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Slow Cooker Street Corn Chicken

Slow cooker street corn chicken with a creamy elote-style sauce—shredded chicken simmered low until tender. Charred-corn flavors are built with corn and diced green chiles, then finished with sour cream, mayonnaise, and cotija for a rich, spoonable 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: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Slow cook the chicken
  1. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker, then add the corn kernels, diced green chiles, onion, garlic, chicken broth, cream cheese, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Stir just enough to distribute the cream cheese through the liquid.
  2. Cook on Low for 5-6 hours, or High for 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easily shreds with a fork. Visual cue: the sauce will look creamy and cohesive around the chicken.
Shred and finish the elote-style sauce
  1. Shred the chicken in the sauce by stirring and breaking it into bite-size pieces. Visual cue: the mixture becomes evenly speckled with corn and green chile.
  2. Stir in the sour cream and mayonnaise, then cook on High for 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Visual cue: the sauce thickens slightly and looks glossy.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve the chicken over rice or in tortillas. Visual cue: you’ll see a smooth creamy sauce coating the shredded chicken.
  2. Top with cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro, and lime wedges right before serving. Visual cue: the cotija forms salty crumbles on the surface.

Notes

Pro tip: cube the cream cheese before adding so it melts faster and avoids lumps. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop until steaming. Freezing: yes, freeze up to 2 months, but add sour cream and mayonnaise fresh after thawing for the best texture. Dietary swap: use low-fat cream cheese and light sour cream if you want a lighter, still-creamy sauce.