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Fiesta-inspired Creamy Corn Chicken! The chicken is seasoned with lots of seasonings and pan-seared. Then we’ll make the creamed corn with peppers, onions, shredded cheese, cotija cheese, a splash of heavy cream, and lots of lime juice! The creamed corn sauce is perfect for this one-pan chicken dinner!
A one-pot skillet chicken dinner that comes with a side!
Fiesta-style creamed corn chicken is the one pan dinner you didn’t know you needed. It starts with seasoned chicken dredged in flour so that it gets a little crispy around the edges when you cook it. Then we’ll add butter to the same pan and saute off some sweet corn in onions and peppers to make a esquites or elotes-inspired creamed skillet corn dish. Finish with a splash of cream and lots of fresh lime juice and let the chicken simmer in it.
It’s honestly so easy to make! You can serve it over rice or cheddar mashed potatoes, or with butter egg noodles, garlicky roasted potatoes, or roasted veggies.
It’s going to be a new weekly dinner rotation fave!
Ingredients for Creamy Chicken with Corn
- Chicken:I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You can also use chicken thighs or tenders.
- Seasonings:Lots of seasonings in this dish! You can’t say I’m serving you bland chicken! We’ll need kosher salt, smoked paprika, oregano, chipotle chili powder, and ground cumin.
- Oil + Butter:We’ll need a couple of tablespoons of each. The chicken cooks in the olive oil and the 2 tablespoonsbutter are to saute the corn.
- All-purpose flour:Instead of making a roux for the corn, I like to use the flour to coat the chicken. This makes the chicken retain much of that moisture so it stays juicer. When we simmer the chicken in the creamed corn, it’ll thicken it just a bit so that it’s perfect to serve over rice or potatoes.
- Shallots and garlic:You’ll need shallots, or any colored onions will also work for this dish. You’ll also need a few cloves of garlic to mince up for the fiesta creamed corn.
- Serranos:Don’t worry! The peppers add just the babies of kicks! We’ll
- Corn Kernels:I use frozen corn kernels that I just thaw out before using in the recipe. If fresh sweet corn is in season when you make this recipe, feel free to simmer your corn, slice it off the cob and use that instead!
- Limes:You’ll need lots of fresh lime juice to finish off this recipe. The lime juice adds much-needed acid to the sauce and cuts through the sweetness of the corn and the richness of the cream.
- Heavy Cream:You’ll stir in the cream towards the end to make a creamy sauce for the corn. If you’re dairy-free, feel free to swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut milk instead.
- Cheese:I use both Mexican shredded cheese and some cotija cheese for this recipe. Cotija cheese can be difficult to find depending on where you live, so you can replace it with grated parmesan cheese or feta cheese instead.
- Cilantro:Adds freshness and a little color to the dish!
Instructions for creamy corn chicken
- Season the chicken:Start by combining the salt, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, chipotle chili powder, and cumin in a bowl. Season the chicken generously on both sides.
- Dredge and cook the chicken.Dredge the chicken fillets in flour. Heat a large skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Add the oil and cook the chicken flipping around the halfway mark. You want to make sure that the chicken is cooked all the way through. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is done, then remove it to a plate and keep it warm loosely tented with foil or a lid with a vent.
- Make creamy corn chicken.Melt butter in the same skillet, add the shallots, and saute them with a pinch of salt for a few minutes until they soften. Add the serranos, garlic, and corn and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the corn heats through. Add the lime juice and stir until all the juice is absorbed by the corn. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine, when the cream heats through, sprinkle with Mexican shredded cheese and the cotija cheese. The cheese will be stringy for a few minutes. Then add the chicken breast make the skillet and let them simmer in the corn mixture for a bit before tipping with cilantro and serving! I like to serve lime wedges on the side so you can add more as desired.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
- Chicken in Fiesta Cream Sauce
- Marry Me Chicken
- Skillet Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
- Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls with Corn Salsa
- Charred Corn Avocado Salad with Pickled Onions
Yield: serves 5-6
Fiesta Creamy Corn Chicken
Fiesta-inspired Creamy Corn Chicken! The chicken is seasoned with lots of seasonings and pan-seared. Then we'll make the creamed corn with peppers, onions, shredded cheese, cotija cheese, a splash of heavy cream, and lots of lime juice! The creamed corn sauce is perfect for this one-pan chicken dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon EACH: smoked paprika AND oregano
- ½ teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, AND chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons EACH: olive oil AND butter
- ½ cup shallots, chopped (or red onions)
- 1 serrano, minced (see notes)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen corn kernels, thawed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice + wedges, for serving
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese
- ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese (or feta, parm)
- Cilantro, for garnishing
Instructions
- SEASON: Combine the kosher salt, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle chili powder, and ground cumin in a bowl. Season the chicken generously on both sides.
- COOK: Dredge the chicken in the flour. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and cook the chicken; about 10-12 minutes total, flipping around the halfway mark until the chicken reaches an internal temp of a minimum of 160ºF. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
- CREAMED CORN: Over medium heat, add the butter to the skillet and allow it to melt. Add the shallots and saute them with a pinch of salt for 4-5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the serrano, garlic, and corn. Cook for 3 minutes or until the corn heats through; add the lime juice and let cook until the liquid absorbs. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Once the cream is warmed through, sprinkle with the cheeses. Tuck the chicken breasts back in the skillet for presentation or serve on plates garnished with cilantro!
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30 Minute Meals Chicken One Pot Spring Summer30 minute meals chicken chicken dinner corn esquites one pan dinner
originally published on Feb 20, 2023 (last updated Oct 11, 2023)
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3 comments on “Fiesta Creamy Corn Chicken”
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Brenda M — Reply
This is delicious and comfort food for sure! I subbed mozzarella cheese for Mexican, feta for cotija and a jalepeno for the Serrano. Mine was a little thick. May add some broth to loosen it when reheating. Chicken had fantastic flavor from all the spices! Thank you for a great recipe!
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Huda — Reply
Hi,
I made this recipe today and it turned out great. My kids loved it.
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Wendy — Reply
My family really liked this. Thank you for the recipe! I thought for sure it was going to be too spicy but it was perfectly mild.
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