Street Corn Chicken Salad
This street corn chicken salad is creamy, smoky, and full of Mexican-inspired flavor. Tender rotisserie chicken, corn, and a chipotle-lime dressing come together for a meal that’s easy, satisfying, and anything but boring! It’s the perfect protein-packed salad for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.
If you are craving more delicious, creamy chicken salad recipes, don’t miss this viral Italian grinder chicken salad, this yummy avocado chicken salad, or this fall chicken salad with cranberries and bacon!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this street corn chicken salad:
For the salad
For the dressing
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Rotisserie chicken: I love using shredded rotisserie chicken breast for this recipe for ease and convenience. However, for a bit more flavor, bake your chicken or cook it in the air fryer!
Corn: If you can find frozen roasted corn (I love the Trader Joe’s brand), use that! If not, regular frozen corn or canned corn also work just fine.
Mayo/sour cream: I love the combo of both of these! Feel free to swap out Greek yogurt for the sour cream if you want to add a bit more protein.
Chipotles in adobo: This is one of my favorite ingredients ever!! The smoked chipotle peppers add so much flavor. Remove the seeds for less heat.
Cotija Cheese: Cotija cheese is a crumbly Mexican cheese made from cow’s milk, with a salty, tangy flavor and firm texture. I love it in this salad! If you can’t find Cotija, good substitutes are queso fresco (for a milder, creamier), Parmesan, or crumbly feta cheese.
Green onions: You can also substitute red onion.
Jalapeños: For less heat, seed the jalapeños and remove the white part (membrane) inside. The flavor will be left, but without so much heat.
Casey’s Tips
- Kick up the corn: Roast or grill fresh corn on the cob for a smoky, authentic street corn flavor.
- Adjust the heat: Add more or less chipotle in adobo depending on how spicy you like it. Also, seed the jalapeños and cut out any of the white membrane inside so you are just left with the flavor, and not so much heat.
- Keep it fresh: Add fresh lime juice or a bit more sour cream to leftovers to keep it fresh-tasting. You can also add more green onions, or even chopped cilantro for more flavor.
- Storage: This salad is great stored in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3 days. It’s perfect for meal prepping!
How to serve
Chicken wrap: Wrap this creamy chicken salad in a tortilla for an easy lunch. You can even add shredded lettuce and tomato!
With chips for “dipping”: My personal favorite way to enjoy this salad is just scooping it out with some sturdy tortilla chips!
Lettuce cups/over greens: Low carb it and serve this chicken salad over greens or in cute little butter lettuce cups.
Meal prep: I meal prep this salad at least once a month. It holds up great in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
Did you try this recipe?
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Thank you! ~ Casey
Street Corn Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 4 tbsp. chipotles in adobo (chopped peppers + adobo sauce)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. coarse salt (sea salt, kosher salt) more to taste
For the salad
- 4 cups rotisserie chicken, finely chopped or shredded
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, partially thawed
- 1 cup green onions, sliced white and green parts
- 1-2 large japalenos, seeded and chopped
- 3/4 cup Cotija cheese + more for serving
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Assemble the salad: To a large bowl, add chicken, corn, green onions, jalapenos, and cotija cheese.
- Toss and garnish: Toss the chicken mixture with the dressing until well-coated. Garnish with more cotija cheese and green onions, if needed.
Notes
- Kick up the corn: Roast or grill fresh corn on the cob for a smoky, authentic street corn flavor.
- Adjust the heat: Add more or less chipotle in adobo depending on how spicy you like it. Also, seed the jalapeños and cut out any of the white membrane inside so you are just left with the flavor, and not so much heat.
- Keep it fresh: Add fresh lime juice or a bit more sour cream to leftovers to keep it fresh-tasting. You can also add more green onions, or even chopped cilantro for more flavor.
- Storage: This salad is great stored in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3 days. It’s perfect for meal prepping!
This salad is my meal prep at least once a month! I know you’ll love it! XO ~ Casey