Fresh Corn Chowder loaded with sweet summer corn and tender potatoes in a creamy and flavor-packed corn broth. You’ll love that you have options using either fresh corn on the cob, frozen or even canned corn when it’s not in season. It also keeps well in the refrigerator, which I love for meal planning!
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Helpful Reader Review
“This is hands down the best corn chowder that we have ever had. I made it for company and they said that we could have just served them the chowder and skipped the main course because the chowder was so scrumptious! Thank you!” – Karen ★★★★★
The Best Corn Chowder Recipe
If you love the comfort of Clam Chowder, this corn chowder recipe is sure to become a new favorite. This crowd-pleasing soup is perfect for entertaining on cool summer nights. Pair it with warm homemade biscuits and dinner is made!
Corn chowder is quite a treat when fresh corn is abundant. We love to use both the kernels and the stripped cobbs for sweet corn flavor. This corn chowder has the creamy richness of a Potato Soup and the addition of tender corn and bacon makes every bite memorable.
Corn Chowder Video Tutorial
Watch my video tutorial and I’ll show you just how easy it is to make corn chowder. Corn chowder is actually one of the first soups I learned how to make when I got married 21+ years ago. I remember researching the top restaurant copycat soups and then developing this recipe – it’s a keeper!
Ingredients for Corn Chowder
The ingredients here are simple pantry and refrigerator staples that come together to make the best pot of soup.
- Corn: Corn that is still on the cob is best so you can utilize the kernels and the corn milk from the husks. Check out my tips for buying corn. If fresh corn is out of season, no problem – see below for corn substitutions.
- Potatoes: we use Yukon gold potatoes for their tender, waxy texture which is perfect for a chowder.
- Carrot, Celery, and Onion: This aromatic trio is critical to adding flavor and we use them in nearly all of my soup recipes.
- Bacon: Sauteeing the bacon and then cooking the veggies in the bacon grease adds wonderful flavor and we use the cooked bacon to garnish the soup. No one will resist that bacon topping!
- Chicken Broth, Milk and Cream: These form the base of the corn stock. We simmer the shucked cobbs in this combination for a deeply delicious chowder base.
- Cayenne Pepper: This simple seasoning is all you need, plus salt and black pepper of course.
Can I use Frozen or Canned Corn?
Fresh corn on the cob and especially local produce will give this chowder the best flavor. For winter corn chowder or when fresh corn is not available, try these instead:
- Frozen Corn: frozen is usually produced at the peak of freshness so it will work and will save you some time. Since you won’t have the cobs for making corn stock, add a 15 oz can of creamed corn for a tastier broth.
- Canned Corn: Use (1) 15 oz can corn and (1) 15 oz can creamed corn. Add the liquid ingredients at step 3 without pre-cooking them. The liquid from the canned corn will add a boost of corn flavor.
How to Make Corn Stock
Using the whole cob of corn will give you the best-flavored corn stock. Allowing the stripped cobs to simmer for 20 minutes with the broth, cream, and milk draws out every bit of rich and sweet flavor from the corn. After discarding the cobs, you are left with really delicious corn stock.
- Make the Corn Stock – Cut the kernels from the cobs and set kernels aside for making chowder.* Place the bare cobs in a stockpot.
- Add broth, milk, and cream, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes while making the chowder. Use tongs to remove and discard cobs before using corn stock.
How to Cut Corn off the Cobs
Cutting corn from the cob can get messy with kernels landing all over your kitchen. You can avoid making a big mess with this simple trick:
Set a small bowl upside down inside of a larger bowl. Place your corn vertically on top of the smaller bowl, hold the top, and cut the kernels off by running your knife straight down against the cob. The kernels will fall into the larger bowl, just be careful not to hit the bowl with your knife. You can also do this over a bundt pan.
How to Make Corn Chowder
- Sautee bacon in a Dutch oven until crisps and renders fat. Remove bacon to a plate, reserving 2-3 Tbsp of bacon grease in the pot.
- Sautee veggies (onion, celery, and carrot) in the bacon grease until softened.
- Add potatoes and corn kernels and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Add corn stock into the pot and simmer until potatoes are tender.
- Serve in warm bowls garnished with bacon and chives.
How to Remove Corn Silk
After the corn is shucked, it’s important to remove the silk threads for the smoothest consistency. The easiest way to remove corn silk is to brush the corn with a bristled brush or even a clean toothbrush. The bristles catch the silk and it comes off quickly and easily.
Storing Corn Chowder
- To Refrigerate: Cool the soup completely to room temperature before storing, then transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: I would not recommend freezing corn chowder since the dairy in the recipe can separate, and potatoes can get grainy and mushy.
- To Reheat: Add soup to a saucepan and reheat over low heat, stirring frequently to bring back the creamy texture. You can also reheat in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until heated through.
Topped with bacon and chives, this Corn Chowder becomes such a comforting bowl of soup. It’s a family favorite, right up there with Zuppa Toscana!
More Corn Recipes
If you love sweet summer corn, these corn recipes are the best way to enjoy corn while it’s at the peak of freshness and flavor.
- Boiled Corn on the Cob
- Avocado Corn Salad
- Grilled Corn in Foil
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Mexican Street Corn
- Shrimp Boil
- Corn Guacamole
Corn Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
For the Corn Stock:
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
For the Corn Chowder:
- 4 cups corn kernels (from 4-5 ears corn), reserve cobs for stock*
- 4 oz (4 slices) bacon, chopped
- 1 large onion, finely diced (1 1/2 cup)
- 1 large carrot, cut into 1/4″ dice (1 cup)
- 3 stalks celery, finely diced (1 cup)
- 1 lb Yukon potatoes, 3 medium, peeled and cut into 1/4″ thick pieces
- 2-3 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 2 Tbsp Chives, chopped, to garnish
Instructions
How to Make Corn Stock:
- Cut the kernels from the cobs and set kernels aside for making chowder.* Place the bare cobs in a stockpot.
