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Creamy Corn Chowder

Published: / Updated: / 73 Comments

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This corn chowder recipe is loaded with sweet corn, the bacon adds smokiness, and you will love how creamy and flavorful it is! 

corn chowder in two white bowls

I based this corn chowder off my Easy Chicken and Corn Chowder. It's fairly thick, creamy, and fills you right up. I suppose since corn is in season in the summer and early fall, this is more of a summer soup. I see nothing wrong with eating soup year-round when you can crank up your air conditioning. 😉

You may also like my Salmon Chowder or my Ham and Corn Chowder.

This potato and corn chowder is sure to be a hit with the whole family. The sweetness of the corn and all the bacon makes it irresistible in my opinion! This soup is the perfect satisfying one pot meal.

the best corn chowder in a yellow soup pot with a ladle

What kind of corn to use?

I used frozen corn, but if you've got fresh corn, then by all means use it! Just cut it off the cob and add it to the soup. You could even grill it and then add it for extra smokiness. I'd buy 4-5 cobs of corn to make what's needed for this soup. I don't recommend canned corn unless you're really in a pinch. I find the flavor and texture of frozen or fresh to be a lot better.

Recipe notes & tips:

  • I don't recommend subbing the cream for milk or half-and-half because there's a good chance the soup will curdle (it happened in another of my chowder recipes) since we boil it, so exercise caution if doing that. 
  • You can sub the Russet potatoes for another kind if you wish.
  • The cayenne pepper doesn't make the soup particularly spicy, but it does add a little extra zip. 
  • I like to prep as I go along to save time, but feel free to prepare everything ahead of time if that's more comfortable for you. 
  • This soup is quite thick to begin with, and it thickens up more the longer you leave it. Feel free to add a little more chicken broth to leftovers if you need to thin it out a touch. It's one of those better-the-next-day kinda soups in my opinion. The flavors meld even more.

Other recipes with corn to try:

corn chowder close-up in a yellow pot

Let me know if you've made this easy corn chowder recipe! Questions? Ask me in the comments below.

corn chowder in two white bowls

Corn Chowder

This corn chowder recipe is loaded with sweet corn, the bacon adds smokiness, and you will love how creamy and flavorful it is! 
5 from 20 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 438 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 4 strips bacon cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped small
  • 3 sticks celery chopped small
  • 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped small
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups chicken broth or stock
  • 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 4 cups frozen or fresh corn
  • 2 large Russet potatoes peeled & diced
  • 1 dash Italian seasoning
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Prep your bacon (I use kitchen shears to make cutting it up easy) and add it to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy (about 10 minutes).
  • Meanwhile, prep your onion, celery, and potatoes. 
  • Once the bacon is crispy, take it out of the pot and remove to a paper towel lined plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot. 
  • Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute, stirring nearly constantly.
  • Add in the chicken broth and give it a good stir to ensure the flour has dissolved and the brown bits are scraped up from the bottom of the pot. 
  • Add in the cream, corn, potatoes, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, and most 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 so the lid is slightly ajar.
  • Cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Stir every so often. The soup will thicken up more the longer you cook it.
  • Season the soup with salt & pepper as needed. Garnish bowls with the rest of the bacon.

Notes

  • Serves 4-6 depending on portion size.
  • You may need to add more broth to leftovers as the soup thickens the longer you leave it.
  • Since the cream is boiled, I would NOT recommend subbing it for milk or half-and-half because there's a good chance it'll curdle from the high heat.
  • 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

Calories: 438kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 11gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 723mgPotassium: 1051mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 4340IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg
Keyword corn chowder recipe
Author Natasha Bull
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    • Natasha says

      Hi! You'd have to do steps 1-7 in a skillet and then transfer it to a Crockpot. I haven't tested it, so I can't say what would be optimal for timing... it may just be easier to do it all in one pot on the stove, though.

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I have not tested it. You'd have to do the bacon searing step and make the roux in a skillet anyway, so it probably just makes most sense to cook the whole thing in a pot, but you could transfer it to a slow cooker after that skillet step if you really wanted to.

      Reply

  5. SuzyMc says

    Natasha, I tend to freeze most of my soups - given the heavy cream, I’m guessing this may not work with this chowder?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Suzy! You can freeze it, but you are correct... it may go a bit grainy/separate a bit on reheating, unfortunately. It will taste good still however.

      Reply

  6. Karen Corbett says

    5 stars
    Loved the chowder...I added 3/4 lb. of shrimp at the very end...knocked it out of the park! Thank you for sharing

    Reply

  7. Carmie says

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I tweaked it so my son’s vegetarian GF would eat it too. No bacon (subbed sunflower oil); Subbed vegetable broth for chicken broth. And I added some diced sweet red pepper and thinly sliced jalapeños. Bueno!

    Reply

  10. Alison Theodore says

    5 stars
    This was a complete winner in our home. The soup is delicious! Just what we needed on a day in January. Thank you!

    Reply

  13. Susan says

    5 stars
    Made this without the bacon or Italian seasoning (didn’t have it) and added some chopped yams to sweeten/thicken it up. Delish! It’s going to be even better tomorrow!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! Well... I don't list a salt quantity in here partly for that reason (so people can add it as needed). Bacon has a fair amount of salt, and chicken broth has some... so you could always look into slightly lower salt alternatives (like low sodium chicken broth). I'll be honest though... without enough salt this soup may be fairly bland. That's the case with many creamy recipes unfortunately.

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      I think it should be fine, but I haven't tested. I'd thaw it overnight in the fridge and warm on a low heat. It may separate a bit, but it'll taste fine still.

      Reply

  22. Kim says

    We made this last night and it was a definite hit in our house! This recipe will easily get added into our rotation! I added a touch of smoked paprika as well! Thank you so much for posting this!

    Reply

  23. Kristin S says

    5 stars
    Delicious! I took the short cut of using real bacon bits and sauteing them a bit in olive oil to crisp them up. I can't tell that the taste was lacking due to not using bacon grease to saute the vegetables. Thank you for sharing!!

    Reply

  27. Jane House says

    This is the best one I've tried. I did add more stock as it ended up being too thick for me, but it's very flavorful, since everything cooks on bacon fat...

    Reply

  28. Virginia says

    Could you make this as suggested but not add the cream for the boiling part, and then when slightly cooled, add a healthier cream substitute ?

    It sounds and looks delicious!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Lisa! Honestly, I'm not sure with this recipe. It would take on a slight coconut flavor, and I'm a little worried it may turn out a bit greasy. You could give it a try... maybe cut the recipe in half for a test? I did recently receive a comment on another one of my chowder recipes where they subbed the cream for coconut milk and they enjoyed it, so maybe it's worth a shot?

      Reply

  31. Maraya says

    Nice recipe, but why bother to cut up the raw bacon? It's easier to cook it in strips. It's also easier to remove it from the pan. After it drains, crispy bacon is easily crumbled into small pieces.

    Reply

    • Dina says

      This looks fantastic! I’m a turkey bacon kind of girl, do you think the flavor of the soup will be good if I subbed turkey bacon for regular bacon? Thanks in advance! Can’t wait to try this.

      Reply

      • Natasha says

        I know this will sound nuts, but I've never tried turkey bacon in my life. I imagine it should be fine though if you like the taste of it! Let me know how it goes. 🙂

        Reply

  32. Sue Clark says

    Easy to make and delicious chowder maybe a little bit more bacon 🥓 another great recipe from salt and lavender

    Reply

  33. Cammy Herman says

    5 stars
    Everything I make from your blog turns out phenomenal, this chowder being no different! Creamy and comforting, with a little kick from the cayenne, this is a HIT in our house.

    Reply