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This CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER recipe is hearty and filling, made with fresh sweet corn, chunks of chicken, and plenty of potatoes and bacon. This is the ultimate summer soup recipe!
Soup, but make it summer.
Soup in the summer isn’t usually my thing, but this one is the exception.
This easy chicken and corn chowder recipe is full of the sweet flavor and crunch of corn, there are lots of juicy chunks of chicken, chunks of potato, and then – this is the part that really gets ya – it’s all topped with crispy bacon and cheddar cheese.
The corn stays crisp and sweet, the broth is rich, but still light enough to not feel heavy on a warm evening, and the whole thing just tastes like summer in a bowl.
Fresh corn in the summer is absolutely the way to go if you can get it. But canned or frozen corn works beautifully the rest of the year, which means this one earns a permanent spot in the rotation, all year long.
Of course, we love sweet corn any which way you want to cook it (hello, scalloped corn, cream cheese corn, and cornbread casserole)!
What Readers are Saying!
“Absolutely fantastic. I started out making the standard size batch shown above, but after 3 days my stepdaughter had eaten it all. I had one bowl! I went out and got the ingredients to make a few more and am keeping them on hand so I can make a bunch up and seal a few jars. Of all of the recipes I’ve made for my family over the past 5 years, this was the most well received food I’ve made. Thank you! ” -Ron
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big flavor from simple ingredients. Old Bay, green chiles, and bacon do a lot of heavy lifting here without anything fancy or hard to find.
- One pot, minimal cleanup. Everything comes together in a single soup pot from start to finish.
- Works with fresh, frozen, or canned corn. No need to wait for summer. This chowder is good any time of year.
Ingredients, Swaps, & Tips:
Use rotisserie chicken. This is a great recipe for leftover or rotisserie chicken. Just shred it and stir it in. It cuts down on prep time considerably. Alternately, our crockpot shredded chicken is perfect here.
Swap the corn freely. Fresh corn cut from the cob gives you the best flavor and a little extra sweetness from the cob pulp. Out of season, use 15 ounces of canned corn plus 15 ounces of creamed corn, or around 20 ounces of frozen corn.
Don’t skip the bacon drippings. Cooking the potatoes and scallions in the bacon fat left in the pot adds a layer of savory flavor you won’t get otherwise. If you want to cut back on fat, you can drain some off, but leave a little in there.
Adjust the heat. The cayenne and green chiles add a mild kick. If you’re cooking for kids or spice-sensitive folks, you can reduce the cayenne to just a pinch or skip it entirely.
Thicken it up. If you want a thicker chowder, you can mash a few of the cooked potato chunks against the side of the pot before adding the corn and chicken.
Step by Step:
Fry up the bacon until nice and crip and then remove it from the pan, leaving the drippings behind.
Cook the potatoes, scallions, and flour in the bacon drippings and then stir in the liquid and seasonings to form the base of the soup.
Use a sharp knife to cut the corn off the cob. Use the back of the knife to scrape down the edge of the cob to remove the pulp and juices.
Add the conr, chicken, and green chiles to the pot and let it all simmer until you’re ready to dig in. Top it off with that crisp bacon.
Serving Ideas
This chowder is a full meal on its own, but a few sides make it even better:
- Oyster crackers on top for a little crunch
- A chunk of crusty bread or a warm homemade biscuit for dipping
- A simple green salad to lighten things up
- Cornbread on the side for a cozy, full-on comfort food situation
More Summer Favorites:
Helpful Tip!
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of milk or chicken stock to loosen it back up as it will thicken in the fridge.
Make-ahead: This chowder reheats beautifully, making it a great candidate for cooking a day ahead. The flavor actually improves overnight.
Freezer: Cream-based soups can be frozen but may separate slightly after thawing. I haven’t tested this one in the freezer.
More soup recipes you will love:
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Keto Cauliflower Soup
- Corn and Bean Chowder
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn on the cob see notes
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions greens and whites separated
- 3 medium potatoes
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
- Salt and pepper to taste
- handful of grated cheddar for garnish
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, fry the bacon pieces until crisp. Remove from the pan, leaving the drippings, and set aside.