- Add 4 cups broth, 1 1/2 cups milk, and 1 cup cream to pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer un-covered 20 minutes while making the chowder. Use tongs to remove and discard cobs before using corn stock in step 3.
How to Make Corn Chowder:
- Place a 5 Qt dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add chopped bacon and cook stirring occasionally until browned. Remove bacon bits with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- In the same pot, add chopped onion, celery and carrot to the bacon fat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft (7-8 min).
- Add sliced potatoes, 4 cups corn kernels, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Pour corn stock into the pot, bring to a light boil then simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste**. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved bacon and chopped chives.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Family-Favorite Soup Recipes
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Split Pea Soup – My Mother’s recipe
- Beef Stew
- Tomato Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- French Onion Soup (Natasha’s Fave)
Delish! We love it. I put the potatoes and carrots in the stock rather than the sauteed veggies to make sure they would cook all the way. No real need to saute them. I also added spices along the way and added a whole chopped red pepper.
Delicious indeed. I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Marci.
Best corn chowder recipe, easy to make and everyone enjoys this hearty soup especially in the winter. It is very cold here in Canada. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for your great feedback!
This soup is almost ready and it looks beautiful and smells delicious! The perfect thing on this very cold day in the Northeast. Thank you for this recipe.
So delicious! It’s January, so we used frozen corn and added shredded chicken. This one will be made on repeat! Thank you!
You’re very welcome, so glad you love it!
This came out fantastic! I had some frozen cobs I took out early this morning and by the time I was ready to make dinner, they were ready to go! Thank you for this yummy idea. The whole family enjoyed it on this cold day 🙂
You’re welcome, Cece!
Hi Nastasha,
If using canned corn in lieu of fresh, should it be drained?
Hello! Yes, if you will be using canned corn instead of fresh, you should drain it first.
Hi I’m making this today I’m excited I’ve never made corn chowder before. Love the recipe easy to understand instructions. Thank you for sharing
I’m so happy you loved it, Meilani!
My favorite to make!! Easy enough to use canned corn and I tend to do 2 cups (1 Qt) half n half and just 1/2 cup milk to make it extra creamy
Made this last night on a chilly, rainy Hawaiian day. I made one batch per this recipe and everyone loved it. I also made a smaller, second version, using butter and omitting bacon for my vegetarian brother. He loved it❣️ Thank you …love your videos.
You’re very welcome, Polly! I’m so glad to hear you loved it.
I haven’t made as yet but wondering if you cook the corn first or use uncooked cobs?
Hi Marcia! It’s raw, not cooked yet. Hope you love the recipe!
I decided to get the recipe, but instead of just the recipe, I ended up with 20 plus sheets of comments. Not happy!
Hi Edie! Be sure to use the print button in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog. It should not print with comments, unless you were printing it from your browser options. The browser print option prints the entire webpage, including comments, photos, and extra content.
Can this be made in a crockpot? What would you do differently?
Hi Adrienne! I haven’t tested a slow cooker so I do not have those instructions, sorry.
Sorry, I Just saw your reply. I am trying it now. thanks!
I hope you love it!
Do you still add the milk and cream if you use frozen corn and cream of corn?
Hi Brenda! Yes, you will still add the milk and cream exactly as in the original ingredient list as they are part of the recipe’s creamy texture.
could i cook smoked sausage to add to this soup?
That sounds like a great idea!
AMAZING!!! I modified the recipe this time around to make it all it one pot. I cooked almost double the amount of bacon, removed the bacon and put it in a bowl, stirfried all the vegetables, then stirfried the corn that I shucked (highly recommend), then put all the broth and cream and milk in with the corn husks. After the 20 minutes I added the potatoes and seasonings, and it tasted so good!! Frying the corn beforehand with everything else really made it pop!
Thank you for sharing your experience trying this recipe. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello! Are you able to do this in one pot by sautéing everything then adding the broth and corn cobs to cook for a while, then potatoes?
Hello Maddie! One of our readers shared this comment “AMAZING!!! I modified the recipe this time around to make it all it one pot. I cooked almost double the amount of bacon, removed the bacon and put it in a bowl, stirfried all the vegetables, then stirfried the corn that I shucked (highly recommend), then put all the broth and cream and milk in with the corn husks. After the 20 minutes I added the potatoes and seasonings, and it tasted so good!! Frying the corn beforehand with everything else really made it pop!” Hope that helps.
I want to make sure I understand it says 1lb potatoes but it looks as if you only use 3 medium potatoes. Is that correct?
Hi Rhonda, yes, mine equaled to a pound. I used 1 lb Yukon potatoes, 3 medium, peeled and cut into 1/4″ thick pieces
Hi Natasha, what if I don’t want to use potatoes? Is it fine to just omit?
It might still work but it will change the texture and thickness.
I made the recipe without potatoes because we can’t eat all the carbs in corn and potatoes. It was delicious. Love this recipe – thank you!
Thank you, it’s the best corn chowder I’ve ever made.
I had no corn on the cobs so used thawed frozen. Some of it whipped in the blender with chicken broth in place of the broth made with cobs.
What is the yield? It may be posted but I’m unable to find it.
Hi Allison, this serves 8 people (2 cup servings). All of my recipes have the serving size on the prinatble recipe card. Simply click “Jump to Recipe” at the top of the post and that will take you to the card. I hope this helps.