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Slow Cooker Street Corn Chicken

Slow Cooker Street Corn Chicken is a Mexican-American main dish with tender shredded chicken and an elote-style creamy sauce. Corn kernels and green chiles simmer with cream cheese, then it’s finished with sour cream, mayo, and bright lime-topped elote flavors.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 560

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts
  • 1.5 lb chicken breasts Raw.
Corn and chiles
  • 2 cup corn kernels
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
Aromatics
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
Broth
  • 1 cup chicken broth
Creamy base
  • 8 oz cream cheese Cubed.
  • 1.5 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
Finishing dairy
  • 0.5 cup sour cream Added at end.
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise Added at end.
Seasoning
  • 0.25 salt and pepper To taste; use to season at the end.
For serving
  • 1 cotija cheese Crumbled.
  • 1 chili powder For topping.
  • 1 cilantro Chopped for topping.
  • 1 lime wedges For topping/serving.
  • 1 rice or tortillas For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Assemble the slow cooker
  1. Place the raw chicken in the Crockpot, then add corn kernels, diced green chiles, diced onion, minced garlic, chicken broth, cubed cream cheese, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Stir just enough to help the cream cheese start melting into the liquid.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on Low for 5-6 hours (or High for 3 hours) until the chicken is very tender. The sauce should look thickened and creamy with softened corn throughout.
Shred and finish the sauce
  1. Shred the chicken in the sauce by stirring until the pieces are evenly distributed. Then stir in sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth and glossy.
Blend flavors and season
  1. Cook on High for 15 minutes to help the flavors blend. You should see the sauce thicken slightly and coat the chicken.
Serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve over rice or in tortillas. Top with cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro, and lime wedges right before eating.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, cube and fully distribute the cream cheese so it melts evenly during the first cook. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months (add sour cream and mayo after thawing and then reheat until hot for best texture). For a lighter option, swap sour cream for full-fat Greek yogurt.