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Slow Cooker Street Corn Chicken

Slow Cooker Street Corn Chicken is a Mexican-American main dish with shredded chicken and a creamy elote-style sauce. Tender chicken cooks low and slow with corn, green chiles, and spices, then finishes with sour cream and mayo for a rich, tangy texture.
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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 Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Assemble the slow cooker
  1. Place the raw chicken into the slow cooker. Add corn kernels, diced green chiles, diced onion, minced garlic, chicken broth, cubed cream cheese, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, then spread everything evenly around the chicken.
Cook low until tender
  1. Cook on Low for 5-6 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easily pulls apart. You should be able to insert a fork and have the chicken break apart with minimal resistance.
Shred and finish creamy
  1. Shred the chicken in the sauce by stirring until the chicken is evenly distributed. Stir in the sour cream and mayonnaise until the mixture looks smooth and creamy with no obvious cream cheese lumps.
Blend flavors and season
  1. Cook on High for 15 minutes to blend the flavors. The sauce should thicken slightly and look glossy as it comes back to a steady simmer.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste the sauce and adjust so the flavors read balanced and not flat.
Serve street-corn style
  1. Serve the chicken over rice or in tortillas. Let the topping sit on top so it doesn’t fully sink into the sauce.
  2. Top with cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro, and lime. Add lime wedges last for bright, fresh acidity over the creamy elote-style chicken.

Notes

For best flavor and texture, shred the chicken thoroughly right after lowering the temperature from Low to Low/High staging, so every bite gets coated. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop until warm. Freeze up to 2 months, but add the sour cream/mayo after reheating if you notice separation. For a dairy-light swap, use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sour cream to keep the sauce creamy without as much richness.