Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl (Printable)
Flavorful chicken and rice bowl topped with Mexican street corn, creamy cotija sauce, and fresh vegetables.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Chicken
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 tsp chili powder
04 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
06 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ For the Rice
09 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
10 - 2 cups water or chicken broth
11 - 1/2 tsp salt
→ For the Street Corn Topping
12 - 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
13 - 1 tbsp butter
14 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
15 - 1/4 cup sour cream
16 - 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
17 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
18 - 1 small jalapeño, finely diced
19 - Juice of 1 lime
20 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
→ For Assembly
21 - 1 avocado, sliced
22 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
23 - Extra cilantro and lime wedges, for garnish
# Directions:
01 - In a medium saucepan, bring water or broth and salt to a boil. Add rice, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-18 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - In a bowl, toss the chicken breasts with olive oil, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Grill or pan-sear over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes per side, until cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice.
03 - In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add corn and sauté for 3-4 minutes until lightly charred. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija cheese, cilantro, jalapeño (if using), lime juice, and chili powder.
04 - Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top each with sliced chicken, street corn mixture, avocado slices, and cherry tomatoes. Garnish with extra cilantro and lime wedges.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It captures all the magic of Mexican street corn but transforms it into a complete meal you can actually eat for dinner
- The sauce-to-everything ratio is absolutely perfect in every single bite
02 -
- The sauce needs to hit room temperature to really come together, so dont rush the assembly step
- Cotija can be hard to find sometimes, and feta works but adds a brighter tang you might want to balance with extra lime
03 -
- Pound your chicken to even thickness so it cooks through without drying out
- Make double the sauce and keep it in your fridge for emergency taco nights