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Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl: Flavor Translation

A close-up of a street corn chicken rice bowl featuring white rice topped with seasoned chicken, corn, cotija cheese, and cilantro.
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Build this Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl to get the vibrant, smoky, and creamy taste of Mexican elote combined with tender chicken and rice. This recipe is fast and perfect for weeknight dinners or meal prep.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups cooked white or brown rice
  • 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained, or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt (for creamy sauce)
  • 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese (or feta)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
  • Optional toppings: sliced avocado, red onion, hot sauce

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken: In a bowl, toss the cut chicken pieces with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
  2. Cook the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
  3. Make the street corn topping: In the same skillet, add the drained corn. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until lightly charred. Reduce heat to low.
  4. Create the sauce: Stir the mayonnaise (or yogurt), 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, and the water or broth into the corn mixture. Heat gently until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Do not boil. Stir in half of the cotija cheese and half of the cilantro.
  5. Combine: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and toss to coat everything in the creamy corn sauce.
  6. Assemble the bowls: Divide the cooked rice among four bowls. Top the rice evenly with the street corn chicken mixture.
  7. Finish and serve: Drizzle the remaining lime juice over the bowls. Garnish with the remaining cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. Add avocado or hot sauce if you want more flavor.

Notes

  • For cilantro-lime rice, mix 1 cup of cooked rice with 1 tablespoon lime juice and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro before adding it to the bowl base.
  • If you are meal prepping, keep the rice, chicken mixture, and any fresh toppings separate until you are ready to eat.
  • You can char the corn in a dry skillet over high heat without oil for a smokier flavor, mimicking grilling.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchenslang.com/street-corn-chicken-rice-bowl/