better than what I’ve ordered at restaurants. 10/10!
So happy you loved them!!
To say with my daughter’s words: “the most delicious tacos I have ever had mom!”. Simply amazing! It took me some time to make it but it worths the time!
So happy to hear that!
These were so yummy! I loved the dairy free jalapeño crema! I sadly don’t have a grill (#apartmentlife) but was able to make everything quite easily in a skillet on the stovetop.
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
Amazing!! Becoming one of our households favourite.
So happy to hear that!
Absolutely delicious! A perfect summer dish and so fun and easy! I want to eat this at least once a week so freakin good.
These I have to try!! If I wanted to include dairy in the sauce would I use sour cream plus all the rest of the ingredients for the sauce except the cashews and water??
Yes, I think that should work totally fine! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Delicious, through and through. That jalapeño cashew sauce…so good. My three children loved it as well! All it needed was a margarita 😜
SO happy to hear you all loved it! Yay!
Okay well wow. First off I would like to say I have never written a review for ANYTHING. These were spectacular. Since quarantine started my mom and I have dedicated each Tuesday to try a new taco recipe & have stuck with it. This is BY FAR our favorite. Everything just goes so well together. We made a side salad of watermelon/feta/mint too and it paired really nicely. I plan on making these again for our cook out for Father’s Day. Highly recommend!!!!!
OMG thank you so much for your review, Mia!! I’m so thrilled to hear that you guys loved them. That side salad sounds incredible, too 🙂
OH. MY. this was nothing short of AMAZING! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! I almost didn’t bother making the cashew cream (was just going to use sour cream) but so glad I did .. so easy and ridiculously delicious. YUM! (oh and I just boiled the cashews, we you suggested .. cos if course I didn’t think to allow soaking time!)
YAY I’m so happy you loved these! Isn’t that cashew cream DELICIOUS?! 🙂
We are not huge taco people, but I had to try these because they looked amazing and we love so many of Monique’s recipes. I left out the jalapeno (subbed in some cayenne) and otherwise made the recipe exactly as listed. They were AMAZING. We all loved them, even my picky teenager who otherwise would never touch avocado. The chicken was SO good, I could easily use it for other meals as well. We’re adding this to our list of repeat-meals!
Oh YAY, I’m so happy you guys loved these!! Can’t wait for you to make them again 🙂
My husband declared these “the best tacos he’s ever had” and we eat a lot of tacos!
No way!! I’m SO thrilled to hear that! 🙂
I have not made the recipe yet. We are trying to eat less meat. If I try to substitute tofu for the chicken, how would you suggest I prepare it?
Many thanks!
Hi Cynthia! I have a post on how to grill tofu–I’d recommend doing that! You can use the same sazon seasoning that’s on the chicken in the taco recipe, if you’d like 🙂
“Crazy good” is spot on! These are amazing!! The marinade for the chicken is so flavorful and the cashew lime sauce really ties it all together. I’ve eaten these for 4 dinners this week already, and I can’t get enough! Thank you for the recipe!
Oh, so happy you agree!! One of my fav dinners, too. Yay! 🙂
These look amazing!!! How would you recommend cooking the corn if you don’t have access to a grill?
Thanks!
Hi, Allyson! I’d recommend roasting the corn, or you could cut it off the cob and saute it with the spices in a pan 🙂
Sorry just saw this now will be making this soon can i use mushrooms as am a vegan i never had tacos before perfect for my after office meals will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Can i use my new air fryer or oven for this as i dont have a grill at home
Hope you love these! I don’t have an air fryer but if you’ve had luck cooking chicken and veggies in it, I’m sure it’ll work!
Oops sorry i meant can i use mushrooms as am a vegan i tried french fries in air fryer it worked
Oh sorry I misread that! Yes mushrooms would be soooo good in here 🙂
Is there another nut you would recommend as a substitute for the cashews?
Hmm I haven’t actually tried anything else in here! Sunflower seeds might work 🙂 Or yogurt if you eat dairy!
So flavorful and easy!
Yay!! Glad you loved them!
I cannot wait to make these!!! Yum!
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
The name says it all. Crazy good. I’ll be making this again soon.
I used boneless/skinless chicken tenders instead of thighs. I also couldn’t find raw cashews at my grocery store, so I used lightly salted cashew pieces from the nut isle. I didn’t soak them, I skipped that step.
I tried making the cashew lime sauce in a food processor, but it just made a mess. So I used my immersion blender and it worked great.
I loved the results. I won’t change a thing next time.
Highly highly recommend!
Yay!! I’m thrilled to hear you loved these, Liz! Glad to know those cashews + the immersion blender worked well 🙂