By Becky Hardin
Updated Sep 17, 2025
This is one of my favorite recipes to reach for on a busy weeknight. One pan, bursting with bold color and full of my favorite Mexican food flavors, this Mexican Street Corn Chicken can be served in a large bowl, as street tacos, or on top of leafy greens. Ready to dive into the perfect weeknight meal?
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Easy Street Corn Chicken Recipe
I love how quickly this flavorful chicken comes together—less than an hour thanks to Royal Ready-to-Heat Mexican Style Rice & Street Corn . It saves me so much time in the kitchen and still tastes amazing.
Mexican street corn (Elote or Esquites) has always been one of my favorite treats, whether as a side dish, appetizer, or snack. That mix of grilled corn with creamy sauce, chili powder, lime, and cheese is just irresistible.
In this recipe, I added jalapeño and green chiles for some extra kick. Personally, I love the heat, but if you prefer things a little milder, you can easily skip them and still have a delicious dish.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts butterfly the breasts, or slice them in half to make 4 thinner breasts.
- ▢ kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ▢ 2 tbsp unsalted butter (¼ stick)
- ▢ 8.5 oz. Royal Ready-to-Heat Mexican Style Rice & Street Corn (1 pouch), Mexican rice also works
- ▢ 10.8 oz. frozen corn (1 package), fresh also works
- ▢ ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ▢ ¼ cup crumbed cotija cheese queso fresco or feta also work
- ▢ 7 oz. diced green chiles undrained (1 can)
- ▢ 2 tsp minced garlic
- ▢ 1 jalapeño pepper diced
- ▢ 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (from ½ lime)
- ▢ ½ cup finely diced roma tomatoes or glory tomatoes
Video
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and let melt. 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and sear for 5-7 minutes per side or until it’s cooked through to 165°F. Don’t overcrowd the chicken in the pan, or it will steam rather than sear.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice according to package instructions. 8.5 oz. Royal Ready-to-Heat Mexican Style Rice & Street Corn
- Steam the corn according to package instructions. 10.8 oz. frozen corn
- In a bowl, stir together the steamed corn, salt and pepper to taste, cilantro, cotija cheese, green chiles, garlic, jalapeno, and fresh lime juice. ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, ¼ cup crumbed cotija cheese, 7 oz. diced green chiles, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 jalapeño pepper, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- Add half of the corn mixture to the rice and stir. Add the tomatoes to the remaining corn mixture and set aside. ½ cup finely diced roma tomatoes
- Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and turn the heat down to simmer.
- Add the rice to the bottom of the skillet. Top with the chicken. Finally, spoon the corn and tomato mixture over the chicken breasts. Top with more cojita and cilantro if desired. Sprinkle with sliced green chiles.
- Keep on simmer until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Mexican Street Corn Chicken Step by Step
Prepare the chicken: Sprinkle 2 chicken breasts with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium high heat.
Place the chicken in the skillet and sear for 5-7 minutes per side or until it’s cooked through to 165°F. Make sure not to overcrowd the chicken, or it will steam rather than sear.
Prepare the rice and corn: Cook an 8.5 oz package of Royal Ready-to-Heat Mexican Style Rice & Street Corn according to the package instructions. Steam a 10.8 oz. bag of frozen corn according to the package instructions.
Prepare the street corn: Combine the steamed corn, salt and pepper, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, ¼ cup crumbed cotija cheese, 7 oz. diced green chiles, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 jalapeño pepper, and 1 tbsp fresh lime juice.
Add half of the corn mixture to the cooked rice and stir. Add ½ cup finely diced Roma tomatoes to the remaining corn mixture and set aside.
Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and turn the heat down to simmer.
Place the rice in the bottom of the skillet, top with the chicken, and then spoon the corn and tomato mixture over the chicken breasts. Top with more cotija and cilantro if desired. Sprinkle with sliced green chiles.
Simmer and serve : Keep on simmer until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Variations on Elote Chicken
There are many ways to change up this street corn chicken skillet to suit your personal tastes.
- Make it spicier . Add cayenne pepper, fajita seasoning, or adobo seasoning in step 6.
- Make it loaded. Add a drained can of black beans and diced red bell peppers to the corn mixture.
- Add a topping . Top your street corn chicken with a mixture of ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, 2 tbsp of lime juice, and 1-2 tbsp of hot sauce or taco sauce to get that classic street corn creaminess!
- Serve with tortillas . Have corn tortillas on hand? Taco Tuesday never looked so good.
How to Store
Store leftover Mexican street corn chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through.
Freeze Mexican street corn chicken in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What to Serve with Mexican Street Corn Skillet Chicken
While this recipe brings a whole meal to the table in just one pan, that doesn’t mean you have to skip the appetizers. As the chicken cooks, I like to serve up these foil packet nachos alongside a pineapple agua fresca or frozen margarita to whet their appetite. Then I finish the night with a slice of decadent tres leches cake .
more street corn recipes we love
Street Corn Salsa
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Street Corn Nachos
Esquites (Mexican Street Corn in a Cup)
Trademark Note : In the spirit of transparency, I want to note that some of these ingredients are trademarked products. Authentic Royal is a proprietary brand that I want to acknowledge and give credit to.
Mexican Street Corn Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts butterfly the breasts, or slice them in half to make 4 thinner breasts.
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (¼ stick)
- 8.5 oz. Royal Ready-to-Heat Mexican Style Rice & Street Corn (1 pouch), Mexican rice also works
- 10.8 oz. frozen corn (1 package), fresh also works
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup crumbed cotija cheese queso fresco or feta also work
- 7 oz. diced green chiles undrained (1 can)
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 jalapeño pepper diced
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (from ½ lime)
- ½ cup finely diced roma tomatoes or glory tomatoes
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and let melt. 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and sear for 5-7 minutes per side or until it’s cooked through to 165°F. Don’t overcrowd the chicken in the pan, or it will steam rather than sear.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice according to package instructions. 8.5 oz. Royal Ready-to-Heat Mexican Style Rice & Street Corn
- Steam the corn according to package instructions. 10.8 oz. frozen corn
- In a bowl, stir together the steamed corn, salt and pepper to taste, cilantro, cotija cheese, green chiles, garlic, jalapeno, and fresh lime juice. ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, ¼ cup crumbed cotija cheese, 7 oz. diced green chiles, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 jalapeño pepper, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- Add half of the corn mixture to the rice and stir. Add the tomatoes to the remaining corn mixture and set aside. ½ cup finely diced roma tomatoes
- Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and turn the heat down to simmer.
- Add the rice to the bottom of the skillet. Top with the chicken. Finally, spoon the corn and tomato mixture over the chicken breasts. Top with more cojita and cilantro if desired. Sprinkle with sliced green chiles.
- Keep on simmer until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
