Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder

Published October 1, 2022. Updated October 2, 2022

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Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder – A rich and creamy soup made with tender rotisserie chicken, hearty potatoes, flavorful peppers, sweet corn and crisp bacon finish. It’s a fall staple!

Chicken corn chowder in a serving bowl with oyster crackers to the side.

Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder

This is the coziest of soups! It’s loaded to the max with delicious, fresh ingredients and it’s that creamy broth and salty bacon that will keep you craving more.

It has a handy shortcut of pre-cooked chicken, which can be from a rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken.

From there it’s just a bit of chopping, sautĆ©ing and allowing enough time on the stovetop to simmer to perfection.

Serve it with cornbread or 1-hour dinner rolls for an ideally comforting meal.

Ingredients for chicken corn chowder soup.

Chicken Corn Chowder Soup Recipe Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked shredded chicken (from a rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breasts or thighs)
  • 8 slices cooked bacon, chopped
  • 1/4 cup butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 1/4 cups)
  • 1 – 2Ā jalapeƱos, seeds and ribs removed for less heat if desired, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 medium (22 oz) russet potatoes, peeled and chopped slightly less than 1/2-inch thick (3 cups)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt andĀ black pepper, to taste
  • 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
    Collage of photos showing how to make creamy chicken corn chowder on the stovetop.

How to Make Chicken Corn Chowder

  • In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add red bell pepper, onions, jalapenos and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly.
  • While stirring, slowly pour in chicken broth. Add potatoes, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
  • Add in cooked chicken, corn and half and half and simmer, uncovered 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve warm topped with cooked bacon and optional green onions and cheese.

 

Close up photo of creamy chicken corn chowder in a pot.

Possible Substitutes and Variations

  • Alternate potatoes: Red potatoes or Yukons would work here as well. The soup just won’t be quite as thick since the potatoes aren’t as starchy.
  • Mild soup: If you aren’t a fan of heat you can omit the jalapeƱo.
  • Use up the bacon fat: Instead of using butter you can replace it with rendered bacon fat by cooking the bacon beforehand.
  • Sub ham for bacon: For a cheaper alternative you can finish the soup with chopped cooked ham instead of bacon. This is a great option if you have some left from a ham roast.
  • Herbs: For an herby soup you can mix in some thyme, rosemary and parsley.

 

 

Recommended Toppings

We like to serve this with:

  • Shredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp)
  • Chopped green onions
  • Crushed tortilla chips or oyster crackers

Storage

  • It will keep in the fridge in an airtight container up to 3 days.
  • Freezing this soup isn’t recommended. The potatoes would become mushy and broth would end up separated and thinned.

Two servings of chicken corn chowder in red bowls sitting over a green cloth on a marble surface.

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Chicken corn chowder in a serving bowl with oyster crackers to the side.
4.95 from 59 votes

Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder

This chowder will quickly become a go-to recipe! It's loaded with chicken, veggies and rich creamy broth. Delicious comfort food!
Servings: 3
Prep15 minutes
Cook40 minutes
Ready in: 55 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add red bell pepper, onions, jalapenos and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly.
  • While stirring, slowly pour in chicken broth. Add potatoes, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bring mixture to a simmer stirring frequently, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
  • Add in cooked chicken, corn and half and half and simmer, uncovered 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve warm topped with cooked bacon and optional green onions and cheese.

Notes

  • *If cooking your own chicken begin with about 1 lb chicken breasts or thighs. You can cook it in the soup with the potatoes, just cook to 165 degrees in center.
  • Recipe makes about 14 cups.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder
Amount Per Serving
Calories 497 Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 94mg31%
Sodium 388mg17%
Potassium 1103mg32%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 27g54%
Vitamin A 1090IU22%
Vitamin C 32.9mg40%
Calcium 88mg9%
Iron 2.3mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.
Photos updated Oct 2022. Recipe adapted with some changes from BHG

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244 Comments

  • Scott

    Delicious. Only small changes I made: 1) used a cup of heavy cream and half cup of half and half instead of 1.5 cups of half and half because I was running a little low on half and half and 2) instead of fresh ground black pepper I used the McCormick Peppercorn Medley because I have it and want to use it up. Real minor stuff. I added 2 raw chicken breasts (about one pound) with the potatoes as recommended and once the breasts were 165+, I moved them to a large bowl, shredded them, and added them back. I added salt and the fresh ground peppercorn medley to taste when the chicken was cooked and again after adding the cream and corn. Definitely going to be a fall/winter favorite. Thank you for this recipe!

  • Nic

    Loved it. I followed the recipe almost exactly , I think using fresh corn really makes a difference! I cut the amount of half and half down a little and added a few splashes of hot sauce to serve and it was a hit!

  • Jacki

    I am not much of a soup person but this was so delicious and great comfort food. I love this website, fancy foodie but easy as well :)

  • Wendy Olmstead

    I made this with rotisserie chicken and added a little Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning for a little extra flavoring. I removed the seeds from the two jalapeƱos so it wouldn’t be spicy. I also used heavy cream instead of half and half. I served Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits on the side. My family loved it. My husband said he didn’t know what the concoction was, but it was delicious. He asked me to add it to the rotation. Thank you for a very easy and delicious recipe.

  • Hilary wheatley

    This soup is awesome! The directions on how to make it are spot on! I used ham only because I already had it on hand. Thank you also for mentioning how many cups of soup this makes, that information is better for me over ā€œservingsā€, very helpful. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

  • Carol ONeill

    This soup is absolutely delicious. Easy and not time consuming as well. Using a store bought roasted chicken was the best. I actually followed the recipe exactly and did not have to ā€œdoctorā€ it as so many recipes these days. Again delicious and a real winner.

  • Skip

    Yep. I made this tonight. Followed the recipe pretty much. Fresh corn. A bit thin for me so I tightened up with a little more Wondra flour. All in all it was really good. Don’t forget the bacon! French bread and a lite salad.
    Yes, I’d make it again. Thanks.