No products in the cart.

Crispy Chicken Tacos

June 4, 2025

15 minutes

easy

4-6

Crispy Chicken Tacos with Corn Salsa (Easy + Flavor-Packed)

Made with rotisserie chicken, baked ‘til crisp, and topped with a zesty corn salsa inspired by a Girl & the Goat flavor bomb. 🌽🔥

These crispy chicken tacos are pure weeknight magic—golden-edged, flavor-loaded, and topped with the freshest homemade corn salsa you’ve ever tasted. The best part? They start with a store-bought rotisserie chicken, simmered in dark beer and chicken broth until irresistibly juicy. Tucked into tortillas, baked until crisp, and finished with that dreamy coconut-lime corn salsa… they’re a total afterglow bite. 🌽🔥

That corn salsa? It was born from a flavor investigation. After an unforgettable dinner at Girl & the Goat in LA, we couldn’t stop thinking about the grilled corn with spiced coconut caramel. When the waiter gave us a few hints—Tajín, lime, cotija—we hit the kitchen and got to work. A little YouTube sleuthing introduced us to sambal (aha, the heat!). For our version, we swap in chili crunch as a final topping—it’s easier, crowd-friendly, and adds just the right spark.
🔥 Like it hot? Try sambal instead! Just start with a tiny amount and adjust to your liking—it brings the heat fast, but wow, it’s worth it.

If you’ve ever stared at a rotisserie chicken and wanted to do something amazing with it—this is your recipe. It’s weeknight-friendly, layered with bold, cozy flavor, and finished with craveable crunch and cool toppings.

Hot, crispy, cheesy corn tortillas. Creamy avocado. Beer-soaked chicken tucked under golden folds.
A final drizzle of chili crunch ties it all together.
This is comfort food with flair—and yes, it all comes together in under an hour.

Make it for Taco Tuesday, girls’ night in, or any weeknight that needs a glow-up.
Hello, crispy tacos… you’re not going to know what hit you. 🌮✨

✨ Want the Full Backstory?

These tacos didn’t just show up—they came from a night out at Girl & the Goat, a bestie sleepover, and a whole lot of kitchen magic. 🎶💃 From coconut caramel revelations to sambal deep dives and a smirk that said “let’s make this ours”—you’ll find all the flavor and fun behind the recipe right here:

👉 Read the blog post that started it all »

Crispy chicken taco topped with corn salsa, chili crunch, cotija cheese, tomato, and fresh cilantro
Looking for more comforting, flavor-packed meals? Check out our [other recipes here]!

🛒 Shop My Kitchen Favorites!

Love the tools and ingredients used in this recipe? I’ve gathered my favorite must-haves to make cooking easier and more enjoyable. [Click here] to check out my Amazon store for everything I used!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

No Reviews

Ingredients

Adjust Servings
FOR THE CORN SALSA
1½ to 2 ears grilled corn, cut off the cob (a bit charred is great!)
½ can coconut cream
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons caramel (or sweet soy or brown sugar for backup)
1 teaspoon Tajín
½ juice of lime (add more to taste)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
dash of paprika
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
6 green onions, sliced (more to your liking)
Optional a small dab of Sambal - 1/4 tsp (for heat—just a touch!)
FOR THE CHICKEN FILLING
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ cup dark beer (like Modelo Negra)
½ cup chicken broth
Salt + pepper, to taste
FOR ASSEMBLY & TOPPING
8 small corn tortillas
Olive oil (for brushing)
8 slices American cheese (or more as desired)
½ cup cherry bomb tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, diced
Handfull of green onion, sliced
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Chili crunch or chili oil drizzle
Optional: Mexican crema for drizzling

Nutritional Information

🌟 Nutrition (Per Serving – 2 tacos)
632 calories
47.8g carbs
36.5g fat
28g protein

Directions

1.

