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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:
Jen Mattingly says
I made this last night and it was a complete hit! I was concerned about the Old Bay (making it taste like a crab dish), but it was a wonderful component. I wouldn’t change a thing. It is a little spicy, so if you want to alter the cayenne pepper, that would be my only suggestion.
Karly says
@Jen Mattingly,
Glad you enjoyed it!
Donna says
Do you think I could make this with soy milk to make it non dairy?
Karly says
@Donna,
I don’t cook with dairy alternatives myself, so I’m not certain it would work, but I can’t think of a reason that it wouldn’t. I’d definitely give it a try.
R says
not sure how Soy milk works, but Rice milk doesn’t thicken. I don’t use soy, but would definitely try it with Silk Coconut milk. that works well for most things.
Lisa says
This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
What does the fresh corn do to the soup that the frozen/canned corn doesn’t? I’m wondering why we’d need the creamy corn if we don’t use corn off the husk….
Karly says
Hi @Lisa,
When you’re cutting the corn from the cob, you run the back of your knife down the cob and it releases the juice. The creamed corn is just to mimic that. 🙂
Candice says
My sister gave shared this recipe with me and it is now a family favorite. My soon to be 9 year old son requested it for his birthday dinner this coming weekend! It’s so so good! Thank You!
Candice says
@Candice, haha not gave shared… I meant one or the other.
Anna says
I made this for dinner tonight and the flavor was great! However, mine ended up being way to thin. Any suggestions in how to thicken it up? Can I add more flour after it’s already together????
Karly says
@Anna,
I would mix a teaspoon of corn starch with a 1/4 cup of cold water until well combined and then add that to pot, heat to a boil while stirring. It should thicken up more. 🙂
Margaret says
We love soup for supper in the cooler months. Cannot wait to make this. Especially now that its finally COOL outside!!
Elaine says
I made this soup with frozen corn and canned potatoes and 1% milk, what I had in the house. I used left-over rosemary lemon-roasted chicken from the night before. It was really quick to make (even less time because the potatoes didn’t have to cook that long). This was so-0-0 good. My husband, not a huge soup guy, had seconds!
Karly says
@Elaine,
Glad you enjoyed it!
NIcole says
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Jax says
Yum – this is my favourite kind of soup! Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Shanita k says
If using canned corn, do you drain the water off?
Candice says
@Shanita k, I do – I have’t tried it the other way though.
Karen says
Has anyone tried to freeze this dish? If so, how was it when reheated?
Karly says
I haven’t’ tried it myself. Let me know if it works out for you!
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Heather @ What Does She Do All Day? says
This is hands down our new favorite soup recipe! Such great flavor and filling! It’s been in rotation all winter!
Meredith says
Love, love, LOVE this soup! SO good! It is my very first review on my brand new blog, unoriginalmom.com 🙂
Andria says
I love all your recipes and was going to make this tonight, but couldn’t find Old Bay at our grocery store. Is there something you suggest as a substitute?
Karly says
Here’s a recipe to make your own if you’d like to give that a try! http://www.food.com/recipe/old-bay-seasoning-substitute-345691