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.
Joan says
The Chicken and Corn Chowder is great! I made it gluten-free by adding about 2T. cornstarch instead of the flour. The corn was frozen from the Summer Farmers Market and I added Baby Bella mushrooms. Yum!
Natasha says
So happy you liked it!! 🙂
Paige says
Wonderful combination of flavors. We loved this soup!
Natasha says
So glad to hear it!
Riley says
This is my new favorite soup, I've made it 3 times this month. I like to use half the flour because I prefer a more liquid consistency and it's easier to drink the delicious broth.
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear, Riley! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Leslie says
How do you think chicken thighs would fair in this?
Natasha says
I think they would work just fine! 🙂
Sandra says
I love all your recipes! Every single one was a hit! Thank you for sharing them with us! I do find that in this recipe if you cook your chicken first and almost fry it alittle with the onion and pepper and garlic powder it livens up the soup and gives the chicken a better flavor then boiling it in the soup
Natasha says
I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipes, Sandra! And that's a great tip re: the chicken.
Sandra says
Just made this today.....WOW! And yes I put raw chicken bites in it and of course it turned out perfect! I did add 2 Bay Leaves and chopped carrots and an extra 1/4 C. Cream. The flavor is spot on!!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Wonderful to hear, Sandra! So glad you gave it a try.
K’Lann says
Amazing! I followed the recipe exactly, and it was delicious! Thank you so much for all of your chicken recipes. When I’m pregnant I can’t eat beef, marinara, or anything spicy. Your recipes have been a life saver for me during my pregnancies! Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂 I'm so happy to hear it!
Dianne Moore says
Very delicious. I did alter just a bit. I make my own veggie broth, so added an extra cup of that on top of the 4 cups of chicken broth. I, also, waited until the last 5 minutes to add the cream. My husband went back for 3rd’s so that is how good it is.
Natasha says
I'm so glad it was a hit!! 😀
Jay says
This was amazing! I added more onions and pepper to give it flavor! My wife doesn’t like chicken or onions and thought this was amazing! Eating it out of bread bowls made it spectacular! I’ll be making this again! Thank you!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Love the bread bowls idea, Jay! So glad you and your wife liked it. 🙂
Kathy Matsi says
Delicious & easy! Thank you for posting this recipe...I followed it exactly (I used low sodium chicken broth) and I think it's perfect.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're welcome, Kathy! Thanks for the kind review!
Kathy says
Thank you for posting this recipe! It was just what I was looking for and it turned out beautifully, as you wrote it. So easy and tasty!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're welcome, Kathy! We're so happy you enjoyed it and found it easy. 🙂
Richard Dendwick says
Really good. First batch was original recipe. For the rest of them since, I grill a red pepper and add that. Thanks for the great dinners.
Natasha says
Love that idea!! You're very welcome!
Lee Byron says
Hi Natasha,
I truly do love your website and I am only rating this a five because I don't want to bring anything down. I am now in a position where I can't eat anything with out the serving size as it pertains to the nutrition. So with this recipe, I know it makes "6" servings, depending.... unfortunately, depending isn't good enough when you need to log everything from sodium to calories. Great site though.
Natasha says
Hi Lee!! Thank you, and I appreciate your candor. I'm sorry that I can't be more specific (like giving ounces, grams, cups, etc.) for the serving size with most recipes. In this case, I simply put that note to manage expectations. Most people would never measure out a specific amount of soup, and with typical American portion sizes, I wouldn't be surprised if a pot fed 4 people vs. the 6 it was intended to. The nutrition info is indeed calculated for 6 servings, but I get that measuring out exactly 1/6 of a pot of soup to adhere to that info isn't exactly easy either.
