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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 chicken corn chowder recipe is our 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 our top ways to enjoy those sweet seasonal cobs, and it even works with canned corn too!
PS If you’ve been following for a while, you’ll notice this is our first recipe with chicken! Welcome to A Couple Cooks 2.0. For a recipe without chicken, go to Corn Chowder or Vegan Corn Chowder.
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:
- Vegetables: sweet onion, celery, carrots, garlic, corn, yellow potatoes
- Butter and olive oil
- Chicken broth
- Milk
- Heavy cream
- Skinless chicken breast
- Spices: Smoked paprika, dried thyme, onion powder, garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Tips for making chicken corn chowder
The flavor secret for great corn chowder? There are a few important things to note about this classic cozy soup. Here’s what to know:
- Simmer with the corn cobs (and chicken). Traditionally in a corn chowder, you’ll place the corn cobs right into the broth and simmer with the cobs. This infuses that sweet corn flavor throughout the entire soup. (You’ll also simmer with the whole piece of chicken, which cooks it before you shred it.)
- 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! We think it tastes best with just ¼ cup of heavy cream. You can add more if desired!
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 our 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!
Swap in canned corn if desired
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.
Dietary swaps for corn chowder
Want to make this soup without chicken, or make it dairy-free? We’ve got you! 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.
More corn recipes
Sweet corn makes versatile and tasty recipes! Here are a few of our favorite 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
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
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
Description
This chicken corn chowder recipe is creamy and bursting with potatoes and fresh sweet corn! It makes a deliciously hearty meal.**
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.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Soup
- Diet: Gluten Free
Yum! This looks like the perfect comfort food to enjoy on a chilly, fall day! I am happy to feature your recipe at this week’s Tuesday Turn About link party. Thank you so much for sharing!
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.
Thank you for making it!
Can you make this in a crockpot?
We haven’t tried it!
This sounds great! I’m a-ok with adding chicken recipes occasionally. Go for it!
My Dad’s Sweet Corn is our fave at the ZVille Farmers Market. I look forward to getting some to try this chowder recipe.