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This street corn chicken rice bowl is an easy, flavor-packed meal made with juicy seared chicken breasts, over white rice, and topped with a delicious street corn salad. It’s simple to make, satisfying, and perfect for a quick dinner or meal prep.
I love chicken and rice bowls with any kind of veggies, and my kids always devour them without fail, no matter how differently I prepare them for them. It always inspires me to develop different chicken and rice bowls.
If you are looking for chicken meal prep ideas, this street corn chicken rice bowl is just perfect. You will love all the flavors of the classic Mexican street corn converted into a full meal with chicken served over rice.
Recipe Overview
Ingredient & Substitutes
Below is just a highlight of the ingredients I used and what you can substitute them with to make it your own. Full measurements are further down in the recipe card.
- Chicken Breast: I prefer chicken breast because it’s lean and delivers high-quality protein. Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are fine to use as well.
- Olive oil: You can swap this with any oil you have on hand that you normally cook with. Or you can use avocado oil.
- Lime: If you don’t have lime, you can use lemon.
- Garlic clove: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Corn kernels: fresh works or just use frozen and thaw them ahead. In a pinch, canned corn will do.
- Mayonnaise: I like to use lite mayo. You can use an avocado oil-based mayo.
- Sour cream: You may also use light sour cream or thinned Greek Yogurt. But I have to say, sour cream tastes great with this whole street corn concept.
- Long grain white rice (or jasmine rice): Any rice you prefer to use is fine, like brown rice or even quinoa.
- Optional: chopped fresh cilantro or green onion for garnishing.
- Seasonings: chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt
- Crumbled cotija cheese: This is the cheese typically served with street corn. You can swap it for other crumbly cheeses, such as feta or Queso fresco.
How To Make Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl
Marinate the Chicken: Before I start to do anything, I marinate the chicken a bit. In a bowl, mix the chicken with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and lime juice. Let it sit while rice cooks and other ingredients are prepped (10–15 mins is enough).
Cook the Rice: While the chicken marinades, I start cooking the rice. Rinse rice until the water runs clear. Bring rice, water/broth, and salt to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam for 5 mins, then fluff with a fork.
Cook Chicken & Corn Mixture: As the rice is cooking, I start cooking the chicken and the street corn mixture. What you need to do:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle a little oil if needed. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 5–7 minutes, turning it until mostly cooked through and lightly browned.
Add the corn directly to the pan with the chicken and stir frequently to char the corn slightly and finish cooking the chicken for about 4 more minutes.
Mix in Street Corn Flavors: Lower the heat to medium. Stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, and chili powder directly into the skillet. Toss everything to coat. (The mayo/sour cream mixture will slightly melt and become creamy). You may add a splash of broth or filtered water to help.
Simmer everything for a couple of minutes to meld the flavors. Squeeze in lime juice and season with salt to taste. Remove from heat and stir in cotija cheese, cilantro, or green onions if using.
Assemble the Bowls: Divide the rice into 4 bowls. Top with the creamy street corn chicken mixture. Garnish with lime wedges and fresh cilantro, if desired.
Recipe Tips From My Kitchen
- I like to pat the chicken dry before seasoning so it sears nicely and gets golden.
- When you are done cooking the chicken, let it chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing to keep it juicy.
- Try grilling or charring the corn for extra flavor. If not don’t even worry!!!
- Taste the street corn salad before assembling and adjust salt or lime as needed. If you want to make it a bit spicy, add in some chopped jalapenos or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
- Use warm rice so everything layers together nicely. If you want to keep it low-carb, swap the rice for this cilantro-lime cauliflower rice.
Common Questions
Yes. Boneless, skinless Chicken thighs work well and stay very juicy. Just cook them a bit longer.
Yes. Store the chicken, rice, and street corn salad separately and assemble when ready to eat. This dish is perfect for meal prepping.
White rice is classic, but brown rice, jasmine rice, or cilantro lime rice all work well.
Yes. You can skip the cheese altogether or use a dairy-free alternative. The bowl will still be flavorful.
Storing & Reheating
- Storing: Leftovers can be placed in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: I find it best to reheat this meal in the microwave at 30 second increments until it is heated through.
More Chicken Bowls
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Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Juice of ½ lime, or lemon
Street Corn Mixture:
- 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, lite works
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, lite, or fat-free
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- Juice of ½ lime
- Kosher salt to taste
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese, or crumbled feta cheese
- chopped fresh cilantro or green onion, optional
Rice Base:
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice, jasmine rice or brown rice works
- 3 cups water, or chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
- In a bowl, mix the 1 pound chicken breast with 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and Juice of ½ lime.
- Let it sit while rice cooks and other ingredients are prepped (10–15 mins is enough).
Cook the Rice:
- Rinse 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice until the water runs clear. Bring rice, 3 cups water, and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let steam for 5 mins, then fluff with a fork.
Cook Chicken & Corn Mixture:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle a little oil if needed. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 5–7 minutes, turning it until mostly cooked through and lightly browned.
- Add the 2 cups corn kernels directly to the pan with the chicken and stir frequently to char the corn slightly and finish cooking the chicken for about 4 more minutes.
Mix in Street Corn Flavors:
- Lower heat to medium.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 clove garlic, and ¼ teaspoon chili powder directly into the skillet. Toss everything to coat. (The mayo/sour cream mixture will slightly melt and become creamy). You may add a splash of broth or filtered water to help. Simmer everything for a couple of minutes to meld the flavors.
- Squeeze in Juice of ½ lime and season with Kosher salt to taste.
- Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese, chopped fresh cilantro or green onion (optional), or green onions if using.
Assemble the Bowls:
- Divide the rice into 4 bowls. Top with the creamy street corn chicken mixture.
- Garnish with lime wedges and fresh cilantro, if desired.
Notes
- Chicken: I like to use breast, but chicken thighs will work too. If you want to use a different protein, try shrimp or salmon bites.
- For the rice, you can do white rice, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
- I used canned corn, but fresh or frozen are great options.
- This meal is great for meal prepping and will last in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat in microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