To give you some more context, I'm not a trained nutritionist or dietician, and if I'm being totally honest, I am reluctant to include any nutritional info period. Why? Because it's just an estimate (I plug it into the built-in recipe card calculator that pulls from a database), and by the time someone buys their own ingredients (they can vary a lot especially with processed foods), likely measures something imprecisely, and then guesses at what 1/4 or 1/6 of a recipe is, it'll be way off anyway. That's ok for readers who are simply wanting a ballpark figure, but I definitely understand that it's not good enough for people like yourself who have specific health concerns. I also don't like putting a calorie number because for many people it can trigger negative thoughts and put food into good vs bad categories, which isn't helpful for most people. Most bloggers now include the nutrition info the way I do because we get pressure from readers who want at least an estimate, and for search engine optimization, having the calories field filled in also helps. With all that said, I would think there is still a way to use my recipes if you'd want to. I think programs out there like My Fitness Pal allow you to have more control over how you enter a recipe. Yes, it's more cumbersome, but if you're measuring out everything precisely anyway and use a recipe often, you only have to do it once.
Steve and Erin Moore says
Trying this tonight. I am a diabetic so we are replacing the potatoes with turnips and the bacon for ham since my wife is on a low salt diet for her blood pressure. We will let you know how it comes out after we eat it. We did make this from left over roatissori chicken made on the bbq last night and then we made bone broth from the bones. So should have plenty of wonderful chicken flavor.
Natasha says
Yes... let me know! Hope it goes well, Steve. 🙂
June McIntosh says
Can you make this a day ahead
Natasha says
Sure. Just reheat over a low heat. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Sara Weaver says
I made this and it was really good! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Can it be made ahead and stored in the freezer for later?
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Sara! 🙂 So, you could freeze it, but sometimes dairy doesn't freeze great, so the texture may change a little (should still taste fine, though). Be sure to warm it up over a low heat.
Crystal says
This recipe came out delicious! I made a double recipe and it filled my large stock pot to the brim. I used a whole pound of bacon because there were only three extra strips, and meat from a whole rotisserie chicken added at the end. I only used 1/3 cup of flour because I don't like a really thick soup, and unfortunately it didn't thicken up much at all - my bad!
Natasha says
I'm so happy it was a hit! 🙂 Yup, with the roux it can be tricky to get the measurements just right when tweaking. You could always add more broth or water to thin next time if you straight double the recipe.
Carol says
This recipe was fun to put together and it smells delicious. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're welcome, Carol! We're so glad you enjoy them 🙂
Frances Kinross says
when is the cream added?
Natasha says
Step 7.
Nancy says
I used a pound of ground chicken instead of the chicken breasts and it was delicious!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂
Paula Larson says
I used potato flakes for thickening. This recipe is great!
Natasha says
Love that idea!! So happy you enjoyed it.
Dawn says
About how much would you say you used? Equivalent to the flour?
Colleen says
Love this chowder! I have made this a few times now and it’s awesome on a chilly night in fall. So easy with the raw chicken and love that it only uses the one pot so easy clean up.
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂 Thanks for your review, Colleen!
Paula says
Agreed on the one pot!! Today is almost 100 degrees F outside and It just finished cooking-had a sudden taste for it and saw this recipe….. I sampled it and it’s great!!!!
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it, Paula!! 🙂
Allison says
Great recipe, thank you so much! I did make a few slight changes: instead of bacon, I used chopped deli Black Forest ham and butter to render the fat. I also used half & half in place of cream. Because of this, I cooked it an extra ten minutes to thicken it up more. Absolutely delicious and I love that home-cooked meal smell inside the house on a chilly fall day.
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! Your version sounds delicious too! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know... I am sure other readers will find your comment helpful too.
Rita Rat says
Love love love! I added chives to mine for a twist. Went really well. Already up to bowl two. This, after work, with a piece of crusty bread is just heaven. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 😀
Caroline says
Getting into fall mode in terms of weather here in CA (finally!), I made this chowder last night. It did not disappoint! Super hearty, so delicious! Used turkey bacon for it! So good!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you liked it, Caroline!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Patty says
This sounds amazing. Can I make this and put it in the freezer? Would you suggest leaving out the cream when I freeze it and then add the cream later?
