Name: Street Corn Chicken Bowl Meal Prep
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced; 2 cups cooked brown rice; 1 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen); 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese; 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1/3 cup light mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; Juice of 1 lime; Salt and black pepper, to taste

Let’s Talk Street Corn Chicken Bowls (and Why My Kids Beg for Leftovers)

Hey, welcome to my kitchen (or, well, this is the online version of it, but you get the gist). So, real talk: the first time I made this street corn chicken bowl meal prep thing, I was basically trying to impress my very picky brother-in-law. He swears up and down that only his local taco truck does corn right. Honestly, it’s turned into my go-to for when I’ve got a tan too many canned corn in the pantry or I want to eat something vaguely healthy but still feels sneaky? And it’s great for meal prep because, let’s be honest, I rarely want to cook more than once if I don’t have to. Not sure if you ever had one of those weeks where Tuesday feels like it should be Friday, but that’s when I lean hard on this meal.

Why You’ll Love This (Or, Reasons I Keep Making It When I Could Just Order Pizza)

I make this when I’m craving street food but it’s raining (and/or I have a toddler attached to my ankle)
My family goes absolutely bananas for the sweet corn and creamy sauce. Funny enough, my husband actually claims he hates cilantro; never noticed it in this.
It’s like a salad, but with actual personality. You know how some bowl recipes come out bland and sad? Not this one, promise. Well, unless you totally skip the lime.
(Mild annoyance: I’ve tried to shortcut the marinade before and yeah…let’s not scrape off charred chicken again, thanks.)
All the parts are great on their own too. Sometimes I just eat the corn mix with chips right out of the fridge. No shame here.

Ingredients: What You Need for Street Corn Chicken Bowl Meal Prep

Chicken: About 1 pound of boneless thighs or breasts (thighs are juicier, but you do you. When I’m pressed for time, I’ll use pre-cooked rotisserie—no one complains).
Marinade: 2 tbsp plain yogurt (or sour cream if that’s all you’ve got), juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp smoked paprika, handful of chopped cilantro (I mean, parsley works in a pinch but it’s not the same really).
Rice or Grain Base: 2 cups cooked rice (I switch it up with brown rice, quinoa, or sometimes that bag of frozen cauliflower rice I forget about—it’s all pretty forgiving).
Corn: About 2 cups corn kernels (frozen, canned, or if you can, fresh off the cob is magic. I’ve grilled it ONCE; mostly I just toast it in a pan).
Mexican Crema or Sour Cream: 1/3 cup (Mayo works if you’re feeling wild. Or out of sour cream.)
Cotija cheese: 1/3 cup grated (Feta is a solid stand-in. My grandmother insisted on Cotija, but I use whatever’s on hand).
Extras and Toppers:

1-2 green onions, sliced thin
Chili powder or Tajín for a little flame (optional, unless you have spice fiends in your house)
More limes, cause why not

How I Make It (And What Usually Goes Sideways)

Mix up your marinade: Yogurt, lime juice, paprika, chopped cilantro in a bowl. Toss the chicken in, cover, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes—actually, I find overnight is better, but who’s that organized?
Grill or pan-cook the chicken: Heat up a grill pan or regular ol’ skillet (if you’re like me and put your grill outside for ‘the season’ three months ago). High-ish heat, cook until the chicken gets brown and just cooked through. This is where I usually sneak a taste to be sure it’s not woefully underdone.
Make the corn topping: In a big pan, toss your corn with a little oil, salt, and maybe a pinch of chili powder. Get it a bit browned – it really brings out that smoky-sweet vibe. Toss it in a bowl with crema or sour cream, cotija, more lime, and green onions. (Don’t worry if it looks kind of messy, that’s a good sign.)
Prep your base: I usually use leftover rice (cold is fine). Warm it if you’re feeling fancy, or just throw it in—nobody at lunch cares, honestly.
Build your bowls: Rice on the bottom, chicken on top (sometimes I slice, sometimes dice—depends if it’s for kids or adults), then a generous heap of the corn mixture. Sprinkle more cheese and cilantro over, hit with a wedge of lime, and dust with Tajín if you like.
Pack for meal prep: Scoop everything into meal containers. (By this point I usually taste again. Quality control, right?)

