Street Corn Chicken Salad
One of my favorite recipes to draw inspiration from is classic Mexican street corn, and this Street Corn Chicken Salad is currently on repeat in my kitchen for lunch! It's such a delicious recipe you can meal prep ahead of time. With juicy chicken, sweet corn, red pepper, cotija cheese, and a creamy dressing with bold flavor. Serve it with tortilla chips, in lettuce wraps, or a tortilla with more cheese!
Equipment
- 1 food processor (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (or 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded)
- kosher salt and black pepper (to taste for seasoning chicken)
- 1 cup corn kernels
- ½ a red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small jalapeno, pulp and seeds removed & chopped
- ¼ cup red onion, chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
For Creamy Street Corn Dressing
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 small lime, zest and juice
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- If you aren't using chicken that's already cooked like rotisserie chicken, cook the chicken first. Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200°C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat the chicken in olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165℉ (75°C). Let the chicken cool and shred it. Pro trick for perfectly shredded chicken: I usually shred it by pulsing it in a food processor.
- Make the creamy dressing by combining the ingredients in a small bowl.
- While the chicken is baking, chop the red bell pepper, jalapeno, red onion, and cilantro. Remove the corn kernels from the cob. If using frozen corn or canned corn, cook it for a few minutes in a skillet. Add everything to a large bowl including the corn, veggies, cilantro, and shredded chicken.
- Pour the dressing on top and give everything a good toss. Add more salt to taste.
- Hint: once everything is combined, give it a taste and add more salt or lime juice to taste!
Notes
Expert Tips
- A small amount of mayo added to the Greek yogurt goes a long way in this recipe and cuts the tanginess of the Greek yogurt! It also helps the dressing emulsify a bit better. With that said, you can totally leave the mayo out. It still tastes great.
- I like to finely chop the vegetables for this recipe so I get a little bit of everything in every bite.
- If you or someone you are serving doesn't like cilantro, replace it with parsley or leave it out. It will still have plenty of flavor.
- Give the chicken salad a taste about 5-10 minutes after combining everything and add more salt to taste as needed.
- Refrigerator - store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
For more nutrition information and tips, visit mallorythedietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cupCalories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 33gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 75mgFiber: 2g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
