Thick and creamy, this hearty corn chowder soup is loaded with chunks of potato, ham, and tons of flavor! This soup is easy enough to make as a weeknight meal, and best of all can be made with fresh, frozen, or even canned corn, making it perfect all year round!
All about this corn chowder…
This corn chowder is smooth, creamy, thick and loaded up with chunks of potato, corn kernels, ham and bacon!
- Filling: this hearty chowder is perfect for serving as a main dish, but can also be served as a side with a sandwich or salad if needed.
- Comforting: the warmth of the dish and the hearty bites of potato, corn, bacon and ham put this recipe high up on the list of comfort foods. If you or someone else is in need of some good ol fashioned comfort food, this chowder recipe is for you!
- Easy to make: this chowder can come together on the stovetop in just about 30 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner meal idea.
Ingredients Needed:
Notes on some ingredients:
- Corn: this soup can be made with fresh, frozen or canned corn. Instructions for each is included in the recipe card below.
- Potatoes: yellow or gold potatoes are a great option, they are less starchy and hold their shape well when boiled. Plus they blend up nice and smooth and creamy.
- Flour: this is used to thicken the chowder, you can omit if needed and use a slurry of cornstarch or arrowroot powder at the end of cooking if needed to make this dairy free. Do the slurry and let the soup simmer to thicken before adding the half and half in, this will prevent the dairy from separating in high heat.
How to Make (step-by-step):
- Cook bacon to desired crispness and remove from the pot. Drain excess grease while keeping 2 tablespoons to cook up the onion and garlic. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the spices, chicken broth, potatoes, and stir together. Bring to a simmer and let this cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are slightly softened (the larger the chunks of potatoes, the longer the cooking time will need to be).
- Add in the corn and continue to cook an additional 10 minutes until corn is heated and potatoes are fork tender.
- Blend a portion of the soup to get desired thickness.
- Add the ham and bacon back into the soup, let the meat warm up in the chowder, then remove from heat and pour in the half and half to make the soup nice and creamy.
Expert Tips:
- Corn: this recipe can be made with fresh, frozen or canned corn. If using fresh corn, be sure to remove the husks and all the silk. Scrape the blunt end of the knife along the side of the corn husk to get all the flavoring from the corn as possible to add to the soup. This will give amazing flavor.
- Gluten Free? Simply skip the flour and substitute with a corn starch or arrowroot slurry at the end before adding the half and half to the soup. Let this simmer in the soup for several minutes to help thicken, then add the half and half.
- Slow Cooker/Instant Pot options: use your favorite cooking method for making this soup. Some adjustments will need to made according to which cooking method you choose, additional information is included in the recipe card below.
FAQS: Corn Chowder
There are several ways to thicken corn chowder, creating a roux using flour mixed with bacon grease or other cooking fat helps thicken. Another method used in this recipe is blending a portion of soup, since this recipe has potatoes and corn, this helps the soup become nice and thick and creamy.
Soups are typically light and thin and chowder is hearty, thick and rich. Just like stews, chowders typically contain chunks of meats, potatoes and hearty vegetables.
Bread rolls, grilled cheese sandwiches, BLTs, beer bread, or salad are all great options.
Extra Add-Ins for this Corn Chowder Recipe:
- Cheese. Sometimes soups are just better with cheese. Definitely feel free to add a handful or two of your favorite cheese, a sharp cheddar or pepper jack for a kick of spice. Add it as the last step and stir to allow it to melt completely into the soup.
- Fresh herbs. I love garnishing my soups with fresh herbs for flavor and a burst of flavor. A bit of fresh chives, some parsley, or even some cilantro would complement this corn chowder nicely.
- Green chiles. Or some diced up jalapeño for a bit of spice would take this corn chowder to the southwestern, Tex Mex side.
More Soup Recipes to try:
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Chile Relleno Soup
- Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Leftover Ham Bone Soup
If you tried this recipe please leave a comment and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below! Thank you so much!
Recipe first published December 18, 2018. Updated September 16, 2022 with new images and information. Recipe has been slightly modified with the addition of bacon.
Photography by the talented @KJandCompany.co
