Hearty soups don't get much better than this creamy chicken corn chowder! It has all those delicious warm flavors you associate with winter soups and with some added heat from roasted green chiles and chipotle powder. No need for washing up afterward with this one-pot family-sized chowder!
Contents
⭐ Why this recipe is the best
This creamy chowder is what delicious comfort food is all about! It's easy to prepare, combines different textures and flavors, and it's affordable for families on a budget.
Home cooks familiar with Mexican cuisine will love the authentic taste of spicy ingredients mixed with fresh corn, crispy bacon, and cooked chicken breasts.
Chicken corn chowder is perfect for lunch or dinner with a slice of crusty bread to dip in the irresistible creamy soup.
The whole dish gets cooked in one heavy-bottomed soup pot nice and slow for 1 hour in total, resulting in tender ingredients swimming in a rich, thickened broth.
🍽 Ingredient Notes
Chicken and corn chowder consists of hearty ingredients you may already have in your pantry and uses minimal kitchen cooking equipment to make the delicious recipe.
For this delicious chicken corn chowder is best made with fresh corn. However, if your in a pinch you can swap canned or frozen corn at 1-1 ratio.
You can speed up the prep time by using rotisserie chicken or skinless chicken thighs instead of skinless chicken breasts.
The addition of bacon really helps deepen the dish and adds lovely notes to an already outstanding corn chowder.
If you have fresh corn, check out my how to boil corn on the cob for a really lovely treat.
Substitutions
Like all good soups, the ingredients you use can be swapped for alternative replacements.
Milk
Substitute milk for heavy cream, condensed skimmed milk, or a combination of these equal to the recipe.
Potatoes
Instead of fresh potatoes you can always replace it for canned potatoes. For more ideas check out my canned potatoes recipes collection.
Optional Ingredients
- Although the chicken corn chowder has a creamy texture from the milk, you can also add half a cup of heavy cream to the broth to enhance the sweetness and creaminess.
- Spice-wise, adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper works well with the smokey chipotles.
🔪 How to Make
Learn how to make a creamy chicken corn chowder with bacon in less than an hour with my easy-to-follow instructions, detailed process shots and recipe video.
Preparation
- Prepare the chicken, garlic, onion, and bacon for frying by chopping the breasts into cubes, the onion & garlic finely diced, and the bacon into small strips.
- Peel the potatoes and chop them into small cubes.
- Roast the green chiles, then peel the skin and dice them.
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Cook the bacon over medium-high heat until lightly browned in a large pot. Add the onion and cook until tender and the bacon fat has reduced - about 10 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in the garlic, chipotle powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper for a few more minutes.
Step 3
Add the butter and green chiles.
Step 4
Add the raw chicken, and cook until the chicken is mostly cooked - about 10 minutes.
Step 5
Add the corn, potatoes, chicken stock, and bring to a boil.
Step 6
Reduce heat to simmer and cook until the potatoes are cooked through and tender - about 20 minutes.
Step 7
Whisk the flour in a small mixing bowl with the milk and add this to the soup.
Step 8
Allow it to simmer and thicken - about 15 minutes.
Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and some freshly chopped parsley (optional).
Cooking Tips
A quick way to roast the green chiles is by holding them one by one over a hob flame and turning each side until it is entirely charred (blackened). Likewise a gas stove burner is another great option.
When adding the flour & milk mixture to the soup, make sure to keep occasionally stirring while simmering so that the flour doesn't turn into tiny lumps.
For a thicker corn chowder whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into the milk, then add to the soup.
🥗 What to serve with
Chicken corn chowder is full of hearty ingredients that fill you up with just one bowl without the need for side dishes. That being said, when I have more than 4 guests, I usually prepare a quick dish to pair with cream-based soups.
Bread
A nice crusty fresh baguette is always an excellent choice to tear and dip in soups, but if you're feeling like something with more of a kick, check out this easy 15-minute shredded cheese & jalapeno pinwheels. These pinwheels are perfect for dipping into your corn chowder.
Rice
Although rice is not exactly a light side dish to pair with the chicken corn chowder, a bowl of fluffy jasmine rice to accompany the main dish is for soaking up the broth and a good source of energy.
You can also add some veggies with the rice like red bell pepper, green onions, or diced tomatoes.
Salad
Enjoy chicken corn chowder with a simple salad. Greek salads, potato salads, or arugula salads are great options.
Frequently asked questions
How to thicken chicken corn chowder?
Although this chicken corn chowder is thickened with a flour and milk mixture similar to a roux, you can use corn starch mixed with water or milk to increase the thickness consistency.
I recommend using 1 tablespoon of starch and 1 tablespoon of liquid, and add bit by bit, as it will start to thicken instantly when the chowder is boiling.
How to make chicken corn chowder in a slow cooker?
To make this recipe in the slow cooker, simply set it on high, add the butter and cook the bacon, chicken, onion, chipotle powder, green chiles, and garlic for 10-15 minutes.
Pour in the chicken broth, potatoes, and corn, setting the slow cooker to low for 6 hours, and finally stir in the flour and milk mixture and leave on low for another hour until thickened.
🍳Related Soup Recipes
If you love my chicken corn chowder with bacon. Try one of these fantastic soup recipes for your next lunch or dinner. Including my chicken vegetable soup.
🧊 Storage and ♨️ reheating
Chicken corn chowder is easy to store! Allow it to cool, then cover it in the fridge or freezer.
In the Fridge
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container or smaller pan with a lid and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
In the Freezer
You can use freezer bags or an airtight container to store any leftovers. Make sure the contents are completely cool before transferring. Frozen chicken and corn chowder will last for 4 months.
How to Reheat Corn Chowder
Place a soup pot over medium heat and pour the leftover chowder from the fridge into the pot. Allow the frozen chowder to thaw overnight before reheating.
👪 Serving Size
This easy chicken corn chowder will give you 6 or 7 servings, and if you love to meal prep, this recipe is great for scaling up if you have a larger soup pot.
One-pot soups are the best to make during the week for a heart-warming dinner, plus there's minimal washing afterward. And if you enjoy making it, don't forget to leave a comment on how it turned out.
🎥 Video
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!
📋 Recipe
Chicken Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon - chopped
- 1 large onion - finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
- to taste salt and pepper
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup green chiles - roasted and peeled
- 2 pounds chicken breasts - boneless chopped
- 4 cups corn - fresh and sliced from the cob (or frozen)
- 1 pound potatoes - peeled and chopped
- 5 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups whole milk
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, cook the bacon over medium high heat until lightly browned. Add the onion and cook until tender - about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the butter, green chiles, and chicken and cook until the chicken is mostly cooked - about 10 minutes.
- Add the corn, potatoes, and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer and cook until the potatoes are cooked through and tender - about 20 minutes.
- Put the flour into a small mixing bowl and whisk in the milk. Add this to the soup and allow it to simmer and thicken - about 15 minutes.
Jane
The ultimate corn chowder! I definitely agree with the previous comments. I really like mine creamy and used heavy cream instead of milk. But otherwise this is perfect, thanks!
Stacie Cope
This recipe is a little too spicy for me… Next time I will decrease the chipotle seasoning by half. I also added a can of fire roasted tomatoes. I substituted the flour with cornstarch to make it gluten-free. Will definitely make again.
This tastes just like the chowder at Elway’s restaurant in Denver airport. Such a yummy winter meal. Thanks for the recipe.
Sue
This is a corn chowder....not green chile. That's why yours is probably better as green chile. But this is damn good corn chowder!