Dreamy Street Corn Chicken Chili

As seen in Satisfying Entrées for Every Table.

Street Corn Chicken Chili means ground chicken, crisp sweet corn, and a bunch of fun spices all mingling for cozy comfort in every bowl. Onions, fresh jalapeños, and garlic pack in a great smell and jumpstart all that flavor. After everything bubbles in broth and maybe a splash of beer, you stir in tangy sour cream, chopped cilantro, and a squeeeze of lime. Dish up while it’s hot and toss on more cilantro, some cotija, and a fresh lime wedge if you want that extra hit of flavor. Every bite kind of mixes up the best things about street corn with chicken chili. It really hits the spot!

Barbara Chef
Created By Sasha
Last updated on Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:03:54 GMT
Soup loaded with corn and melty cheese in a bowl. Save Pin
Soup loaded with corn and melty cheese in a bowl. | foodthingle.com

This Street Corn Chicken Chili is pure creamy comfort packed with bold flavor. You've got a kick from the spices and lots of sweet corn. It tastes like you spent hours on it, but honestly, you could put it on the table faster than you'd think. It totally livens up any cold night at my house.

I whipped this up when friends were crashing at my place and swear, they fought for the last bit the next day. Now, it's my top pick for family hangs or potlucks—people ask for it every time.

Savory Ingredients

  • Optional toppings: finish your bowl however you like—cotija, extra cilantro, chili powder, or lime wedges
  • Lime juice: that last squeeze really wakes things up use the real stuff not bottled if you can
  • Cilantro: gotta use fresh chopped right before it goes in for extra zing
  • Sour cream: makes it so creamy full fat is best but whatever you have works
  • Hot sauce: kick up the heat your way use what you love
  • Chicken base: makes it taste richer I always grab Better Than Bouillon
  • Beer: gives a malty tangy vibe totally fine to skip or sub more broth
  • Chicken broth: keeps it brothy pick low sodium so you can add more salt if you need
  • Cumin: gives that earthy chili flavor toasting some seeds and smashing them up makes it pop
  • Paprika: toss in some smoky or Spanish paprika for those vibes
  • Chili powder: big flavor win look for a spicy or mild blend you like
  • Ground chicken: the lean main protein white or dark or mix it up all good
  • Garlic: punchy and deep flavor chop it up fresh for best results
  • Kosher salt plus black pepper: keep tasting and adding as you go every stage needs it
  • Fresh corn on the cob: crisp and sweet use frozen if you can’t get real ears
  • Jalapeno peppers: spicy but bright scrape out those seeds if you don't want it hot pick firm shiny peppers
  • Onion: the mellow sweet backbone yellow ones are my fave
  • Olive oil: rich and helps veggies sizzle grab a good cold-pressed one

Easy Step Guide

Serve It Up:
Spoon hot chili into bowls then let everyone go wild with toppings—a sprinkle of cheese, dash of chili, fresh cilantro, extra lime. Eat it hot with your favorite dipper.
Finishing Touches:
Blitz in some hot sauce then scoop in sour cream, toss in cilantro, and squeeze lime all over. Let it chill on low for five to ten minutes to mix those flavors. Taste and, if you need, throw in more chili powder or salt to tune it your way.
Simmer and Wait:
Tip in the chicken broth, pour that beer if you want, and stir in chicken base. Heat until bubbling over medium-high. Once it boils, drop to medium-low and simmer gently for about half an hour. The broth thickens and all those good flavors blend in.
Get That Chicken Going:
Garlic goes next, right on those vegetables, then ground chicken joins the party. Sprinkle over cumin, chili powder, paprika, and another taste of salt and pepper. Smash the chicken up so it browns evenly. Cook another eight minutes (or so) till there's no pink left and everything's coated in spice. This is where the magic starts.
Start With the Veggies:
Heat a big pot with olive oil over medium. Toss in onion, jalapeno, and corn plus a little salt and pepper. Stir every few minutes and let it sweat and get golden around the edges—about 8 minutes. The sweetness comes out and gets everything ready.
A bowl loaded with corn and zesty lime. Save Pin
A bowl loaded with corn and zesty lime. | foodthingle.com

Cilantro totally ties all the flavors together and gives everything a blast of freshness. I toss some on right before serving and it makes me think of summer. My kids battle over the biggest lime wedge and always have fun squeezing it at the table.

Keeping It Fresh

Chili like this lasts four days in the fridge if you keep it in a tight container. Heat it up slow on the stove or zap in the microwave. Fresh lime and cilantro tossed on top right before you eat help perk it back up. It freezes for two months and just needs a quick stir once it's thawed and warm.

