Description
Tender shredded chicken slow-cooked with creamy elote-inspired flavors, sweet corn, cotija cheese, sour cream, and lime for a comforting, hands-off dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed and softened
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese
- ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, diced (optional)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
- Extra cotija cheese (for garnish)
- Tajín or chili powder (for garnish)
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
-
Season chicken with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
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Place chicken in slow cooker with corn, garlic, and jalapeño. Top with cream cheese cubes.
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Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3–4 hours until chicken is tender.
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Shred chicken in the slow cooker. Stir in sour cream, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, lime juice, and half the cotija until smooth and creamy.
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Garnish with cilantro, remaining cotija, and Tajín. Serve warm with lime wedges.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs for richer flavor or chicken breasts for leaner results.
- Add black beans, peppers, or chipotle for extra variations.
- For a lighter option, swap Greek yogurt for sour cream and reduce cheese.
- Store leftovers up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours (low) or 3 hours (high)
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired / American Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion (about 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: ~430 kcal
- Sugar: ~6 g
- Sodium: ~640 mg
- Fat: ~27 g
- Saturated Fat: ~11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ~14 g
- Trans Fat: ~0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: ~17 g
- Fiber: ~2 g
- Protein: ~29 g
- Cholesterol: ~115 mg