By Ready in just 20 minutes (even faster if you use rotisserie chicken), this street corn chicken salad makes the best meal prep lunch or quick dinner. Enjoy it as is, with tortilla chips, or use it to make an elevated quesadilla. It's creamy, delicious, and packed with all the classic flavors of a classic Elote salad, but with a bit of added protein from chicken and Greek yogurt.
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a meal prep lunch that's better cold!
- High Protein: Each serving packs 41g of protein, keeping you full and fueled. It's one of our top high-protein low-calorie lunch recipes!
- Versatile Serving Options: Enjoy it as a standalone salad, in a wrap, or as a dip with tortilla chips.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Stays fresh in the fridge (it actually tastes better cold), making it perfect for make-ahead lunches.
ingredient notes & substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Seasoned Chicken Thighs: Feel free to substitute grilled chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken. I cook mine with olive oil, sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and coconut sugar. For another chicken thighs recipe, try our easy one-pot chicken and rice!
- Frozen Corn: I buy fire-roasted and then thaw it if it's the winter. But in the summer, I like to grill corn cobs and use them in the salad.
- Red Onion: A classic for crunch and tang! Shallots or white onions work too.
- Greek Yogurt: Instead of sour cream, we use plain Greek yogurt for added protein.
- Mayonnaise: Just a little bit adds richness to the dressing to balance out the tang from the Greek yogurt.
- Cotija Cheese: A crumbly Mexican cheese that adds a salty tang. Feta can be used if you can't find Cotija. It's usually next to the refrigerated queso.
- Jalapeño: Feel free to leave this out if you're worried about it being too spicy.
- Lime: Always add fresh lime juice if you can!!
- Cilantro: If you don't like cilantro then you probably don't like Elote salad because it's an essential flavor for it.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
high protein ingredient spotlight: Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt plays a key role in this salad, adding both creaminess and a protein boost. With about 10g of protein per ½ cup serving, it helps keep you full while balancing the smokey and spicy flavors. It's our favorite creamy protein for other chicken salads, such as our dill pickle chicken salad and gyro chicken salad.
here's how to make creamy chicken corn salad
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full street corn chicken salad recipe!
- Make the chicken thighs by baking them in the oven at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Roast the corn: If using frozen corn, spread it on a sheet tray, drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper, and roast in the oven or air fryer for 10 minutes.
- Mix the salad by mixing all ingredients in a large bowl. When the chicken is done cooking, chop it up very small or shred it and add it to the salad.
- Serve as a stand-alone salad, in a wrap or sandwich, or with chips!
quick recipe video
expert tips
- Pat the chicken dry: This will make sure the seasoning sticks and you get that perfect crisp exterior (yes, even with skinless).
- Use gloves for the jalapeno: If you have them, this makes a world of difference, so you don't accidentally rub your eyes with spicy fingers.
can I use canned corn?
I try not to because canned corn is usually softer and thus doesn't provide that nice crunch that fresh corn does. Frozen corn is typically packed when ripe and frozen right away to prevent extra moisture while canned is canned in liquid.
common questions
Sure! If you like shredded chicken or that's just what you have, that works too!
Yes! Grilled chicken is SO good with this salad so if you can grill chicken, grill it! I like to marinate it with the spices listed below, plus lime juice, and then grill.
To make this vegetarian, swap out the chicken for canned chickpeas! If you're looking for other vegetarian recipes, check out our post on high-protein vegetarian meal ideas.
chicken options
In testing this salad, I made it with 3 different types of chicken so I'll go over each one briefly. But, really, this recipe is very forgiving, so you can just use leftovers or whatever you have!
- Seasoned dry rub chicken thighs: These were tied with my favorite because thighs are hard to overcook, and the rub is just so yummy! I like to make 3 or 4 pounds of this chicken and use it throughout the week for various recipes.
- Rotisserie chicken: This was easy and convenient but not as flavorful.
- Grilled chicken: My other favorite because who doesn't love juicy grilled chicken breast?!
how to store & meal prep it
This creamy protein chicken salad is perfect for meal prep. And it works well to bring for lunch because it's meant to be eaten cold. Just paack some chips or a spoon on side and you're good to go!
