This Chicken Corn Chowder couldn’t be easier to assemble — we throw everything into a slow cooker, turn it on, and forget about it! This chowder is robustly flavored and mimics the flavors of Mexican street corn. This chowder is loaded with crisp corn, savory black beans, tender bites of chicken, and fire-roasted diced green chiles – yum!
Chicken Corn Chowder
There is nothing I crave more than soup when the weather gets cold. I mean, a warm, right-out-of-the-oven chewy chocolate chip cookie is next on that list…but soup first!
And this Chicken Corn Chowder is one for the books! Not only is it ridiculously simple to make, but it’s also got such a great flavor. The inspiration for this soup comes from Mexican Street Corn (Elote) — we’ve got corn, cilantro, and plenty of street-corn-inspired seasonings. And once it’s finished off we top it with sour cream, fresh lime, and plenty of cilantro — truly, this chowder is delicious!
Let’s chat ingredients
Below are some notes on a few of the ingredients in this chowder:
- Chicken: While chicken breasts will work, I highly recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The thigh meat becomes exceptionally tender in the slow cooker and shreds quickly and easily. It’s also more forgiving if it is cooked for longer since chicken breasts tend to dry out if they’re cooked too long.
- Creamed corn (which is also called cream-style corn) is a canned ingredient and doesn’t have any actual cream in it. So what’s up with that name? About half of the fresh corn kernels are pureed (or “creamed)” and the other half are left whole. The two are mixed together to create creamed corn or cream-style corn. We love the texture it adds to this chowder!
- Half and half is a dairy product — half whole milk and half heavy cream. Half and half is typically found near other dairy products (like heavy whipping cream) in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. If you don’t have access to this product, combine equal parts whole milk with heavy cream, shake it together, and voila — “homemade” half and half! More about half and half here.
- Chicken stock. A high-quality, flavorful stock adds loads of flavor and allows us to cut down on spices or other additions. We highly recommend Swanson’s® chicken stock — it’s our favorite in Chicken Corn Chowder.
Quick Tip
While this might sound obvious, sometimes it’s easy to forget how much flavor salt and pepper add. If you feel the Chicken Corn Chowder is lacking flavor, add in a bit more of both. Salt and pepper didn’t get to be the world’s favorite seasonings for no reason!
Variations
Chicken Corn Chowder Variation Ideas
This Chicken Corn Chowder is easy to customize and make your own. Here are some ideas:
- Spice levels: You can make this chowder very mild or give it some kick, depending on the ingredients used. For less spicy chowder, use mild green chiles and mild chili powder (such as McCormick®). For a spicier chili, use hot green chiles and add in 1-2 tablespoons of diced jalapeños. You can also add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper to boost the heat.
- Creaminess: This Chicken Corn Chowder is made on the lighter side by using half and half, but you can make it creamier and thicker if you use heavy cream– whichever you prefer.
- Cheese: Feel free to use a combination of different cheeses to change up the flavor. Combine Monterey Jack with sharp Cheddar or try adding in some pepper Jack cheese for a little heat.
- Corn: Lots of different options for the corn here: regular canned corn (drained and rinsed), Mexi-corn (canned corn with red and green peppers), fire-roasted canned corn (drained and rinsed), or frozen corn (no thawing needed).
Chicken Corn Chowder Toppings
While Chicken Corn Chowder is great as is, the toppings truly seal the deal, delivering an unforgettable meal experience. Below are our “must-have” toppings.
- Cheese: We like to freshly grate the cheese right on top of each bowl. Our favorite is sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack, but pepper Jack cheese is another great option.
- Sour cream: My personal favorite in this soup is lite sour cream. Regular sour cream or even a Mexican crema works nicely too.
- Fresh lime juice: A few squeezes of fresh lime heighten all the flavors in this soup and add a burst of brightness.
- Hot sauce: a few squirts of hot sauce add some nice spice and flavor!
- Chips: Crushed tortilla strips (seasoned or plain) add a nice contrasting crunch to the creaminess of the soup.
- Fresh cilantro: If you’re a cilantro fan, you’ll love what this herb does to the soup with its freshness and citrusy flavor. And if you’re in the anti-cilantro crowd, try thinly sliced green onions or chives.
- Ripe avocado or guacamole: For an additional element of creaminess, we love a ripe avocado sliced on top.
If I could only pick three toppings for this chowder, they would be the cheese, sour cream and lime juice. I highly recommend at least those three additions.
Storage
Chicken Corn Chowder Storage
Leftover Chicken Corn Chowder keeps well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pot over low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Don’t boil the chowder or reheat it at a high temperature; this can cause the ingredients to separate or curdle.
Because of all of the dairy in this chowder, it isn’t a great candidate for freezing and thawing. The milk solids will separate as the chowder thaws, resulting in a grainy texture with some separation.
Quick Tip
This recipe is created to be simple, but the one thing we highly recommend is grating the cheese for a pleasant and non-grainy texture. Pre-grated cheese contains preservatives that keep the shreds from clumping together in the bag, but they also keep the cheese from melting smoothly in Chicken Corn Chowder.
More delicious slow cooker recipes:
- Crockpot Chili dozens of rave reviews and winner of chili cook-offs!
- Quinoa Tacos meatless, nutritious tacos made simple in the slow cooker
- Chicken Chili creamy Zupas restaurant copycat
- Crockpot Cajun Chicken with tender shredded chicken and veggies
- Crockpot Sloppy Joes on toasted brioche buns!