Natasha says
Yes... that is exactly what I would do! 🙂
Jamie says
Any suggestions on leaving out the heavy cream? Or reducing it to half? Was it a successful change?
Natasha says
I haven't tested it without the cream. You could try reducing it a bit and see how it goes.
Joyce says
Whenever I have a recipe that calls for cream, I use evaporated milk instead and you cannot tell the difference.
Lynn Wittman says
I have had success with leaving out heavy cream from recipes by substituting condensed skim milk. Not quite as thick but good.
Michelle says
I just made a chicken and dumplings recipe with evaporated milk. It was creamy and delicious! I think evaporated milk would work, a 14’oz can.
Beth says
Can you make the chowder without potatoes?
Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi Beth! It's one of the main components, but I guess? It may alter the thickness of the broth, and it'll definitely affect its heartiness/texture.
Kisha johnson says
Can I leave out the potatoes all together and can I use coconut milk instead of dairy? I was thinking of using curry powder next time for a different taste, would that work?
Natasha says
Hi Kisha... that's a lot of changes, so I can't really say without testing if all that would work. The potatoes help thicken the soup up and give it texture. They're quite an important component, I'd say. The coconut milk sub would probably work, but may alter the flavor a bit. As for the curry powder, you could definitely give it a try if you think you'd like the flavors.
Jessica v says
can this be made with corn starch instead of flour? I have a gluten allergy...
Natasha says
Hi! Yes, I think you could tweak it to use cornstarch. I'd add it in at the end as a slurry. You may want to drain some of the bacon fat (leave a couple tablespoons) since you won't be making a roux.
Therese says
You can make it with gluten free flour. Easy Peasy.
Jas says
Soo good. Great and easy recipe that will be added to our favorites !! Thank you
Natasha says
You're welcome! 🙂
Bobbi says
Can this recipe be made in the crockpot, and can I use pre-cooked packaged bacon? Thank you.
Natasha says
Hi! My main concerns are that you can't make the roux in a Crockpot, and the bacon grease released from cooking the bacon adds a lot of flavor to the soup. You could play with it a bit for sure, but it probably won't turn out exactly the same if you simply add all the ingredients to a slow cooker. I can't really say exactly how it'll turn out since I haven't tested it. Let me know if you try... I am curious!
Wanda Leslie says
OK to use canned corn and not frozen?
Natasha says
That should be fine.
Mara D says
Yummy! I only had peppered bacon so I used that. Other than that followed the recipe exactly. Thanks for the easy and delicious recipe!
Natasha says
You're very welcome Mara! 🙂 Glad you liked it!
Zaynee says
I made this tonight for my family and they absolutely loved it! Great recipe 👌
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thanks for letting me know. 😀
Mike Druszcz says
Add butter, I added 3 tablespoons of butter right before adding the flour... wow....the richness it provided is incalculable.
Cynthia says
This was an absolute hit in my house! Both my husband and daughter went back for seconds! My daughter never goes back for seconds! I followed the recipe and then added every other suggestion - from the bay leaf, a tad of smoked paprika, a little cayenne, a splash of liquid smoke, and my own made up Italian seasoning.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I'm so glad to hear that it was a hit. 🙂
Pete says
Admittedly I read several recipes and came back to this one and made it this morning. On my 2nd bowl for lunch now. It's delicious! I must have carried over the 1 carrot diced that I added from another recipe I saw, but it works. The only thing I messed up was I forgot the Italian seasoning. I did throw a couple bay leaves in when I put in the potatoes so there's a little herb flavor. This is a keeper.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Pete!! 🙂 Yup, it's definitely flexible... adding bay leaves was a good idea.
Sam says
Yummy.
Took about 30 min for potatoes to soften
Added smoke paprika and a couple of drops of liquid smoke.
Did 1/2 cup of half n half, 1/2 coconut milk. Turned out amazing!
Natasha says
Excellent!!
