Chicken Corn Chowder

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

1. Cook the bacon until crisp, then set aside.
2. Sauté the veggies in butter and the reserved bacon grease until softened.
3. Stir in the garlic, then sprinkle the flour over everything and stir until absorbed.
4. Add the seasonings, then drizzle in the chicken broth.

5. Add the remaining ingredients and boil until the potatoes and chicken are cooked.
6. Remove the chicken, shred it, and set aside.
7. Puree half of the soup, then stir the chicken back in.
8. 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 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

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!

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6 servings (about 1 cup each)

Calories: 554kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 strips uncooked bacon cut into pieces
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (42g)
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup/140g)
• ▢ 1 red pepper diced (about 1 cup/140g)
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon diced jalapeno seeds and ribs removed
• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
• ▢ 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 chicken broth (946ml)
• ▢ 1 cup water or use another cup/236ml of chicken broth (236ml)
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk (236ml)
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream (236ml)
• ▢ 1 lb Gold potatoes diced into 1” cubes you do not need to peel, but do remove any shoots
• ▢ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or mix of breast and thighs raw (453g)
• ▢ 2 ½ cups sweet corn fresh, frozen, or canned (if frozen no need to thaw, if canned drain before using) (275g)
• ▢ 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

• ▢
  Large pot or Dutch oven
• ▢
  Immersion blender (recommended)

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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.
• 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.
• Add diced onion, red pepper, and jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 minutes).
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
• Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until it’s fully absorbed. Cook another 30 seconds longer to lightly toast the flour.
• Stir in salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and ground mustard.
• Slowly whisk in chicken broth until completely combined.
• 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.
• 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!

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

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 554kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 1239mg | Potassium: 1009mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1801IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg

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.

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