Go Back

Slow Cooker Street Corn Chicken

Slow cooker street corn chicken with a creamy elote-style sauce, tender shredded chicken, and sweet charred-style corn flavor. Cook low for 5-6 hours for easy hands-off shredding, then finish on High to thicken and blend.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and elote-style base
  • 1.5 lb chicken breasts raw
  • 2 cup corn kernels
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 clove garlic minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 8 oz cream cheese cubed
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 cup sour cream added at end
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise added at end
  • salt and pepper to taste
For serving
  • cotija cheese
  • cilantro
  • lime wedges
  • rice or tortillas
  • extra chili powder for topping

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Load the slow cooker
  1. Add the raw chicken breasts to the slow cooker, then scatter in the corn kernels, diced green chiles, diced onion, and minced garlic for even distribution. Visual cue: chicken should be partially covered by the vegetables and kernels.
  2. Pour in the chicken broth and nestle the cubed cream cheese around and on top of the chicken. Visual cue: cream cheese pieces will stay visible until the cook time softens them.
  3. Sprinkle in the cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika over everything. Visual cue: the spices should coat the chicken and corn rather than forming one dry spot.
Cook until tender
  1. Cook on Low for 5-6 hours, or on High for about 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender. Visual cue: the chicken should pull apart easily when pressed with a fork.
Shred and thicken the sauce
  1. Shred the chicken in the sauce by stirring until the meat breaks into bite-size pieces. Visual cue: the sauce turns creamy-looking as the chicken mixes in.
  2. Stir in the sour cream and mayonnaise. Visual cue: the mixture should look smooth and slightly thicker with a glossy sheen.
  3. Cook on High for 15 minutes to blend the flavors and further thicken the elote-style sauce. Visual cue: bubbles should appear at the edges and the sauce should cling to the spoon.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stirring once more to distribute. Visual cue: the top layer should look evenly speckled after seasoning.
  2. Serve the chicken over rice or in tortillas. Visual cue: spoon a generous mound so the creamy sauce pools slightly at the base.
  3. Top with cotija cheese, extra chili powder, cilantro, and finish with lime wedges. Visual cue: cotija should look crumbly and bright against the creamy sauce.

Notes

Pro tip: cube the cream cheese so it melts faster and more evenly into the broth. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3-4 days; reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove until hot. Freezing is not recommended because sour cream can break or become grainy after thawing. For a dietary swap, use light cream cheese and light sour cream to reduce calories while keeping the creamy texture.