Description
This Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl is a vibrant and flavorful dish combining tender, marinated chicken with charred street-style corn, creamy sauce, and fluffy rice. It’s a perfect blend of smoky, tangy, and mildly spicy flavors, garnished with fresh avocado and lime for a delightful, colorful meal inspired by Mexican street food.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 1 ½ pounds thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
Street Corn Mixture
- 3 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 Cups corn kernels (about 4 ears or use frozen thawed corn)
- ¼ Cup white onion, finely diced
- 1 small jalapeno, finely diced
- ⅓ Cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons sour cream (or crema fresca)
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Other
- 3 Cups cooked rice of choice
- Avocado slices
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- Sour cream or crema fresca (for garnish)
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: Place the thinly sliced chicken breasts into a shallow dish or a ziplock bag. In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Pour this marinade over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Refrigerate and let marinate for at least 30 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the marinated chicken slices in a single layer. Cook the chicken until browned and cooked through, about 7-8 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest and keep warm.
- Prepare the Street Corn Mixture: In the same or a clean large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of avocado oil over medium heat. Add the corn kernels, diced white onion, and diced jalapeno. Sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until the corn is slightly charred and the vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the Creamy Sauce: To the bowl with the cooked corn mixture, add mayonnaise, sour cream (or crema fresca), lime juice, chopped cilantro, paprika, chili powder, and kosher salt. Stir well until the mixture is creamy and evenly combined.
- Assemble the Bowls: Add ¾ cup of cooked rice to each serving bowl. Thinly slice the rested chicken and arrange it on top of the rice. Spoon about ¾ cup of the creamy street corn mixture over the chicken. Garnish each bowl with avocado slices, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and additional sour cream or crema fresca if desired.
Notes
- Use thawed frozen corn if fresh corn is not available.
- Adjust the amount of jalapeno or red pepper flakes based on your preferred spice level.
- For extra flavor, you can char the corn directly on a grill or stovetop grill pan before adding to the skillet.
- Leftover chicken and corn mixture can be stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- This recipe works well with any type of rice—white, brown, or cilantro-lime rice.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Keywords: street corn, chicken rice bowl, Mexican street food, skillet chicken, creamy corn, lime chicken bowl
