Description
Crispy fried chicken street corn tacos with bacon and jalapeño lime ranch bring Mexican street food magic to your kitchen. Zesty flavors, crunchy textures, and bold spices create an irresistible meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 pound chicken breast, boneless and sliced
- 0.5 pound crispy bacon, chopped
Dry Ingredients for Chicken Coating:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
Corn and Cheese Mixture:
- 2 cups corn kernels (grilled or canned)
- 0.5 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 0.25 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Jalapeno Lime Ranch:
- 0.5 cup ranch dressing
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
Additional Ingredients:
- 6 flour or corn tortillas
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro for garnish
- 0.25 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Marinate chicken pieces in buttermilk for 20 minutes, ensuring complete coverage to tenderize and infuse flavor.
- Combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish for coating the chicken.
- Remove chicken from buttermilk, thoroughly dredge in seasoned flour mixture, shaking off excess.
- Heat oil to 350°F in a deep skillet and fry chicken pieces until golden brown and crispy, approximately 4-5 minutes per side.
- Sauté corn kernels until lightly charred, then mix with crumbled Cotija cheese, creamy mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, and chopped cilantro.
- Dice bacon and crisp in a separate pan until dark and crunchy, then drain on paper towels.
- Whisk ranch dressing with finely chopped jalapeno, zesty lime juice, and lime zest to create a spicy-tangy sauce.
- Warm tortillas briefly on a griddle or skillet to enhance flexibility and flavor.
- Layer each tortilla with crispy fried chicken, grilled corn mixture, and crumbled bacon.
- Drizzle generously with jalapeno lime ranch and garnish with additional fresh cilantro leaves.
- Serve immediately while ingredients are hot and crisp.
Notes
- Marinate chicken longer for deeper flavor absorption, ideally up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Use boneless chicken thighs for juicier, more tender meat that stays crispy when fried.
- Customize heat levels by adjusting jalapeno quantity in ranch sauce or removing seeds for milder version.
- Replace wheat flour with cornstarch or gluten-free flour blend for coating chicken.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg