This easy Corn Chowder recipe is hearty, flavorful, and loaded with fresh corn, bacon, potatoes, green chilies, and chipotle peppers! It is the perfect comfort meal on a cold night, and is a family favorite!
I doubt you've ever tasted Corn Chowder as packed full of flavor as this recipe! It's absolutely delicious, and slightly unique with addition of green chiles and a hint of smokiness from chipotle peppers in adobe. It's to DIE for; I know you're going to love it! If you want more soup recipes, try Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, Ham Bone Soup, or Lasagna Soup.
How to make Corn Chowder:
Cook bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Add diced onion and celery and stir, cooking 3 to 4 more minutes. Add butter and stir until melted.
Add corn. Stir and cook for one minute.
Add potato, green chilies, and chipotle chilies. Slowly pour in chicken broth and half & half. Add salt and stir. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat to low.
Thicken: Ladle some of the soup broth into a bowl and stir 3 tablespoons of cornmeal into it, stirring until smooth. Pour into the soup pot. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. (If chowder needs more thickening, add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed with a little broth.)
If you're feeling extra fancy, serve it in a yummy homemade bread bowl!
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Corn chowder tastes great up to one week later, so it's a great soup to make ahead of time!
To Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, I recommend waiting to add the potatoes and half and half until after thawing and heating the frozen soup.
Possible Recipe Variations:
- Potato: russet or yukon gold will work. I even use canned diced potatoes or diced frozen potatoes when I'm in a hurry.
- Chicken Corn Chowder: Add shredded chicken, or swap it out for the bacon.
- Cornstarch: I love the texture the cornmeal provides, but to thicken chowder with cornstarch, make a cornstarch slurry by whisking together 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and stir the slurry into the soup. Cook for a few minutes to allow it to thicken.
- Slow Cooker: Follow directions as listed, but before adding the half and half, place in slow cooker on low for up to 6 hours. Add half and half and thicken right before serving.
Serve With:
- Artisan No Knead Bread
- Homemade Bread Bowls
- Best Homemade Rolls
- Apple Pecan Salad
- Orange Pomegranate Salad
- Mixed Green Salad with Berries
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Recipe
Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 3-4 slices bacon , chopped
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 2 ribs celery , chopped
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 4 cups corn , fresh or frozen (about 5 ears)
- 1 large potato* , peeled and chopped
- 1-2 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce* , finely diced
- 4 ounce can mild diced green chiles , undrained
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups half and half , cream, or whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 Tablespoons cornmeal
Instructions
- Add bacon pieces to a large soup pot over medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the diced onion and celery and stir, cooking 3 to 4 more minutes.
- Add butter and stir until melted. Add corn. Stir and cook for one minute.
- Add chopped potato, green chilies and chipotle chilies.
- Slowly pour in chicken broth and half & half. Add salt and stir. Bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low.
- Ladle some of the soup broth into a bowl and stir 3 tablespoons of cornmeal into it, stirring until smooth. Pour into the soup pot. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat.
- If chowder needs more thickening, add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed with a little broth.
- Serve in a yummy homemade bread bowl!
Notes
Macros Recipe Adaptation
7 slices turkey bacon, 7 oz cooked chicken breasts, 1 medium potato, 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk, 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup non-fat plain Greek Yogurt, no cornmealPer Serving Amount
525 gramsMacros
433 kcal, Fat:14 g, Carbs: 48g, Protein: 32gNutrition
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I originally shared this recipe October 2013. Updated October 2019 and September 2021.
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This is the best soup I’ve ever made, hands down. Fresh corn isn’t in season where I am, so I subbed three drained cans of unsalted corn and it’s perfect.
Easy and yummy. Leave out those chipotles if you or yours can’t stand the heat!
I have always blended a portion of corn chowder to thicken it. By using the slurry there was less clean up and the taste and texture was outstanding! Thanks for the suggestion!
Can you use either pimento or red pepper for adobe pepper? Can’t eat too spicy! Thanks
If you’re worried about the spice level, you could even leave those chipotle peppers out.
I made this last week and we loved it. We were fighting over the bowl.
I cooked a double batch. Cook times seemed off. Definitely needed more than 15 minutes on low. Once I added the potatoes and liquid, brought to a boil and reduced heat, I let it go for about 30 minutes before adding the cornmeal and cooking the final 15 minutes. I added 2lb of shrimp in the last 5-10 minutes, as this recipe begged for seafood to be added, and didn’t want the shrimp to turn rubbery. I also added way more seasoning than 1 tsp of salt. About a tbsp, plus another tbsp’ish of season salt. Wife raved about it. She actually doesn’t usually like chowder, so that’s high praise for this recipe. Will be making it again.
This is so flavorful. I didn’t add the chilies & used only 1 pepper since we don’t like too much spice. It still is a well-balanced bite. Sweet from the corn; salty from the bacon; rich from the butter & half and half; spicy from the pepper.