I’m sharing my Rotisserie Chicken Corn Chowder, loaded with tender potatoes, sweet corn and crisp bacon in a thick, creamy broth that highlights simple, pantry-friendly ingredients.
I wasnt expecting much from a simple bowl but this Chicken Corn Chowder Soup stopped me in my tracks. It looks like a basic weeknight fix, yet every spoonful kept surprising me with sweet corn and shredded chicken that feel like they changed the rules.
I cant say exactly why it hits different, maybe its the balance between comfort and a little bit of mischief. People tag it among Best Chowder Recipes and i get why, it refuses to be boring.
If you like soup that keeps revealing itself, this one will make you curious to take another bite.
Ingredients
- Bacon, salty smoky bacon gives protein and fat, adds crisp texture but high in saturated fat.
- Potatoes, starchy carb great for body fuel, add fiber if you keep the skin on.
- Corn, sweet crunchy kernels, adds natural sweetness and fiber, good for texture and color.
- Chicken, lean protein that fills the soup, low fat if skinless and keeps you full.
- Heavy cream, rich and creamy, adds silkiness and calories, use half and half to lighten.
- Onion and garlic, aromatics that build flavor early, small calories but big taste boost.
Ingredient Quantities
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1.5 lb)
- about 3 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen, or 2 cans 14 oz each drained
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (about 12 oz)
- 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or green onion, optional
How to Make this
1. Fry the 6 slices of chopped bacon in a large pot over medium heat until mostly crisp, scoop out and drain on paper towels, leave about 1-2 tablespoons bacon fat in the pot (or add the 2 tablespoons butter if you don’t have enough fat).
2. Add the butter if needed, then sauté the diced onion and celery in the hot fat over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes, stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more so it smells good.
3. Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons flour over the vegetables, stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to cook the raw flour flavor, this makes a quick roux that will thicken the chowder.
4. Slowly whisk in the 4 cups chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, then add the peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes and the thyme; bring to a simmer.
5. Add the corn (fresh kernels cut from about 3 ears, or 3 cups frozen, or two 14 oz cans drained), simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes; if you want a thicker chowder, mash a cup of potatoes or blend 1 cup of the soup and stir it back in.
6. Stir in the 2 cups shredded cooked chicken and the 1 cup heavy cream or half and half, heat gently until everything is warmed through but do not boil hard or the cream can split.
7. Taste and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, adjust thyme if you like more herb flavor.
8. Fold in most of the crisped bacon, reserve some for garnish; if the soup is too thin, simmer a few minutes to reduce, or whisk a tablespoon of flour with a little cold water and stir it in, cook until thickened.
9. Serve hot topped with the remaining bacon and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or green onion; leftover chowder keeps well in the fridge for 3 days and actually tastes better the next day.
Equipment Needed
1. Large heavy pot or Dutch oven, to fry the bacon and simmer the chowder
2. Slotted spoon or tongs, for scooping out the bacon and draining it on paper towels
3. Chef’s knife, sharp, for chopping onion, celery, potatoes and cutting corn off the cob
4. Cutting board
5. Vegetable peeler, for peeling the Yukon Golds
6. Whisk, to make the roux and slowly blend in the broth
7. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, for sautéing and stirring (you’ll use this a lot)
8. Measuring cups and measuring spoons, for broth, cream, flour and seasonings
9. Potato masher or immersion blender, if you want to thicken the chowder by mashing or blending a cup of soup
FAQ
Chicken Corn Chowder With Bacon Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Bacon: use pancetta or diced smoked ham for the same salty, fatty hit; turkey bacon if you want it leaner, or omit and stir in 1 tsp smoked paprika with a splash of olive oil for a smoky note.
- Heavy cream: sub half and half, or whole milk plus 2 tbsp melted butter per cup for richness; for dairy free try full fat coconut milk, it stays nice and creamy.
- All purpose flour: swap with a cornstarch slurry (mix equal parts cornstarch and cold water, use about half the flour amount) or arrowroot for a gluten free thickener, it thickens stronger so go slow.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: use russets or red potatoes, or for a lower carb option use chopped cauliflower florets, just dont overcook them or they get mushy.
