Mexican Street Corn Chicken is everything you love about an Mexican Street Corn, transformed into a wholesome and delicious main dish! Tender chicken breasts are smothered in a delicious corn mixture that holds all of the flavor of traditional Mexican Elote, then baked to perfection. It couldn’t be easier or more delicious!
Mexican Street Corn Chicken – The EASY Way!
We do a lot of chicken dinners in our house. My family loves chicken, and even more so, Mexican food.
But I have never seen my husband AND kids inhale a chicken dish this quickly. Their plates were clean and there were no leftovers to be had.
I should have known since this recipe is based off one of my all time most popular recipes, Mexican Street Corn Casserole!
What makes this meal so GREAT (and easy!) is:
- Can be prepped and in the oven in as little as 10 minutes
- Bakes hands off!
- Both the protein and a side in just one casserole dish!
- TONS of flavor with very little effort!
If you need a dinner the family will love, and doesn’t take much time to make…
THIS IS IT!
What to Serve with Mexican Street Corn Chicken
Since this dish has the classic flavors of Mexican street food, it will pair well with many of your favorite Mexican side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Keep in mind that this dinner is already hearty and wholesome since it contains both chicken and a full side dish sized portion of Mexican street corn all in one dish.
Side Dish Ideas
- Chips with Salsa or Guacamole (this tableside version is SO GOOD!)
- Mexican Rice and black beans
- Sautéed onions and peppers
- Side salad with Jalapeno Ranch (Family favorite!)
- Corn or flour tortillas
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Recipe Notes
This Street Corn Chicken recipe is as simple as promised! Just 3 steps for a family friendly meal from the fridge to your table.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breast– This recipe will work the BEST with thin chicken breasts! This helps the dish to cook more quickly and evenly and keeps it more tender. To get thin chicken breasts you can:
- Buy thin chicken breasts on the shelf at the store
- Cut regular sized chicken breasts in half horizontally (this is what I generally do)
- Pound the chicken breasts to half the thickness
- Corn– You can use canned corn that has been drained or frozen corn that has been thawed
- Sour Cream & Mayonnaise– These combine to make the creamy base for the street corn. I use regular sour cream and mayo, but light can be used with good results as well.
- Queso Fresco– This can be found usually in the cheese section of the grocery store, or sometimes in the specialty Mexican section if they have one in the refrigerated area. It is a crumbly, mild white cheese that perfectly compliments the dish.
Recipe Tips
- Use THIN Chicken! I mentioned it before, but it is worth saying again, because it really will make a difference in how the dish cooks and how tender and juicy the chicken is in the end.
- Use a big enough dish. You want a dish large enough to give the chicken a little space. Cramming it in will cause it to take longer to cook, as well as hold more of the moisture in the dish sometimes making it “watery.”
- Don’t over cook! Chicken is done at 165˚F. The higher above this temperature it is cooked, the more tough the chicken starts to get.
Substitutions
I always recommend trying the recipe as directed first if you are able. There are some substitutions that can be made for preference or if you are in a pinch with the ingredients that still give you great results with the recipe.
- Chicken– Other cuts of chicken can be substituted for chicken breast. You can use most any cut that is boneless and skinless such as chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins.
- Corn– This is obviously a main ingredient. If you don’t prefer to use canned, you can use frozen corn that has been thawed, or freshly cooked corn on the cob that has been cut from the ears.
- Sour Cream– Greek yogurt can be subbed for sour cream.
- Cayenne pepper– This can be ommitted if you want the recipe to have less spice, although it is such a small amount, it really compliments the flavor more than making it spicy!
- Cilantro– If you don’t like cilantro, this can also be left out rather than substituted.
- Queso Fresco– This cheese really adds to the authentic taste of the dish. If you don’t have it on hand, or aren’t able to find it, you have a few options:
- Leave it out- It is still very good, even without cheese
- Use another cheese- Cojita would be the best substitution.
- Use Cheddar or Monterey Jack- These will not make it taste authentic, but they will still be delicious.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Prep the Street Corn Mixture up to 48 hours in advance– You can mix up the corn mixture to top the chicken up to 48 hours in advance. This will allow you to have the dish in the oven in minutes when you are ready to cook.
- Prepare the dish up to 12 hours in advance– you can prep the chicken and topping and have it in the casserole dish in the fridge up to 12 hours before you are ready to cook. When cooking from cold like this, the dish may take 5-8 minutes extra to cook.
- Cook the chicken in advance– If you need to cut the cooking time down, you can season and precook the chicken breast (store in fridge until ready to make) and when ready to cook, spread the corn mixture over it and cook for 15-20 minutes or until it all heats through.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Spicy Street Corn Chicken– Make recipe as directed adding in 1/4 cup diced jalapeno. You can also add additional cayenne pepper into the corn mixture to get more spiciness.
- Loaded Mexican Street Corn Chicken– Get more deliciousness with black beans and sweet bell pepper. Make as directed adding 1 cup of black beans and 1 sweet bell pepper (any color) diced into the corn mixture. With the additional volume of veggies, it may take 5-8 minutes longer to cook.
- Light Mexican Street Corn Chicken– Lighten this recipe up by reducing the mayonnaise to 2 tbsp, and replacing the sour cream with greek yogurt.
Dietary Considerations
If you have special dietary needs, this recipe meets some and can be easily modified to comply with others.
As always, check all store bought ingredients for compliance on specific dietary needs. The notes below are a general guide.
- Gluten free: This recipe is naturally gluten free.
- Nut free: This Mexican Street Corn Chicken recipe is naturally nut free
- Egg free: This recipe can be made egg free by using vegan mayo.
- Macros: The approximate macro calculation for this recipe is- P: 53g C: 24g F: 23g
Mexican Street Corn Chicken Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making Street Corn Chicken, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
Leftover Recipes
Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!
- Street Corn Chicken Quesadillas– Chop leftover chicken and mix with the corn topping. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Butter the outside of 2 tortillas, then spoon a layer of the chicken mixture and a layer of mexican blend or monterey jack cheese in between the tortillas. Cook in the skillet until each side is golden brown.
- Mexican Street Corn Chicken Enchiladas– Shred or chop the chicken and mix with the topping. Roll the filling inside tortillas and place in a casserole dish. Pour green enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle cheese. Bake at 375˚F until heated through.
- Street Corn Chicken Pepper Nachos– Shred or chop the leftover chicken and mix with the corn topping. Cut in half and deseed mini peppers. Fill the hollow with chicken mixture then top with shredded cheese. Bake at 425˚F for 8-12 minutes or until the nachos are heated through and the cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and guacamole for dipping!
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my EASY CHICKEN recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
Mexican Street Corn Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, (4-6 thin chicken breasts)
- 3 cups sweet corn, (2 cans, drained)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- 1½ tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, (optional)
Topping
- 1/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and chili powder and mix to combine.
- In a casserole dish, lay the thin chicken breasts flat in the dish. Then season with salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Spread the corn mixture evenly over the top of the chicken.
- Bake at 350˚F, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (165˚F internal temp.) Then remove from the oven and garnish the top with crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro.
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