Chicken & Corn Chowder

Who doesn’t love a hearty bowl of Chicken & Corn Chowder on chilly days? This easy and delish soup is perfect for dinner and tastes even better the next day, making it a great choice for office lunches. When the weather gets chilly, grab your soup pot and make a batch of this outstanding soup!

I love making chowder. It’s the kind of soup I can really dig into and it’s got enough interesting bits (aka chunks of goodness) that it feels like a meal. From the tender chicken and juicy corn to the bacon on top, there’s flavor in every spoonful of this soup. And, it’s ready in about 40 minutes!

Ingredients

• Bacon – I love using bacon ends and pieces for soups like this.
• Onion – Yellow or brown onion, diced.
• Celery – Just a few stalks; use the leaves, too!
• Carrot – Peeled and diced.
• Chicken broth – I cook with low or no-sodium added broth to control the salt.
• Dried thyme – Just a pinch!
• Chicken – You can use leftover rotisserie chicken, or bake a couple of breasts and dice the meat.
• Potato – Red potatoes hold up the best because they’re waxier.
• Corn – Fresh or frozen corn.
• Milk – Use whole milk if you can.
• Heavy cream – Half and half can be used if you want to drop the calories by a bit.
• All-purpose flour – To thicken the soup.
• Salt and pepper – Season at the end of cooking and before serving.

How To Make This Easy Chicken Corn Chowder Recipe

1. Remove kernels from 2-3 ears of corn until you have about 4 cups. Simmer the cobs in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half. Sounds strange but this gets all the best corn flavor. Remove the cobs and save the liquid.
2. Cook the bacon in a 3-quart soup pot until browned and crispy. Remove it from the pot and set aside, leaving 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
3. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrot in the bacon fat over medium heat until the onions are soft. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Pour in the corn broth and chicken stock, then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Add potatoes, corn, and chicken, and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat.
6. Add the red bell peppers, milk, and cream to the pot.
7. Mix 3 tablespoons of flour with 1/2 cup cold water. Slowly pour this mixture into the chowder while stirring, then bring it to a simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve with reserved bacon on top and enjoy!

Step-By-Step Process

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• If you don’t have dried thyme, a few sprigs of fresh thyme work well.
• Add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes for a little heat.
• Dice the potatoes small for quicker cooking and uniformity in each bite.
• For a lighter version, use only milk instead of both milk and cream.
• If your soup is too thick, thin it with a bit of milk. If it’s not thick enough, mix 1-2 tablespoons of flour with 2-4 tablespoons of water to make a thick sludge then add that to the soup and simmer for 1-2 minutes to thicken it up.

What To Serve With Chicken Corn Potato Chowder

Serve with crusty bread, a side salad, or as a starter for a steak, pork chop, or shrimp meal.

Can You Freeze Chicken Corn Bacon Chowder?

This chowder can be frozen, but note that potatoes may become soft or mushy upon thawing. If that doesn’t bother you, this soup freezes beautifully!