My Chicken Corn Chowder is absolutely BURSTING with flavor and texture. It’s perfectly creamy without being too heavy–perfect for using up that summer corn! Plus, you can make enough for the whole family in less than an hour. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Simply Irresistible Chicken Corn Chowder
This chicken corn chowder is incredible. It’s creamy, but not too rich, and it has a remarkable flavor profile with just the right hint of smokiness. Every single ingredient was carefully selected, from the bacon and chicken to the veggies and spices. It’s extremely satisfying without feeling too heavy, and I have a feeling you’re going to want to make it alllll summer long!
This soup’s outrageous flavor comes from a roux built on butter and bacon grease, and let me tell you, that bacon makes ALL. THE. DIFFERENCE (just like with my award-winning chili recipe and potato soup!). Seriously, you can’t get better flavor than this in soup.
I don’t make soup too often in the summer, but this (and my summer corn chowder) are two recipes that are great for using that fresh, super sweet ambrosia summer corn. You really can’t go wrong with either recipe, but if you’re looking for a heartier, more filling soup, go with today’s recipe!
What You Need
There are quite a few ingredients in this chicken corn chowder recipe. Here’s a few worth highlighting, besides the bacon (I think I talked enough about that in the first few paragraphs 😂):
- Smoked paprika. You know I love using this spice for its sweet, smoky flavor. It goes great in creamy dishes, like my chicken and rice soup or my creamy chicken pasta.
- Dry mustard. This isn’t the kind you can squeeze from a bottle or spoon out of a jar. This is ground, dried mustard seed that you can find in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
- Corn. Fresh summer corn will have the best flavor, but frozen or canned will work too!
- Jalapeño. We’ll add jalapeño for flavor and a mild heat. If you like a little more heat, you can add some (not all!) of the seeds.
- Potatoes. I recommend using gold potatoes for their texture and ease (you don’t have to peel them!). If you really want to use russet, you can–but you will need to peel them first.
SAM’S TIP: The bacon could be stirred back into the soup when it’s done, but to keep it crispy, I suggest you just serve on the side for sprinkling. Whatever you do, don’t forget about it; it adds even more flavor back into the soup!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chicken Corn Chowder
- Cook the bacon until crisp, then set aside.
- Sauté the veggies in butter and the reserved bacon grease until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, then sprinkle the flour over everything and stir until absorbed.
- Add the seasonings, then drizzle in the chicken broth.
- Add the remaining ingredients and boil until the potatoes and chicken are cooked.
- Remove the chicken, shred it, and set aside.
- Puree half of the soup, then stir the chicken back in.
- Taste for seasonings, then ladle into bowls and top with bacon or any other toppings.
SAM’S TIP: Blending half the soup gives it a thicker, smooth, and creamy texture while still maintaining discernable chunks of veggies and chicken. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer half the soup to a regular blender, or just use a potato masher to mash half the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend freezing any of my cream-based soups because they simply don’t thaw nicely. The milk and cream tend to separate, and its just not as good as it is fresh.
Toppings wise, I love add to scallions, shredded cheddar, and crackers to my corn chowder. As far as sides go, salad, buttermilk cornbread, garlic cheese drop biscuits, and BLT’s (I’ve got a great trick for cooking your bacon in the oven!) are all great pairings.
Yes! Just make sure it’s sweet corn. You can add it right into the soup without thawing first.
I truly can’t wait to hear what you think about this one!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Chicken Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 6 strips uncooked bacon cut into pieces
- 3 Tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
- 1 (140 g) medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 (140 g) red pepper diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 Tablespoon diced jalapeno seeds and ribs removed
- 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt plus more as needed/to taste
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard
- 4 cups (946 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup (236 ml) water or use another cup (236 ml) of chicken broth
- 1 cup (236 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (236 ml) heavy cream
- 1 lb Gold potatoes diced into 1” cubes you do not need to peel, but do remove any shoots
- 1 lb (453 g) boneless skinless chicken breast or mix of breast and thighs raw
- 2 ½ cups (275 g) sweet corn fresh, frozen, or canned (if frozen no need to thaw, if canned drain before using)
- Desired toppings. We enjoy this chicken corn chowder plain but also like corn chips, Fritos, or crackers, scallions/green onions, additional jalapeno, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, and more!
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Place bacon pieces in a large pot or Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium and cook until bacon is crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.6 strips uncooked bacon
- Drain all but approximately 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease (you can eyeball it, no need to be exact! I like to use a ladle and ladle out the excess and pour it into a can to solidify before disposing of it).
