This Potato Corn Chowder is a thick, hearty, creamy, and flavorful soup. It’s made with smoky bacon, creamy potatoes, and sweet corn.
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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.
How to Make Potato Corn Chowder
This classic soup is ready to go in just over 30 minutes!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Potato Corn Chowder FAQs
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Potato Corn Chowder
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon, (chopped, plus more if desired for serving)
- 1 medium onion, (finely chopped)
- 1 rib celery, (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic, (finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 medium red potatoes, (chopped)
- 3 cups fresh, (canned, or frozen corn)
- ¾ cup whole milk or cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Cheese, as desired
- Green onions, as desired
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the onion and celery, cooking and stirring until the onion starts to brown. Add the garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits.
- Add the potatoes and corn. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- In a small bowl, combine the milk or cream and cornstarch and gradually stir into the simmering soup mixture, a little at a time, until slightly thickened.
- Taste and serve with shredded cheese, green onions, and more bacon if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Anne says
Caroline, my sister in law has med issues as well. She cannot eat vegetables with skins, seeds, you name it. I always use cream of corn in recipes and actually thought already to do with this as well. I say go for it.
Teri says
Absolutely delicious!!! My whole family loved it… super hearty and scrumptious, excellent for cold weather, thank you! 😊
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Teri! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Carolyn Laco says
Can’t wait to try this soup. Would creamed corn work as well in this recipe? Med issues with whole kernel corn.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Carolyn, I’ve only tested the recipe as written, but you likely could. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Anne says
Caroline, my sister in law has med issues as well. She cannot eat vegetables with skins, seeds, you name it. I always use cream of corn in recipes and actually thought already to do with this as well. I say go for it.
Conni says
I’ve made this several times. So stinkin’ GOOD. I don’t add cornstarch, just purée some of the soup. I’ve done it with a nice smokey Turkey bacon & it worked great (or add a bit of liquid smoke), but real bacon is better. I also throw in every herb in the garden in summer. I make a HUGE pot and serve with a different meat/seafood each day. Family favourite for sure.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Conni! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Julia says
Absolutely delicious. Who would omit bacon? I added more 🙂
Kerry says
This is delicious!! I’ve already made it a couple of times.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kerry! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Catherine says
Easy and delicious, used no salt added canned corn because I didn’t have either fresh or frozen. Great flavor, thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Catherine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Lauren says
Hi! Do you have suggestions for substituting the milk or cream? Can plant based milks work?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lauren! I’ve only made it with whole milk or cream. If you decide to experiment with something else, let me know how it goes!
Cindy says
How well does the left over soup freeze? Not too sure what would happen with the cream in it.
Ashley Fehr says
If you use heavy cream it could work, but the potatoes do have a different texture after freezing. It’s not the most freezer-friendly soup, but it could work if you are not picky about texture.
Emily says
This recipe was great! I doubled the cooking time to 40 mins before adding the milk/cornstarch and mashed it a little halfway through. Great fall/winter recipe, my family loved it.
Ashley Fehr says
Mashing it is such a great idea!
Kara Bibb says
This recipe is so easy and so yummy! We had 4 large baked potatoes leftover from a Labor Day cookout and I wanted to repurpose them. What a great place for them! I followed the recipe except for I added the already cooked potatoes later on with the milk slurry! This is my favorite soup I have ever made!! Will definitely use this recipe again and again.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kara! I’m so happy to hear that!
Doug Ellis says
I can give this recipe five stars because I have made a soup very similar to this one. My question to you Ashley is how do you determine the nutritional information? Oh, and I will be making your version, it sounds yummy!
Great Job
Ashley Fehr says
The nutrition information is calculated automatically by the recipe card.
Rose says
Hi! I made a few changes: I added some leeks in with onions and omitted the bacon. I sautéed them in 1 tsp olive oil. I also completely omitted the cornstarch and milk by using a hand held blender to break down all the solids. It was VERY thick and simply delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Rose!
Lori says
This came out SO fantastic! I didn’t use bacon and subbed in two shredded carrots instead of celery. This will be a keeper for us! ♥️
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Lori! I’m so glad!
Anna says
Very yummy! I kept everything the same except I added a can of diced chili peppers and a shake of smoked paprika. I also removed the cooked bacon and added it on top with the other toppings to serve.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Anna!
Olga Lingo says
When I started making this I realized I was out of potatoes. I substituted fresh cauliflower. Turned out great!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Olga!
Laura Rodriguez says
I was so scared to do this recipe, but was so easy and delicious 😋thank you for sharing 😊
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Laura!
Caroline Pace says
Hi! I am a busy broke college girl and I really want to make this soup tomorrow 🙂 but I only have canned corn, would that be okay? We have everything else and will use the crockpot!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, definitely! Canned is great 🙂
Dil says
Made this in the crockpot. Used four slices of bacon, sautéed it with the ingredients listed but added one diced carrot and used two cloves of garlic. Dumped it all in the crockpot! Can this be frozen? It was delicious and filling!
Ashley Fehr says
I generally don’t recommend freezing potatoes as the texture changes after being frozen
Stacy says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious and perfect for a cold and rainy day! I used ham chunks instead of bacon and it made it nice and hearty.
Ashley Fehr says
I love the addition of ham!