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This chicken and corn chowder recipe is cozy, flavorful, and easy to make. Bacon makes this recipe extra delicious!
You may also like my Ham and Corn Chowder, which was inspired by this one.
Why you’ll love it
Corn chowder is already comforting, but pairing it with juicy chicken and crispy bacon takes it over the top in this simple recipe that’s made all in one pot. It’s one of my go-to meals in late summer especially, but I find myself craving it year-round.
Corn is good any time of year if you buy it frozen, but there’s something special about enjoying corn when it’s in season in late summer through fall. Corn chowder always hits the spot as the weather starts to turn a little crisp. I also love using it in my Creamy Corn Chowder and this Salmon Chowder!
What exactly is chowder?
- Ok, so we’ve all heard the word “chowder” and know that it’s a soup, but why are some soups called chowders while others aren’t? So, according to the internet, chowders are soups that are often thickened by way of a roux. That’s pretty much what we’re doing here since we’ve got the flour as our main thickening agent. Other methods include broken crackers.
- They typically contain fish, clams, or corn with potatoes and onions. I don’t know about you, but it seems like a weird definition. Like why group fish and clams with potatoes, corn, and onions and decide to classify it as “chowder” rather than “soup”? If anyone wants to do more in-depth research than I’ve conducted or knows why, please let me know. 😛
Ingredients for it
- Bacon – I find it’s easiest to cut up bacon with kitchen shears
- Chicken – we’re using chicken breasts in this recipe
- Onion, garlic, and celery – for the tasty base of the soup
- Flour – a thickening agent
- Chicken broth – a 32 oz carton of broth equals 4 cups. Just pour the entire thing in for this recipe. If you’re sensitive to salt, I suggest using low-sodium chicken broth. Chicken stock works too!
- Corn – feel free to use fresh corn (just cut if off the cob with a knife) if you have some. Canned corn isn’t quite as good, so I’d choose frozen over canned.
- Heavy cream – for added richness and thickness
- Potatoes – we prefer Russet in this recipe
- Italian seasoning – it’s a blend of dried herbs in a single convenient jar
- Cayenne – a pinch of cayenne pepper is optional but adds a little warmth
How to make chicken and corn chowder
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cook your bacon in a large pot until crispy, then take it out of the pot and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Leave the grease in the pot. This adds so much flavor to the soup! Sauté the onion and celery in it.
Stir in the flour, and cook it for about a minute to cook out that “flour” taste. Add the garlic to the pot, and deglaze with the chicken broth.
Put in the remaining ingredients, saving some of the bacon for topping it later, and simmer until the potatoes are done and the soup has thickened as desired. Season with salt & pepper and garnish with chopped scallions if you like.
Pro tip
- I’ve had a few people ask me in the comments if the chicken should be added in raw. Yes! There’s no need to pre-cook it because it has plenty of time to cook in the soup. Over-cooking chicken makes it dry and rubbery.
Substitutions and variations
- I have tested this chicken chowder recipe with other potatoes besides Russets. I made this with 1.5 pounds of yellow little potatoes (baby Yukon golds) cut into halves/quarters and it turned out fine, but I prefer Russets.
- We don’t recommend substituting the heavy cream for something with a lower fat content. We’re not using a ton of it here, and it makes the chowder that much tastier!
- This is a fairly thick soup. If you like a thinner consistency better, just add a little more broth or water as necessary.
What to serve with it
- It’s one of those meals that’s perfect on its own with a big slice of crusty bread.
- If you do want to pair it with a salad, try this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- This chowder will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Simply reheat in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
- You could try to freeze it, but sometimes dairy doesn’t hold up after thawing, so the texture may change. It should still taste fine, though. If you plan to have a lot of leftovers, you can leave the cream out before freezing and add it in later!
Will you give this chicken and corn chowder a try? Questions? Ask me in the comments. 🙂
Easy Chicken and Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 large uncooked chicken breasts cut into small bite-size pieces
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock
- 2 cups frozen or fresh corn
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 3 medium-to-large Russet potatoes peeled & diced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Pinch cayenne pepper optional
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Scallions chopped, optional for serving
Instructions
- Prep your bacon (I find kitchen shears the easiest thing to cut it up with) and add it to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy (about 10 minutes).
- Meanwhile, prep your onion, celery, chicken and potatoes.
- Once the bacon is crispy, take it out of the pot and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Leave the grease in the pot (it adds a ton of flavor).
