A delicious mix of smoky, sweet and spicy, these quick and easy Mexican Street Corn Lettuce Wraps are deliciously healthy and packed with flavor! Loaded with tender chicken, charred corn, crumbled cheese and finished with a creamy chili spiked sauce, this fun twist on elote is perfect as an appetizer, lunch, or light weeknight dinner!Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Cook the Chicken: Heat oil in a large wok, or fry pan, over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, cumin, paprika, chili powder and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until the chicken is starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes. (Depending on the type of ground chicken you use, drain off any excess fat from the pan if necessary)
Add vegetables: Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds-1 minute. Add in the lime juice and salsa verde. Lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from heat and transfer to a serving bowl.
Make the Street Corn: Place the corn, cilantro, cheese, lime juice, lime zest, paprika, chili powder and garlic powder in a medium sized bowl. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. Gently stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt, pepper, lime juice, cilantro and/or more cheese. Set aside.
Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
To assemble: Spoon the chicken mixture into individual lettuce ‘cups’. Top with street corn and drizzle with sauce. Garnish with optional toppings if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
I highly recommend using either bibb, butter, or boston lettuce for these street corn salad wraps. Their broad leaves are perfect for holding a generous amount of filling.
The recipe as written calls for ground chicken. You can use all lean, white meat ground chicken if you would like. However, the plain packaged combination of white and dark meat ground chicken packs the most flavor. If ground chicken isn’t your thing, you can easily substitute ground turkey!
I used homemade salsa verde for the chicken, however you can use canned salsa, or you can use green enchilada sauce if you prefer! Click HERE for homemade salsa verde recipe.
The recipe calls for cotija cheese, which is a hard, crumbly Mexican cheese made of cow’s milk. If you can’t find cotija, you can either substitute queso fresco or feta cheese.
How To Cook Corn on the Cob:
Spray or coat corn on the cob with oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Place corn under a broiler and rotate every 1-2 minutes, or until each side of corn is blistered and charred. OR, heat an outdoor grill, or indoor grill pan, to medium-high heat. Oil the grates of the grill and add corn. Grill for a few minutes per side, or until each side of corn is blistered and charred.
When corn is done cooking, remove it to a clean work surface and allow to cool slightly. Slice kernels off of the cob and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.