Mexican street corn chicken
Chili-lime chicken and charred corn tossed in a creamy, tangy elote sauce and showered with salty cotija, all from one skillet.
- 30 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.40 a serving
- 490 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ lb chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cups frozen corn
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 1 lime, juiced
- ⅓ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tsp chili powder, divided
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
Each serving has about 490 calories, 44 g protein, 24 g carbs and 25 g fat, and costs about $2.40 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No frozen corn? Canned corn works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the chicken with 1½ teaspoons of chili powder, the garlic powder and salt, and wash your hands and board.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large over medium-high.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium-high heat
Cook the chicken 6 to 7 minutes, once or twice, until the biggest piece reads 165°F.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Medium-high heatTimer: 6 min 30 sec
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Move it to a bowl.
Add the rest of the oil and the frozen corn, spread it out, and leave it 3 minutes, then and cook 3 minutes more, until in spots.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
High heatTimer: 6 min
Dolly’s tip: Leaving the corn alone is how it chars. Stirring constantly just steams it.the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice and the rest of the chili powder together.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Take the pan off the heat, add the chicken back, and everything with the creamy sauce.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Scatter the cotija and cilantro over the top and serve.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
More dinners like this
Pan-seared chicken breast
25 min
Air fryer jalapeño popper chicken
30 min
Air fryer chicken breast
30 min
Garlic butter chicken thighs
30 min
30-minute dinners ›One-pan dinners ›What to make with chicken and corn ›