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.
Margaret A Loewen
Thanks so much for adding the ingredients to the steps. I related to the comment about scrolling up with sticky fingers!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re glad it’s helpful, Margaret! We love it too 🥰
Margie Loewen
This is the best tasting, most nutritious soup! What a great idea, pureeing half the soup instead of adding a ton more carbs.Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the review 🥰
Melissa
Amazing
Kimberly
Your handy addition of including the measurements in gray underneath each cooking step is a game changer for me. I no longer have to scroll up with sticky hands to remember measurements while cooking. Yours is the only site I’ve noticed that on. Good thinking.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy to hear that it’s helpful, Kimberly! Thanks for the review ❤️
Bonnie
Fabulous recipe! The only change I made was substituting prosciutto for bacon. For your readers who may not know, it’s an Italian type of bacon. I fry it with a bit of olive oil but be careful not to cook it too hot or too fast.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you enjoyed it, Bonnie! 🥰
Matt w
This was absolutely delicious. The only thing I changed was making my own chicken broth with a whole chicken and using that meat instead of the chicken breast. Will be making again and again!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Matt! 🙂
Caryl
Hi Bonnie,
Actually, prosciutto is more like ham. Pancetta is Italian bacon.
Elaine
I made this today and it is very, very good. I used hot Hatch green chile instead of jalapeños and a yellow bell instead of a red one. Thank you!
I am guessing this would be outstanding with either bluefin or Dungeness crabmeat.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Elaine! Crab meat could be a really tasty addition here. 🙂
Patti
My grandsons loved it!
Emily
Delicious!! Curious is anyone has tried this recipe with shrimp?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Emily! I haven’t tried adding shrimp, but it sounds tasty. 🙂
Pacia Eckert
Hello,
I haven’t made this yet, but plan to this weekend. I can’t figure out where the Greek yogurt that some have mentioned is in the recipe.
Thanks.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Pacia! The recipe was recently updated and greek yogurt was removed. What’s written is correct 😊
Annie
Hiya Sam! Just made this chowder (even though it’s 85 degrees in Boston today 😂), and it’s nothing short of DELICIOUS, as usual!! Thank you for another amazing recipe. I absolutely love your savory dishes — keep ‘em coming!
Sam
That is so great to hear, Annie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
ATasteOfMadness
Oh wow. This looks delicious! It’s still SUPER cold here, so this is the perfect way to warm up. I want some now!
Sam
Well thank you! I hope the weather warms up where you are sometiem soon! 🙂
Gloria // Simply Gloria
Sam, chowders has to be my most favorite kind of *soups*. Now, I’m going to have to make this one… looks so delish! It has the perfect creaminess and I can only imagine the taste! Pinning!
Sam
I hope you like it Gloria, it made great leftover lunches, too!
Sam
Thank you Justine! 🙂
Jeff
Genuinely amazing. I don’t have an immersion blender and was nervous about putting it in a regular blender but doing so made that texture just fantastic! Thanks for the excellent meal!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jeff! 🙂
Sam
Thank you Kathi! 🙂