Fresh Corn for The Win

This elote bowl is a marriage of two of my favorite items: Mexican street corn and a chicken burrito bowl!  Burrito bowls have been a staple in my diet since college, as I love the ability to customize and get a wide variety of nutrients in a single dish!  By mixing and matching proteins, veggies, greens, and starches I can get a nutritious and filling meal in one sitting!  
And elotes… I mean, what could be better?  Growing up in the midwest, fresh corn on the cob was a staple ingredient during the summertime as a child. And then as a young adult I was introduced to flavors of elote – steamed corn on the cob with mayo, cotija, tajin, lime, and cilantro.  It’s a zesty treat that feeds the soul!

This burrito bowl screams summer to me, but will be enjoyable year-round.  There are tons of options for frozen, fresh corn in the freezer section of the grocery store that will work perfectly!  For now though, I plan on making this bowl throughout the rest of fresh corn season!

Tips For Making The Elote Chicken Burrito Bowl

If you plan on making these elote bowls, here are a few tips to make it even more delicious:

• Shucking corn and cutting the kernels off the cob can seem like an arduous task if you’ve never done it before.  If you’re new to the fresh corn rodeo, I recommend shucking your corn directly over a bin or garbage bowl to catch any of the silk that falls off, less clean up for you after!  To shuck a cob of corn, start at the top, and get a handful of the husk and grab the lines of silk near the top and pull down to the base. It’s much easier to pull both layers off at the same time, rather than do the husk first and silk second.
• To cut the corn off the cob, balance the cob of corn in a large bowl or in a baking tray on the wide end and use a sharp knife to cut from the top of the ear to the bottom.  The bowl or tray will catch any stray kernels of corn and help make meal prep easier, as you can leave the corn the bowl and scoop it directly into the pan to cook once you’re ready for it!
• When it comes to taco seasoning, I love making my own because I can control the spice level, saltiness, and can customize it based on the dish. If you don’t want to stock up on a variety of spices, or are really in a rush, feel free to substitute the seasoning on the chicken with a pre-packed container of taco seasoning – especially if there’s a brand you already like.

Recipe Details

There are three key components to this recipe: the chicken and corn, the mashed avocado, and a cilantro lime sauce!  Paired with some rice, black beans, and mixed greens will make for an epic burrito bowl!

For the protein component, you’ll brown some ground chicken in a large frying pan and add a healthy dose of corn. To the chicken, you’ll create a homemade taco seasoning, with chili powder, onion powder, oregano, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, and some salt and black pepper.  The seasonings, plus a bit of water and the olive oil you cook the meat in will create a very light sauce, creating a super flavorful, but really simple to create, main component to the dish!

To round out the dish, some mashed avocado with lime juice and salt is a creamy way to add a new texture.  It’s like adding guacamole to your burrito bowl, but takes a fraction of the time to make!

Finally, to top off your elote bowl, we’ll make an elote-inspired, cilantro yogurt sauce. The sauce has a yogurt base, with the essential ingredients you find in elote: mayo, cotija, tajin, and lime juice.  A bit of cilantro, and an optional jalapeno if you want the sauce to be a bit spicy. Round out the sauce and make a perfect topping for this bowl.

Everything is served over rice, black beans, and mixed salad greens to create a balanced meal and then garnished with more elote flavors, like tajin and crumbled cotija.  Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for meal prep, otherwise serve the bowl right away and enjoy!

Be sure to tag @laura.loves.to.cook on Instagram, Tik Tok, or Facebook to let me know how your recipe turn out. I hope you love it as much as I do!

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Elote Chicken Burrito Bowl

Author: Laura Wilkins Cooking Method: Sautéed Cuisine: Mexican Courses: Main Course

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 15 mins Total Time 30 mins

Servings: 4

Best Season: Summer

Dietary:

G Gluten Free N Nut Free

Description

An easy weeknight dinner, this elote chicken burrito bowl has all of the classic flavors of elote built into a delicious bowl with ground chicken, rice, black beans, and salad greens. Everything is topped with a elote-style yogurt cilantro sauce and extra elote flavors for garnish, like cotija cheese and tajin.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

Elote Chicken Bowl

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 cup corn kernels (about 2 ears of corn)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• ¹⁄₂ tsp oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ¹⁄₂ tsp smoked paprika
• Pinch red pepper flakes, to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¹⁄₄ cup water
• Black beans, rice, mixed salad greens, fresh cilantro, tajin, and crumbled cotija for serving

Yogurt Cilantro Elote Sauce

• ¹⁄₂ cup greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp mayo
• ¹⁄₂ cup fresh cilantro
• ¹⁄₄ cup cotija cheese
• 1 tsp tajin
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeno, seeded (optional)

Mashed Avocado

• 1 avocado
• juice of 1 lime
• salt, to taste

Instructions

Make the Elote Chicken

1. In a large frying pan or saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the ground chicken and begin to brown, stirring to break the chicken into smaller pieces.  Let cook for about 5-7 minutes.

2. Once the chicken is nearly brown, add the fresh corn, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, smoked paprika, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and some salt and pepper to the pan.  Stir to mix in and continue to cook until the chicken is completely browned through, another 3-5 minutes.

3. Add ¼ cup of water to the pan and stir to combine.  Let cook for another 5 minutes to create a light sauce.

4. In the meantime, prepare the black beans, rice, and desired toppings for plating.

Make the Yogurt Cilantro Elote Sauce

1. Add greek yogurt, mayo, cotija cheese, cilantro, tajin, lime juice, and the jalapeno (if desired) to a blender.  Blend until all ingredients are combined. Taste and season with additional tajin or salt if desired. Set aside.

Make the Mashed Avocado

1. In a small bowl, add the flesh of an avocado and squeeze fresh lime juice over the top.  Mash until the lime juice is blended into the avocado and the fruit is smooth.  Season with salt and taste. Set Aside

To Serve

1. In a large bowl, add a base of white rice, black beans, and mixed greens. Divide the chicken and corn over the top of the bowl. Add the mashed avocado on the side and drizzle with the yogurt cilantro lime sauce over the entire bowl.

2. Garnish with crumbled cotija cheese, a sprinkle of tajin, and more fresh cilantro.  Serve immediately and enjoy!