This chicken street tacos recipe is a quick and satisfying way to bring vibrant, fresh flavors to the table. Made with seasoned chicken, warm tortillas, and all your favorite toppings, these tacos are perfect for weeknight dinners, casual gatherings, or Taco Tuesday. They’re easy to make and even easier to love—especially when served hot and loaded with fresh Pico and crumbled Cojita cheese.
When it comes to taco night, easy street tacos are always a hit in our home. We love mixing things up with dishes like walking taco casserole with Fritos, dutch oven pulled pork recipes (also called carnitas), and fajitas on the Blackstone—but there’s something undeniably fun and flavorful about hand-held tacos filled with juicy meat and fresh toppings.
This is one of those chicken street tacos recipes that’s so simple yet feels like a treat. It’s a great way to break out of your routine and bring restaurant-style flavor right into your own kitchen. If you’re on the hunt for new Mexican dinner ideas, this one deserves a spot on your weekly menu.
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Why We Love This Easy Street Tacos
- Easy to make.
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this authentic and easy street tacos recipe, and there are several shortcuts you can take. - Comes together quickly.
Weeknights are busy for everyone, which is why we specialize in creating recipes for 30-minute meals. This Mexican meal can be on your table in just under 30 minutes! - Packed with flavor.
The combination of seasonings, pico de Gallo, jalapeños, and cotija cheese means that this dish is chock full of authentic Mexican flavors!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken: To keep things simple, we often use rotisserie chicken, as it makes the prep work even easier. If you want a different option, feel free to use our cast iron skillet chicken thighs. Or check out our instant pot shredded chicken tacos recipe to make it so easy!
- Jalapeños: The chiles bring a mild heat to this street taco recipe. If you like things that are fiery hot, use habaneros.
For a mild heat that’s similar to jalapeños, substitute with either poblano or Anaheim chiles.
If you don’t like spicy foods at all, you can omit the peppers altogether. - Cotija cheese: Crumbly, creamy, and mild, cotija cheese is easy to find in the supermarket these days. That said, you can substitute it with feta or crumbled goat cheese if you’d like.
- Tortillas: We use corn tortillas to keep things authentic with this street food dish, but you can use flour tortillas, or even hard taco shells if you like them better. Or make these chicken wonton tacos if you don’t have any tortillas on hand.
- Seasonings and garnish: We recommend using our recipe for chicken taco seasoning recipe to add more flavor to the meat. You’ll also need pico de Gallo and cilantro as garnish!
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
When making chicken street tacos with leftover chicken, reheat the meat with a splash of chicken broth or a squeeze of fresh lime juice to keep it moist and flavorful. This not only revives the meat but also enhances its taste, making it as delicious as when it was freshly cooked.
Recipe Variations
- Grilled chicken street tacos: Swap the skillet for the grill! Marinate chicken breasts in a mix of olive oil, lime juice, garlic powder, ground cumin, paprika, and a pinch of salt. After 30 minutes, grill chicken until cooked through, then slice and serve in tortillas with avocado slices, shredded lettuce, and your favorite salsas.
- Spicy chicken tacos with guacamole: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs and season them with chili powder, oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook in a hot pan until charred and juicy. Top with creamy guacamole, shredded cheese, and a drizzle of hot sauce for an extra kick.
- Chicken street taco bowls: Skip the tortillas and serve the chicken taco mixture over Mexican rice and refined beans for a hearty taco bowl. Add diced red onion, fresh cilantro, and a spoonful of salsas. Finish with a squeeze of lime and serve with crispy tortilla chips on the side.
- Sheet pan chicken tacos with veggies: Toss chopped chicken breasts, sliced bell peppers, and onions with a blend of spices, olive oil, and a little marinade made with lime and garlic powder. Roast everything on a sheet pan until golden. Pile into warm tortillas and top with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and creamy guacamole.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Skillet
- Baking dish
- Non-stick cooking spray
Want a little extra fiber and protein with your meal?
Check out our recipes for cooking pinto beans in a crock pot! Both are great side dishes on their own, but they would be fantastic stuffed inside with the meat and toppings, too.
How to Make Chicken Street Tacos Recipes
- Use pre-cooked protein.
Rotisserie chicken is relatively inexpensive, especially at warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club. Shredding the meat while it’s still hot makes the job much easier, too.
- Remember to sauté the vegetables.
There are plenty of foods that raw onion is delicious on, but chicken street tacos aren’t one of them. The flavor of raw onion tends to overpower the mild flavor of the poultry.
As for the jalapenos, sautéing is recommended. Cooking chili peppers, even for just a couple of minutes, mellows and slightly sweetens their flavor.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Make them crispy! If you’ve never considered baking tacos before eating them, you’ve been missing out! Make sure to preheat your oven and warm the tortillas in the microwave first. Then, refer to the baking instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
The results may change the way you eat this meal from now on because baking gives crispy edges to the chicken street tacos. This adds flavor and texture – extra deliciousness!
- Warm and spray the tortillas to make them pliable.
Corn tortillas are very stiff straight out of the package. To make folding easier, pop them in the microwave between sheets of paper towel for 10 seconds or so. Then, spritz both sides with cooking spray. This way, when you assemble the chicken street tacos, the fillings won’t spill out.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Add seasoning to the meat. Whether you decide to cook the chicken yourself or use a rotisserie bird for this street taco recipe, you have to add some more flavor. You can do so by sautéing with taco seasoning, onions, and jalapeños.