Grill the corn

We grilled our corn on the Big Green Egg until charred in spots—it gave the salsa a deep, smoky flavor we absolutely loved. If you’ve got a grill, go for it! No grill? No problem: Place whole ears of corn (husks removed) on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil in the oven on high for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly charred in places. Let cool slightly, then slice the kernels off the cob.
Charred grilled corn on a Made In baking sheet, ready for slicing and salsa prep
💡 Using frozen corn? Thaw and sear it in a hot dry skillet until it picks up some char—it works beautifully and adds great flavor.
Mark as complete
2.

Make the sauce

In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together: ½ can coconut cream 1 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp caramel 1 tsp Tajín Juice of ½ lime ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp chili powder Dash of paprika Warm gently until smooth and fragrant (don’t let it boil).
Grilled corn next to a cast iron skillet on a stovetop burner with fresh cilantro in a white pitcher—ingredients for coconut corn salsa
Mark as complete
3.

Finish the corn salsa

Add your grilled (or charred) corn to the sauce and stir to coat. Turn off the heat and fold in a handful of chopped cilantro and 5 sliced green onions. Taste and add a tiny dab of sambal if you like heat—just a touch goes a long way. We swapped chili crunch instead of sambal for the final drizzle over the taco.
Creamy coconut corn salsa in a cast iron skillet with fresh cilantro on the side and a wooden spoon
Mark as complete
4.

Prepare the chicken

In a small skillet over medium heat, combine shredded rotisserie chicken with: ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp chili powder ½ tsp paprika ½ cup dark beer (we used Modelo Negra) ½ cup chicken broth Salt + pepper, to taste Simmer for 8–10 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and drain in a colander—you want it moist but not wet.
Rotisserie chicken surrounded by grilled corn, fresh cilantro, green onions, and lime—ingredients for crispy chicken tacos
Mark as complete
5.

Preheat oven & prep tortillas

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Stack your corn tortillas and microwave for 20 seconds to soften—this helps keep them from tearing. Then pour a bit of olive oil into a bowl and dip each tortilla until both sides are lightly coated and flexible. Lay a slice of American cheese in the bottom of each tortilla (a whole slice works best for full cheesy coverage) Nestle each tortilla into a taco rack or between rolled-up pieces of foil in a baking dish to help hold their shape while baking.
Corn tortillas with slices of American cheese nestled into a taco rack, ready for filling and baking
Mark as complete
6.

Assemble & bake

Spoon the drained chicken over the cheese. Bake at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden and crispy. Keep an eye on them near the end—they go from golden to toasty fast!
Corn tortillas layered with American cheese and filled with shredded chicken, nestled in a taco rack ready for baking
Mark as complete
7.

Now let’s layer up

After removing the tacos from the oven, it’s time to pile on the flavor. Spoon the warm, saucy corn mixture generously over the top of each crispy taco. Then layer with: Sliced green onion Fresh avocado chunks Cherry bomb tomatoes Crumbled cotija cheese A drizzle of chili crunch And if you’d like, a swirl of Mexican crema to finish it all off ✨ Serve warm and get ready for major happy dance energy at the table. 🌮💃
Crispy taco filled with chicken, corn salsa, avocado, green onion, cotija cheese, and finished with a layer of chili crunch
Mark as complete
8.

Time to Enjoy

Grab a plate, take a taco, and dive in. Let the crunch, the creaminess, the tangy heat all hit at once.
Messy crispy chicken tacos topped with avocado, corn salsa, chili crunch, crema, and cilantro—partially eaten on parchment paper
Bonus points if you’re standing over the counter with juice running down your hand. That’s the afterglow. 🌮✨
Mark as complete

Notes

💛 Thank you for cooking with me! I hope your kitchen smells amazing, your dish turned out beautifully (even if a little messy), and someone you love is hovering nearby, ready for seconds. If you made this recipe, I’d love to hear how it went—or how you made it your own. Tag me @sourdoughafterglow or just know I’m cheering you on from my flour-dusted kitchen. That’s the afterglow: A little flavor, a little mess, and a moment that becomes a memory.
Print
Bookmark
Tags

Leave a Reply

INSTAGRAM FEED