crispy chicken chili verde street corn tacos
say that 5 times fast
One of the most popular What to Cook recipes of all time (and one of the oldest!) is my chipotle cheddar chimichanga tacos. I wrote that recipe in 2021 and it still remains a personal favorite. And yet, earlier this week when I had a craving for them — and a kid home sick from school, and a husband away on his billionth business trip of the month — I couldn’t muster the energy to use both a skillet and a sheet pan. That recipe is by no means hard, I just wanted to … do less.
I love Middle Eastern arayes — where spiced ground meat is stuffed into pita then pan-seared until the pita is crispy and the meat is cooked through. I realized that I could follow that same concept, but with a tortilla, to make crispy tacos without having to cook the meat first.
So we are stuffing tortillas with ground chicken, corn, diced green chiles, cheese, and spices; baking them to golden, crispy perfection; and serving them alongside a simple and tasty lime crema. Flavor-wise, they (very abstractly) harken chicken chili verde (a Mexican stew) and Mexican street corn (aka elote — grilled corn coated with mayo, chili powder, lime, and cheese). All that to say: these are delicious. And they’ll be ready in just over 30 minutes and with only two bowls to wash afterward! (You’re also using two sheet pans, but we’re covering them with parchment so you shouldn’t even have to wash them.)
Enjoy the chaotic sound effects of having a sick kid home helping me film this video!
My children won’t touch a regular taco because everything just falls out and frustrates them, but all three of them LOVED THESE. I couldn’t believe it. Cash ate four and the big boys ate two each. They are not spicy, so you don’t even need to adapt the recipe.
On the other hand, if you wish they were spicy, you can add a few teaspoons of your favorite Mexican hot sauce to either the crema or meat mixture.
If you want more chicken chili verde flavor in your life, try my chicken chili verde burgers. You can either grill or bake them! If spring hasn’t quite sprung yet where you live (or even if it has), there’s green chicken tortilla soup. And if you’re in the mood for a low-lift street taco but not chicken, I highly recommend these three-ingredient chorizo street tacos.
Makes about 20 tiny tacos, or 12 (6-inch) tacos
Cook time: 35-40 minutes
Tools:
Small bowl
Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken (see shopping note in the notes section below)
1 (14-ounce) can white corn, drained
1 (4-ounce can) diced green chiles, drained if watery, but mine weren’t
3 teaspoons taco seasoning (ideally sodium-free, see notes), divided
1 1/8 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded cheddar, pepper jack, or Monterey Jack cheese
20 “street taco” tortillas (either flour or corn — flour are easier to work with)
Cooking spray
1/2 cup creamy white thing (mayo, sour cream, Greek yogurt — I like using 1/4 cup mayo and 1/4 cup sour cream!)
1 lime
Position an oven rack in the top 1/3 of your oven, then preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 pound ground chicken, 1 can drained white corn, 1 can diced green chiles (drain them if they seem watery, but if there is just a small amount of thick liquid that’s fine to keep), 2 teaspoons taco seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 cup of shredded cheese.
If using corn tortillas, wrap the stack in damp paper towels (or a damp dish towel) and microwave for 30 seconds, or until pliable (aka you can bend them in half and they won’t break!). If using flour tortillas, you can skip this step.
Scoop a big spoonful of the meat mixture (yes, the raw meat mixture, trust the process, it’ll cook!) onto half of a tortilla. Fold the other half of the tortilla over top and press it closed. To make cheesier tacos, you can sprinkle a little extra shredded cheese over the ground meat before you press the tortilla closed. Also, if you are using corn tortillas and they still break in half when you fold them over, don’t sweat it — you’ll get the same outcome!
As you assemble your tacos, add them to the parchment-lined sheet pans, at least 1 inch from each other. Repeat until you’ve used all of the meat. Spray the tacos all over with cooking spray, flip them, and spray the second side.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden-brown and crispy.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of a creamy white thing, 1 teaspoon taco seasoning, the juice of 1/2 lime, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt.
Let the tacos cool for a few minutes, then dig in.
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Grocery shopping/ingredient notes:
Ground chicken: First of all, ground turkey is a great swap! In either case, check the packaging and if possible, buy your ground meat with no added water or fillers. If your store doesn’t sell any without it, you could ask the butcher to grind some fresh. If they can’t, add a tablespoon of panko to the meat mixture to offset that extra moisture.
Taco seasoning: Look at the ingredient list of your taco seasoning. If salt is listed, reduce the amount of salt you add to 1/2 teaspoon.