Stuff I Learned the Hard Way (Notes)

If you skip the yogurt (or sour cream) in the marinade, the chicken dries out fast. Trust me, I tried.”
Grilled corn fresh off the cob is amazing, but, let’s be real, frozen is 95% as good—no mess, no cobs in the bin attracting fruit flies.
I think the flavors mellow and get better the second day. Try not to inhale it all at once.

Variations: My Experiments (and a Few Flops)

One time I made it with shrimp instead of chicken. Not bad but needed extra chili. Would try again!
Added black beans once; pretty tasty, bumped up the protein. They don’t even need to be seasoned, but if you have time, why not?
Tried with mayo only instead of crema. Honestly? Bit much. Maybe if you go in for that kind of thing.
Tossed in chopped bell peppers for crunch; my youngest picked them all out but at least I tried.

About Equipment (Don’t Stress If You’re Missing Something)

I normally use a grill pan for the chicken, but I’ve done it in a regular frying pan or even baked it at 425°F for 20 mins. Works fine—you just want some browning.
Bowls are nice for serving; plastic containers work for the meal prep part. If you’re missing a microplane for cheese, just crumble with your hands (or let whoever’s nearby do it—it’s oddly satisfying).

How to Store This Stuff (Though It Never Survives Two Days Here)

Pop your assembled bowls in airtight containers; they’re good in the fridge for up to 4 days. I read somewhere you shouldn’t freeze the corn mix, but on second thought I did it just to see, and it came out a bit watery, so I wouldn’t recommend unless you like your bowl kind of soupy. For best texture, keep the corn topping and chicken separate if you’re really picky, but mostly I just toss it all in together. Honestly, leftovers tend to disappear mysteriously before I even get a chance to see what ‘day 5’ tastes like.

My Favorite Way to Serve Street Corn Chicken Bowls (and the Odd Side)

I usually squeeze a fresh lime over the whole bowl and add a little sprinkle of chili powder right before eating. (My daughter insists on tortilla chips on the side, “for crunch,” as if that isn’t already the best part.) Sometimes I add a poached egg if I’m feeling breakfast-y, but then it’s really not meal prep anymore, is it?

If I Could Give You Just One Pro Tip…

I once tried to cook all the chicken at once on a super crowded pan—don’t do that! It just turns gray and sad. Better to do it in batches and get that lovely golden brown. Also, don’t skip marinating if you can, even just 10-15 minutes makes a world of difference. Actually, better yet, make life easy and read up on chicken cooking basics here because that’s helped me so much.

FAQ (You Asked, I Actually Answered)

Can I use canned chicken? Yep, no judgment; just know it’s a bit drier, so toss more crema on top.
How spicy is this bowl? Well, you control the flame, friend. My kids eat it with no chilies, I load up with Tajín and sometimes a shake of Valentina sauce for more heat.
What if I hate cilantro? Just, you know, skip it—or swap parsley. No one’s mad. I do it when my mom visits (she claims it “tastes like soap”).
Do I need to reheat the bowl? Totally up to you. It’s good cold, but I prefer to zap the rice and chicken together for 45 seconds, then top with the corn mix.
Is it gluten-free? Yup! Unless you get rogue and start tossing in random things, which, fair.
Do I really need that cheese? I mean, probably not technically, but I wouldn’t skip it (unless you’re dairy-free, in which case a tangy tofu crumble is sort of fun).
If you want a printable version or more ideas for quick meal prep lunches, Budget Bytes has a mountain of inspiration.

Alright friend, guess that’s all for now. Let me know if you try it and, if you’ve got a twist on the recipe, I am all ears! (Sorry, couldn’t resist the corn pun.)

Street Corn Chicken Bowl Meal Prep