These Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls are filled with flavor and packed with protein! It's a healthy balanced bowl that is super nutritious and great for Summer. Ready in under an hour for an easy lunch or dinner.
Mexican Street Corn Salad is one of my most requested appetizers to bring to parties and I got to thinking, why not make a bowl with it?
The Chicken is marinated in citrus and Mexican Spices, then grilled to perfection, and we're pairing it with a creamy corn salad that uses fresh corn on the cob. The match up is just incredible.
If you love high protein bowls, don't miss out on these Chicken Poke Bowls, Beef Burrito Bowls and Teriyaki Beef Bowls with Rice.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Fresh. A Summer favorite with all kinds of fresh seasonal ingredients like corn, tomatoes, jalapeños and more!
- High Protein. Chicken thighs and dairy bring in a nice protein boost to these well balanced bowls.
- Great for on a Budget. This recipe won't break the bank and uses chicken thighs, which are typically cheaper than chicken breast. Plus, if you're buying corn in season, it's super inexpensive.
- Big on Taste. The chicken and rice taste amazing, but wait until you taste the Mexican Street Corn Salad. It is seriously so addicting.
If you love corn recipes, try this Poblano Queso Dip, Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad and Cowboy Cornbread Casserole.
Ingredients:
Corn on the Cob: Makes this street corn salad over the top delicious with so much fresh crunch. Highly recommend corn on the cob over a canned or frozen version.
Chicken Thighs: The only Chicken Thighs I buy are the Smart Chicken Brand. Even the Organic Chicken Thighs are really affordable and they're a lot cleaner in the package versus other brands. I prefer to buy boneless and skinless chicken thighs because they cook quicker on the grill than bone-on, skin-on chicken thighs.
*Full ingredients and quantities are listed in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
- The Chicken Thighs can easily be swapped out with 2 large chicken breast. Trim them up and soak them in the exact same marinade.
- Feta Cheese can be substituted with cotija cheese for a more authentic taste.
- Think Cilantro tastes like soap? Just leave it out of the recipe.
- Equipment change out: If you don't have access to a grill, cook the chicken in the skillet over medium heat and follow this recipe for Mexican Street Corn Salad. It's easier to cut the corn off the cob prior to cooking in the skillet.
For more Mexican Recipes, check out these Birria Tacos in the Slow Cooker, Chunky Guacamole, and Baja Shrimp Tacos.
How to Make Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls:
Step 1: Trim and pat dry the chicken thighs. Place into a bowl and add in olive oil, juice from ½ a lime, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon cumin. Toss to combine. Allow to rest on the countertop for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Brush the corn on the cob with olive oil and sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of salt and cover all surfaces of the corn.
Step 3: Prepare the sauce for the street corn salad by combining sour cream, juice from ½ a lime the following spices: ¼ teaspoon of cumin, ¼ teaspoon of chili powder, ¼ teaspoon of paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine and store in the fridge until assembling the bowls. Make sure to dice up the tomato, jalapeño, cilantro, and onion to have it ready.
Step 4: Combine 1 cup white rice with 2 cups of water and cook in the rice cooker or in a pot according to instructions on package. Start the rice before grilling.
Step 5: Turn on the gas grill outside to medium heat. Brush the grates if needed. Add the corn on the cob first to the hottest part of the grill if you have one and cook for about 5-8 minutes before adding the chicken. Rotate the corn as needed to avoid charring on only one side. The corn takes about 20 minutes around 400 degrees to cook completely. Add the chicken thighs to the grill and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Step 6: Once the chicken reaches proper temperature, transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil.
Step 7: Pull the corn on the cob from the grill and transfer to a cutting board. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut the corn off the cob.
Step 8: To make the corn salad, add the corn, jalapeño, tomato, cilantro, onion, avocado, and lime & sour cream sauce all into a bowl. Stir to combine, then top with feta cheese.
Step 9: Slice the chicken into strips or dice into pieces.
