This chicken corn chowder recipe is creamy and bursting with potatoes and fresh sweet corn! It makes a deliciously hearty meal.
When corn season is in full swing, it’s the moment for all the sweet corn recipes. And this chicken corn chowder recipe is my new favorite! It’s creamy and cozy, punctuated by soft potatoes and bright bursts of sweet corn.
Adding chicken gives it a protein boost that makes it a filling meal. It’s one of my top ways to enjoy those sweet seasonal cobs, and it even works with canned corn too!
5 Star Reader Review
“I just made the chicken corn chowder tonight, and it was delicious! To make this a creamier chowder, I used 2 cups of Half and Half. Will definitely make again, two thumbs up!” -Fay
“I made this creamy chicken corn chowder. What an amazing recipe. The smoked paprika was a great idea! I can’t wait to try it with lobster.” -Rebecca
Ingredients for Chicken Corn Chowder
Chicken corn chowder is the perfect recipe for using up fresh, seasonal corn cobs. However, you can make it with canned corn: though the sweet flavor won’t be nearly as developed, it works in a pinch! This soup is great for transitional weather from summer to fall, and it’s fitting for winter with canned corn when you need a cozy, filling meal. Here’s what you’ll need for this chowder recipe:
- Fresh sweet corn, cobs included: Don’t discard the cobs; they go in the pot.
- Yellow potatoes: Yukon Golds break down just enough at the edges to thicken the broth.
- Sweet onion, celery, carrots, and garlic: These veggies form the aromatic base to the recipe.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast: Poached whole, then shredded.
- Chicken broth and 2% milk: The milk is what makes this a chowder rather than a soup. Going meatless? Swap in homemade vegetable broth.
- Butter and olive oil: Both. The butter is for flavor, the oil raises the smoke point so the aromatics don’t scorch.
- Smoked paprika, thyme, onion powder, and garlic powder — The blend that keeps it from tasting flat.
- Heavy cream — Optional. A ¼ cup at the end rounds everything out.
How to Make Chicken Corn Chowder
Here’s the basic idea of this soup before you commit (or jump to the recipe for quantities):
- Build the base. Melt butter with olive oil in a Dutch oven and saute the onion, celery, and carrots. Add the garlic and diced potatoes and keep going a few minutes more.
- Add everything else. Add the corn kernels, the broken cobs, chicken broth, milk, the raw chicken breast, and spices.
- Simmer, don’t boil. Hold it at a simmer 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Pull the cobs and the chicken. Discard the cobs. Shred the breast with two forks and set it aside.
- Puree some of the soup itself. Blending a few cups of the soup together results in a beautifully creamy soup body.
- Add a little heavy cream. But there’s nothing little a bit of cream to make a rich, hearty broth. I think it tastes best with just ¼ cup of heavy cream.
Ways to Cut Corn Off the Cob
This chicken corn chowder requires a bit of time to prep all the ingredients, especially when it comes to cutting corn off the cob! This is a notoriously tedious process that often ends with kernels of corn all over the floor. Here are a few of my favorite methods for cutting corn:
- Bundt pan method. Place the corn cob right on top of the raised center part of a Bundt pan. When you slice downward, the Bundt pan catches all the corn kernels! Go to How to Cut Corn Off the Cob.
- Inverted small bowl inside larger bowl. You can also use an inverted small bowl inside a larger bowl to catch the kernels (here’s a video).
- Mandoline. If you have a mandoline, use it to cut corn off the cob. It slides right off without making a mess!
How to Use Canned or Frozen Corn
If it’s not corn season, canned corn works in a chicken corn chowder, though the flavor is not quite as corn-forward and developed. Simply use 2 15-ounce cans of corn, and use only 2 cups corn kernels when simmering the soup. You’ll use the remaining 1 cup corn kernels to stir in at the end after blending.
Variations on This Corn Chowder
Want to make this soup without chicken, or make it dairy-free? Here’s what to do:
- Vegetarian: Make this Corn Chowder! Or take the recipe below, omit the chicken, and use vegetable broth. You may find you need to add extra salt: you may want to substitute the 2 teaspoons kosher salt with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 tablespoons soy sauce, which adds a nice meaty flavor.
- Dairy-Free or Vegan: Make this Vegan Corn Chowder, which uses cashews to blend into a creamy base.
What to Serve With Chicken Corn Chowder
This bowl is pretty hearty, so you can keep the sides simple:
- One of my favorite salad recipes
- My easy skillet cornbread
- A crusty slice of artisan no knead bread
- Gourmet grilled cheese cut into strips
Storage and Reheating
You can store leftovers an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat. Add a splash of milk if it needs to be looser.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this soup since it can separate after thawing, but you can certainly try! Let me know if you do in the comments.
Dietary Notes
This chicken corn chowder recipe is gluten-free. For vegetarian, go to Creamy Corn Chowder. For dairy-free and vegan, go to Vegan Corn Chowder.
Chicken Corn Chowder
Pin RecipeThis chicken corn chowder recipe is creamy and bursting with potatoes and fresh sweet corn! It makes a deliciously hearty meal.**
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Soup
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 2 carrots, peel and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
- 4 large or 6 medium ears corn, enough for 4 cups corn kernels, plus cobs (or 2 15-ounce cans corn*)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter and olive over medium high heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add 3 cups* of the corn kernels, the corn cobs (broken into a few pieces, if necessary to fit in the pot), broth, milk, raw chicken, smoked paprika, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, the kosher salt, and several grinds of fresh black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the cobs from the soup and discard. Remove the chicken breast and shred with a fork.
- Using a 2-cup glass measuring cup with spout, carefully scoop out about 4 cups of the hot soup and place it in a blender. Blend on high for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the puree back into the soup pot. Stir in the reserved 1 cup corn kernels and the chicken. Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving (it will be very hot and the residual heat cooks the corn). Taste and add additional salt or cream if desired. Ladle into bowls and allow to cool.
Notes
*If using canned corn, use 2 cups in the soup in Step 2.
**Dietary swaps: Vegetarian: Make this Corn Chowder! Or use the recipe above, omit the chicken, and use vegetable broth. Consider substituting the 2 teaspoons salt with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 tablespoons soy sauce, which adds a nice meaty flavor. For Dairy-Free or Vegan: Make this Vegan Corn Chowder, which uses cashews to blend into a creamy base.
Other corn recipes to try
Sweet corn makes versatile and tasty recipes! Here are a few of my top corn recipes to try:
- Go for Easy Corn Fritters
- Mix up a batch of Corn Salsa
- Make a simple side of Creamed Corn or Skillet Fried Corn
- Try Classic Corn Salad or Black Bean and Corn Salad
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