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This post is all about how to make my Fried Chicken Street Corn Tacos with bacon and a creamy jalapeño lime ranch. These fried chicken tacos are dripping in flavors that will overwhelm you! Not only is the chicken perfectly seasoned and crunchy, the street corn is crunchy and so addictive. Then you add the creamy, spicy, tangy sauce on top – you’ll be in an absolute heaven!
Smoky, crunchy, tangy, sweet – these tacos are ALL the things! Crispy tender chicken, tangy sweet street corn, spicy creamy sauce, smoky bacon and it’s all wrapped in a pan-fried flour tortilla shell.
These addictively delicious fried chicken tacos start with crunchy, country-fried chicken tenders. I marinade the tenders in pickle juice and buttermilk to ensure they are super tender with a subtle tangy pickle flavor.
This post is all about fried chicken tacos topped with street corn and jalapeño-lime ranch, an absolute fan favorite!
Street Corn Fried Chicken Tacos
This street corn salad is one of the best you’ll ever make – crunchy sweet corn that’s blackened on the stove or grill, scallions, lime zest, a little fresh garlic are just some of the ingredients that make this salad so full of flavor!
One of my favorite elements of this fried chicken taco is the jalapeno lime ranch. This is a sauce that I reuse again and again in my recipes because it’s so flavorful and addictive. This is my copycat version of Chuy’s famous creamy jalapeno. Considering this is what Chuy’s is best known for, it’s no wonder why this sauce works so well on these tacos, or just to enjoy with tortilla chips.
Sometimes you come across a recipe that you HAVE to make. You can’t stop thinking about it, like it almost makes you drool and you can taste it just by looking at photos. I recently made a cheesy brisket version of this taco, Brisket Street Corn tacos but I couldn’t stop thinking about how good this would be with fried chicken instead.
This taco idea hasn’t left my mind since and today was the day I finally brought this idea into fruition. If I am being honest, I almost like it more than the brisket. It is a totally different vibe but it’s probably more MY style than the shredded beef.
My Favorite Tools for these Fried Chicken Tacos
These are some of my favorite tools to make my absolute favorite taco right now – this fried chicken taco.
Metal Tongs – these are an extension of my hands in almost every recipe
Pyrex Mixing Bowls – for mixing up my sauces, corn, and toppings
What if I don’t have time to make the fried chicken?
If you’re looking for a shortcut way to enjoy these tacos, I highly recommend grabbing a to-go order of your favorite chicken tenders from a nearby restaurant. Ideally you can visit a chicken joint like Slim Chickens, Raising Cane’s, Gus’, etc. but some chain restaurants have good tenders too. Longhorn and Red Robin have some of my favorites.
Key ingredients needed for this over-the-top delicious fried chicken tacos:
Seasonings: cayenne powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dry ranch seasoning, salt and pepper
Sauces/Condiments: olive oil, peanut/vegetable oil, mayo, pickled jalapenos, pickle juice,
Dairy/meat: buttermilk or milk, sour cream, cojita cheese, chicken tenders, bacon
Produce: Limes, cilantro, scallions, corn on the cob, garlic
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Did you love this Fried Chicken Tacos Recipe? Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback. Don’t forget to tag me on IG with any photos; @BadBatchBaking and use #BadBatchBaking
Fried Chicken Street Corn Taco with Jalapeno Lime Ranch
Ingredients
- Bacon, cooked crisp and diced 1 strip per taco
- Flour tortillas
Chicken Tender Marinade
- 1.5 lbs. chicken tenders
- 1 cup pickle juice
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Chicken Coating
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne powder
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1.5 cups buttermilk
- peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying chicken and for pan-frying shells
Street Corn Salad
- 5-6 ears of corn husked and grilled in a skillet/grill
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- 1/3 cup sliced scallions
- 1/3 cup grated cojita cheese
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 1/2-1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Jalapeno Lime Ranch
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapenos 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup depending on how spicy you prefer
- 2 tablespoons juice from pickled jalapenos
- 3/4 cup cilantro large stems removed
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 cup buttermilk milk could be used as substitute
Instructions
Frying Chicken
- Add pickle juice and buttermilk into a medium bowl. Submerge chicken then cover with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but it’s best if you can let it sit overnight to truly get the flavor of pickle juice.
- Once ready to fry the chicken, put the flour mixture in a medium-sized bowl: flour, cornstarch and seasonings. In a seperate medium bowl, add buttermilk and hot sauce into stir until combined. Add a few tablespoons of the buttermilk into the flour and stir to create crumbs that will stick to the chicken.
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or deep fryer. Preheat to 350°F.
- Taking the chicken pieces one at a time, pat them dry from marinade. Place in the flour mixture, then dunk into the buttermilk/hot sauce. Then back into flour mixture, make sure the chicken is well coated. Shake off any excess.
- Set the chicken aside and let it sit for a few minutes until the coating starts to look a little pasty. Use seperate hands for wet and dry handling to prevent flour caking on your fingers.
- Carefully add chicken strips to the fry oil a few at a time. Don't add more than three or four pieces at at time. You will need to fry in batches so you do not overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees, turning every few minutes.
Street Corn Salad
- Grill up the corn and carefully slice it off the cob. Combine all street corn ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until you’re ready to use. You can make this a day ahead for maximum flavor and ease.