- Add the onion and celery to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute, stirring nearly constantly.
- Add in the garlic, followed by the chicken broth. Give it a good stir to ensure the flour has dissolved and everything is scraped up from the bottom of the pot.
- Add in the chicken, corn, cream, potatoes, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, and 3/4 of the bacon (I save the rest for garnishing the bowls later on). Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer so it's gently boiling. Cover the pot with the lid slightly open.
- Cook until the potatoes are done (about 15-20 minutes). Stir every so often. The soup will get thicker the longer you cook it.
- Season the soup with salt & pepper as needed. Garnish with the rest of the bacon and chopped scallions if desired.
Notes
- Serves 4-6 depending on portion size.
- Yes, the chicken will cook right in the soup. If you want to use already cooked/rotisserie chicken, add in during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking so it doesn’t dry out too much since it’s already cooked.
- Anywhere around the 1.5-2 pound ballpark will work for the potatoes if you want to weigh them.
- This is a fairly thick soup. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a splash more broth or water as needed.
- If you’re sensitive to salt, use low-sodium chicken broth.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Fairly easy to make. I wish I had made it without the bacon grease because it overpowered the whole Chowder.
Just tried this recipe but substituted for a spicy chicken broth and it turned out perfect!! It added the perfect amount of kick. Will definitely be adding this to my dinner rotation this fall/winter!
Excellent! 😀
I’ve made this multiple times now and it is amazing! My entire family loves it. We typically add a little cheese on top once it’s dished out too. One of my family members is eating gluten free now and was curious if anyone has tried a gluten free flour and had it turn out the same? 🤞🏻
I’m glad it’s a favorite! You could perhaps try adding a cornstarch slurry at the end, but let’s see if anyone chimes in re: the gluten free flour.
I have used Gluten free flour in my dumplings and can not taste a difference.
Arrowroot flour and tapioca flour both are phenomenal to use as thickening agents, and cornstarch of course. I have found these 3 to be pretty interchangeable. (but prefer arrowroot and tapioca for baking)
Really loved this soup!
I hate when folks rate a recipe after they’ve changed parts of it, but I am about to do that. 😲 I was going to try a different recipe but changed my mind at the last minute, so some of the ingredients on hand were based on that other recipe and I wanted to use them up.
I changed 3 things: for the corn I used two cans of creamed corn; I added 1/3 can of green chiles (for a little kick, but not too spicy); and I didn’t have celery so sliced up 2 carrots. Everything else I followed exactly. Absolutely delicious! This recipe would be great without my changes, it has a ton of great flavor. Definitely a keeper.
Thank you, Sherrie! It’s all good lol.
Hi, I’m getting ready to make this recipe right now is there any extra tips you can give me? Thank you. P.S I’ve gotten so many wonderful recipes from you and I want to thank you!
Hi! So happy you’ve been enjoying my recipes, Katrina! What do you mean by extra tips? Did you read through the blog post? That’s where I put all my best tips and step-by-step photos to help. 🙂 I hope you enjoy this one, but let me know if you have any specific questions.
Omg the chicken corn 🌽 chowder is absolutely delicious 😋😋 ..This is my second time making it .. everyone just loves it ..thank you for a easy and very delicious chowder. Mmmmm good 👍
You’re very welcome, Sue!! 😀 I’m thrilled it’s a new favorite.
It is so good. I like a brothy soup/chowder I added one extra cup of broth. Served with jalapenos cornbread.yummy
Thank you, Pat!! 😀
I’ve decided since we’re having a pretty rough cold weather snap that I would start trying new soup recipes each week. This was the first recipe I tried and it did not disappoint. I made more than the original recipe would’ve yeilded so I freestyled a few of the measurements and it still turned out delicious. Each of my kids ate two bowls and were very pleased with the outcome. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’m so happy it was a hit! Stay warm, and thank you for your review – it’s much appreciated!
Can this be kept going on low in a slow cooker?
Hi! I’m concerned it’ll thicken up too much and the chicken will overcook. You could keep it warm for a couple hours in the slow cooker if you really need to, though.
I made this chowder for the first time last night and it was amazing. I didn’t change a thing, just added a little more salt, pepper, and a little bit more Italian seasoning to taste. I had to share a couple of bowls with my neighbor and she loved it. I will definitely be making it again, now that the weather is getting cooler. Thank you for the recipe.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Ed!