Southwest Corn Chowder is incredible! It features smoky fire-roasted corn, tender chicken, and savory beans in a creamy, cheesy base.
author’s note
The Chowder My Whole Family Agrees On!
The second the weather cools down, I start pulling out all my favorite soup recipes. I absolutely love chowders, especially my go-to Chicken Corn Chowder. The only problem is that my kids don’t always share my enthusiasm for soup! So when I find one they’ll all happily eat, it immediately earns a permanent spot in our dinner rotation.
This Southwest Corn Chowder is one of those recipes. It has plenty of chicken, potatoes, corn, and black beans, all tucked into a creamy, cheesy broth. The kids load theirs up with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla strips, while I add plenty of cilantro, avocado, and lime.
And since the slow cooker does most of the work, it’s exactly the kind of dinner I want on a busy fall day. A few minutes of prep in the morning and dinner is practically done!
Southwest Corn Chowder Ingredients
| Ingredient | Tip |
|---|---|
| Chicken thighs or breasts | Thighs are more flavorful and tender. |
| Garlic & red pepper | Use jarred garlic for easier prep. Dice the pepper small. |
| Baby gold potatoes | No need to peel. Cut into even ½-inch cubes. |
| Creamed corn & frozen corn | Fire-roasted frozen corn adds great smoky flavor. |
| Black beans & green chiles | Drain and rinse the beans. Add the chiles undrained. |
| Chicken broth | Use a flavorful, good-quality broth. |
| Chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder & oregano | Adjust the chili powder to control the heat. |
| Sharp Cheddar cheese | Grate it fresh and add it gradually for smooth melting. |
| Half-and-half or heavy cream | Both are delicious, just choose based on how rich you want it! |
The Toppings Seal The Deal!
If you’re concerned about spice in this Southwest Corn Chowder, toppings can help temper the heat.
- More grated Cheddar cheese
- Dollops of sour cream
- Diced fresh avocado or guacamole
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Diced green onions
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
- Crispy tortilla strips or chips
- Sliced jalapeños or drizzle of hot sauce for extra heat
How To Make Southwest Corn Chowder
- Add ingredients: Put chicken, garlic, pepper, potatoes, corn, beans, chiles, and chicken broth in the cooker.
- Season: Add seasonings and mix well.
- Cook: Set to high for 3.5-5 hours or low for 4-6 hours until the chicken is tender.
- Shred chicken: Take out the chicken and shred it.
- Add dairy: Stir in cream and slowly add Cheddar. Put the chicken back.
- Final touches: If you want, add lime juice and cilantro.
chelsea’s recipe tip
My Fave Things To Serve With Southwest Corn Chowder
- Cornbread: Or try my Cornbread Muffins.
- Light Garden Salad: Light and yummy!
- Roasted Vegetables: The perfect healthy side.
- Tortilla Chips: I love crumpling a few on top and dipping the rest.
- Dinner Rolls: Ideal for sopping up the broth.
- Black Bean Quesadillas: Perfect for dunking.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Leftover Southwest Corn Chowder is best enjoyed within five days.
- Freeze: In freezer-safe containers or bags for two or three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: Heat on low heat on the stove, stirring occasionally.
More Slow Cooker Favorites:
Southwest Corn Chowder
This Southwest Corn Chowder is loaded with smoky fire-roasted corn, tender chicken, and hearty beans in a creamy, cheesy base. Cozy, delicious, and packed with flavor!
Video
Equipment
- 6-quart Crock-Pot 6-quart
Ingredients
Add First
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts–see note 1
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 large red pepper diced
- 4 cups baby gold potatoes cut into small cubes (1/2-inch), see note 2
- 1 (15-ounce) can cream style sweet corn
- 3 cups frozen corn I love fire-roasted
- 1 (16-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (4-ounce) can mild diced green chiles undrained
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
Add Later
- 2 cups freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese gently pack in measuring cup
- 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- 1 lime optional
- 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro optional
- Toppings as desired see note 3
Instructions
- Generously spray a large, 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Combine “add first” ingredients in slow cooker. Season to taste (I add 1-3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper).
- Stir well. Press everything in an even layer, pressing chicken below everything. Cover and cook on high for 3 and 1/2 to 5 hours, on low for 4–6 hours, or until the chicken shreds easily. Turn off slow cooker.
- Remove chicken, pull off fat, and discard. Shred meat with two forks or dice with a knife. While shredding chicken, add cream and stir through. Add in freshly shredded Cheddar gradually (only a small handful at a time), stirring until melted before adding more (to avoid clumping).
- Return shredded chicken and stir through. Add the juice from 1 lime and cilantro if using. Taste and adjust seasoning until flavors sing!
- Ladle soup into bowls and add desired toppings: additional handful of cheese, a few squeezes of fresh lime, finely chopped fresh cilantro, spoonful of sour cream, and/or diced fresh avocado.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: This dish is far more flavorful and tender with chicken thighs, but if you use breasts, cut each into 3 even pieces.
Note 2: This recipe uses about 1-1/2 pounds potatoes. Cut into small, even pieces for even cooking. If using anything other than gold potatoes, peel first.
Note 3: Optional toppings: extra Cheddar, sour cream, and diced avocado.
Storage: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze leftovers in freezer-safe containers or bags for 2–3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 665kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 759mg | Potassium: 1629mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1482IU | Vitamin C: 82mg | Calcium: 374mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I need to share with someone that today, a snowy Saturday, juggling a toddler and trying to meal prep for the following week, I misread the amount of potatoes and put in 4 lbs instead of 4 cups. I only realized the mistake once I mixed all the ‘add first’s ingredients together. (Absolutely no fault of the recipe, just sheer idiocy on my end). Due to my gaffe the logical thing would be to double the recipe, so I now have about 3 gallons of corn chowder in my fridge/freezer. My husband is stoked because he thought it was delicious. The toddler also loved it and kept toddler signing “more”. Thanks for a great recipe! Also, I subbed whole milk for half and half/heavy cream to keep the fat content down and it turned out perfect. Very happy with how it all turned out but if you don’t want to be like me and swimming in corn chowder then read the recipe.
Haha, oh no!! I am so happy you were able to make it work! And so thrilled you guys enjoyed this! Thanks Lauren! 🙂
Delicious. Forgot to add the frozen corn, but still sooo good!!
So glad this was a hit! Thanks Shannon! 🙂
Delicious recipe. My family really liked it.
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much Cory! 🙂