Chicken Corn Chowder

Chicken Corn Chowder is a creamy and hearty soup that is packed full of flavor. It’s creamy but still has just the right amount of chunks.

Perfectly cooked potatoes and a rich broth give the soup body. Crisp bacon adds fantastic texture and taste. Your family will love this chicken chowder for dinner!

Chicken Corn Chowder is one of those feel good soups. It has just enough of the healthy stuff for me to enjoy it without the guilt. Is it as healthy as, let’s say, a chicken soup that is mostly broth and loaded with vegetables? No. But it has everything you’d want in a creamy chowder that is downright delicious.

As with any recipe that calls for cooked chicken, you have options. You can easily go to the store and pick up a rotisserie chicken or buy it cooked from the deli. Homemade is almost always better, as I’m sure you know, and if you have the time I recommend cooking an entire chicken in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. That way you can shred the meat for recipes like this chicken corn chowder or a tasty chicken salad sandwich. Plus, you can then make your own bone broth. I like to give you options!

Now, if you’re looking for a chicken corn chowder slow cooker recipe, this isn’t it. As with most meals, this can be altered so that you can prepare everything and stick it in the slow cooker so it’s hot and ready when you get home. Sometimes I just prefer to cook my soups and chowders on the stove top. My kitchen is the heart of my house and what can I say… I love to cook in a good old fashioned dutch oven from time to time.

How to make chicken corn chowder:

• This recipe starts with bacon. You can easily skip the bacon, but why would you? I recommend cooking the bacon in the pot you’ll be making your chowder in. Cook until crisp, set it aside, remove most of the fat, and then start cooking the chowder in the same pot. That way you get all of the flavor of the bacon infused into your soup. I never add bacon to soups and chowders until it’s ready to serve. That way it stays crisp. Bacon that gets soggy in liquid is not my favorite thing.
• Next you’ll cook the carrot, celery, and onion in the bacon pot. This is how every soup recipe should start, in my opinion.
• To thicken the soup, you’ll add some flour to your veggie mixture. The trick is to stir it around in the fat and let it cook for a few minutes so that it develops a rich flavor.
• At this point you’ll add the chicken broth and give it a good stir to loosen anything that may have stuck to the pot. You’ll add in the corn and potatoes too. If it’s summer time and you can get fresh, local corn, that’s what you should use. Otherwise, Trader Joe’s canned corn or even frozen works well.
• This next step is optional but highly recommended. Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup. You still want chunks, but you also want some of the corn and potato to break down to create a more creamy soup. You can also do this by transferring about half of the mixture to a blender and pulsing a few times.
• Final step is to add milk, heavy cream, chicken, salt and pepper and cook just long enough to heat through. Voila!

What to serve with chicken corn chowder:

I honestly think that when you make this chicken corn chowder with bacon, nothing else is needed. If you’re the kind of person who needs variety and options at every meal, however, I offer you two choices that would take this chowder to the next meal. First would be a leafy green salad. I’m thinking something loaded with fresh veggies and a light, homemade vinaigrette. The soup is heavy, so you wouldn’t want to serve it alongside a rich and creamy salad dressing too. Second, you can never beat a crisp, hot out of the oven, loaf of crusty bread. Soup and bread just go together. I mean, is there a better way to lick the bowl clean when you’re done other than using a piece of bread?

Print

Chicken and Corn Chowder

Chicken Corn Chowder is a creamy and hearty soup that is packed full of flavor. It's creamy but still has just the right amount of chunks. Perfectly cooked potatoes and a rich broth give the soup body. Crisp bacon adds fantastic texture and taste. Your family will love this chicken chowder for dinner!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 3 .5 quarts

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bacon chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 small carrot diced
• 1 stalk celery diced
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups corn
• 2 cups about 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups whole milk 
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot or dutch oven, cook bacon pieces. Start over relatively high heat and then dial the heat down as the oil begins to foam. Stir occasionally. Once all of the bacon is cooked to a nice crisp, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Remove any excess oil, leaving as much bacon flavor in the bottom of the pot as possible.
2. Using the same pot over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the carrot, celery, and onion and cook until tender and just starting to brown, 5-10 minutes while occasionally stirring. Add the garlic, stir, and allow to cook for another minute.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and allow to cook for several minutes, stirring frequently. You may need to reduce the heat a bit to keep it from burning. 
4. Add the corn, potatoes, and chicken broth. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to release anything that may have stuck. Cook over medium high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
5. This next step is optional but highly recommended. Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup. You still want chunks, but you also want some of the corn and potato to break down to create a more creamy soup. You can also do this by transferring about half of the mixture to a blender and pulsing a few times.
6. Reduce heat to low, add milk, heavy cream, chicken, salt and pepper. Cook just long enough to heat through.
7. Store in the refrigerator up to several days or freeze in air tight container for longer storage.

Recipe Notes

• Corn can be freshly cut from ears, or you can use 2 (15 ounce) cans of corn, drained. I highly recommend Trader Joe's brand.
• Half and half can be used in place of the milk + heavy cream
• Rotisserie chicken works great, as does any chicken you cooked in your crockpot or instant pot