Pro Tips
1) Save the bacon fat, dont throw it away. Use about 1 to 2 tablespoons to saute the veg, it gives way more flavor than plain butter. Cook the bacon a bit past crisp, it will soften in the chowder so you want it a little extra crunchy.
2) If you want thicker chowder try this first: mash a cup of the cooked potatoes right in the pot, or blend 1 cup of the soup and stir it back in. If you must use a slurry whisk the flour or cornstarch with cold water until smooth before adding or it will clump and make little floury bits.
3) Add the cream slowly and never let the soup boil hard after that, it’ll cause the dairy to split. Better trick is to temper the cream by whisking a few ladles of hot soup into the cream, then stir that back into the pot so it mixes smoothly.
4) Brighten and finish it right before serving, salt as you go but taste at the end, a splash of lemon juice or a tiny bit of vinegar wakes the whole pot up. Also leftovers get better overnight, just reheat gently and add fresh herbs and the reserved bacon at the last minute for texture.
Chicken Corn Chowder With Bacon Recipe
I’m sharing my Rotisserie Chicken Corn Chowder, loaded with tender potatoes, sweet corn and crisp bacon in a thick, creamy broth that highlights simple, pantry-friendly ingredients.
6
servings
498
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large heavy pot or Dutch oven, to fry the bacon and simmer the chowder
2. Slotted spoon or tongs, for scooping out the bacon and draining it on paper towels
3. Chef’s knife, sharp, for chopping onion, celery, potatoes and cutting corn off the cob
4. Cutting board
5. Vegetable peeler, for peeling the Yukon Golds
6. Whisk, to make the roux and slowly blend in the broth
7. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, for sautéing and stirring (you’ll use this a lot)
8. Measuring cups and measuring spoons, for broth, cream, flour and seasonings
9. Potato masher or immersion blender, if you want to thicken the chowder by mashing or blending a cup of soup
Ingredients
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1.5 lb)
about 3 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen, or 2 cans 14 oz each drained
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (about 12 oz)
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or green onion, optional
Directions
- Fry the 6 slices of chopped bacon in a large pot over medium heat until mostly crisp, scoop out and drain on paper towels, leave about 1-2 tablespoons bacon fat in the pot (or add the 2 tablespoons butter if you don't have enough fat).
- Add the butter if needed, then sauté the diced onion and celery in the hot fat over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes, stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more so it smells good.
- Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons flour over the vegetables, stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to cook the raw flour flavor, this makes a quick roux that will thicken the chowder.
- Slowly whisk in the 4 cups chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, then add the peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes and the thyme; bring to a simmer.
- Add the corn (fresh kernels cut from about 3 ears, or 3 cups frozen, or two 14 oz cans drained), simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes; if you want a thicker chowder, mash a cup of potatoes or blend 1 cup of the soup and stir it back in.
- Stir in the 2 cups shredded cooked chicken and the 1 cup heavy cream or half and half, heat gently until everything is warmed through but do not boil hard or the cream can split.
- Taste and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, adjust thyme if you like more herb flavor.
- Fold in most of the crisped bacon, reserve some for garnish; if the soup is too thin, simmer a few minutes to reduce, or whisk a tablespoon of flour with a little cold water and stir it in, cook until thickened.
- Serve hot topped with the remaining bacon and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or green onion; leftover chowder keeps well in the fridge for 3 days and actually tastes better the next day.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 509g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 498kcal
- Fat: 24.6g
- Saturated Fat: 13.3g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Polyunsaturated: 1.3g
- Monounsaturated: 6.7g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
- Sodium: 733mg
- Potassium: 844mg
- Carbohydrates: 41.7g
- Fiber: 4.1g
- Sugar: 4.8g
- Protein: 25.3g
- Vitamin A: 250IU
- Vitamin C: 14mg
- Calcium: 42mg
- Iron: 1.3mg
