Teriyaki Street Tacos with Mustard Aioli

Sweet teriyaki chicken served with all the typical taco ingredients and drizzled with a tangy mustard aioli makes this street taco the best of both worlds.

I love tacos, I love teriyaki, I love avocados, I love hot and spicy, and cheese on anything just tastes better. So, why not put them all together and make the most amazing tasting taco with flavors from two corners of the world. Would they be Mexanese tacos? Maybe Jacos? Or, simply yum yum tacos!

You don’t normally see teriyaki anything served with cheese, but it works. The sweet and salty come together really well, and the mustard aioli is the like the glue that brings the flavors in sync.

This was the first time I’ve ever made these tacos, so when I said it’s what we’re having for dinner, everyone said, “Hmmmm. Sounds good, Mom.” Well, let’s not get too excited about it.

But when they tried them, wow, the “hmmm" became “mmmm.”  

At my house when I try something new, we all give our opinions and vote with a “peat” or “repeat.” This definitely was a repeat. So Sunny got out the camera and it became today’s post.

Some may think when you read the recipe for the teriyaki, it sounds really sweet with the one to one ratio of soy sauce to sugar. But it has to be on the sweet side to stand up to the saltiness of the cheese, the spiciness of the jalapeños, and tanginess of the mustard aioli. Of course, you can adjust the sweetness to your own taste too, and add less sugar.

If you’re not a chicken person, go ahead and use beef. I promised Kerry the next time I make these, I’d use flank steak, so I don’t have to hear, “Chicken again?”

Makes 12 to 15 

Tacos:

• 4 chicken thighs, deboned
• ​1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Dash of ginger powder, or a few scrapes of fresh ginger
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 2-3 fresh jalapeños, sliced thin
• 1 avocado, diced
• About 1 cup of finely shredded Kraft Mexican Style Cheddar Jack        
• or cheddar cheese, finely grated
• Thinly shredded lettuce
• Snipped chives for garnish
• Street Taco corn tortillas, 3-inch round, also called Taquito Style tortillas

Aioli:

• 1/3 cup mayo
• 4 T yellow mustard

​Combine the sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Marinate the chicken for a couple of hours.  

Prepare the aioli and set aside in a small serving bowl.

Save the marinade. Place the chicken in skillet and cook on medium heat, about a few minutes on each side. They don’t have to be cooked through. Add the marinade to the pan and cook the chicken until the marinade is thick. Remove chicken and slice into strips.

Warm the tortillas in a tortilla warmer, or wrap them in a small towel and microwave for a minute or two. Smear the tortilla with the mustard aioli and assemble the taco with all the ingredients.