Description
Mexican street corn meets crispy fried chicken in these loaded tacos, combining spicy jalapeño lime ranch with smoky bacon. Grilled corn, tender chicken, and zesty sauce create an irresistible fusion you’ll crave on lazy summer evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 6 small flour or corn tortillas
- 1 cup corn kernels (grilled or roasted)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh cilantro for garnish
- lime wedges for serving
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Marinate chicken strips in buttermilk for 30 minutes to tenderize and infuse flavor.
- Create a zesty seasoning blend by combining flour with paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Prepare a deep skillet with vegetable oil, heating to 350F for optimal frying temperature.
- Thoroughly coat each buttermilk-soaked chicken strip in the seasoned flour mixture, ensuring complete coverage.
- Carefully lower chicken into hot oil, frying until exterior turns golden brown and crispy, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Transfer fried chicken to paper towels, allowing excess oil to drain and maintaining crispiness.
- Create street corn mixture by blending roasted corn kernels with creamy mayonnaise, crumbled cotija cheese, tangy lime juice, zesty chili powder, and fresh cilantro.
- Craft jalapeno lime ranch by whisking sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, minced jalapeno, chopped cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Warm tortillas over an open flame or in a dry skillet to enhance their flexibility and flavor.
- Assemble tacos by placing crispy fried chicken inside each tortilla.
- Layer with vibrant street corn mixture, sprinkle crumbled bacon, and add chopped red onion for additional texture.
- Generously drizzle jalapeno lime ranch over the filling and garnish with fresh cilantro.
- Serve immediately with lime wedges for an extra burst of citrus.
Notes
- Marinate chicken longer in buttermilk for extra tenderness and deeper flavor penetration.
- Use gluten-free flour blend for a celiac-friendly version of crispy fried chicken.
- Adjust spice levels in flour coating and ranch by reducing or eliminating cayenne and jalapeño for milder taste preferences.
- Consider air frying chicken for a healthier alternative to deep-frying, maintaining similar crispy texture with less oil.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 438 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 610 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg