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Home / Main Dishes / Soup

Hearty Homemade Corn Chowder

4.84
/5
50 minutes
329 Comments
Jump to Recipe Print Pin
By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 09/16/2018

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Cozy up to a big bowl of this homemade corn chowder! Easy to make with either fresh or frozen corn, it’s a great year-round soup!

Cozy corn chowder, made with tender potatoes, salty bacon and sweet corn!  Perfect as a weeknight meal!  Crockpot directions too! #soup #chowder #cornchowder #fall #souprecipe #weeknightmeal #crockpot #slowcooker

I cannot wait to get into soup season!  Normally we eat soup year round, but this summer has been insanely hot.  And sadly, it still is.  Here is is mid-September, and we’ve only had 2 semi-cool days.  I say bring on the chilly weather!

There’s not a whole lot I love more than a thick and hearty soup… actually, a chowder.  Chowders are so rich and stick-to-your-ribs fantastic!

Ladle full of corn chowder

CAN YOU FREEZE CORN CHOWDER?

I love freezing soups, but due to the dairy and potatoes in this one, I don’t recommend freezing it as is.  If you REALLY want to try it, here’s what I would try:

  • Skip adding the half and half during step #8.  Instead, add it in when reheating the soup.
  • Cool soup completely, then add to freezer-safe containers and freeze 1-2 months.
  • To thaw, place containers in the refrigerator overnight or until thawed completely.  
  • Reheat in dutch oven or soup pot and once heated through, add half and half and stir to heat.  Serve as directed.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE CORN CHOWDER THICKER?

I would say this chowder is about a medium thickness, but if you’d like it thicker, there are a few options.

  • Puree more of the soup in the blender, or alternatively, mash some with a potato masher.
  • Before adding in the half and half, whisk a tablespoon or so of cornstarch into the half and half, then add to the soup as directed.
  • Add equal parts softened butter and flour and knead together with your fingers or a wooden spoon until a thick paste has formed.  Add to the finished soup and stir until the heat has melted the butter.  This is called a Buerre Manie and it’s a great way to thicken sauces, soups, roasts, etc.

Overhead view of corn chowder in white bowl

CAN CORN CHOWDER BE MADE IN THE SLOW COOKER?

Absolutely!  I get it, some days the last thing you want to do is stand by the stove for 30 minutes.  On those days, the slow cooker is my best friend!  Slow cooker directions are listed below the recipe.

CAN YOU ADD CHICKEN OR CHEESE TO THIS CORN CHOWDER?

Sure can!  Sometimes I add about a cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese to the soup, or add a sprinkling of cheese when serving.  Chicken is also a fabulous addition!  For this, I like to use shredded chicken, from leftovers or a rotisserie chicken.

Holding a bowl of creamy corn chowder

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CORN CHOWDER

  • Ultimate Grilled Cheese
  • Cheesy Garlic Crescents
  • No-Knead Artisan Bread
  • Simple Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Spoonful of corn chowder

HELPFUL TOOLS:

  • Dutch Oven – My favorite soup pot!
  • Immersion Blender – If you don’t have one, these are incredibly handy!  No need to transfer hot soups to a blender.
  • Traditional Blender – This is my favorite traditional blender!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Cozy corn chowder, made with tender potatoes, salty bacon and sweet corn!  Perfect as a weeknight meal!  Crockpot directions too! #soup #chowder #cornchowder #fall #souprecipe #weeknightmeal #crockpot #slowcooker

Hearty Homemade Corn Chowder

4.84 from 138 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
Cozy up to a big bowl of this homemade corn chowder! Easy to make with either fresh or frozen corn, it's a great year-round soup!

Ingredients

  • 8 slices bacon, diced
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 cups water (chicken broth or vegetable broth may be substituted)
  • 8 ears yellow sweet corn (husks and silks removed)
  • 1 lb. yukon gold or baby red potatoes , sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
  • handful of chopped fresh chives

Instructions

  • Slice corn kernels off the cob and set aside.  Take each ear of corn and hold it over a bowl.  Use either the back of your knife or a spoon and scrape any remaining pulp and juice from the cobs.
  • Cook bacon pieces in large heavy bottomed pot (like a dutch oven) over MED heat.  Cook about 5-8 minutes, or until bacon is crisp.  Use a slotted spoon to remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
  • Use a clean paper towel to absorb some of the bacon grease, reserving about 1 Tbsp of grease in the pot.  Add butter and melt over MED heat.
  • Add diced onions and cook about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.  Add garlic and flour and cook about 1 minute, stirring often.
  • While whisking, pour in water and increase heat to MED-HIGH.  Add in corn, potatoes, thyme, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper.  Stir and bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to MED-LOW and simmer.
  • Simmer, stirring every so often, for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
  • Use an immersion blender to blend about half the soup until smooth.  Alternatively, remove about 3 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.  Stir the blended soup back into the pot.
  • Add in half and half, reserved corn juice, and about half the chives.  Stir in and heat through.
  • Serve sprinkled with remaining chives and cooked bacon pieces, if desired.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated magazine (August 2011)

SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS:

  • Cook bacon in skillet.  Add all ingredients (except half and half and chives) to a 6 qt or larger slow cooker.  Stir well, cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
  • Use immersion blender to blend about half the soup (or add 3 cups of soup to a blender and puree then add back to the slow cooker).
  • Stir in half and half and chives, cover and cook another 10 minutes or so to heat through.
 