- Add butter to the pot with the remaining bacon grease and cook until butter is melted.3 Tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
- Add diced onion, red pepper, and jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 minutes).1 (140 g) medium yellow onion, 1 (140 g) red pepper, 1 Tablespoon diced jalapeno
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until it’s fully absorbed. Cook another 30 seconds longer to lightly toast the flour.¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- Stir in salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and ground mustard.1 teaspoon table salt, ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard
- Slowly whisk in chicken broth until completely combined.4 cups (946 ml) chicken broth
- Add water, milk, cream, potatoes, chicken breast, and corn. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.1 cup (236 ml) water, 1 cup (236 ml) whole milk, 1 cup (236 ml) heavy cream, 1 lb Gold potatoes diced into 1” cubes, 1 lb (453 g) boneless skinless chicken breast or mix of breast and thighs, 2 ½ cups (275 g) sweet corn
- Once chicken is cooked through, remove to a plate and shred or dice. Set aside and keep warm (I usually cover with foil).
- Use an immersion blender to puree approximately half of the soup (see note if you do not have an immersion blender).
- After pureeing, return chicken to the pot. Stir reserved bacon back into the pot (or to preserve its crispness, serve soup topped with bacon crumbles, but don’t skip the bacon entirely, it adds so much flavor!). Taste-test the soup, adding more salt/pepper as needed (any soup that tastes a bit bland almost always needs a few shakes more salt!)
- Serve warm with desired toppings and enjoy!Desired toppings. We enjoy this chicken corn chowder plain but also like corn chips, Fritos, or crackers, scallions/green onions, additional jalapeno, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, and more!
Notes
Bacon
The bacon adds a beautiful depth of flavor to the chowder that you can’t really get without it, but if you must omit the bacon use 5 Tablespoons of butter instead of the 3 listed. No other changes needed.Potatoes
May substitute russet potatoes instead but I recommend peeling them before using.Chicken
You may substitute a pound of precooked shredded or diced chicken instead! After pureeing the soup, add it to the pot and make sure it is warmed through before serving.Blender
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer half of the soup to a blender in batches and puree that way. Alternatively you can use a potato masher to try and mash the soup though it won’t be as smooth/creamy this way.Storing/Freezing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I generally do not recommend freezing soups that contain cream as the dairy may separate, making the consistency and texture not as smooth as it ought to be.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Just Me
Pretty good chowder, I had to double up on the spices to increase the flavors though. Otherwise, it was a bit bland for our tastes. I added 1/2 of the bacon to the chowder and 1/2 to be used as a topping. The next time I will save it all for the topping, as it loses it’s crispness once in the chowder. I cut the chicken breasts in 1/4ths so it would be cooked through at the same time the potatoes were fork tender. I will make this one again, but may experiment with some additional spices.
Kristina
I love really thick soups, could I sub the milk for all heavy cream? I love your recipes and look forward to making this!
Sam
Hi Kristina! I think you could probably use 2 cups of heavy cream here. 🙂
Maggie
I followed this recipe to the last ingredient and let me tell ya!!! It was the very best I’ve eaten. My husband really enjoyed it. He told me it was officially his second favorite chicken soup/chowder and wants me to make it again in the future. Thanks for sharing it❤️
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Maggie! 🙂
Shannon C.
Just made this soup for lunch today at my son’s request. The soup has a complex flavor that really appealed to my entire family. I put most of the cooked bacon back into the soup, but I did leave a little bit out to use as a topping. I had leftover grilled chicken I needed to use up, so I did not cook my chicken in the soup and instead chopped it up into small pieces and added it at the end just to make sure it was warm. Since you can’t test the heat in a jalapeno at the store, I may leave it out next time and add a pinch of cayenne instead. Unfortunately, my jalapeno had no heat.
This is a fantastic recipe and we will make it again and again.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Shannon! 🙂
Kathleen
Best chowder, ever! My husband is an long-haul truck driver, and likes a hardy, stick-to-your ribs soup. He absolutely loved this soup. Excellent.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Kathleen! 🙂
Michelle
My family ate the ENTIRE pot in two nights….and I doubled the recipe!!!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Michelle! 🙂
Holly
Delicious!!
Melissa
Am I able to use this as a crockpot meal?
Sam
Hi Melissa! It can be kept warm in a crock pot but it’s best made in a dutch oven or similar large pot. 🙂
Eric Schramm
Can I substitute half and half for the heavy cream? I can’t really afford the cream.
Sam
Hi Eric! Half and half should work. Your soup won’t be quite as thick. 🙂
Lulu
Amazing! My husband ordered a bowl of chicken corn chowder while we were on vacation and was terribly disappointed. He said he has wonderful memories of a nice thick chowder and the one he ordered was thin and tasteless. I found this recipe on line and finished making it about an hour ago. He’s on his second bowl! After 42+ years of marriage, I never knew he enjoyed this so much.
Sam
I’m so glad he enjoyed it so much, Lulu! 🙂
Seth
2 cups half and half is about equivalent to 1 cup heavy cream and one cup milk.
Lois
That’s my thought too! How did yours turn out? Making it for my husband and 92 year old Dad this weekend.
Carroll
Exceeded my expectations. I followed the recipe to the tee, and it couldn’t have been better. Delicious!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Carroll! 🙂
Siriwan
I made it today for family dinner, everyone loves it.they were asking for a second bowl of chowder.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear everyone enjoyed, Siriwan! Thank you for commenting 🙂