Street Style Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 600 g chicken fillets, sliced into 2cm strips
- 1 sachet Santa Anna's taco seasoning
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 ml smoked paprika (extra)
- ½ lemon or lime, juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- salt and black pepper
Pickled red onions
- 1 small red onion, sliced paper-thin
- 60 ml white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 15 ml sugar
- 5 ml salt
- 30 ml boiling water
Smashed avo
- 2 ripe avocados
- ½ lemon or lime, juiced
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced (or leave it if you don't have)
- 1 handful fresh coriander (dhania), chopped
- salt, black pepper, pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
To build the tacos
- 12 Santa Anna's corn tortillas (from the kit)
- 1 sachet Santa Anna's smoky chipotle salsa (from the kit)
- 1 tub sour cream
- 1 handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- lime or lemon wedges
- optional extras: shredded cabbage, diced tomato, grated white cheese, fresh jalapeño
Instructions
- 1
Start with the pickled onions — they need 15-20 minutes to mellow from sharp to sweet-tangy. Mix the vinegar, sugar, salt, and boiling water in a small bowl until dissolved. Drop the sliced red onion in, push down so it's submerged. Leave on the counter. It'll turn a beautiful bright pink.
- 2
Marinate the chicken. In a bowl, combine the taco seasoning, extra smoked paprika, olive oil, lemon/lime juice, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Add the chicken strips and toss to coat fully. Leave for 15 minutes while you prep the rest.
- 3
Smash the avo. Halve the avos and scoop into a bowl. Add lemon juice, spring onions, coriander, salt and pepper. Smash with a fork — keep it chunky, not smooth. Taste and adjust salt. Cover with cling film pressed onto the surface to stop it browning.
- 4
Char the chicken. Get a heavy pan (cast iron is perfect) properly hot. Add a splash of oil. Cook the chicken in two batches — crowd the pan and it'll steam instead of char. You want real colour and crispy blackened edges. About 3-4 minutes per batch, tossing once or twice. Rest for 2 minutes.
Tip: Cooking in two batches ensures proper charring rather than steaming.
- 5
Warm the tortillas properly. This step is non-negotiable — cold corn tortillas crack and ruin everything. Best method: hold each over an open gas flame for 10-15 seconds per side until lightly charred and pliable. Stack them under a tea towel to keep soft. No gas? Use a dry hot pan, 20 seconds per side.
- 6
Build the tacos, street-style order. On a warm tortilla: smear of smashed avo (this stops the tortilla going soggy), 2-3 pieces of chicken, a small spoon of chipotle salsa, a pinch of pickled onions, drizzle of sour cream, scatter of fresh coriander. Lime squeeze at the table, always.
Notes & Tips
Keep them small
Street tacos are 2-3 bites each. Overloaded tacos fall apart and lose the point.
Double up tortillas
Two tortillas per taco is the proper street-style move — stops heavy fillings breaking through.
Lime at the table
The lime at the end wakes everything up. Don't skip it, don't pre-squeeze. Wedges at the table.
Build your own
Set out all the components in separate bowls. Everyone builds their own. That's the Alles Lekker way — proper shared eating.
Warm your plates
80°C oven for 5 minutes before serving keeps everything at proper temp.
Drink pairing
Ice-cold Mexican lager (Pacifico or Corona), a margarita if you're fancy, or a crisp local Sauvignon Blanc if you're feeling Cape.
Pantry-raid upgrades
Pinch of ground cumin in the chicken marinade — proper Mexican depth. A splash of soy sauce in the marinade — sounds strange, adds serious umami. Toasted sesame seeds scattered on top — textural win. Braai the chicken instead: even better than the pan — thread the strips onto skewers over high coals.