Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!! Since it’s also Taco Tuesday, we are having some tasty tacos to celebrate. You’ll love these tacos with seasoned grilled chicken, street corn aka elote and fresh salsa folded into a flour tortilla for an explosion of flavors in every bite. Normally I would roast fresh corn on the grill but it’s not quite corn season so I opted for frozen roasted corn that you can get at Trader Joe’s. It’s the best roasted corn when you’re in a pinch. The corn is mixed with a tangy cream sauce with the flavors of lime, chile, garlic and Cotija cheese. It’s so delicious and makes a wonderful dip or side dish. The chicken is seasoned with a blend of red and green chile spices and a spritz of lime juice. Spoon some fresh salsa on top with a sprinkle of Cotija cheese and you will have one of the best tacos you’ve ever tasted!
To make the elote sauce, you’ll need mayo, sour cream, crumbled Cotija cheese, garlic, cilantro, Guajillo chile and a spritz of lime juice. For those of you who don’t like cilantro, simply delete it.
Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate if not using immediately.
I also suggest making fresh salsa ahead. The ingredients I used are roma tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, avocado and salt. A bit of fresh salsa adds another layer of flavor to the tacos.
I used one half chicken breast and sliced it into bite sized pieces. If grilling, leave the chicken breast whole and slice after it’s grilled. One half chicken breast is plenty for Joe and I.
Having a mini wok makes quick cooking for so many things but you can use a cast iron or non-stick skillet as well. Just heat it to medium high heat, drizzle with oil and add a single layer of the sliced chicken pieces.
Season the chicken and let cook 3 – 4 minutes or until it begins to brown on the bottom.
Turn the chicken pieces over and add another sprinkle of seasoning. Let cook another 2 – 3 minutes. Cook chicken in batches if making more.
Heat another small skillet over medium heat and add 2 cups of corn. You can use fresh or frozen corn. Heat the corn and stir every few minutes until the corn is hot and cooked through.
Add a heaping spoonful of the tangy elote sauce over the corn and stir to blend. If needed add more sauce to taste.
Turn the heat to low and allow the corn to stay warm as you build your tacos.
When using flour tortillas, I always heat them over an open flame of my gas stove top. If you have electric, just microwave the tortillas for 15 seconds to warm them.
Fold the tortillas and divide the chicken between each tortilla.
Spoon some of the elote over the chicken and top with some fresh salsa.
Add a sprinkle of Cotija cheese and a spritz of lime juice. Enjoy!
Chicken Elote Tacos
1/2 Chicken Breast, sliced thin into bite sized pieces
Seasoning Blend, recipe follows
Neutral Oil to cook chicken (I used Grapeseed Oil)
Flour Tortillas, small taco sized
Lime Wedges to spritz over tacos
2 cups Corn, fresh or frozen (I used Trader Joe’s frozen Roasted Corn)
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1 clove Garlic, grated on a microplane grater
1/2 teaspoon Guajillo Chile, roughly ground
1 tablespoon Cotija cheese, crumbled with a fork
1/4 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped
Spritz of Lime Juice
Fresh Salsa
1 medium Roma Tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon Red Onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Jalapeno, finely chopped
1 – 2 tablespoons Avocaco, chopped
1 clove Garlic, grated on a microplane grater
1 tablespoon Cilantro, roughly chopped
Spritz of Lime Juice, to taste
Salt to taste
Combine all the salsa ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.
Seasoning Blend
1 teaspoon Ancho Chile, roughly ground
1 teaspoon Guajillo Chile, roughly ground
1 teaspoon Green Chile Salt, (1/2 teaspoon Green Chile Powder plus 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt)
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Corriander, ground
1/4 teaspoon Chile de Arbol, roughly ground
Combine spices together and store in a spice jar with a lid.
Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, Guajillo chile, cilantro, Cotija cheese and lime juice. Stir well to combine. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
Heat a skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and add a layer of chicken pieces. Lay the chicken side by side, not bunched up so that each piece cooks evenly. Sprinkle with the seasoning blend and let cook 3 – 4 minutes. When browned, turn the chicken and add another sprinkle of spices. Let cook until the chicken has browned approximately 2 – 3 minutes more. Cook in batches if needed.
To make the elote, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the frozen corn and stir well as the corn heats and all liquid has evaporated. Add a heaping spoonful of elote sauce and stir with the corn. If you like more sauce, add more. **Any leftover elote makes a great dip for tortilla chips.
To assemble tacos, heat flour tortillas over an open flame of a gas stove top or microwave 15 – 20 seconds. Add cooked chicken, elote and fresh salsa. Sprinkle Cotija cheese over top with a spritz of lime juice.
Makes 4 tacos
An Inspired Cook 