Serving Suggestions
For a complete meal, offer sides like a refreshing corn salad. Don’t forget to set up a toppings bar for guests to customize their tacos!
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Add some extra flavor. Once your tacos are done baking, here comes the fun part! Add your pico, cilantro, and cotija. Then, for more flavor, add fresh crema avocado, sour cream, or any other garnish that tickles your fancy. Once your tacos are done baking, here comes the fun part! Add your pico, cilantro, and cotija. Then, for more flavor, add fresh avocado crema, sour cream, or any other garnish that tickles your fancy.
Recipe FAQs
The name comes from the fact that, originally, this Mexican food was sold in carts along the street. Because kitchen space is minimal, the ingredients in them are slightly different from other types of authentic Mexican tacos. Street tacos primarily include meat, onion, and cilantro.
Vendors typically fill the tortillas with shredded or diced chicken, beef, or carnitas (pork).
This dish is best enjoyed fresh. If you do end up with leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days — any longer and the tortillas will get very soggy.
Reheat your tacos in the microwave in 30-second increments until warm. You can also reheat them in a skillet on the stove, or even in an air fryer.
Considering a Taco Tuesday Feast? Check Out Our Top Recipes…
If you tried this chicken street tacos recipes or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chicken Street Tacos Recipe
Equipment
- skillet
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- non-stick cooking spray
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken *See Notes
- 2 teaspoons chicken taco seasoning
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper or roasted jalapeno, seeded and minced
- cooking oil spray
- 12 6-inch corn tortillas or other taco-size tortilla
- 1 cup Pico de gallo
- 3 Tablespoons cilantro chopped
- ⅓ cup Cojita crumbled
- ¼ cup avocado crema optional
Instructions
- Add cooked chicken, seasoning, onions, and jalapeno pepper to a non-stick skillet. Sauté on medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Spray baking dish with cooking oil and set aside.
- Wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds (or until warm and pliable). Spray tortillas on both sides with cooking spray.
- Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup of chicken mixture. Fold in half and place in baking dish. I used a small bowl to hold them in place upright until the dish was filled with all the tacos.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the tortillas are crispy and the edges of the chicken is browned. Top with Pico de gallo, cilantro, and Cojita cheese and serve. Optional: top with avocado crema or sour cream.
Notes
- Chicken: Any type of shredded cooked chicken can be used. Rotisserie chicken is a convenient option.
- Grilled chicken street tacos: Swap the skillet for the grill! Marinate chicken breasts in a mix of olive oil, lime juice, garlic powder, ground cumin, paprika, and a pinch of salt. After 30 minutes, grill chicken until cooked through, then slice and serve in tortillas with avocado slices, shredded lettuce, and your favorite salsas.
- Spicy chicken tacos with guacamole: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs and season them with chili powder, oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook in a hot pan until charred and juicy. Top with creamy guacamole, shredded cheese, and a drizzle of hot sauce for an extra kick.
- Chicken street taco bowls: Skip the tortillas and serve the chicken taco mixture over Mexican rice and refined beans for a hearty taco bowl. Add diced red onion, fresh cilantro, and a spoonful of salsas. Finish with a squeeze of lime and serve with crispy tortilla chips on the side.
- Sheet pan chicken tacos with veggies: Toss chopped chicken breasts, sliced bell peppers, and onions with a blend of spices, olive oil, and a little marinade made with lime and garlic powder. Roast everything on a sheet pan until golden. Pile into warm tortillas and top with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and creamy guacamole.
- When making chicken street tacos with leftover chicken, reheat the meat with a splash of chicken broth or a squeeze of fresh lime juice to keep it moist and flavorful. This not only revives the meat but also enhances its taste, making it as delicious as when it was freshly cooked.
- Make them crispy! If you’ve never considered baking tacos before eating them, you’ve been missing out! Make sure to preheat your oven and warm the tortillas in the microwave first. Then, refer to the baking instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
The results may change the way you eat this meal from now on because baking gives crispy edges to the chicken street tacos. This adds flavor and texture – extra deliciousness! - Add seasoning to the meat. Whether you decide to cook the chicken yourself or use a rotisserie bird for this street taco recipe, you have to add some more flavor. You can do so by sautéing with taco seasoning, onions, and jalapeños.
- Add some extra flavor. Once your tacos are done baking, here comes the fun part! Add your pico, cilantro, and cotija. Then, for more flavor, add fresh crema avocado, sour cream, or any other garnish that tickles your fancy. Once your tacos are done baking, here comes the fun part! Add your pico, cilantro, and cotija. Then, for more flavor, add fresh avocado crema, sour cream, or any other garnish that tickles your fancy.
- This dish is best enjoyed fresh. If you do end up with leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days — any longer and the tortillas will get very soggy.
- Reheat your tacos in the microwave in 30-second increments until warm. You can also reheat them in a skillet on the stove, or even in an air fryer.
Nutrition
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Harriet Young says
Yummy! These tacos were packed full of flavour and the whole family loved them.
Erik says
This really was so easy to make! It’s going to be out new Taco Tuesday go to!
chara says
Love this recipe will try this later, thanks for sharing
Lavina says
Thse street tacos were so good! The avocado crema paired so well with them! Recipe saved and will be making them again and again.
Ned says
These chicken street tacos are delicious and are completely Big Game verified! I cannot wait to serve these up on Sunday! Thank you so much!