Description
So I was craving Mexican street corn (you know, elote – that amazing grilled corn slathered in mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime) but wanted something more substantial for dinner. That’s when inspiration struck! Why not turn those incredible flavors into a whole meal? This bowl combines juicy, spiced chicken with lime-cilantro rice and all the components of street corn in one ridiculously satisfying dinner. It’s basically the best parts of street food transformed into a hearty rice bowl that you can make at home without hunting down a food truck.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts if you must, but thighs are juicier)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (or more, I won’t judge)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Juice of 1 lime
For the Lime-Cilantro Rice:
- 1½ cups white rice (I like jasmine or basmati)
- 2¼ cups chicken broth (better than water, trust me)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (or more if you’re a cilantro fiend like me)
For the Street Corn Topping:
- 3 cups corn kernels (from about 4 ears fresh corn, or frozen corn works too)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely diced (leave some seeds if you like heat)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ½ red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise (the real stuff, not the light kind)
- 2 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream
- ⅓ cup crumbled cotija cheese (feta works in a pinch)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, plus more for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Juice of 1 lime
For Assembly:
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Extra lime wedges
- Extra cotija cheese
- Handful of cilantro leaves
- Sliced jalapeños (for the brave)
- Hot sauce (I like Cholula or Valentina)