Build-Your-Own Southwest Chicken Tacos with Charred Corn and Lime Crema

Gather everyone around the table for a build-your-own taco night that’s full of bold Southwest flavors. This recipe features tender dark meat chicken seasoned with a smoky spice blend, alongside colorful fajita-style peppers and onions. The star of the show is a creamy charred corn salad with a hint of lime, plus crumbled feta, fresh cilantro and a zesty lime crema to drizzle over everything.

Warm flour tortillas are the perfect vessel for piling on all the toppings, but you can also serve the components over lettuce for a taco salad or with tortilla chips for nachos. It’s a flexible, crowd-pleasing meal that lets everyone customize their plate exactly how they like it.

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Ingredients

1 unit Green Bell PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1.5 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup Feta CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Diced Skinless Dark Meat ChickenView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Chili PowderView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon MayonnaiseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LimeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

6 unit Flour TortillasView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Southwest Spice BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce CilantroView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit CornView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 teaspoon (tsp) SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon (tbsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry produce. Drain the corn and pat it dry with paper towels. Quarter the lime. Halve, peel and slice the onion into ½-inch strips. Core and deseed the bell pepper; slice into ½-inch strips. Roughly chop the cilantro.
2. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and lightly charred in spots, 3-5 minutes. (If the corn begins to pop, cover the pan.) Turn off the heat; transfer the corn to a medium bowl. Wipe out the pan. To the bowl with corn, add mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon chili powder (you’ll use the rest later), ¼ teaspoon sugar and juice from one lime wedge. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lime juice if desired. You can customize the corn salad by also adding as much cilantro and feta as you like; any remaining cilantro and feta will be served alongside the taco bar. Refrigerate the corn salad until ready to serve.
3. Heat a drizzle of oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper; season with the remaining chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened, 3-5 minutes (lower the heat if the veggies begin to brown too quickly). Turn off the heat; transfer to a serving bowl. Wipe out the pan.
4. Open the package of chicken and drain off any excess liquid. Heat a drizzle of oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, Southwest spice blend, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels; microwave until warm and pliable, about 30 seconds. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, juice from one lime wedge, salt and pepper to make the lime crema.
6. Serve the tortillas, chicken, veggies, corn salad, cilantro, feta, lime crema and any remaining lime wedges family style so everyone can build their own plate.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use chicken breast instead of dark meat?

Yes, you can substitute boneless skinless chicken breast, but dark meat stays juicier and more flavorful for this dish. Adjust cooking time as needed.

How can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas and ensure your spice blend and other ingredients are certified gluten-free.

Can I prepare the corn salad in advance?

Absolutely! The charred corn salad can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Stir well before serving.