Crockpot Street Corn Chicken Pasta
This crockpot street corn chicken pasta combines creamy chicken, charred-style corn, lime and chili spices in one pot. The pasta cooks right in the slow cooker during the last stretch, so there is only one dish to wash.
Crockpot Street Corn Chicken Pasta
Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes5
hoursChicken and corn cook in a seasoned broth, then pasta finishes in the cooker. Cream cheese and cotija make the sauce creamy.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
16 oz frozen sweet corn
1 small red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
12 oz penne or rotini pasta, dry
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup crumbled cotija
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Directions
- Put the corn, onion, garlic and green chiles in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Place the chicken breasts on top.
- Mix the broth, chili powder, cumin, paprika and salt, and pour it over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
- Shred the chicken with two forks right in the cooker and stir it back into the liquid.
- Add the dry pasta, cream cheese and milk. Stir well so the pasta is submerged.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once at 20 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the Monterey Jack until melted.
- Add the lime juice and half the cotija.
- Top with the remaining cotija and cilantro.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken to save time, and skip the first cook and add it with the pasta. Pasta absorbs liquid as it sits, so add a splash of broth to leftovers. Keeps 3 days in the fridge. Do not freeze it, since the pasta turns mushy.
Cooking pasta in the crockpot without mush
Pasta in a slow cooker has a bad reputation, and the reason is timing. Add it at the beginning and it turns to paste. Add it at the end, in the hot sauce, and it cooks in 30 to 40 minutes while absorbing all the flavor. It also gives you one-pot cleanup, which is the main reason people reach for the slow cooker on a weeknight.
Here the chicken cooks first for four hours on LOW. Then you shred it, stir in the dry pasta and milk, and cook on HIGH until the noodles are tender and the cheese has made a creamy sauce.
Ingredient notes
Chicken breasts: They cook evenly and shred well. Cook until they reach 165°F, then pull them apart with forks.
Frozen corn: No need to thaw it. It adds sweetness and a hint of char flavor to the sauce.
Cream cheese: Cube it so it melts smoothly. It forms the base of the creamy sauce.
Penne or rotini: Choose a sturdy shape that holds sauce. Avoid thin spaghetti or angel hair, which break down.
Cotija and lime: These bring the street corn flavor. Add them at the end for a fresh, tangy finish.
Chiles and spices: A can of mild diced green chiles and a spoonful of chili powder make the sauce taste like street corn without the grill. Chicken broth: Two cups is enough to cook the chicken and the pasta later. Too much liquid makes a soupy sauce and too little leaves it dry.
Tips for the best result
Do not stir too much: Stir once at 20 minutes into the pasta stage. Frequent stirring breaks the noodles and makes the sauce gummy. Pasta should be added dry and pushed down into the liquid so every piece is covered.
Check at 30 minutes: Pasta can go from firm to soft quickly. Taste a piece and stop when it still has a slight bite. Pull the pot off the heat as soon as the noodles are tender, because pasta keeps softening in the hot sauce.
Adding the pasta too early is the most common mistake: If the noodles cook for hours, they absorb all the liquid. Always add them at the end. Stir in the cotija and lime juice only after the cooker is off, so the cheese stays crumbly.
Pin it
Swaps and serving
Use rotisserie chicken to save time. Skip the first cook and add the shredded meat along with the pasta. Swap Monterey Jack for pepper jack for more heat. Gluten-free pasta can be used, but it softens faster, so start checking at 20 minutes. For a spicy dinner, add a diced jalapeno with the chiles. For a vegetarian version, skip the chicken and use black beans.
Serve with extra lime wedges and cilantro, plus a green salad or a bowl of sliced avocado.
What to serve with it
This is a full meal on its own, but tortilla chips and a simple salad with a lime dressing round it out. A spoonful of salsa on top adds brightness. It pairs nicely with a simple cabbage slaw or sliced radishes for crunch. Pair it with a simple cabbage slaw or a bowl of sliced radishes for crunch.
Storing and reheating
Pasta absorbs liquid as it sits, so leftovers will be thick. Refrigerate for up to three days and reheat in a pan with a splash of milk or broth. This dish does not freeze well, because the pasta turns soft. Rotisserie chicken also reheats well in this dish.
Crockpot Street Corn Chicken Pasta at a glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 5 hours
- Servings: 6 servings
- Ingredients: 17, led by boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen sweet corn, red onion, garlic
Tips for Crockpot Street Corn Chicken Pasta
Use rotisserie chicken to save time, and skip the first cook and add it with the pasta. Pasta absorbs liquid as it sits, so add a splash of broth to leftovers. Keeps 3 days in the fridge. Do not freeze it, since the pasta turns mushy.
Crockpot Street Corn Chicken Pasta FAQ
How long does Crockpot Street Corn Chicken Pasta take?
Crockpot Street Corn Chicken Pasta takes 5 hours of cooking after 15 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot Street Corn Chicken Pasta serve?
This recipe makes 6 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot Street Corn Chicken Pasta?
17 ingredients, led by boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen sweet corn, red onion, garlic. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
