Street Corn Chicken Tacos

Dairy-free, gluten-free, optional vegan

I don't know a single person who doesn't love tacos. Be it a breakfast, dinner or hearty snack, tacos get the job done. These flavorful, filling and healthy chicken tacos are super easy to customize, so you never get bored or leave anyone in the group feeling left out because of their preferences.

Pro-Tips

Experiment with different types of produce and proteins. Swap the chicken for fish, pork, tofu or black beans. Add shredded carrots, shredded Brussels sprouts, jicama, mangos or other healthy topping of your choice.
Use grain-free tortillas, if you prefer. I like the Siete brand.
If you're looking to reduce carbs overall, serve all of the toppings over a bed of mixed greens, in lettuce cups, or cauliflower rice.
Add nutritional yeast for added vitamins, protein, and "cheesy" flavor.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

1 pounds organic, boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (Short on time? Use a store-bought organic rotisserie chicken and skip the prep)
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional: ¼ teaspoon cayenne (if you like a little heat)

For the grilled corn:

2 ears of corn, washed
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder

For the salsa:

1 avocado, diced
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
⅓ cup finely diced cilantro
¼ cup finely diced red onion
1 lime, juiced
Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste

For the jalapeno lime cashew sauce:

½ cup raw cashews
⅓ cup water, plus more to thin if necessary
1 medium jalapeno, seeded
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
Freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

8 soft corn tortillas
Extra thinly sliced jalapenos
Extra cilantro or avocado

Instructions

Soak the cashews in 2 cups of warm water for at least 2 hours. You can speed up the process by adding the raw cashews to a pot with water and placing over high heat. Bring water to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat; let the cashews sit for about 30 minutes in the hot water, then drain.

Add in raw and cooked vegetables
Make the sauce: Add drained cashews, fresh water, jalapeno, garlic, fresh lime juice, salt, onion powder and black pepper to a blender. Blend on high until sauce comes together. If you want a bit of a thinner sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons more water. Set aside.
While cashews are soaking, marinate the chicken. In a large bowl add chicken, olive oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, salt and pepper. Toss together to coat the chicken and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
Prepare corn: Drizzle corn with olive oil and rub with chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper. Season with additional salt, pepper or herbs to taste.
Cook the chicken and the corn:
- Baked chicken: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake marinated chicken breasts or thighs for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165 F.
- Roasted corn: Roast seasoned corn on a sheet pan lined with foil for 25 minutes at 375 - 400 degrees.
- If using a grill, preheat grill to 400 degrees F. Place the corn and chicken directly on the grill. Turn corn occasionally until charred and cooked for about 15-20 minutes. Grill chicken thighs for 6-8 minutes per side or until fully cooked and the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F.
Allow corn to cool a bit before cutting it off the cob and placing corn into a medium bowl along with following ingredients for the salsa: diced or sliced avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, lime and salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to combine.
Warm tortillas in oven or on grill for a minute. Top each with a spoonful of the jalapeno cashew lime sauce, chicken, street corn mixture, and any other toppings or extra sauce.

Enjoy! xo