Description
Mexican street corn meets crispy fried chicken in these irresistible tacos, combining spicy jalapeño lime ranch with smoky bacon. Corn tortillas cradle golden chicken and elote-style corn, creating a flavor-packed street food experience you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 egg
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Wet Ingredients and Additional Components:
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 6 small flour or corn tortillas
- 1 cup Mexican street corn (corn, cotija cheese, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder)
- 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Immerse chicken strips in buttermilk for a minimum of 30 minutes to tenderize and infuse flavor.
- Create a dynamic breading mixture by combining flour, panko, cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in one container, while whisking egg in a separate bowl.
- Extract chicken from buttermilk, carefully dunk into whisked egg, then thoroughly coat with seasoned flour mixture, ensuring complete coverage.
- Heat cooking oil to precisely 350F in a deep skillet, gently lowering coated chicken and frying until achieving a rich golden-brown exterior, approximately 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer crispy pieces onto paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Craft zesty jalapeno lime ranch by blending ranch ingredients, tasting and adjusting seasonings for balanced flavor profile.
- Gently warm tortillas, layer with fresh lettuce, place crisp fried chicken, sprinkle street corn, crumble bacon, scatter fresh cilantro, and generously drizzle with spicy jalapeno lime ranch.
- Serve immediately, accompanied by tangy lime wedges for an extra burst of citrus brightness.
Notes
- Marinate chicken longer in buttermilk for extra tenderness and deeper flavor infusion.
- Toast panko breadcrumbs beforehand to enhance crispiness and add nutty undertones to the coating.
- Use a thermometer to maintain consistent oil temperature, preventing greasy or undercooked chicken.
- Swap regular flour with gluten-free alternatives for a celiac-friendly version without compromising crunch.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 395 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg