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These Mexican Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls are loaded with your favorite Mexican-inspired flavors! We start off with juicy Mexican grilled chicken, elote (Mexican Street Corn), and of course, avocado! These are quick and easy to make, perfect for healthy dinners, and everyone loves them!
My family has totally fallen in love with rice bowls lately. Our middle daughter is even working on her own version with quinoa and the most incredible lemon tahini dressing—we’ve been recipe testing like crazy! But in the meantime, this street corn chicken bowl has been on repeat all summer long.
It reminds me of those hot, busy days when you’ve been outside forever and just need something easy and satisfying for dinner. I love that everyone can build their own bowl exactly how they want it. And if you want to bump up the protein, adding cottage cheese to the street corn is such a simple little trick!
Why You’ll Love These Bowls
Quick and Easy: From start to finish, this meal takes less than 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights!
High Protein: One healthy chicken bowl contains 46 grams of protein!
Customizable: Each member of the family can create the chicken rice bowl of their dreams with all the toppings they love most.
Meal Prep: You can make the rice, chicken and street corn ahead of time, place them in meal prep containers and you’re set for lunches/dinners all week.
Bold Flavors: The chicken, the creamy elote, the pickled red onions, fresh jalapenos, cilantro and lime all come together for the most delicious bowl.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These healthy chicken bowls come together with a mix of fresh ingredients, pantry staples, and a few flavor-packed extras. Nothing complicated, just real, delicious ingredients that build those bold, creamy street corn flavors in every bite.
- Mexican Grilled Chicken Breasts: Juicy, flavorful chicken with a smoky, seasoned finish that makes this bowl extra satisfying.
- Avocados: Creamy and rich, they balance out all the bold, savory flavors perfectly.
- Cilantro: Fresh and bright, it adds that classic finishing touch to every bite.
- Black Pepper: Adds a little warmth and depth to round everything out.
- Pickled Red Onions: Tangy, slightly sweet, and just the right pop of acidity to cut through the richness.
- Lime: A squeeze of fresh lime wakes everything up and ties all the flavors together.
- Rice: The hearty base that soaks up all the flavor—use white, brown, or cilantro lime rice.
- Jalapeños: For a little heat and extra flavor, add as much or as little as you like.
For the Street Corn
- Cottage Cheese: Adds a creamy texture while boosting the protein, an easy way to lighten things up without losing flavor.
- Mexican Crema: Rich and smooth, it gives the corn that classic street corn creaminess.
- Frozen Fire-Roasted Corn: Sweet with a smoky charred flavor, and so convenient to keep things quick and easy.
- Lime: Both the juice and zest add brightness and that signature tangy street corn flavor.
- Chili Powder: Brings a mild kick and warm spice that makes the corn extra delicious.
- Cotija Cheese: Salty, crumbly, and the perfect finishing touch for authentic street corn flavor.
How to Make Elote Chicken Rice Bowls
This recipe comes together in just a few easy steps, and once you have everything prepped, it’s just a matter of layering it all into the perfect bowl. You’ll cook the rice and chicken, mix up the creamy street corn, and then pile everything over rice with your favorite toppings.
- Make the Rice: Make the rice according to the package instructions.
- Grill the Chicken: Get the chicken going on the grill as written in our grilled Mexican chicken post.
- Make the Elote: Blend the cottage cheese until smooth and then combine all the rest of the ingredients for the corn.
- Assemble the Bowls: Once the rice and chicken are done, you can assemble the rice bowls by layering the rice, chicken, and Mexican street corn mixture.
- Add Toppings: Add all your favorite toppings.
Variations & Substitutions
The rice can be replaced with any type of grain including brown rice, quinoa, farro, barley, etc. If you want to really go all out, make our cilantro lime rice or Spanish rice for even more flavor. If you want to go low carb, you can use cauliflower rice too!
You can always swap out the protein if you want to. If you have leftover shredded sweet pork, that would work great! Our grilled flank steak would also be a yummy option.
Of course, all the toppings can be changed depending on what you have in the fridge and what your family loves. Other ideas include cherry tomatoes, black olives, black or pinto beans, salsa, guacamole, etc.
How to Meal Prep This Recipe
These make ideal meal prep chicken bowls because all the components hold up well and reheat wonderfully.
- Prep everything ahead – Cook the chicken, prepare your rice, and mix up the street corn. Let everything cool slightly before storing.
- Store in layers (for best texture) – To keep everything fresh and delicious:
- Bottom: rice
- Middle: chicken
- Top or separate container: street corn
- Store fresh toppings (avocado, cilantro, lime, jalapeños) separately
- Portion into containers – Divide everything into individual containers so meals are ready to grab for lunch or dinner.
- How long it lasts – Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. For best results, slice avocado fresh each day.
- How to reheat – Warm the rice and chicken in the microwave until heated through. Add the street corn and fresh toppings after heating.
- Keep it fresh – If you want the street corn to stay extra creamy, store the sauce and corn separately and mix just before serving.
Storing and Reheating
Leftovers are best stored separately in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. If everything is stored separately, it is easier to reheat the rice and chicken and then assemble the bowls with the rest of the toppings.
Reheat the rice and chicken on the stove top or with a quick zap in the microwave (be careful the chicken doesn’t get dried out!).
Whether you’re making it for a quick weeknight dinner or prepping ahead for busy days, these Mexican street corn chicken rice bowls are always a win. Load them up with your favorite toppings, squeeze a little extra lime over the top, and don’t be surprised when everyone goes back for seconds.
More Quick and Easy Chicken Dinners…
Watch How This Recipe is Made…
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