Step 10: Assemble the bowls by filling the bowl with rice, chicken thighs, and street corn salad. Serve with lime and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Try to keep the grill around 400 degrees when it's closed. This sometimes means messing with the heat a bit while cooking.
- Cook the corn on the hotter side of the grill if you have one. I feel like the right back side of the grill is always hottest on my gas grill, the blackstone and the smoker.
- Wait to dice the avocado until right before assembling the corn salad so that it doesn't turn brown.
Looking for more High Protein Recipes like this one? Check out my list of 21+ High Protein Chicken Recipes.
Recipe FAQs:
I recommend leaving it in the marinade no longer than 1 hour. The lime juice can start to break the chicken down too much.
Store the chicken, rice and corn salad in separate containers in the fridge. To reheat the chicken and rice, place it in a tin foil pouch and bake it at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes on top of a cookie sheet until hot. The corn salad can be served cold from the fridge. Eat within 2-3 days.
More High Protein Dinners You Will Love:
If you tried this Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 bowls
Description
These Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls are filled with flavor and packed with protein! It's a healthy balanced bowl that is super nutritious and great for Summer. Ready in under an hour for an easy lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Chicken & Marinade:
- 4 boneless skinless Chicken Thighs (around 1 lb)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- juice from ½ a lime
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Rice:
- 1 cup white rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
Street Corn Salad:
- 4 ears of corn on the cob
- 1 tablespoon olive oil + ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sour cream
- juice from ½ lime
- ¼ teaspoon of cumin
- ¼ teaspoon of chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon of paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ¾ cup minced cilantro
- 1 Roma tomato, seeds removed and diced medium
- 1 small avocado, diced medium
- 1 large jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
- 1 cup feta cheese or Cotija
- Optional: Additional lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Trim and pat dry the chicken thighs. Place into a bowl and add in olive oil, juice from ½ a lime, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon cumin. Toss to combine. Allow to rest on the countertop for 20 minutes.
- Brush the corn on the cob with olive oil and sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of salt and cover all surfaces of the corn.
- Prepare the sauce for the street corn by combining sour cream, the remaining juice from ½ a lime the following spices: ¼ teaspoon of cumin, ¼ teaspoon of chili powder, ¼ teaspoon of paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine and store in the fridge until assembling the bowls. Make sure to dice up the tomato, jalapeño, cilantro, and onion to have it ready.
- Combine 1 cup white rice with 2 cups of water and cook in the rice cooker or in a pot according to instructions on package. Start the rice before grilling.
- Turn on the gas grill outside to medium heat. Brush the grates if needed. Add the corn on the cob first to the hottest part of the grill if you have one and cook for about 5-8 minutes before adding the chicken. Rotate the corn as needed to avoid charring on only one side. It takes about 20 minutes around 400 degrees to cook completely. Add the chicken thighs to the grill and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Once the chicken reaches proper temperature, transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil.
- Pull the corn on the cob from the grill and transfer to a cutting board. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut the corn off the cob.
- To make the corn salad, add the corn, jalapeño, tomato, cilantro, onion, avocado, and lime sour cream sauce all into a bowl. Stir to combine, then top with feta cheese.
- Slice the chicken into strips or dice.
- Assemble the bowls by filling the bowl with rice, chicken thighs, and street corn salad. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!
Notes
- Try to keep the grill around 400 degrees when it's closed. This sometimes means messing with the heat a bit while cooking.
- Cook the corn on the hotter side of the grill if you have one. I feel like the right back side of the grill is always hottest on my gas grill, the blackstone and the smoker.
- Wait to dice the avocado until right before assembling the corn salad so that it doesn't turn brown.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Corn and Chicken Cooling Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: Mexican
Payton says
These were super good and I couldn’t stop eating the corn salad! Just yum!
Tara Smithson says
Yay! Thanks so much for the review Payton. I'm so glad you loved these. I'm obsessed with the corn salad too..it's my favorite part.