If using frozen or canned corn, add a drizzle of honey to replace the corn "milk".
  • use approximately 4 cups of frozen or canned corn (32 oz)

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
Tag on Insta! Leave a Rating Save for Later Saved!

 

Cozy corn chowder, made with tender potatoes, salty bacon and sweet corn!  Perfect as a weeknight meal!  Crockpot directions too! #soup #chowder #cornchowder #fall #souprecipe #weeknightmeal #crockpot #slowcooker

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. Jodie says

    Posted on 1/30 at 11:47 am

    If you used creamed corn, would it be thicker?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 1/30 at 3:06 pm

      It could add a bit of thickness, yes.

      Reply
  2. Erica says

    Posted on 1/25 at 8:39 pm

    Amazingly good and pretty simple to make. The only change I made was using chicken broth. It has quickly become a family favorite.

    Reply
  3. Carla says

    Posted on 1/20 at 7:17 pm

    This corn chowder is fabulous! I used chicken broth to deepen the flavor. Otherwise, followed the recipe to the letter!
    Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Donna says

    Posted on 1/4 at 8:29 pm

    I made this recipe, but substituted stew meat for bacon. I browned the meat before continuing with the crockpot version. It was wonderful! I sprinkled shredded cheese on top of each bowlful!

    Reply
  5. Nicole says

    Posted on 12/30 at 5:50 pm

    Hello. thank you for the recipe!
    Is the bacon only used for the grease and as a topping? Or does it go into the soup as well?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 1/3 at 9:18 pm

      It’s a topping, since it can get a bit chewy if cooked in the soup 🙂

      Reply
  6. Debra G says

    Posted on 12/10 at 4:26 am

    Do you have to use a blender? I don’t currently have one.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/12 at 10:13 am

      No, you can try using a potato masher, or just omit blending all together. This will have a different texture though.

      Reply
    • April Blevins says

      Posted on 12/12 at 11:14 am

      I didn’t blend at all. I just cooked it a bit longer and the consistency is wonderful.

      Reply
  7. don says

    Posted on 12/4 at 2:29 pm

    I find it very easy to thicken by adding a little at a time instant mashed potatos.

    Reply
  8. Kathleen w says

    Posted on 11/4 at 3:06 pm

    Delicious! I made it with canned corn, for convenience (combination of yellow kernels & cream style). I increased thyme & paprika to taste 1/2 tsp) each. Also added 1 cup cheese but might omit next time; 1 cup wasn’t enough to taste, tho it may have even added some depth to the soup. More might overpower the delicate flavor of the corn plus adds lots of calories to a healthy soup. I froze some. In my experience this amount of cream shouldn’t be a problem when defrosted.
    Thanks, Amanda!

    Reply
  9. Kathleen West says

    Posted on 10/31 at 1:38 am

    Made your Corn Chowder soup tonight.
    Hubby and I enjoyed every mouth full
    Only changes I made was to use a potato masher and instead of half and half I melted two tablespoons of butter than mixed in two tablespoons of flour mixing well, than added into soup. Outcome was a really nice thick soup.
    This recipe is a keeper

    Reply
  10. Candice Fowler says

    Posted on 10/24 at 1:32 am

    Tried this recipe and hands down the best corn chowder I have ever made everyone was super pleased thanks

    Reply
  11. Iris says

    Posted on 9/24 at 7:25 pm

    It sounds delicious and one of my favourite things to eat.
    Can you freeze it?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/24 at 10:25 pm

      I’ve not frozen this recipe myself, but I know a few other readers have done so successfully.

      Reply
  12. Amy says

    Posted on 9/24 at 5:38 pm

    Amazing chowder! I added chicken after I blended the soup. My family loved it. Thank you so much for a great recipe.

    Reply
  13. Robin says

    Posted on 9/15 at 10:14 pm

    I used an adaption of your recipe with creamed corn and Old Bay Seasoning instead of paprika. I also stirred in 1/2 cup of cheddar Jack cheese at end, and about tripled all the ingredients as I was cooking for a crowd. It was so amazing! My husband sampled it before-hand and I could barely keep him out of the pot! Thanks for this great recipe, Robin

    Reply
  14. A Fudalla says

    Posted on 9/15 at 5:29 pm

    Try cooking a corn ‘cob’ while simmering, it adds so much flavor!

    Reply
  15. Libby says

    Posted on 9/13 at 2:42 pm

    Hi- when making a corn chowder soup do you cook corn on cob 1 st or take off cob raw & cook while in recipe making chowder. Thx in advance.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/13 at 9:25 pm

      You can cook the corn if you’d like, but I find it isn’t necessary since the kernels will cook in the soup 🙂

      Reply
  16. Carolyn says

    Posted on 9/11 at 7:02 pm

    I always cook the corn cobs in water for 20 minutes and use the broth for the base of the chowder. Makes the corn flavor pop!!

    Reply
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