Description
How to make street corn chicken rice bowl with charred corn, tender chicken and cilantro lime rice that delivers 40g protein in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein & Base
- 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Street Corn Components
- 4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 2 limes, juiced and zested
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Seasonings & Aromatics
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Start Rice: Combine rice and chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18 minutes until tender and fluffy.
- Season Chicken: While rice cooks, toss chicken pieces with cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Make sure every piece is well-coated for maximum flavor impact.
- Cook Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken and cook 6-8 minutes until golden brown and cooked through completely.
- Char Corn: In the same skillet, add remaining oil and corn kernels. Cook 4-5 minutes until charred in spots, stirring occasionally for even browning throughout.
- Make Sauce: Whisk together mayonnaise, Mexican crema, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, and minced garlic until smooth and well combined for coating.
- Combine Everything: Add cooked chicken back to the skillet with corn. Pour in half the sauce and toss to coat everything evenly and warmly.
- Assemble Bowls: Divide rice among bowls, top with chicken-corn mixture, remaining sauce, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately while everything is still warm.
Notes
- Don’t skip the charring step for corn – it adds essential smoky flavor that makes this special.
- Store leftover sauce separately to prevent rice from getting soggy in the fridge.
- Frozen corn works but pat it completely dry first to achieve proper browning.
- Double the sauce recipe because everyone always wants more on their bowl.
- Chicken thighs are more forgiving than breasts and won’t dry out as easily.
- Fresh lime juice makes a huge difference over bottled – trust me on this one.
Allergy Information: Dairy, Eggs
Nutrition
- Calories: 485 calories
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Protein: 42g