Cheesy Chicken Street Tacos
Easy and delicious cheesy chicken street tacos that are just like what you'll find on the streets of Los Angeles. This recipe calls for my marinated chicken thighs, which can be prepared in bulk and frozen to pull out for an easy meal whenever the craving hits!
Ingredients
- 12 oz cooked marinated chicken for tacos click for recipe, 12 oz cooked comes from about 1 lb raw chicken
- 6-8 oz shredded oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
- 16 extra small corn tortillas (I use "taqueira style") or 8 extra small flour tortillas (double up corn tortillas but not flour)
- ½ cup white onion diced (~¼ large onion)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 lime sliced into wedges, for serving
- ⅓ cup chicken stock or water for heating up tortillas, use for corn only
- spray oil
Instructions
- Begin with 12 oz of cooked, prepared chicken from the Marinated Chicken for Tacos recipe. I make this chicken in bulk, freeze the cooked chicken in 12 oz portions, and defrost to use in this recipe for a quick meal. Warm the defrosted chicken in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, as you prepare the rest of the meal (skip if chicken has been freshly prepared and is still warm). Add a splash of chicken stock or water to the meat if it seems a bit dry.
- Meanwhile, prepare the tortillas - For corn tortillas, give a pair of tortillas a quick dip in water or chicken stock, shake off any excess, then place in a pan over medium heat (still stacked). Cook for about 30 seconds, then flip the stack and cook for about 30 seconds more. Keep the pair of corn tortillas together and use them to make one taco. Tent with foil to keep warm as you work through all the tortillas. I typically do two stacks at once. (Flour tortillas should not be doubled and don't need a dip in the water/stock, just warm them for about 30 seconds per side)
Melting the Cheese
- Next we'll melt the cheese, please note this process can be a bit difficult, but it matches the process at my favorite taco stand. You can use as much or as little cheese as you like, measure with your heart.
- Set a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and grease it with spray oil. Once hot, take about 2-3 tablespoon of the shredded cheese and form it into a disk about the size of the tortilla in the pan (you can probably fit two at once). Let the cheese cook undisturbed until the bottom begins to brown, about 1 minute.
- Once the cheese is ready, grab a pair of your prepared corn tortillas (or 1 flour tortilla) and use it to scoop up the disk of cheese onto the tortilla. The cheesy tortillas are now ready for assembly, so tent them under foil to keep them warm.
- Work through the rest of the tortillas in batches (remember to keep the corn tortillas together in pairs and treat them as if they are a single tortilla).
Assembly
- Divide the chicken evenly between the prepared cheesy tortillas, then top with onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime to taste.
Notes
Begin with 12 oz of cooked, prepared chicken from the Marinated Chicken for Tacos or Chicken Al Pastor recipe. I like to make this chicken in bulk, freeze the cooked chicken in 12 oz portions, and defrost to use in this recipe for a quick meal.
Sometimes it's nice to make a few cheesy tacos and a few regular tacos, so you can easily mix and match. Check out my Chicken Street Tacos recipe for the non-cheesy version (or just skip the cheese steps).
Oaxaca cheese is somewhat similar to mozzarella, so subbing pre-shredded mozzarella cheese reduces the prep time for this recipe. Note, Oaxaca cheese has a bit more flavor than mozzarella, so you may notice some difference.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 tacoCalories: 220kcal
Love this recipe?Join us on Instagram to never miss a new post!