“Street taco” tortillas: If you can’t find small “street taco” tortillas, go with 12 (6-inch) tortillas (any kind) and use a heaping 1/3 cup of the meat mixture filling for each taco. When making these, I used half flour (specifically, Mission “street taco” tortillas) and half corn (Mi Rancho’s “slider” tortillas).
I want to make these really healthy: Use whatever tortillas work best with your health preferences, but when I’m eating really clean, I love using Siete almond or cashew tortillas. For the sauce, use greek yogurt. You can omit the cheese, but add 1 egg and 1/3 cup breadcrumbs or almond flour to keep the meat moist.
Prep ahead: Assemble your tacos up to a day ahead of time, wrap the sheet pans tightly with plastic wrap, and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
Riff: Make these into meatballs! Add 1 egg and 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (or almond flour). Roll into golf ball-sized meatballs. Bake for 18-20 minutes. You could throw some broccoli on the sheet pan to roast too!
Freezer friendly/love your leftovers: Leftovers will be great stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. These freeze beautifully, too — once cool, store them in a Ziploc or whatever container you use for freezing. Reheat from frozen in a 425°F oven for 10 to 15 mins. If reheating from the fridge, reheat in a 425°F oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or throw ’em in the air fryer at 450 for like… 4 minutes??
Gimme some greens: I kept mine greens free to both simplify things and increase the odds of child approval (which worked!), but you could finely chop a handful or two of spinach and add it to the meat mixture. Or, add some minced cilantro to your crema and/or the meat mixture.
I’m cooking this for Cinco de Mayo/I want to bulk the meal up: I didn’t even realize until after I’d written the recipe that Monday is Cinco de Mayo! We all know by now that it’s more of an American construct than a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, but I’ll take any opportunity to celebrate the country of Mexico and its incredible cuisine. If you are hosting this weekend (or just want to add a side to this meal), here are a few ideas:
Esquites salad (without the chicken)
The dankest taco salad (without the turkey)
Grilled summer squash and zucchini with charred scallion and cotija salsa
Vegetarian: Swap the chicken out for 2 drained cans of black or pinto beans! Or use vegan ground “meat.”
Dairy-free: DF shredded “cheese,” or see the “I want to make these really healthy” note above for what to do if you’re omitting the cheese. Use a DF creamy thing, like mayo or a dairy-free sour cream or plain yogurt.
Gluten-free: Use corn, almond flour, or another non-flour tortilla.
I have half a lime now… Quarter it and squeeze it into your water glasses!
Ground chicken: Ground turkey, ground beef (90/10% preferred), or 2 cans of black or pinto beans (drained)
Can of white corn: Kernels cut off of 2 medium ears of corn or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn — no need to thaw first BUT if your frozen corn has a bunch of ice crystals on it, run the corn under water to melt all those away first so they don’t add a lot of moisture to the mixture. If you hate corn, you can swap in 1 medium zucchini or 1 or 2 red bell peppers, diced small.
Diced green chiles: Four-ish ounces of drained salsa verde (or any salsa), 2 minced chipotle peppers in adobo (this will give it a smoky, spicy kick), or a minced fresh or pickled jalapeño (with or without seeds, depending how spicy you want it)
Taco seasoning: If you can’t find taco seasoning, make one by combining 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. You could also use fajita seasoning or another Mexican spice blend.
Shredded cheddar: Shredded pepper jack, Monterey Jack, Mexican, or even mozzarella cheese. Omit if needed (see dairy-free note above).
Tortillas: See the “street taco tortillas” note above. If you’re not feeling tortillas, add 2 tablespoons neutral oil to a skillet and cook the chicken mixture over medium heat until the chicken’s cooked through (breaking the meat into crumbles as you cook). Mix it with chopped romaine and make this spicy crema dressing for a taco salad. Or use lettuce leaves for “tortillas” after cooking the meat mixture. Or add it to a bed of tortilla chips, melt cheese all over (in the oven or microwave), and drizzle it with crema for nachos.
Cooking spray: Use your fingers, a basting brush, or a paper towel to very lightly coat the tacos in a neutral oil like avocado or canola.
Creamy white thing: 1 large, very ripe avocado mashed
Lime juice: Lemon juice, a splash of a light-colored vinegar like rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, or even some orange juice for a bit a sweetness
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Editor: Molly Ramsey
I just made this for lunch and yum!! Raw chicken was perfectly cooked after 20 minutes in the oven. This recipe is a keeper!
I can’t wait to make this!! My kid loves quesadillas because everything doesn’t fall out like with a taco. But cooking all of us quesadillas takes so much time because there’s only so much room in the pan! This is such a great method.