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The Best Corn Chowder Recipe – delicious creamy corn chowder with shredded chicken, corn, vegetables, and a touch of a spicy kick!
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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe – my goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
I want each reader to walk away with a solid knowledge of each recipe, with all of the tips I’ve gathered from extensive testing of each recipe. I also answer questions my friends and family have asked about my recipes, to help everyone better understand the processes we use – and why!
Table of contents
This recipe is a simple homemade dinner that is hearty, healthy, and easy to prepare – full of rich and savory ingredients you will feel good feeding your family.
This recipe is also a great way to stretch your budget – as it relies on mostly pantry ingredients, and cooked chicken, so you can use leftover chicken that has been shredded. We’re all about filling our bellies more for less these days, and this corn chowder is a great way to pack in protein and a ton of comforting flavor!
Easy Creamy Corn and Chicken Chowder
Try this delicious corn chowder recipe that’s so easy to make – it’s warm and comforting. Corn chowder is hearty enough to be a standalone meal or with a small salad or grilled cheese on the side.
This chowder is so delicious every member of your family will love it! This soup tastes great for leftovers and reheats well for meal planning, it doesn’t smell when reheated (your coworkers will thank you, trust me!)
The fiber from the corn and the protein from the chicken makes a hearty chowder that will keep you full for hours. This recipe is easy to adapt to the slow cooker for the perfect weekend slow soup, and is delicious with cornbread, biscuits, beer bread, or vegetables. It’s a true whole family pleaser!
How To Make Corn Chowder
To make this corn chowder, we will need the following ingredients:
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will follow this process:
- In a large pot or dutch oven, add the vegetable oil, onion, and celery over medium heat. Sautรฉ the veggies until they’re just soft and the onion is translucent for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cans of corn (to drain or not is a matter of personal preference) and cook for approximately 5 more minutes.
- Add garlic paste and continue to cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the butter and flour, allow this whole mixture to cook for at least 10 more minutes.
- While stirring vigorously, add the chicken broth, heavy cream, seasonings, and shredded chicken. Allow the soup to simmer for at least 10 more minutes to allow it to thicken.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Corn Chowder & FAQs
Make it in the slow cooker. If I want to allow this soup to simmer slowly in a slow cooker for a few hours on the counter, I do the first four steps in a large skillet (and drain the cans of corn.) Then I scrape the veggie/butter/flour mixture into the slow cooker on medium and add all the additional ingredients, ensuring they’re all stirred well. Allow the slow cooker to simmer all ingredients for at least a few hours.
Is corn healthy? Corn has gotten a bad wrap lately, but it can be a great addition to a well-balanced diet. There’s a very big difference nutritionally between processed corn and whole corn kernels, which are in this soup. Whole corn on the cob only has about 100 calories (the same as an average apple) but is packed with fiber. Fiber can help make you feel fuller longer. You can read more about corn – and why it’s not only a healthy choice for your family, but an important part of America’s heartland – here.
Do I use chicken stock or broth in this recipe? The difference between chicken broth and chicken stock is one of the top questions I get on my site – it can be confusing, but this should help you find the right pick for you. Although this recipe calls for chicken broth, if you have chicken stock it’s great to substitute. Chicken stock is made by boiling mostly the bony parts (and some meaty leftovers) of the chicken. Broth, on the other hand, is made primarily with meat and veggies. Bone broth, which is very popular right now for sipping, is made with roasted bones only, and is simmered for at least 48 hours. Ultimately, any of these will work for this chowder.
Our top corn chowder tips:
My recipe for boiled chicken (INTERNAL LINK) makes this whole soup pull together beautifully. It’s so delicious!
If you’re making boiled chicken for this soup, it’s easy to make extra and use it for salads or even to eat alone.
If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to boil chicken, I’ve used a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead with this recipe and love it!
Try putting some shredded cheddar cheese in the bottom of the bowl with this chowder. A little bit of melty cheese in the bottom is a great treat.
FAQs
If you’re cutting corn off the cob or using frozen corn use about 2 1/2 cups of corn in this recipe.
This chowder will last 3 to 5 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. If reheating, I suggest bringing it to just a boil.
If you like a thick chowder, try reserving half the corn in a medium bowl, before adding it, blend it with your immersion blender to a thick purรฉe.
What to Serve With Corn Chowder
We like to serve corn chowder with:
- Sprinkle with smoked paprika on top
- Cheddar cheese
- Chopped green onions
- Crumbled bacon
- Minced jalapeno
- Cilantro
- Diced bell pepper
And serve with Easy Cheddar Bay Biscuits, The Best Easy No Knead Bread, or our super delicious Parker House style Buttery Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe to dip in the chowder – perfection!
For more of our recent easy bread recipes – some are great for dipping in chowder, some make a great sweet dessert – please find our favorite recent picks here:
What to Pair With Chowder
For chowder, we really prefer to pair with beers of all kinds – we like to serve corn and chicken chowder with a pilsner, stout, porter, lager or kolsch.
The Best Corn and Chicken Chowder Recipe
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The Best Corn Chowder Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1ยฝ pounds cooked chicken, shredded
- 2 cups diced onions
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 15.25 ounce cans sweet corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ยพ cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon cayenne powder
- ยฝ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- In a large pot, add vegetable oil, onion, and celery. Saute on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.ย
- Add the corn and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic paste and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesnโt burn.
- Add the butter and flour and cook for 10 more minutes.
- While stirring, add the chicken broth, heavy cream, seasonings, and shredded chicken to the pot and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until thickened.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
- To shred the chicken, I boiled it until it was fully cooked, then placed in my stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mixed until it was shredded.
- This chowder is not spicy, but you could increase the cayenne or chili powder to increase the heat. With the current measurements they mostly add warmth and flavor.
- The onion amount can be reduced if youโre not a huge onion fan.
- 1 cup of diced carrots could be added to this recipe when the onions and celery go in the pot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
