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Slow Cooker Street Corn Chicken

Slow cooker street corn chicken is a creamy elote-style main dish with tender shredded chicken, sweet corn, and green chiles. Cook low for 5-6 hours, then finish with sour cream and mayonnaise for a rich, spoonable texture.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 520

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Assemble in the slow cooker
  1. Add the raw chicken breasts to the slow cooker, then scatter in the corn kernels, diced green chiles, diced onion, minced garlic, and pour in the chicken broth.
  2. Add the cubed cream cheese, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika to the slow cooker so everything is covered in the broth.
Slow cook
  1. Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours until the chicken is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork, with bubbling at the edges of the liquid.
Shred and finish the sauce
  1. Shred the chicken in the sauce directly in the slow cooker, then stir until the chicken is coated and the mixture looks creamy and uniform.
  2. Stir in the sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth, glossy, and evenly combined throughout.
Blend flavors and serve
  1. Switch to High and cook for 15 minutes so the flavors meld, stirring once if needed to keep the sauce thick and cohesive.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve the street corn chicken over rice or in tortillas.
  3. Top each serving with cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro, and lime wedges for a bright finish.

Notes

For best texture, shred the chicken while it’s still hot so it absorbs the creamy elote-style sauce. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave until hot. Freezing is not ideal because cream cheese and sour cream can break after thawing, but you can freeze if needed and re-stir while reheating. Dietary swap: use reduced-fat cream cheese and light sour cream for a lighter version without changing the method.