Verde Chicken Street Tacos
Verde Chicken Street Tacos are built around grilled chicken seasoned with a bold green-chile style rub, tucked into warm corn tortillas, and finished with onion, cilantro, and hot sauce. The flavor is clean, savory, a little spicy, and perfect for anyone who likes tacos that let the meat do most of the work.
Verde Chicken Street Tacos
One of the best parts of this recipe is how little it needs to feel complete. The chicken brings the main flavor, the tortillas hold everything together, and the onion and cilantro add the sharp, fresh contrast that street tacos are known for. That balance keeps the tacos from feeling too heavy, which makes them great for weeknights and casual entertaining.
There is plenty of room to change things up. Swap chicken thighs for a richer bite, add a squeeze of lime for brightness, or put out salsa verde, pickled onions, radishes, or cotija for more texture and flavor. You can keep them simple or dress them up depending on who is coming to dinner.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Big Flavor From A Short Ingredient List - The rub uses pantry-friendly spices and still gives the chicken a bold, memorable finish.
- Great For Grilling Season - Everything comes together on the grill, which keeps cleanup easy and the kitchen cooler.
- Easy To Scale Up - This recipe works well for family dinner, weekend guests, or a backyard taco bar.
- Customizable At The Table - Keep it classic with onion and cilantro or set out extra toppings for everyone to build their own tacos.
- Fast Enough For Weeknights - Once the chicken is seasoned, the cooking process moves quickly.
Use my Verde Rub Recipe!
Recipe Shopping List
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Jalapeño Powder - Brings dry heat and a peppery bite without adding extra moisture. Chili powder or ground green chile seasoning can work in its place.
- Mexican Oregano Powder - Adds an earthy, slightly citrusy note that fits taco seasoning blends really well. Regular oregano can be used if that is what you have.
- Garlic Powder - Gives the rub savory depth and spreads evenly over the chicken for consistent flavor in every piece.
- Onion Powder - Rounds out the seasoning and supports the sharp fresh onion used for topping the tacos.
- Flaked Salt - Seasons the chicken and helps the spice mix taste balanced. Kosher salt is a good stand-in.
- Cumin - Adds warmth and a familiar taco-house flavor that ties the spice blend together.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - Lean, easy to grill, and quick to slice for tacos. Boneless skinless thighs are a strong substitute if you want a richer texture.
- Small Corn Tortillas - The classic base for street tacos. They bring a little chew and corn flavor that flour tortillas do not quite match.
- White Onion - Sharp, crisp, and traditional for taco toppings. It cuts through the richness of the grilled chicken.
- Cilantro - Fresh and bright, with that unmistakable taco shop finish. Flat-leaf parsley can step in for cilantro skeptics.
- Hot Sauce - Adds extra heat and acidity at the table so everyone can season their tacos how they like.
Featuring my Verde Chicken Breasts!
How To Make This Recipe
This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat The Grill - Heat your grill to 375°F so the chicken cooks evenly and gets good color without burning the rub.
- Mix The Verde Rub - Stir together the jalapeño powder, Mexican oregano powder, garlic powder, onion powder, flaked salt, and cumin.
- Prep And Season The Chicken - Trim the chicken breasts, cut them into evenly sized pieces, and coat them well with the rub.
- Grill The Chicken And Warm The Tortillas - Grill the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until it reaches 162°F internally. During the last several minutes, warm the corn tortillas in a sealed foil packet on the grill.
- Rest, Slice, And Build The Tacos - Let the chicken rest under foil for at least 5 minutes, slice it, then divide it among the warm tortillas and top with onion, cilantro, and hot sauce.
Make some Smoked Verde Salsa!
Recipe FAQ
Store the sliced chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep the tortillas and toppings separate for the best texture. That way the tortillas do not get soggy and the onion and cilantro stay fresh.
Reheat the chicken gently in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave in short bursts until hot. Add a small splash of water if needed to keep it from drying out. Warm the tortillas separately right before serving.
Yes. You can mix the rub a few days early and season the chicken several hours before cooking. The cooked chicken can be made a day ahead, chilled, and reheated for an even faster taco night.
Yes, chicken thighs work very well here. They stay juicy and bring a slightly richer flavor. You may need to adjust the cook time a bit depending on thickness.
Try salsa verde, guacamole, pickled red onions, shredded cabbage, lime wedges, radish slices, or crumbled cotija. The base recipe is simple, so it handles extra toppings really well.
Have some Smoked Tomatillo Salsa!
Serve This With...
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Verde Chicken Street Tacos
Your family is going to love these Verde Chicken Street Tacos! This is the kind of easy grill recipe that is perfect for weeknight dinners, but is tasty enough to serve for company.
Ingredients
Rub
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno powder
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons flaked salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Tacos
- 16 small corn tortillas
- ½ cup diced white onion
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to 375°F.
- Mix all of the rub ingredients together.
- Trim the excess fat off of the chicken breasts and cut into uniformly-sized pieces.
- Season liberally with the verde rub. Reserve any excess for another time.
- Put the chicken onto the grill and let cook for 6-8 minutes before flipping and cooking the other side. Continue cooking until the chicken reaches 162°F internally. Let it rest, tented with foil, for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
- During the last 6-10 minutes of cooking, place the corn tortillas inside a foil packet. Seal tightly, and place onto the grill to warm. Flip halfway through.
- Build your tacos by dividing the sliced chicken among the tortillas. You can fill them as full (or not) as you'd like, but it'll affect the total number of tacos you can make. Sprinkle with diced onion and cilantro and serve hot!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 318Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 39g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