Swaps and Switches

No ground chicken? Shredded rotisserie or ground turkey both do the trick. If you skip the beer, just splash in more broth. Frozen corn fills in for fresh perfectly fine. Any favorite hot sauce or Greek yogurt for sour cream works for toppings. Smoked paprika takes it to another level.

A hearty bowl with corn and cheese on top. Save Pin
A hearty bowl with corn and cheese on top. | foodthingle.com

Fun Ways to Serve

This chili is honestly hearty on its own, but try scooping it up with chips or piling it over rice to amp up the comfort. For something cool on the side, toss together a quick avocado salad or crunchy slaw. Make it extra with a plate of radishes and extra lime so everyone can jazz up their bowl.

Cultural Shoutout

This dish is my way of bringing in the zesty, cheesy, and chili-lime pop of Mexican street corn. It's not really elote, just inspired by those flavors, mixed into a classic American-style chili. Corn from street carts on a summer night is still my favorite, but this definitely brings those tastes home year round.

Common Recipe Questions

→ Can I use canned or frozen corn?

Absolutely, either canned or frozen works great when fresh isn’t on hand. Just drain, give it a quick dry, and toss it right in.

→ What type of chicken works best?

Ground chicken cooks up super tasty and thick, but you can swap in some rotisserie you shred yourself, or just cube up some chicken breast.

→ Is the beer necessary?

You don’t have to use beer unless you really want that extra layer. Skip it or just pour in more broth instead—it still tastes awesome.

→ How spicy is this dish?

Spiciness is all about how wild you go with jalapeños, chili powder, and hot sauce. Add more or less to fit your mood.

→ What toppings go well?

Pile on cilantro, a crumble of cotija cheese, shake on chili powder, and squirt some lime. Those put the finishing touch on top!

Street Corn Chili

Chicken simmered with corn and a bit of zingy lime. Creamy, a bit spicy, super easy to share—all cooked in just one pot.

Preparation Time
10 Minutes
Cooking Time
55 Minutes
Overall Time
65 Minutes
Created By: Sasha

Recipe Type: Main Dishes

Skill Level: Moderate

Regional Style: Mexican, American

Output: 8 Number of Servings

Special Diets: ~

What You'll Need

→ Base Ingredients

01 6 to 8 cloves garlic, chopped up
02 Black pepper and salt to taste
03 6 to 8 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off
04 3 to 4 jalapenos, seeds out and diced up
05 A medium onion, chopped
06 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Protein and Spices

07 A tablespoon of ground cumin
08 2 tablespoons paprika
09 3 tablespoons chili powder
10 2 pounds ground chicken

→ Liquids and Seasonings

11 A few dashes of your fave hot sauce
12 1 tablespoon chicken base
13 3/4 cup beer (totally optional)
14 4 cups chicken broth

→ Finishing and Toppings

15 Sprinkle on more cilantro, crumbled cotija, chili powder, and some lime wedges if you want
16 3 tablespoons lime juice, squeezed fresh
17 A cup of chopped fresh cilantro
18 1 cup sour cream

Steps to Follow

Step 01

Start by getting the olive oil hot in a big soup pot over medium. Toss in onion, jalapenos, corn, salt, and pepper. Let them cook, stirring once in a while, until soft. Should take about 7 to 9 minutes.

Step 02

Next, add the garlic, ground chicken, chili powder, paprika, cumin and more salt and pepper. Use a spatula to break up the chicken as it cooks. Give it 7 to 9 minutes till it turns brown and cooked all the way through.

Step 03

Dump in your chicken broth, optional beer, and chicken base. Stir it up and bring it to a bubbling boil. Once you get some bubbles, turn the heat down and let it simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes with no lid.


A bowl of soup with corn and lime.
Step 04

Splash in hot sauce, add the sour cream, cilantro, and lime juice. Let that all hang out on low heat another 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and tweak the seasoning if it needs it. Ladle into bowls, then toss on any extra toppings you love like more cilantro, crumbly cotija, chili powder, or a squeeze of lime.


A bowl of soup with corn and cheese.

Additional Tips

  1. Want the best texture? Go with fresh corn if you've got it. If not, frozen works too.
  2. Like more or less heat? Adjust how many jalapenos and the amount of hot sauce.

Essential Tools

  • Big soup pot
  • Nice sharp chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Wooden spoon or spatula

Allergen Information

Always verify ingredient labels for allergens and consult with a healthcare expert if unsure.
  • Has dairy (sour cream, cotija cheese)

Nutrition Info (Per Serving)

These details are best used as an estimate and shouldn't replace professional health advice.
  • Calories: 332
  • Fat Content: ~
  • Carbohydrates: ~
  • Protein: ~