Fried Chicken Street Corn Tacos (Print)

Crispy fried chicken tacos with zesty corn salad and tangy ranch.

# Ingredients:

→ For the Chicken

01 - 680 g chicken tenders
02 - 240 ml pickle juice
03 - 355 ml buttermilk, divided
04 - 190 g all-purpose flour
05 - 32 g cornstarch
06 - 1 tablespoon garlic powder
07 - 1 tablespoon paprika
08 - 2 teaspoons salt
09 - 2 teaspoons onion powder
10 - 2 teaspoons black pepper
11 - 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
12 - 2 tablespoons hot sauce
13 - Peanut oil or vegetable oil, for frying

→ For the Street Corn Salad

14 - 5–6 ears corn, husked and grilled
15 - 80 ml mayonnaise
16 - 1 garlic clove, minced
17 - 1 lime, juiced and zested
18 - 35 g scallions, sliced
19 - 35 g Cotija cheese, grated
20 - 15 g cilantro, minced
21 - 1 jalapeno, diced
22 - 0.5–1 teaspoon chili powder
23 - 0.25 teaspoon salt

→ For the Jalapeno Lime Ranch

24 - 180 ml mayonnaise
25 - 180 ml sour cream
26 - 1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning
27 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
28 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
29 - 60 g pickled jalapenos, sliced
30 - 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno juice
31 - 15 g cilantro, leaves only (large stems removed)
32 - 1 tablespoon lime juice
33 - 60 ml buttermilk (milk can substitute if necessary)

→ For Assembly

34 - Flour tortillas
35 - 1 strip bacon per taco, cooked until crisp and diced
36 - Neutral oil, for pan-frying tortillas
37 - Lime wedges, for serving

# Directions:

01 - In a medium bowl, mix pickle juice and 120 ml buttermilk. Submerge chicken tenders in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight.
02 - Mix flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, salt, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne powder in one bowl. In a separate bowl, blend 235 ml buttermilk with hot sauce.
03 - Pat dry the marinated chicken. Coat each piece thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture, dip in the buttermilk-hot sauce mix, then return to the flour blend for a second coating. Rest until the flour forms a slightly tacky surface.
04 - Heat oil in a deep fryer or cast-iron skillet to 175°C. Fry chicken in batches, turning occasionally, until golden and the internal temperature reaches 74°C. Drain on paper towels.
05 - Grill husked corn until slightly charred on all sides. Remove from heat and slice kernels from the cob. Combine grilled corn, mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice and zest, scallions, Cotija, cilantro, jalapeno, chili powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate until assembly.
06 - In a food processor, blend cilantro, pickled jalapenos, and jalapeno juice until mostly smooth. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Fold in cilantro-jalapeno purée and lime juice. Gradually incorporate buttermilk until sauce is pourable. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
07 - Heat a skillet over medium-low with a few tablespoons of neutral oil. Fry tortillas one or two at a time on each side until golden but still flexible. Drain on paper towels.
08 - Place a fried chicken tender in each warm tortilla. Top with a generous scoop of street corn salad, drizzle with jalapeno lime ranch, and sprinkle over crispy bacon. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

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