This Chicken Corn Chowder recipe has juicy chicken, potatoes, and corn in the most flavorful, seasoned broth! It’s garnished with bacon and green onions and is loaded with flavor! You can make this with fresh or leftover/rotisserie chicken!
Chicken Corn Chowder
This Chicken Corn Chowder is out of this world delicious, it’s definitely earned a spot on our favorites list!
Cooking up some crispy bacon in the soup pot gets things off to a super flavorful start, and the drippings from the bacon are used to make a flavorful roux which thickens this chowder up nicely.
The combination of seasonings puts it over the top, along with a combination of jalapeno and red bell peppers, juicy chicken, golden potatoes, sweet corn, and a garnish of green onions and chopped bacon.
Chicken Corn Chowder
prep time: 15 MINUTES ; cook time: 1 HOUR ; total time: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES
SERVINGS: 6 PEOPLE
This Chicken Corn Chowder recipe has chicken, potatoes, and corn in the most flavorful broth! It’s garnished with bacon and green onions and is loaded with flavor!
Ingredients
- 5 strips bacon, drippings reserved
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, diced
- 3/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lb. boneless/skinless chicken breast, or 2 cups leftover/rotisserie chicken
- Salt/Pepper
- 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, diced
- 1 (15 oz.) can sweet kernel corn, drained. see notes
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (Optional.)
- 1/3 cup green onions, diced
Seasonings
- ½ teaspoon EACH: salt, oregano, paprika, mustard powder, chili powder, cumin
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a 4.5-quart soup pot slowly over low heat. (I cut my bacon in half, it’s easier to fit it in the pan and have it cook evenly.) Once cooked, set aside and chop once cooled.
- While the bacon cooks: Combine the chicken broth, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning. Don’t cut potatoes until ready to use.
- Leave 2 tbsp. bacon drippings in the pot. Add the onions and soften over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the butter, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, and garlic. Soften for 3 more minutes.
- Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, until it begins to brown.
- Add the chicken broth mixture (from step 2), in small splashes, stirring continuously. Add the half and half in the same manner. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cut the chicken in half lengthwise and season each side with salt and pepper. Add it to the chowder and bubble very gently, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. (Do this gently or the chicken will be tough.) Remove and let rest.
- Add the diced potatoes and simmer uncovered until fork tender, another 20-25 minutes or so.
- Dice the chicken and add it to the chowder along with the corn. Let it heat through for 1-2 minutes, then reduce heat to low.
- Gradually stir in the cheese until melted (if using). Remove the bay leaf. Garnish with chopped bacon and green onions. Serve with Cheddar Bay Biscuits!
Notes
Pro Tips
- The longer this soup simmers, the thicker it gets, so you can control the consistency with that in mind. I always let it simmer, reduce, and concentrate for at least 20 minutes before I add the potatoes. Once you add the potatoes, you don’t have as much flexibility with cooking time, as you don’t want to overcook them.
- The hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder are flavor enhancers in this soup that can’t be tasted outright. The hot sauce doesn’t make it spicy. I use Frank’s Hot Sauce.
- Heavy cream can be used instead of half and half for a little extra indulgence.
- Corn: 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn can be used instead of canned. If using fresh corn, add it when you add the potatoes to give it time to cook through.
- Chicken: If using leftover/rotisserie chicken, add it in step 8 when the diced chicken/corn is added.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes are delicious in this recipe, red potatoes would be the best substitute as they hold up well in soups/stews/chowders. I leave the skin on, but you can peel if preferred!
- Heat: Green bell peppers can be used instead of jalapeno if you are heat averse. If you remove the white membrane/seeds from the jalapeno, that omits most of the heat. This recipe as written is not very hot.
Storage
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Note the consistency is thinner when reheated, but it still tastes great!
- Be careful not to overcook the potatoes if you plan having leftovers as they can become crumbly and fall apart if overcooked.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
Nutrition
- Calories: 526kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 121mg, Sodium: 1225mg, Potassium: 979mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 1400IU, Vitamin C: 49mg, Calcium: 257mg, Iron: 2mg