- Peel and chop the potatoes into bite sized chunks.
- Place the potatoes and white scallion pieces into the soup pot and cook over medium heat until the scallions have softened, 2 or 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
- Pour in the milk, chicken stock, Old Bay, thyme, parsley, cayenne, salt, and pepper, stirring well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, using a knife to cut the corn from the cob. Use the back of the knife to release the pulp from the cob for extra flavor.
- Add the corn, chicken, and green chiles to the pot. Cook over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with scallion greens, cooked bacon, and cheddar cheese.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in 2011. Original photo below:
Susan D. From Easton, PA says
This is an awesome recipe! My husband usually doesn’t like soup for dinner either but he loved this! Thanks!
Jelena says
OMG, this was unbelievable! And it tasted even better the next day! For someone who’s allergic to shellfish, this is THE PERFECT solution for chowder cravings. So, so yum!
Michelle says
Just made this for dinner last night and loved it!! It made a TON too; I was surprised! We had it last night, I had it for lunch and we’ll have it again tonight (yay for not cooking once in a while!) The kids loved the bacon and cheese to top it with, and all the garnishes made it a very pretty, colorful bowl of soup. This chowder was so full of flavor! Loved the spicy kick from the spices and green chiles too; something you usually don’t see in a corn chowder. I used one 15 oz. can of creamed corn and 2 cups of frozen corn, and a whole rotisserie chicken. I also made my own broth from the bones of the chicken (in the afternoon, before dinner time).
Sarah C says
Hey. I am looking at this recipe for taking to work fir my lunches. How long do you reckon this would last in the fridge? Can’t wait time whip this up cheers. 😀
Karly says
I think it’d be fine for 5 days. Not sure I’d go longer than that!
Blanche says
Karly, how many persons does this recipe serve?
Thanks so much
Karly says
I have such a hard time determining serving sizes for soup! I would say that this would easily serve 6, but probably more like 8. We always have enough for leftovers the next day and I’m feeding 2 adults and 2 kids, but I also serve it with salad and bread.
Amanda says
Hi! I’m so excited to try this recipe! But just wondering, could you adapt this to be able to cook in a crockpot/slowcooker?
Northern Cottage says
Ok – sooooo……it’s really really cold outside today so I really really need this soup – thanks so much! Pinning here: http://pinterest.com/pin/56787645273147735/
Jelena says
Great! That makes this even easier! Thank you so much for a quick response.
Happy New Year! 🙂
Jelena
Jelena says
Hi Karly,
I found your recipe on Pinterest and I was looking at making it this week, but I just wanted to make sure I was reading the recipe correctly.
After cooking the potatoes and scallions, the cooking time is only the 12-15 minutes of simmering (once the mixture has boiled) and the additional 5 to heat the rest of the ingredients through?
Thanks,
Jekena
Karly says
Yep! It really doesn’t take long at all to come together!
Enjoy!
laurie says
I made this for dinner last night (i left out the bacon though because I am not a fan) and it was delicious! and somehow, it was even BETTER the next day!
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen says
I made this chowder this weekend while my mom and dad were here visiting and it got rave reviews! We all loved it!
Kristen F says
This was SO good. I didn’t have Old Bay seasoning, so I used Creole seasoning. Other than that, I followed the recipe to a tee and my family loved it.
bert wozniczka says
what can be used instead of old bay. i have never heard of it, and came up empty when i looked for it. Obviously not used around here or available. Can you tell me what i can substitute or what spices it is comprised of?
Karly says
@bert wozniczka,
I just googled for a substitute and found this: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090101202637AA1sqmu
Hope that helps!
Leanna says
So this recipe has been on my list for a while.. and its cold here in Minnesota today. So I made it. and its as delightful and delicious as everyone has said. so hearty. and I love when I look forward to eating leftovers 🙂 Thanks Karly!
Shane says
Just had this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely wonderful! This will become a regular for me. Thank you