This creamy street corn chicken is made in one pot on the stovetop in under an hour. You’ll love the dry rub chicken thighs, and corn, peppers and onions tossed in a creamy cotija sauce and then topped in a fresh jalapeño slaw.
I’m all about easy dinner recipes in this season of life with a toddler and a baby at home, and this stovetop creamy street corn chicken has definitely become a go-to weeknight meal in our house. I love that it all can be made in one pan on the stovetop, and that I can jazz up mine and my husbands plates by topping this dish with our amazing jalapeño slaw while keeping my toddlers plate mild yet still super flavorful.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, separated
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ medium white onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, separated
- 10 oz. frozen corn
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- 1.5 cups 2% or whole milk
- ⅓ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Street Corn Topping
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ small red onion, minced
- ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- ¼ cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed and sliced into rounds
- 1.5 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 avocado, sliced
Instructions
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Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Mix the paprika, cumin, and salt in a small bowl and mix. Season the chicken with the spices. Be sure to massage the spices into the whole chicken thigh. Set aside.
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Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. When the oil is hot, transfer the chicken to the skillet. Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on one side until brown. Flip and cook for an additional 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
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Deglaze the pan with white wine. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the additional avocado oil. Add onion and season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Toss and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the corn and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
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Next, add the bell pepper, flour, and remaining salt and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Saute for 1 minute.
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Turn the heat to medium. Slowly add the milk to the skillet stirring consistently until you have added all the milk. The mixture should thicken within the first minute.
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Add the cotija to the sauce and stir until the cheese is melted. Be sure the ingredients are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
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Return the chicken to the skillet and submerge it in the sauce. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Stir the sauce every few minutes.
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While the chicken is cooking, add all the street corn topping ingredients to a bowl and mix. Set aside.
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Remove the skillet and stir in the fresh lime juice when the chicken is cooked. Top with the cilantro mixture and serve over white rice with tortilla chips.
