Description
A flavorful and creamy Mexican Street Corn Chicken Chili featuring tender chicken, sweet corn, green chiles, and a spicy kick from jalapeno and cayenne. This dish blends the essence of street corn with hearty chicken chili, topped with creamy sour cream and melted pepper jack cheese for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 4–5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 7 ounce chopped green chiles, mild or medium
- 4 cups fresh corn cut off the cob (about 4–5 cobs)
Final Ingredients
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 lime, juiced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional Garnishes
- More cilantro
- Shredded cheese
- Avocado slices
- Lime wedges
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Set a large 6-8 quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and chopped onions. Sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add minced garlic, chopped jalapeno, cilantro, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture is fragrant and softened.
- Cook Chicken and Broth: Pour in the chicken broth, then add whole chicken breasts and chopped green chiles to the pot. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Prepare Corn: While the chicken simmers, carefully cut the kernels off the corn cobs and set them aside for later use.
- Shred Chicken and Add Corn: Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the pot using tongs and set aside. Add the fresh corn kernels to the pot and stir. Chop or shred the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, then return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- Add Cream and Cheese: Stir in the sour cream and shredded pepper jack cheese thoroughly. While stirring rapidly, sprinkle the cornstarch over the chili to avoid clumping.
- Thicken and Finish: Allow the chili to simmer gently for 3-5 minutes until the base thickens. Turn off the heat and stir in the freshly squeezed lime juice. Serve the chili hot, garnished with additional cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado slices, lime wedges, or tortilla chips as desired.
Notes
- Adjust cayenne pepper quantity to control the heat level.
- For a thicker chili, increase cornstarch slightly but add gradually to avoid lumps.
- Using fresh corn yields the best flavor, but frozen corn can be substituted if fresh is unavailable.
- Sour cream can be swapped with Greek yogurt for a tangier taste and lower fat option.
- Chicken thighs can be used instead of breast for a richer flavor.
- Make sure to stir rapidly when adding cornstarch to prevent clumping.
- Garnishes like avocado and tortilla chips add great texture contrast.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course, Soup, Chili
- Method: Simmering, Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
Keywords: Mexican street corn chili, chicken chili recipe, spicy chicken soup, creamy chili, pepper jack cheese chili, cornstarch thickened chili
