Summer in a Bowl

Sweet, tangy and a little smoky, these craveable chicken rice bowls deliver a light, flavor-packed dinner perfect for busy summer nights.

Summer evenings are always so busy in our household. Somehow the season that’s supposed to feel laid-back turns into a full-speed schedule. Between social events, swim lessons, yard work, play dates and everything else that pops up just because it’s summer, it can feel more chaotic than relaxing. So I’m always hunting for a meal that’s quick, nutritious and filling … and that’s exactly what these Citrus Corn Chicken Rice Bowls are.

These bowls are hearty in the best way, with warm jasmine rice, sweet-charred corn, saucy taco-seasoned chicken and a sticky lime-honey finish with a cool lime crema that ties it all together. Every single time I make these, my family devours every bit like I didn’t just cook two pounds of chicken five minutes ago.

We love a local restaurant that makes cantina-style bowls like this, and they’re delicious … but they’re also pretty expensive for three of us to eat on the regular. Making them at home costs a lot less, stretches further and gives us the same vibe at a way better value.

Substitutions are easy, too. Swap chicken for shrimp, ground turkey, steak strips or black beans. Use brown rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa instead of jasmine rice. If someone doesn’t like avocado, add diced tomatoes or sautéed peppers. No cotija? Try feta or shredded cheddar or leave out the cheese. Want less heat? Skip the Sriracha. Need dairy-free? Use a dairy-free sour cream and mayo, or drizzle with a simple lime vinaigrette instead of crema.

The bowls are packed with healthy ingredients: lean protein from chicken, fiber and nutrients from corn and avocado, vitamin C from the lime, and antioxidants from the fresh herbs like cilantro for extra flavor without extra heaviness. Small touches like garlic, lime zest and a little char on the corn bring big flavor so you don’t need a lot of added stuff.

Trust me, these bowls are just plain delicious. They taste like summer and they make busy nights feel a whole lot easier.

Print Recipe

Limey Corn Chicken Rice Bowls

Sweet, tangy and a little smoky, these craveable chicken rice bowls deliver a light, flavor-packed dinner perfect for busy summer nights.

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American, Mexican

Keyword

Chicken, corn, lime juice, rice

Servings

Servings

Ingredients

For the Lime Creama

• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 lime

For the Chicken

• 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into 2" chunks
• 3 tbsp taco seasoning
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp lime juice

For the Corn

• 2 1/4 cups corn, cut off the cob (or canned)
• 1/4 cup Duke's mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tablespoon Sriracha
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar

For the Bowl

• Jasmine rice, cooked
• 1 avocado peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese, broken into chunks
• finely chopped cilantro
• Tajin seasoning
• lime slices

Course Main Dish Cuisine American, Mexican Keyword Chicken, corn, lime juice, rice Servings Servings Ingredients For the Lime Creama 8 oz sour cream 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 tsp salt 1 lime For the Chicken 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into 2" chunks 3 tbsp taco seasoning 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp lime juice For the Corn 2 1/4 cups corn, cut off the cob (or canned) 1/4 cup Duke's mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1/2 tablespoon Sriracha 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp sugar For the Bowl Jasmine rice, cooked 1 avocado peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 cup cotija cheese, broken into chunks finely chopped cilantro Tajin seasoning lime slices

Instructions

For the Lime Crema

1. In a bowl, mix the sour cream, zest and juice of one lime, garlic and salt. Set aside.

For the Chicken

1. In a large bowl, toss the chicken chunks with 1 tbsp. olive oil and taco seasoning. Set aside to marinate.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 tbsp. oil and the chicken in a single layer. Stir occasionally until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
3. Whisk together the lime juice and honey.
4. Once the chicken is fully cooked, pour the lime and honey mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.

For the Corn

1. Sear the corn in a pan over medium/high heat, just enough so that some of the kernels char.
2. In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper and sugar.
3. Add the sauce to the corn and sauté over medium/low heat until warm.
4. Cook the rice according to the package.

For the Bowl

1. Scoop the rice into the bottom of each bowl. Spoon the corn over the rice and top with a helping of chicken. Fan a few slices of avocado into each bowl. Drizzle each bowl with the lime crema, garnish with cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese and sprinkle with Tajin seasoning. Finally, add a slice of lime.