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Slow Cooker Street Corn Chicken

Slow Cooker Street Corn Chicken delivers creamy elote-style flavor with tender shredded chicken and lightly charred-style corn. Cook low for hours, then finish on High to blend the sauce before serving over rice or in tortillas.
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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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts (raw)
  • 1.5 lb chicken breasts
Corn kernels
  • 2 cup corn kernels
Diced green chiles
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
Onion
  • 1 onion diced
Garlic
  • 4 garlic minced
Chicken broth
  • 1 cup chicken broth
Cream cheese
  • 8 oz cream cheese cubed
Sour cream (added at end)
  • 0.5 cup sour cream added at end
Mayonnaise (added at end)
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise added at end
Cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin
Chili powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
Smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
Cotija cheese (for serving)
  • 1 cup cotija cheese for serving (crumbled)
Cilantro (for serving)
  • 0.25 cup cilantro chopped, for serving
Lime wedges (for serving)
  • 1 lime wedges for serving
Rice or tortillas (for serving)
  • 1 rice or tortillas for serving
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Slow-cook the chicken and elote filling
  1. Place the raw chicken breasts into the slow cooker, then add corn kernels, diced green chiles, diced onion, minced garlic, chicken broth, cubed cream cheese, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Stir just enough to start combining so the cream cheese begins to soften.
  2. Cook on Low for 5-6 hours or High for 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and flakes easily. You should see the sauce turn creamy as the cream cheese melts.
Shred and finish the creamy sauce
  1. Remove the chicken to shred in the sauce, then stir everything back together until the chicken is evenly distributed. The mixture should look thick and creamy with visible corn throughout.
  2. Cook on High for 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Watch for gentle bubbling around the edges and a consistent creamy texture.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then adjust the thickness if needed by stirring and letting it settle for a minute. Aim for a balanced, savory flavor with a mild heat from the chili powder.
Serve
  1. Serve the street corn chicken over rice or in tortillas. Add the chicken directly on top so the sauce soaks in.
  2. Top with cotija cheese, extra chili powder, cilantro, and lime wedges. Finish with lime right before eating for bright, fresh flavor.

Notes

Pro tip: for a more charred elote vibe, reserve a small portion of corn and stir it in after shredding, then cook 15 minutes on High as written. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months, but note the sour cream-based sauce may slightly soften when reheated. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream (the texture stays creamy, with less richness).