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Potato Corn Chowder

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.97 from 266 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 servings

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Last updated on January 30, 2024

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This Potato Corn Chowder is a thick, hearty, creamy, and flavorful soup. It’s made with smoky bacon, creamy potatoes, and sweet corn.

bowl of corn chowder with bacon pieces green onions and bread on the side.

Table of Contents

Is there anything better than a comforting, cozy bowl of corn chowder? I don’t think so.

This Potato Corn Chowder is one of my favorite corn chowder recipes. This 30-minute recipe is loaded with fluffy potatoes, delicious seasonings, and bacon. It’s rich, hearty, creamy, thick, and delicious. A dinner everyone will love!

We love to serve it with some of my Mom’s Homemade Buns or Homemade Breadsticks and a jar of Garlic Butter.

Looking for another way to enjoy Potato Corn Chowder? Try my Chicken Corn Chowder or Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder instead!

Ingredients Needed:

  • Bacon: you’ll need 2 slices of diced thick-cut bacon. I don’t recommend turkey bacon because we need the fat to cook the vegetables.
  • Aromatics: we’re creating a delicious flavor base with diced onion, celery, and minced garlic.
  • Seasonings: a simple blend of salt, dried thyme, and black pepper gives the Potato Corn Chowder just the flavor it needs.
  • Chicken Broth: as always, I like to use low sodium chicken broth so I can control the saltiness of the soup. If you only have regular broth, reduce the salt accordingly.
  • Potatoes: any variety of potatoes will work. Just dice them up uniformly so they cook at the same rate.
  • Corn: fresh or frozen corn will work.
  • Milk or Cream: the higher the fat content, the creamier and richer the soup will be. I recommend a higher fat dairy because there’s less of a chance that it will curdle.
  • Cornstarch: cornstarch is mixed with milk or cream to form a slurry which helps thicken the soup.
  • For Serving: top your Potato Corn Chowder off with your favorite cheese, chopped green onions, and a sprinkle of crispy bacon bits.
metal ladle scooping potato corn chowder from dutch oven.
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How to Make Potato Corn Chowder

This classic soup is ready to go in just over 30 minutes!

  1. Brown the bacon and aromatics: In a large pot, cook the bacon until browned. Add the onion and celery and cook until the onion is browned, then stir in the garlic and seasonings. Cook for 1 minute.
  2. Add the veggies and broth: Pour in the broth, then add the potatoes and corn. Simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, then reduce the heat to low.
  3. Finish and Serve: In a small bowl, whisk together milk/cream and cornstarch, then slowly whisk that into the soup until thickened. Serve and enjoy.
bacon cooking in bottom of pot.
Cook the bacon until crisp.
onions added to bacon in pot.
Saute the vegetables in the bacon fat.
potatoes and corn added to soup.
Add broth, potatoes and corn and cook until tender.

Potato Corn Chowder FAQs

How long does it take potatoes to cook in chowder?

It usually takes just 15-20 minutes for the potatoes in my Potato Corn Chowder to cook all the way through. However, this does depend on the size of your potato cubes, so be sure to check that they’re fork-tender before serving.

How do you thicken corn chowder?

The corn chowder is thickened using a mixture of milk or cream and cornstarch. This slurry is whisked into the soup to create a thicker, creamier texture. You can also remove some of the soup and puree it to thicken if you prefer.

Can this be made in the crockpot?

Totally! I love making soups in the crockpot because they can cook away all day and you don’t have to babysit. To make corn chowder in your slow cooker, cook the bacon in a skillet, then add the onion, celery, and spices. Dump that into your crockpot, add the potatoes, corn, and broth, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Thicken with milk or cream and cornstarch, then serve.

How to store:

I don’t recommend freezing this soup because of the dairy and potatoes. If you choose to, just know that the potatoes will take on a difference texture and the milk may separate.
Leftover Potato Corn Chowder will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat, warm on the stove until heated through.

two hands holding bowl of potato corn chowder with spoon.

Variations

  • Add more veggies. You can easily add in extra veggies if that’s your style. Just make sure they are sized properly so they cook in roughly the same amount of time as the potatoes. You don’t want to end up with mushy veggies.
  • Spice it up. Give your chowder a kick of heat with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
  • Make vegetarian corn chowder. Just leave out the bacon and use vegetable broth!
  • Add more meat. Try cooked, crumbled sausage or chicken breast. You can add the chicken right into the soup and it will cook as the soup simmers. Just remove it and chop it up before serving!
  • Make it creamier. Make your chowder a little thicker by taking a portion of it out of the pot, blending it up, then adding it back in. The blended potatoes will give it a deliciously creamy texture.

