Chicken Street Tacos with Cotija, Cilantro, and Creamy Tomatillo Dressing Recipe
These Chicken Street Tacos feature juicy, seasoned chicken breasts cooked to perfection in a skillet, served on warm corn tortillas and topped with fresh cilantro, raw onion, purple cabbage, crumbly Cotija cheese, and a drizzle of creamy tomatillo dressing. A flavorful and easy-to-make recipe perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or casual gathering.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings (12 tacos total) 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Toppings
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cups chopped purple cabbage
- 1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
- 1 recipe Creamy Tomatillo Dressing (about 1 cup)
Other
- 12 small corn tortillas
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat skillet: Heat a large non-stick skillet or grill pan over medium heat and spray it heavily with cooking spray to prevent the chicken from sticking.
- Prepare chicken: Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness or slice them lengthwise to create thinner cutlets. This ensures the chicken cooks evenly.
- Season chicken: In a small bowl, combine salt, ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. Generously season both sides of the chicken breasts with this spice mixture.
- Cook chicken: Place 3 chicken breasts in the hot skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until fully cooked through. Cook the chicken in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Slice chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and slice into bite-sized strips.
- Warm tortillas: Heat the corn tortillas in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds or warm them on a skillet until pliable and hot.
- Assemble tacos: Place chicken strips down the center of each tortilla. Top with chopped cilantro, raw onion, purple cabbage, sprinkle with Cotija cheese, and drizzle with creamy tomatillo dressing.
- Serve: Repeat assembly with remaining ingredients and serve tacos immediately for optimal flavor and texture.
Notes
- For even cooking, be sure to pound chicken breasts to uniform thickness.
- Cooking in batches prevents overcrowding which ensures proper searing.
- If you don’t have Cotija cheese, queso fresco is a good substitute.
- The creamy tomatillo dressing adds a tangy freshness that complements the spices well.
- Use fresh cilantro and raw onion for authentic street taco flavor and crunch.
Keywords: chicken street tacos, cotija cheese, tomatillo dressing, Mexican tacos, easy chicken tacos, quick dinner, corn tortillas, cilantro tacos