Chicken Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 pound (16 oz.) boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts Note 1
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 cans (14.25 oz. EACH) cream-style corn Note 2
- 1 can (14.75 oz.) fire-roasted corn, regular canned corn, or Mexi-corn (drained & rinsed) or 1-1/2 cups (230g) frozen corn
- 1 can (15.25 oz.) black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 can (4 oz.) fire-roasted diced green chiles, undrained
- 2 teaspoons chipotle (or regular) chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup chicken stock (or broth) (we love Swanson's)
- 2 cups Shredded cheese Colby & Monterey Jack is a good blend Note 3
- 2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream Note 4
- Fine sea salt and pepper
- Add-ins: additional cheese, fresh lime, fresh cilantro, hot sauce, sour cream, avocado, tortilla strips/chips Note 5
Instructions
- PREP: Spray a large slow cooker (I use a 6-quart one) with nonstick spray. Trim the fat off of the breasts or thighs. If you are using breasts, cut each breast into 2-3 pieces.
- SLOW COOKER: Add the chicken, garlic, creamed corn (undrained), fire-roasted corn (drained), drained and rinsed black beans, undrained diced green chiles, chipotle chili powder, paprika, and cumin to the slow cooker. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I usually add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; add to taste preference). Add chicken stock or broth.
- COOK: Stir well. Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours or low for 4-6 hours-- or until the chicken shreds easily.
- SHRED CHICKEN: Remove the chicken and shred with two forks. While shredding the chicken, add in the freshly grated (if you use cheese from a bag it gets greasy) cheese and the half and half.
- FINISHING CHOWDER: Return the shredded chicken and mix it into the soup. Taste and season to taste with salt and pepper; the flavors should sing!
- SERVE: The toppings seal the deal! Ladle soup into bowls and top with desired toppings: additional handful of cheese, a few squeezes of fresh lime, finely chopped fresh cilantro, squirt of hot sauce, spoonful of sour cream, and/or diced fresh avocado.
- INSTANT POT: Thanks Tammy for sharing how you make this in the Pressure Cooker! Tammy writes, "I make this all the time in my instant pot! I add everything but the cream and cheese. Then I choose soup and it cooks for 30 minutes. Shred the chicken and add the cream and cheese. We love this soup!"
- STORAGE: Leftover chowder will keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pot over low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Don't boil the chowder or reheat it at a high temperature; this can cause the ingredients to separate or curdle. Because of all of the dairy in this chowder, it isn't a great candidate for freezing and thawing. The milk solids will separate as the chowder thaws, resulting in a grainy texture with some separation.ย
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Iโm hoping this is better tomorrow. Itโs incredibly bland and I tripled the amount of spices. Im only giving it two stars because it was easy.
Did you salt and pepper it to taste? That can make a big difference. Sorry this wasn’t for you, we love it!
I tried this recipe on a whim because the picture made it look very tasty and it has now become one of my favorite things to make. I follow the instruction exactly and i’ve gotten numerous compliments on this recipe including ” this is the best soup i’ve ever had “. This soup is WILDLY underrated but i’m glad more people don’t know about it so I can keep making ‘the best soup’ all by myself!
Ahh thank you so much!! I’m so excited you love it! Thanks so much for your comment! ๐
Only have 1 can of cream style corn on hand, do you think it would be ok with 1?
Do you have regular corn to use in its place?
I would love to hear if anyone has adapted this to an Instant Pot. Itโs one of our favorite soups. Iโm brand new to IP cooking so donโt have the confidence to convert this myself.
I make this all the time in my instant pot! I add everything but the cream and cheese. Then I choose soup and it cooks for 30 minutes. Shred the chicken and add the cream and cheese. We love this soup!
Thanks for sharing Tammy!!
Can this recipe be frozen?
I haven’t actually tried, but I don’t think it would freeze great with all the dairy in it unfortunately!
I recently made this chowder. It was absolutely delicious. I did have trouble getting all the cheese to melt. Should I add it a little at a time?
Thanks!!
Did you use pre-shredded cheese? If so, pre-shredded cheese doesn’t ever melt very well; its coated in flour to keep it from sticking. If you used freshly shredded cheese and it didn’t melt, maybe try adding a little at a time. Glad you enjoyed the chowder!
YUM! I made a DIET version by accident. I forgot to add the heavy cream and 2 cups of cheese & still loved it! Later, I added just a sprinkle of bagged shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and tortilla strips as a garnish. It was FANTASTIC! I also LOVE Tajin, so I omitted cumin, chili powder, and paprika, and added 3 TBS of Tajin. Tajin is a Mexican chili powder infused with lime! It’s fantastic. Look in the Mexican food aisle of your grocery store.
Ooh my gosh, it’s genius! I’m sooo glad you still enjoyed it. I’ll have to try making it a lighter one time! Thanks Kim! ๐
Made this before and loved it!! Trying to switch it up… If we added sweet onion would it go in the chowder at the beginning or wait til you shred the chicken?
So happy to hear that! ๐ I’d put in an onion at the very beginning — maybe even saute it a bit first before throwing it in. Enjoy! ๐
After reading the other reviews, I too cut back on the amount of 1/2 and 1/2 and cheese. I realize we prefer different tastes – for me this one was way too sweet and lacked the kick of a Mexican dish. I added LOTS more cumin and chili pepper. I also added both lime juice and red wine vinegar to help knock back the sweetness and to add a level of acid. After those personal tweaks – it is one I will likely make again – thanks!
Sounds amazing Shannon! ๐ Thanks for sharing your tweaks!
Is the serving size about 1 1/2 cups? Also, I didn’t have cream on hand, using evaporated milk, hopefully this will work. I’ve it it in the Crock-Pot now, if you have any suggestions, would appreciate it . Can’t wait for dinner tonight