Description
How to make healthy street corn chicken rice bowl with tender chicken, charred corn and creamy cilantro lime sauce for a satisfying weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein & Base
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1½ cups jasmine rice, rinsed
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Street Corn Components
- 3 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- ½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Seasonings & Aromatics
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 limes, juiced and zested
Fresh Toppings
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cook Rice: Combine rice and chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18 minutes until tender and fluffy.
- Season Chicken: Toss chicken pieces with cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and half the garlic. Let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb flavors while you prep other ingredients.
- Char Corn: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and cook 4-5 minutes until golden and slightly charred, stirring occasionally.
- Cook Chicken: In the same skillet, add remaining oil and chicken. Cook 6-8 minutes until golden brown and cooked through, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
- Make Sauce: Whisk together mayonnaise, crema, remaining garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, and lime juice in a small bowl until smooth and well combined.
- Combine Corn: Return charred corn to the skillet with chicken, add half the sauce and half the cotija cheese. Toss gently to coat everything evenly.
- Assemble Bowls: Divide rice among four bowls, top with chicken and corn mixture. Drizzle with remaining sauce, sprinkle with cotija, cilantro, jalapeños, and lime zest.
Notes
- Don’t skip charring the corn – it’s what gives this bowl its authentic street food flavor.
- Store sauce separately to keep rice from getting soggy during meal prep.
- Chicken thighs stay more tender than breasts but either works fine.
- Taste jalapeños first as heat levels vary dramatically between peppers.
- Leftover sauce keeps for a week and tastes amazing on tacos or grilled vegetables.
- For meal prep, assemble components separately and combine when ready to eat.
Allergy Information: Dairy, Eggs
Nutrition
- Calories: 485 calories
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Protein: 28g