- Fridge: This lasts for four days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Meal Prep: Prepare the salad ahead of time and divide it into individual portions for easy grab-and-go lunches throughout the week.
so... what do I eat chicken salad with?
This salad is a staple in my household, especially during summer gatherings. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
- In a Wrap: Spoon the salad into a low-carb tortilla or egg white wrap, add some fresh greens such as spinach or arugula, and roll it up for a quick and nutritious lunch. You can also use a wrap and some extra cheese for a high protein quesadilla.
- With Tortilla Chips: Serve it as a dip with crispy tortilla chips for a crowd-pleasing appetizer. If you need multiple appetizers, then pair it with our avocado deviled eggs!
- As a hot casserole: Place in a small baking dish and top with shredded white cheddar or pepperjack cheese; bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes for a creamy hot casserole!
Recipe
street corn chicken salad
Ingredients
Baked Chicken (can just use rotisseri)
- 2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder & onion powder (each)
- 1.25 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
The Rest
- 12 oz frozen corn ((fire roasted preferred) or use fresh grilled corn)
- ¼ red onion (diced)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (plain, non-fat)
- 2 tablespoon mayo
- ¼ teaspoon salt & pepper (each)
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- 1 jalapeno pepper (deseeded and diced)
- 1 lime
- 1 handful cilantro (finely chopped)
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat the 2 lbs chicken thighs dry. In a small bowl, mix together the 3 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder & onion powder (each), 1.25 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon coconut sugar. Place the chicken on a sheet tray and rub with the spice mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165.
- Make the corn: Spread the 12 oz frozen corn on a sheet tray and drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper. Use your hands or a spoon to mix it well to coat evenly. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes.If using grilled corn, you can just skip this step.
- Mix: In a large bowl, combine the ¼ red onion, ½ cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoon mayo, ½ cup cotija cheese, 1 jalapeno pepper (diced), ¼ teaspoon salt & pepper, the juice from 1 lime, and the 1 handful cilantro. When the chicken is done cooking, dice it small and mix it with everything else.
- Enjoy this salad on it's own, in a wrap or quesadilla, or with tortilla chips.
Video
Notes
- Seasoned dry rub chicken thighs: These were tied with my favorite because thighs are hard to overcook, and the rub is just so yummy! I like to make 3 or 4 pounds of this chicken and use it throughout the week for various recipes.
- Rotisserie chicken: This was easy and convenient but not as flavorful.
- Grilled chicken: My other favorite because who doesn't love juicy grilled chicken breast?!
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
This was a really fun flavor twist on typical chicken salad! I used canned chicken and it was still really refreshing! The fresh cilantro, lime, onions and jalapeno really brighten up the dish! I ate some on lettuce wraps and some with tortilla chips. Definitely will make again!
That sounds so good!
I just made this for my lunches this week and it is fantastic! Definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us!
I am a vegetarian so made this with chickpeas instead of chicken and have enjoyed it for lunch all week. Very tasty! Thanks!
That sounds delicious!
This is the absolute best! I love adding some cayenne and Tajin to this to make it a little spicier! I love that it helps me reach my protein goals while also being amazingly delicious!!
So happy you enjoyed! Love those additions 🙂
I don’t like mayonnaise, can I omit or replace it?
You can use extra greek yogurt! If you omit it just won't be as creamy which is fine too.
We have made this twice and my hubby says it’s the best chicken salad he’s ever had:)
That's awesome to hear!
This is so good and super easy to make. It’s such a forgiving recipe. I ended up using cottage cheese instead of Greek yogurt and didn’t have the cheese on hand and it’s still really yummy. I had some can toasted corn on hand and it worked fine. I can’t wait to use fresh grill corn during corn season. Ended up adding some nutritional yeast and hemp hearts to boost the protein and nutrient even more. Going to leave the seeds in the jalepeno next time. Love eating it with tortilla chips but this would be great on tostadas.
So happy to hear that!!