Lorri Ann says
I made this last night and it was so yummy!
My only change was I added an additional chicken breast as my hubby loves soups to be meatier!
I do have a couple questions....since we have so much l leftover....can we freeze it or no because of the cream? Also, when all the ingredients come to a boil....it doesn't specify if we should cover with the lid or leave uncovered. Can you clarify please?
Love this soup/stew. ♡
Natasha says
So happy you enjoyed it, Lorri! I believe I left it uncovered since I don't specify, but you could cover it with the lid slightly ajar and that would be fine too. It's not bad frozen, but you're right... it can separate a bit/get a little grainy when you thaw and reheat it, but it should still taste fine. I'd reheat on a low heat.
Sarah says
I made this and it came out great. Thank you for an easy recipe to follow. It was my first time making any sort of soup or chowder from scratch, and my family raved about it, with people going back for thirds. I used rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken because we happened to have it and I added it as the last ingredient in so it wouldn't over cook, and it tasted the way I would expect chicken in a chowder recipe to taste, not dry at all.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and it worked out... that's great!! 🙂
Dennis Murphy says
I haven't made your recipe yet, but it is on the burner for tonight. So, the main item here is an answer to your question, why is this called a chowder. The basic simple answer is, originally chowders were made from a milk base rather than water.
Fast forward to modern era - cooking down milk to the desired thickness often robs the other ingredients of their flavor. (Milk used in days of yore was probably straight from the cow making it much creamier). Todays cooks favor using a broth and then adding cream.
Potato's - For a little creamier chowder, use wax potatoes such as the redskins.
As for enhancing flavor, raw is fine but I prefer to do a quick searing. To me, searing the outer edges always enhances the flavor of almost everything including bread, tomatoes, and meats.
I am just an old retired USN electronics tech who likes to play in the kitchen.
Prior to this, I have made sausage, ham, and bacon corn chowders. Other chowders are on list to experiment with.
Natasha says
Well that's interesting, thanks for the explanation, Dennis. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Christine says
Delicious and easy to make! I added a bit more garlic and bacon. I had leftover chicken, so I just mixed it in about halfway through. Cayenne added a nice kick. Great recipe! Thank you!
Natasha says
I'm so happy that you liked it! You're very welcome!
Lisa says
Can I use corn starch instead of flour for a GF option?
Natasha says
Yes! I'd probably start with a slurry that contains half as much and add more if needed.
Colette says
I need to make a much bigger pot of soup. If I make with 10-12 cups of homemade chicken broth, would I also increase the amount of cream? Or what other ingredients would also have to be increased and by how much? Thank you in advance for your reply!
Natasha says
Hi! I would straight double or triple everything to keep the ratios the same.
Yolanda says
Loved this recipe over another. Much easier and the flavors were awesome. But I did bake my seasoned boneless chicken breasts somewhat to finish cooking in the soup. My son and I love this. He was never into soups but now even takes it for lunch! Thank you, awesome recipe. It'll be made several times this winter!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! I'm so glad you liked this one. 🙂
Hillary Midkiff says
I used boneless skinless chicken thighs with fat instead of breasts. My soup never thickened up. Is that because of the chicken thighs or did I simmer it wrong?
Natasha says
Hi! It's really hard for me to tell, unfortunately, since I wasn't in the kitchen with you. I don't think that should have impacted it too much.
Kathy says
I used my leftover turkey from Thanksgiving in this. Just added the meat when the potatoes were almost done. Yummy!
Natasha says
So glad you liked it! 🙂
Hal says
This is always my go-to soup to make! My bf and all my friends love it when I make it and the effort is ALWAYS worth it. I grew up eating canned chicken corn chowder but since I found this recipe back in March, I haven't bought a can since! Gets better every time so I'm making it again this week! 🙂
Natasha says
Aww I'm so happy to hear that!! 🙂
Andrea says
There’s no corn in your ingredients list. Huh?
Natasha says
Yes there is. 2 cups frozen corn.