Serving Suggestions

This Potato Corn Chowder is a hearty and delicious meal all on its own. However, it would be also be great served with a chunk of crusty bread or a slice of Garlic Bread, a pile of Roasted Veggies, or as a side dish next to Baked Chicken or Air Fryer Pork Chops!

More Corn Chowder Recipes You’ll Love

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Potato Corn Chowder

written by Ashley Fehr

4.97 from 266 votes
This Potato Corn Chowder is a thick, hearty, creamy soup, perfect for cooler days! It’s made with smoky bacon, creamy potatoes and sweet corn.
bowl of corn chowder with bacon pieces green onions and bread on the side.
Review
Print
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Soup
Servings 6 servings
Calories 281cal

Ingredients

  • 2 slices thick cut bacon diced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 stalk celery sliced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 4 medium potatoes diced
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen corn
  • 3/4 cup whole milk or cream
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • cheese, green onions, bacon bits as desired for serving
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon until browned.
  • Add onion and celery, cooking and stirring until the onion starts to brown. Add garlic, salt, thyme and pepper and cook 1 minute.
  • Stir in broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits.
  • Add potatoes and corn. Stir, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to medium.
  • Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Reduce heat to low.
  • Combine milk and corn starch and gradually whisk into soup mixture, a little at a time, until thickened slightly.
  • Serve as desired.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 287grams | Calories: 281cal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 548mg | Potassium: 1023mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 18.2mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1.8mg
Keywords corn chowder, minestrone soup recipe, potato soup

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Dorothy Lin says

    Just had this for dinner and my husband and girls loved it. I have another low calorie version that I make, and decided to try this for something richer. It’s really easy, and really good. The only thing I did differently was cook the bacon and THEN chop it up, since raw bacon is so difficult for me to cut up (maybe I need sharper knives?). Thanks, Ashley!

    Reply

  2. Carmen Nashland says

    Made this tonight for my family and we loved it. Next time, I think I will cook the bacon but then put it in whole. At the end, I’ll take it out. I didn’t like the hunks but I do like the flavor. I made it with fresh corn off the cob and it was so delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  3. Eve-Marie Hughes says

    Just out of curiosity: I’m trying to avoid dairy because I’m lactose intolerant and lactase enzymes have gotten insanely expensive lately. Do you think this would work with oat milk? There’s a “rich and creamy” version that’s somewhat like half and half in thickness and texture.

    Reply

  4. sharky says

    sIt’s in the crockpot grated carrots in &diced orange pepper simmering in the croc pot as I write, Instead of milk I’m using green giant creamed corn, some dill &parsley too, set to simmer for lots of hours

    Reply

  5. Loni Ramirez says

    Delicious! I followed the recipe but I cut all measurements in half. Still delicious! Not a lot of prep work either. I grated some cheddar cheese on top also. I used half and half instead of milk and it came out nice and creamy, but not too heavy. It didn’t specify to cut the bacon but I did cut the strip in large chunks before frying. I will make it again for sure!

    Reply

    • Kay Gee says

      Hi, Nancy…I’m 57, and have been under the tutelage of my dear Grandmother, a restaurant and home chef her entire life. Rule #1. Never freeze dairy-based soups. The texture will be mushy if you try to freeze. I have never frozen creamed soups, and never will. Rule #2. Use roux (butter/FLOUR) instead of cornstarch for deeper texture. Finish with half & half to desired consistency. That said, give the extra to family/friends and be ready for the compliments!

      Reply

  8. Becky says

    Wonderful recipe! Everyone loved it. I made it in my instant pot. Followed the recipe exactly as written. I used the sauté function on the instant pot for the first steps and after adding the potato and corn I placed the lid on the instant pot and pressure cooked for 10 minutes and when done, I let it natural release for 5 minutes. I released the rest of the pressure and stirred in cream and cornstarch. Perfect!

    Reply

  9. Alice says

    I made the corn chowder soup and it was delicious will be making it again
    May I ask something here I also want to make a strawberry cheesecake there is one that is perfect and all it makes to make it is a pie shell then cream cheese
    Whipped cream
    Sugar 2 tbsp
    Strawberries
    This works for me because I can’t have all the sugar I saw the recipe in several spots but it wont print please can you tell me what to do pinning it foesnt work. Thanks

    Reply

  11. Beth Pierce says

    What a savory and robust soup recipe! Looking forward to having this with dinner tonight! Delicious!

    Reply

  16. angie says

    can I cook it in my pot? not crockpot? is it the same? sorry I’m from greece and I would like to try your recipe…

    Reply

  17. Natalie says

    Corn chowder is a favorite in our home. I often roast the corn in the oven first for a special touch. It’s an extra step but soooo worth it!

    Reply

  20. Callen says

    We made this dish yesterday. It was a hit. We made it exactly as written except we did dice the bacon instead leaving the bacon strips whole.

    Reply

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