Jalapeno Lime Ranch (Chuy's Creamy Jalapeno Copycat Recipe)
- In a food processor (or blender works too), puree cilantro leaves with the pickled jalapenos and their juice. Puree until mostly smooth, scraping down the sides a few times. In a mixing bowl, add the mayo, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Mix well to combine.
- Pour cilantro mix directly into the sour cream mixture. Stir to combine. Add lime juice, then add in buttermilk a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Store in a mason jar or a bowl tightly sealed. Refrigerate up to five days. Best served chilled so they flavors have time to meld together.
Assemble
- Add a few tablespoons of neutral oil to a skillet over medium low heat. Add tortillas 1-2 at a time and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes or until they are golden brown but still pliable. Place pan-fried shells on a few layers of paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Assemble the taco by adding one chicken tender, a scoop of the elote salad, and a drizzle of the sauce. Serve with lime wedges.
I saw this and sent it to my friends. They demanded that I make it. My wife’s birthday was coming up and she said you can make this for me.
Everyone raved how good it was! I will definitely be making this again. I had to adjust the recipe to cut back on the heat for my wife. What I did do is slice a jalapeno on the side. I made my guacamole recipe to add on the side. The bacon was definitely a game changer.
Thanks for the recipe.
This is the best sauce I’ve ever made to put on tacos. It’s a staple now. YUM!!
These are absolutely amazing! Have made them twice so far. Just pre-prep everything a day in advance so it goes quickly on a week night. Have tossed left-overs in a salad and that was delicious as well. Definitely a keeper in the regular menu rotation. Thanks so much for sharing this delicious and amazing recipe.
I have never left a review before but after making these last night I had to. They were the best tacos I have ever made. My 12 year old loved the chicken and the tacos. She said I have to make chicken like this all the time now. Thank you so much for this recipe . It will definitely be one of our favorites now!!
Hi Jennifer – It’s comments like these that inspire me to keep innovating in the kitchen! Thank you so much for sharing. -Mallory
I seriously don’t normally leave reviews for recipes… but my husband literally said these are the best tacos he’s ever had, which is high praise because he has had all the tacos lmao. They were so delicious, thanks for the recipe.
Hi Tamara – this is so wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, it’s so wonderful to hear this feedback.I’m thrilled you guys loved it.
I have to admit I did cheat with the chicken and air fried some crumbed chicken tenders. I also made the sauce and corn in the morning, so it was a quick to put together dinner that everyone absolutely loved. So good that I am making them when my family comes for a holiday from Australia next week. Delicious thanks so much for a fabulous recipe.
Made these yesterday and they were fantastic! My picky son who hates sauces even said they were good. My husband had 3! I do recommend making the sauce and corn ahead of time, as stated (I did same day, but in the early afternoon so they had about 3 hours to sit). The only changes I made were to not grill fresh corn, but Green Giant actually has frozen street corn, so I used that. And I fried 2 tortillas and knew no one would want it like that, so I ate those myself and just warmed the others in the microwave for the fam. Oh, I used juice from banana peppers instead of pickle or jalapeno to marinate the chicken. So, no outrageous changes and as my daughter said, “These are to DIE for!!”
These look divine! Will be making them next Saturday.
Couple of questions:
-do you have an air-fryer edition for the chicken?
-in a pinch, do you think frozen chicken tenders made in air fryer are a reasonable substitute?
-if unable to get fresh corn, do you recommend frozen for canned?
-how many days in advance do you recommend making the corn and sauce? Above both mention making “ahead” but are you talking 1 day or up to 5 or more?
Thank you! I’m so excited to try these (and as my 10-year old said: It’s non-negotiable that we make this!)!
Hi Kristie! Ok first of all, wow your 10 year old is fantastic! What a great palate, he/she knows great food. To answer your questions:
* Frozen or store-bought tenders work perfectly. I’ve ran through Popeyes or gone to the Publix deli to make these in a pinch.
* I haven’t yet mastered a scratch-made “fried” chicken solely in the air fryer that didn’t come out dry. But of course you can use the air fryer if using frozen ones.
* frozen corn would be the next best option, canned corn after that.
* I like to make the corn and sauce 1-2 days ahead but it lasts up to 5 days in the fridge. So when it comes time to assemble it’s so easy!
Let me know how these turn out for you guys!
Hello! Can’t wait to make these for my family tomorrow. How do you recommend frying your tortilla shells? I usually just heat mine up in the oven or microwave but you mention “pan fried tortilla shell” and I haven’t tried that before.
Hi Elise! I am so excited to hear you are going to make these tomorrow. Pan frying the tortillas really takes these to the next level, so it would be fun for you to try if you haven’t before. Heat a skillet to medium low and add a few tablespoons of oil. Place 1-2 shells at a time into the skillet and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side. You want them to have a little crisp but still soft and pliable. Place onto a paper towel lined plate and dab off the excess oil.
I hope these are delicious! Report back and let us know how you and the fam liked them 🙂
alot of steps but O.M.G sooooooo worth it! Thanks for sharing! will be a regular on my menu rotation!
Hi Cathy – I am so thrilled you loved these. Totally agree there are a bit of steps with the sauce, corn, etc. BUT – next time you make them I highly recommend making the sauce and corn the day before so it’ll be so much less work for you once you’re hungry and ready to eat. Thank you so much for trusting my recipe 🙂
I’m an accomplished cook and these are some of the best things I’ve ever made. So delicious!
WOW! Now that’s a compliment. I am so appreciative and very glad you enjoyed 🙂