These street corn chicken rice bowls are exactly the kind of fresh and flavourful weeknight dinner you’ll keep coming back to! Made with taco-spiced chicken, creamy dairy free street corn and avocado served over rice, they taste ridiculously good and are really easy to make.
Rice bowl recipes are my go-to dinners, especially on weeknights. They’re flexible, versatile, and they make dinner time delicious, easy and fun, so I’m always on the lookout for new flavour combinations to keep things interesting.
Mexican-style street corn salads and bowls have been everywhere on social media, and I’d really wanted to try them. The only thing is that elotes or Mexican street corn is made with cheese, so I wasn’t sure that it was possible to do a dairy free option.
But with a few tweaks, and my favourite ingredient nutritional yeast, I finally landed on a version that’s completely dairy free but still has that rich, creamy, cheesy street corn flavour.
Key Ingredients
You don’t need much to make these street corn chicken bowls, with most of the ingredients needed for the corn salad itself which can always be prepped ahead of time for easy rice bowl assembly.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken thighs – I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken thighs as they just have a lot more flavour and stay juicy, but chicken breast will also work.
- Taco seasoning – you can use my homemade taco seasoning, or a store bought one to keep it super easy.
- Fresh corn – If you can get fresh corn and roast it in the air fryer the flavour is so much better in my opinion, but you can just use canned or frozen if that’s all you have.
- Dairy free Greek-style yoghurt – the creamy, tangy base of the dressing, standing in for the usual sour cream.
- Mayonnaise – traditionally used for the rich, creamy base of the street corn sauce.
- Nutritional yeast – my secret for that cheesy, savoury flavour without any dairy, in place of the traditional cotija.
- Lime juice – fresh lime is what gives the sauce that vibrant, tangy, fresh flavour.
- Garlic powder and smoked paprika – to give it that extra savoury, smokey flavour.
- Tajín – a Mexican chilli lime salt that adds so much flavour to the bowl and makes it taste like proper elote. I’ve found it at my local supermarket, but you can also buy it online.
For the bowls:
- Cooked rice – the base of the bowl. Any rice you like works well.
- Avocado – for creaminess.
- Tajín and lime wedges – to finish.
You’ll Also Love: Chipotle Chicken Bowls
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F. Lightly spray the corn cobs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then air fry for 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway, until tender and lightly charred.
Step 2: Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine the dairy free yoghurt, mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, lime juice, garlic powder, Tajín and smoked paprika in a bowl and stir until smooth. Set aside.
Step 3: Toss the chicken thighs with the taco seasoning and olive oil until coated.
Step 4: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes each side, until lightly charred and cooked through (75°C/165°F internal). Transfer to a plate and rest for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Once the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cobs. Add the warm corn to the dressing and stir until evenly coated.
Step 6: Slice the rested chicken. Divide the rice between four bowls and top with the street corn, sliced avocado and chicken. Sprinkle with Tajín and serve with lime wedges.
👉 Tip! If you’re using frozen or canned corn instead of fresh, char it in a hot, dry frying pan for a few minutes first so you still get that roasted flavour. You’ll want about 1½ cups (drain it well first if using canned!).
Serving suggestion: For a fun Mexican-inspired dinner, these bowls are perfect alongside my spicy margarita mocktail, which is the perfect use of any leftover Tajín.
Storage Instructions
These bowls are great for meal prep. The components keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, and are best stored separately and assembled just before serving so everything stays fresh.
When reheating, warm the chicken and rice in the microwave until hot, and add the cold street corn, avocado and Tajín on top to serve.
Recipe FAQs
Mexican street corn, or elote, is grilled or charred corn coated in a creamy, tangy, cheesy sauce, then finished with lime, chilli and salt. This bowl takes those same flavours, and turns them into a full meal with chicken and rice.
While you can keep them simple as they are, you can also really customise the bowls to suit your tastes. Try a scoop of black beans for extra protein and fibre, a handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), some pickled red onion, or sliced jalapeño for a bit more kick.
Yes. Simply swap the chicken for black beans and any other vegetables or salad you like, and you’ve got a hearty, meat-free street corn bowl.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More rice bowl recipes:
Greek Chicken Rice Bowls
Chicken Katsu Rice Bowls
Easy Spicy Prawn Rice Bowls
Teriyaki Salmon and Avocado Rice Bowls
Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 600 grams (1 ¼ lb) boneless skinless chicken thighs about 4
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the street corn:
- 2 fresh corn cobs
- Olive oil spray
- Salt and black pepper for cooking
- ⅓ cup dairy free Greek-style yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Tajín chilli lime seasoning, plus extra to serve
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
For the bowls:
- 4 cups cooked rice approx.
- 1 avocado sliced
- Tajín to serve
- Lime wedges to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F.
- Lightly spray the 2 fresh corn cobs with Olive oil spray and season with Salt and black pepper. Air fry for 15–20 minutes, turning halfway, until tender and lightly charred.
- Meanwhile, combine the ⅓ cup dairy free Greek-style yoghurt, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Tajín and s½ teaspoon smoked paprika in a bowl. Stir until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
- Toss the 600 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs with the 2 tablespoons taco seasoning and 1 tablespoon olive oil until evenly coated.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes on each side, until lightly charred and cooked through. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 75°C/165°F. Transfer to a plate and rest for 5 minutes.
- Once the corn is cool enough to handle, carefully cut the kernels from the cobs. Add the warm corn to the yoghurt mixture and stir until evenly coated.
- Slice the rested chicken.
- Divide the 4 cups cooked rice between four bowls. Top with the street corn, sliced 1 avocado and chicken.
- Sprinkle with Tajín and serve with Lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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