Fried Chicken Street Corn (Print-Friendly Format)

Crunchy chicken, street corn, and jalapeno lime ranch unite in a delicious taco.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Main Components

01 - 1 strip bacon per taco, cooked crisp and diced
02 - Flour tortillas

→ Chicken Tender Marinade

03 - 1.5 lbs chicken tenders
04 - 1 cup pickle juice
05 - 1/2 cup buttermilk

→ Chicken Coating

06 - 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
08 - 1 tablespoon garlic powder
09 - 1 tablespoon paprika
10 - 2 teaspoons salt
11 - 2 teaspoons onion powder
12 - 2 teaspoons black pepper
13 - 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
14 - 2 tablespoons hot sauce
15 - 1.5 cups buttermilk
16 - Peanut oil or vegetable oil, for frying chicken and tortillas

→ Street Corn Salad

17 - 5-6 ears of corn, husked and grilled in a skillet or on a grill
18 - 1/3 cup mayonnaise
19 - 1 garlic clove, minced
20 - 1 lime, juiced and zested
21 - 1/3 cup sliced scallions
22 - 1/3 cup grated Cotija cheese
23 - 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
24 - 1 jalapeno, diced
25 - 1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder
26 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Jalapeno Lime Ranch

27 - 3/4 cup mayonnaise
28 - 3/4 cup sour cream
29 - 1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning
30 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
31 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
32 - 1/2-3/4 cup pickled jalapenos, depending on preferred spiciness
33 - 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno juice
34 - 3/4 cup cilantro, large stems removed
35 - 1 tablespoon lime juice
36 - 1/4 cup buttermilk or milk, as substitute

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine pickle juice and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Submerge the chicken tenders, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
02 - In a medium bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, salt, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne. In a separate medium bowl, combine buttermilk and hot sauce. Add a few tablespoons of the buttermilk to the flour mixture and stir to create crumbs.
03 - Heat oil in a deep skillet or deep fryer to 175°C. Pat each chicken piece dry, coat in the flour mixture, dip in the buttermilk, then coat again in flour. Shake off excess and let sit until coating looks pasty. Fry chicken in batches, 3-4 pieces at a time, turning frequently, until golden brown and an internal temperature of 74°C is reached.
04 - Grill or pan-sear corn until lightly charred, then cut kernels from the cob. Combine corn kernels with mayonnaise, minced garlic, lime juice and zest, scallions, Cotija cheese, cilantro, diced jalapeno, chili powder, and salt. Mix well and refrigerate.
05 - Puree cilantro, pickled jalapenos, and pickled jalapeno juice in a blender until mostly smooth. In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Combine the cilantro-jalapeno mixture with the sour cream base. Add lime juice and buttermilk, adjusting consistency as needed. Refrigerate.
06 - Heat 2-3 tablespoons of neutral oil in a skillet. Pan-fry tortillas one or two at a time until golden but still pliable. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
07 - Layer each tortilla with fried chicken, street corn salad, and a drizzle of jalapeno lime ranch. Serve with lime wedges.

# Additional Information:

01 - For maximum flavor, marinate chicken overnight.
02 - The street corn salad can be made a day ahead.
03 - Serve the jalapeno lime ranch chilled for the best flavor.

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