Easy One Pot Chicken Corn Chowder

This creamy one-pot chicken corn chowder is loaded with rotisserie chicken, sweet corn, diced potatoes, and crispy bacon in a super creamy, flavorful broth. It takes about an hour from start to finish and is the perfect make-ahead meal!

Easy One Pot Chicken Chowder

• It all cooks in one pot! The best part about this meal is that it all cooks together in one pot which means every bit of it is infused with delicious flavors but also that you have fewer dishes to wash! One pot dinner for the win!
• The flavors are AMAZING! The combination of sauteed onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and earthy spices along with freshly minced garlic is the most delicious flavor base in the whole world. The end result is an ultra-flavorful, super creamy broth loaded with tender potatoes, shredded chicken, sweet corn, crunchy peppers, and smoky bacon.

Ingredients for Chicken and Corn Chowder

• Bacon: Bacon adds such a delicious flavor to this chicken chowder! It’s cooked perfectly crisp and then the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, herbs, and spices are cooked in the bacon grease. This way the subtle bacon flavor is infused throughout the soup.
• Onion, Bell Pepper, and Jalapeno Pepper: I like to use yellow onion and red bell pepper for this recipe. But you could also use white onion or your favorite color of bell pepper. Make sure you remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeno unless you want the soup to be spicy.
• Garlic: Stick with freshly minced garlic for this recipe to give you the best flavor.
• Herbs and Spices: Italian seasoning, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder combine with the bacon grease sauteed veggies to add SO MUCH flavor to this chicken chowder. Feel free to use your favorite herbs and spices for this recipe.
• Flour: All-purpose flour helps to thicken the soup.
• Chicken Broth: You can use chicken stock, veggie stock, or veggie broth in place of the chicken broth.
• Gold Potatoes: I like to use gold potatoes because of their buttery texture. Their super thin skin means that you don’t need to peel them before adding them to the soup which makes them a convenient option as well.
• Corn: You can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn for this corn chowder recipe. If sweet corn is in season I highly recommend using that! Just cut it off the cob and add it straight to the pot, no need to cook it beforehand.
• Rotisserie Chicken: Rotisserie chicken saves tons of prep time and allows this easy soup recipe to come together in much less time than if you used raw chicken. Scroll down to the section titled “Making Chicken Corn Chowder with Raw Chicken Breast” for detailed instructions on how to make this chicken chowder with raw chicken breast.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is going to add delicious flavor and give you that super creamy luxurious texture. Half and half will work as well but the consistency will be a bit thinner.
• Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar might seem like an odd ingredient here, but I promise it’s delicious! Vinegar is my favorite way to brighten up any creamy soup and boost the flavors even more. You can use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar in place of the balsamic vinegar.

How to Make Chicken Corn Chowder

Heat a large pot over medium-low heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan and set aside. Don’t wipe out the pan.

Saute onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, herbs, and spices in the bacon grease.

Sprinkle flour over veggies and cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add a few splashes of chicken broth to the pot to deglaze the bottom and scrape off all the yummy bits.

Add diced potatoes, corn, rotisserie chicken, heavy cream, and the remaining chicken broth.

Stir to combine and add a bay leaf.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and crispy bacon, reserving some bacon for garnish if desired.

Garnish with bacon and sliced green onion and enjoy!

Making Chicken Corn Chowder with Raw Chicken Breast

• If you’d prefer to use raw chicken breast for this recipe you’ll need about one pound of chicken.
• Follow the recipe instructions through step #5. Then add corn, raw chicken breast, heavy cream, and remaining chicken broth along with salt and pepper. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise before adding them to the pot if they’re large. This will help them to cook more quickly and evenly.
• Stir together, add the bay leaf, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover but leave the lid cracked a bit, and simmer very gently for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Don’t simmer too rapidly or boil the chicken or it will get tough. Remove chicken from the pot and dice or shred it. Set aside.
• Add diced potatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and fork-tender.
• Add chicken back in along with the crispy bacon and balsamic vinegar and heat through. Serve with sliced green onion and crispy bacon and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Chicken Chowder

• For perfectly square little pieces of crispy bacon, use clean kitchen shears to cut each strip of bacon down the middle lengthwise, and then cut each long piece of bacon into small squares. You can also use a sharp knife to do this but I find it’s easier with scissors. You can also cook the bacon in strips and then crumble it after for a more rustic look.
• If you want a thicker soup, stick with 4 cups of broth. If you want it to be a bit thinner add the full 5 cups. You can also adjust the consistency after cooking by adding additional broth or heavy cream.
• Salt moderately throughout the cooking process! Be sure to add salt and pepper each time you add new ingredients to the pot. This layering technique ensures that each part of the soup is adequately seasoned and it will make the overall flavor of the dish better.
• Add more bacon if you want. You will only need about 2 tablespoons of grease to cook the veggies so if you add more bacon, just drain off a bit of the grease before adding the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno.
• Skip the chicken! If you don’t have any chicken on hand, you can omit it and still end up with a super delicious corn chowder! Add an extra can of corn if you like instead.

Serve Chicken Chowder With

FAQ

Does chicken chowder freeze well?

This chicken corn chowder will freeze beautifully because it’s made with heavy cream! If you use half and half or milk the texture won’t be quite as good after being frozen, thawed, and reheated. The high fat content in heavy cream lends itself well to being frozen which makes this soup a perfect make-ahead meal.

Does chicken corn chowder have dairy?

This chicken chowder recipe as written does contain dairy. If you’re looking for a dairy-free option, try subbing the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk. This may sound like an interesting swap, but I promise it’s delicious! Coconut milk is one of my favorite ways to make dairy-free soups super creamy. And there are so many other flavors from the bacon and spices that you won’t taste the coconut milk at all – promise!

What does chicken corn chowder taste like?

Like heaven! It’s filled with shredded chicken, sweet corn, tender potatoes, and smoky bacon. Everything is all cooked together in a deliciously creamy broth with flavors of earthy spices and subtle bacon flavor infused throughout.

Make-Ahead

This chicken corn chowder is a perfect make-ahead option. The flavors just get better with time and it will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week. It also freezes really well and reheats beautifully!

Storage

Store leftover chicken corn chowder in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezing

Freeze chicken corn chowder in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating

Reheat chicken corn chowder in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Add a splash of broth or heavy cream to loosen it up. Cook, stirring occasionally until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

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