Chicken Corn Chowder
An easy, hearty chicken corn chowder recipe loaded with chicken, veggies, and creaminess This chowder is comforting and delicious—perfect for chilly nights!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups corn kernels, frozen or canned
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken thighs, potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, paprika, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through.
- Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the corn and heavy cream. Continue simmering for 5 more minutes, until the corn is tender.
- Adjust seasoning to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley.
- Serve warm with crusty bread!
Notes
- Feel free to use any combination of your favorite vegetables, like carrots, celery, onions, etc. The more, the better!
- Chicken thighs can be used instead of breasts for more flavor. Remove the skin before cooking.
- Fresh corn cut straight from the cob is best, but frozen or canned works too.
- Russet or red potatoes are ideal; peeled if you want a smoother texture. New potatoes can be used unpeeled.
- For convenience, rotisserie chicken can be used instead of cooking raw chicken.
- The chowder can be made 1-2 days in advance and reheated gently before serving.
- To make this soup vegetarian, use vegetable broth and sub extra veggies for the chicken.
- For thicker chowder, purée 1 cup of the soup and stir it back in after cooking.
- Garnish with oyster crackers, croutons, scallions, shredded cheese, or bacon bits.
- For spicy chowder, add diced jalapeño or hot sauce at the end.
- Make it even more creamy by using heavy cream or half-and-half instead of milk.
- Leftover chowder can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
- For deeper flavor, add parmesan rinds or simmer corn cobs in the broth.
- Serve with crusty bread, biscuits, or cornbread for a heartier meal.