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 diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 rib 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
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
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Noelle says
This was delicious! Definitely adding it to my rotation.
I added chicken and used the frozen roasted corn from Trader Joe’s that I had in the freezer.
Next time I will make a double batch. I want more leftovers!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Noelle!
Janet says
Fantastic! My husband went back for a second bowl… he NEVER goes back for more! I mean NEVER! Will be adding this to my recipe rotation! I didn’t have chicken broth so I subbed bone broth instead… didn’t have any issues with flavor… so I am unsure what some others have fussed about.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much Janet!
Lu says
This is delicious! I added some red pepper flakes, but otherwise followed the recipe. So good!!!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m glad you liked it!
Victoria S says
Made this as written and it was fabulous! Perfect texture and such a good comfort food. Reheated perfectly for leftovers the next day, too.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Sam says
This soup was easy and pretty good! Then only thing I didn’t like was the celery, it tasted weird in this soup. But otherwise it was really tasty!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Sam! I start the majority of my soups with carrots, onion and celery (a mirepoix) as it adds a good flavor base, but I understand that some may not enjoy it.
Judy says
Thx so much for a great recipe! I’ve (seriously) made this three times. Each time I used frozen seasoned fries cut small, like diced potatoes bc I’m the laziest person in the world–hate peeling potatoes. I can’t believe it came out so good substituting fries 😄 but it IS a good recipe, after all. Thx again for sharing this recipe.
Ashley Fehr says
That’s such a neat shortcut! Thanks for sharing Judy!
Bonnie Smith says
Just made this tonight and it was very tasty! Thank you for the great recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
It’s my pleasure!
Todd Townsend says
How much does a “medium” potato weigh? I am in Europe, and such a vague quantity, with very different potatoes, is not useful.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Todd! The best part about this recipe is that it isn’t going to matter too much as long as it’s in the ballpark, hence the vague quantity. So to determine what a medium potato is, you look at the potatoes, decide which are large, and which are small. Then you’ll choose the ones in the middle 🙂
Caleb Steiner says
First – Thank you Ashley. It is a very lovely recipe.
Second – Todd, I come from being a chef and understand haha. Also, some of my family use grams because they are European. So potatoes = 530g (roughly).
Happy New Year!
Amanda says
I was out of thyme and substituted that with a grinder I have if Italian herbs. Also added a half a teaspoon of smoked paprika and cut the amount of salt (my preference, recipe does not call for too much). The entire family, kids included, really enjoyed it and asked for seconds. Next time I will adjust and make a larger pot to accommodate leftovers.
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad it worked out for you, Amanda!
NM says
I thought my potatoes were good…. Nope! So I threw in some frozen fries! Hey adapt and overcome. Added some extra stock and Knorr chicken bouillon. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing and ignore the mean comments. We appreciate your recipes!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks NM!
David says
pretty good. Added a red chili pepper, some other peppers, creamed corn. came out great. thanks for the recipe!
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it, David. Thanks!
Kaylin says
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I used frozen shredded hash browns due to not having fresh potatoes and it was still so good.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Kaylin!
Gerri says
Loved it. Added leftover ham instead of bacon. Used cream corn and left over mashed potatoes. So yummy.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Gerri!
Elle Carr says
Delicious! I used fresh corn cut off eight cobs and put three of the bare cobs in the broth while it was cooking. Remove just before adding cream.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Elle!
Patty says
YUM! I added a little more broth and cream than the recipe called for and also some broccoli and cheddar cheese. Amazing flavor. Thank you so much for this recipe! Perfect comfort food on a winter’s evening.
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it, Patty!
Kathryn McCormick says
This recipe is easy to cook for people on a budget or short on time. After adding the milk I also added a 1/2 cup of whipping cream to make the soup thicker and smoked paprika, fresh parsley, and more pepper for more flavor!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Kathryn!
Karen T says
Can you freeze?!?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Karen, I don’t recommend freezing this soup because of the dairy and potatoes.
Cindy Reeves says
This recipe sounds delishious but the are no measurements of ingredients…We are just a 2 person household most of the time so I usually half the ingredients unless I’m cooking for kids and grandkids. How can I make this chowder unless I have some idea of how much to use?
Katie says
Perhaps you didn’t read down far enough? Because there’s a recipe card that has all the measurements at the end of the blog. Also, there is a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page that will automatically scroll you down to the recipe card. It’s a pretty standard feature of recipe blogs such as this one and it enables you to skip past the novels that precede most of these recipes.
The Recipe Rebel says
Wait, I’m confused Cindy because I see it on my end. It’s all located in the recipe card above the area where you commented. There is also a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the screen to help navigate you there. Could you please check again?
Sara says
The ingredient list has measurements
Victoria says
Great recipe! The only change I made, was using canned coconut milk instead of the whole milk. I have a lactose allergy and it worked out well for the recipe. Will make again!
The Recipe Rebel says
Ohh thanks for the feedback on the coconut milk! Glad you enjoyed it!
S.R. says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was easy, inexpensive, quick to make and all 3 of my kids enjoyed it! I am crazy busy and chanced it by using frozen diced potatoes and it worked out perfectly fine.
The Recipe Rebel says
Yay! Thank you!
Sam says
Absolutely flavorless and disgusting. I don’t know if there was something wrong with my chicken stock, or if the canned corn had a weird flavor, but this soup was bland, bitter and no one in my family would eat it, everyone agreed it was awful. I ended up throwing it away. I don’t understand how this recipe has 5 star reviews, there is no flavor! I used chicken bone broth (could that have ruined it?) and the corn had hot peppers in them but you’d think that would add to the flavor. Nope. Glad it turned out for other people, but I won’t be making this again. If you like flavorful food, this is not it. Maybe checkout a food and wine recipe that has a more robust ingredient list. My fault!
Jen D says
This is a pretty simple recipe, so I would only use good ingredients. I would opt for fresh or canned corn instead of canned as stated in the recipe.
Fiona Harrison says
Bone broth is not designed for soups, you need stock. I would look at your technique and how you changed the ingredients before rudely blaming the recipe. If you like lots of taste then maybe try the taco soup instead.
KH says
Well since you changed up the recipe quite a bit, that may be the reason it did not turn out for you. Perhaps try making the recipe as is before posting a fairly rude review!
Kim says
Wonderful base recipe! I changed it up by eliminating the bacon, but added 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to mimic the taste and smell of the bacon. Plus I added 3 diced chicken breasts, an extra potato, and some fire roasted corn for added protein and flavor. (I did up the water to 4 1/2 cups.)
This soup will definitely go on my meal prep rotation list!