Elote-Style Street Corn Chicken Tacos

Elote, Mexico's iconic street corn, inspires these weeknight tacos with its creamy, chili-kissed finish. Charred chicken thighs meet sweet corn, cotija, and lime for a handheld twist on the classic snack.

Serves 4 · 20 min prep · 20 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 610 cal
• 36g protein
• 48g carbs
• 32g fat
• 7g fiber

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1.25 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, finely diced
• 12 small corn or flour tortillas
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 lime wedges for serving

Instructions

1. 1In a medium bowl toss the chicken thighs with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, lime juice, and olive oil until evenly coated; let marinate 10–15 minutes.
2. 2Heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat until very hot; add the remaining oil.
3. 3Cook the chicken thighs 5–6 minutes per side without moving them too much until deeply charred and cooked through (165°F internal); transfer to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes before chopping into bite-size pieces.
4. 4In the same hot skillet add the corn kernels in a single layer and cook undisturbed 3–4 minutes until charred in spots, then stir and cook 1 more minute; transfer to a mixing bowl.
5. 5To the charred corn add mayonnaise, remaining lime juice, half the cotija, half the cilantro, diced jalapeño, and salt; stir until creamy and well combined—this is your elote topping.
6. 6Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet 20–30 seconds per side or wrap in a damp towel and microwave 30 seconds until soft and pliable.
7. 7Build each taco with a generous scoop of chopped chicken, a big spoonful of the creamy elote corn mixture, a few avocado slices, and a final sprinkle of remaining cotija and cilantro.
8. 8Squeeze fresh lime over the top just before eating so the flavors pop.
9. 9Serve immediately with extra lime wedges and hot sauce on the side for customizing heat levels.
10. 10These tacos stay vibrant and don’t get soggy if you keep the elote mixture separate until assembly.