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)
One of the best soups I have ever made! It did require a lot of chopping/prep, but easy enough to do while making the corn stock. The only change I made was to use 1 tsp. of Cajun seasoning, rather than the cayenne. I also added more bacon.
Sounds great, Jane! So happy to know that this is one of the best soups that you’ve tried. Thanks for sharing!
This recipe was excellent and very easy to complete without any problems. The taste was well-received and we enjoyed it with cornbread and a couple Cornish hens that I spatchcocked. After prepping all of the ingredients, the rest was downhill. I plan to remake this when I have extra cobs to use up. Thank you.
Hi Larry! Thank you for the feedback. I’m so glad you loved this recipe.
I have made this recipe over and over again this summer with local corn and it never fails! Sometimes I make a few adjustments, like adding chopped jalapeños or peppers, but as a base recipe it is superb! I always blend some so it’s really creamy. Love it!
That sounds like a wonderful addition, M! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Absolutely delicious. Can this be frozen for later consumption? My husband loves it!
Hi Rosie! I have not tested it but one of our readers said this soup freezes very well.
Made it today outstanding
Broth better second day
Don’t skip the cayenne pepper
Glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing your experience.
This is absolutely amazing – followed the reciepe to a t – whenever I am going try a new reciepe I always go to yours first – clear instructions and it always turns out amazing!!! Thank you!! I am a better cook because of you!!
I feel so inspired and proud. Thank you so much for trusting our recipes, I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try from us.
Followed recipe except using whole milk, no thyme (supermarket was out of stock), and had to use canned corn. Still tasted excellent. Plan to make it with everything next time with some fresh bacon bits.
Sounds good! I’m sure that will be delicious too.
I made this as is and personally loved the taste but thought it to be a teeny bit watery for my taste, so I used my immersion blender at the very end to blend it together a little. I still kept some potato chunks. It was delicious and made so much chowder. I would definitely recommend cooking at least 8 pieces of bacon instead of 4 though. You’ll need it. 😋 I also added about a 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes. Next time, I may add jalapeños to kick it up a notch. They tend to be in season and plentiful at the same time as corn.
Great recipe!! I added a red pepper for a little extra fun. Would highly recommend this recipe to anyone
Sounds great! Thank you for your recommendation and review, Dana.
Great way to enjoy fresh summer corn! I will definitely make this again when I over buy at the farmer’s markets, which is a lot. I did use an immersion blender to thicken the chowder. I’ve made quite a few of Natasha’s recipe and all are wonderful!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Diana!
So I am vegan so I omitted the bacon and substituted the heavy cream with cashew cream and it was delicious! Even my nephew who eat meat do loved it.
I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for sharing that with us. That’s great to know.
Very good but don’t underestimate how long it takes to make it. Lots of chopping & lots of steps.
Can this be frozen ahead of time or will that ruin the texture?
Hi Randi! I have not tested it but one of our readers said this soup freezes very well. I hope you love this recipe.
I would not usually freeze anything that contains potatoes. I do freeze summer corn to enjoy all winter long.
I freeze this amazing soup every summer with fresh, sweet corn, making about 12 qts! The potatoes suffer a little, but still the soup is amazing. You could leave out the potatoes if you wish. I also freeze it with the bacon stirred in. This corn chowder is amazing!
I also recommend using the greater amount of corn to make a thicker soup. Today, I used 6 ears of corn for one recipe. Plus, as the potatoes cook, that thickens it up, too.
Thank you for sharing, Xenia!
Made tonight for dinner – this was FABulous!! Made exactly as the recipe stated and it was delicious! Someone above said they added Old Bay, and I might add a bit to the leftovers and see how that tastes – it sounds like a great idea… this is a keeper recipe 🙂
I’m so happy you loved it, Lisa! That sounds like a great addition!
Since I only have myself to feed, buying celery gets a bit problematic as I can’t get a small enough quantity. Do you think celery seed would work? And, if so, how much would you use in this recipe?
Hi Vicki! I have not tested that. It’s worth experimenting with.
I think the fresh celery would be a bit better, but it worked out. This recipe is AWESOME!!
I understand the celery comment. I have found that you can chop, blanche, and then freeze celery for future use in soups and stews. Just not good to munch on, but sure saves $ by not having to throw it away all the time like I used to do.
This chowder is great. With corn in season I’m making and freezing for fall/winter. I substituted milk with evaporated milk for freezing and added a poblano pepper.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Amy!
Wrap your celery in tin foil, it lasts forever that way. Just going to make this recipe now.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Wanda!
I m 60 years old and never had corn chowder till last month
It s become one of my favorites
Thanks so much
Keep up the good work
I m now a fan….. I ll be looking for more of your recipes!!!
Hi Marie! That’s wonderful. I’m so glad to hear that. I hope you find many to enjoy here!
Loved this, super flavorful. I added a bit more bacon because… bacon. The only complaint is the cream should go in near the end. When it boils it tends to curdle a bit. Still tastes good but I will not put it in the corn stock and will wait until after the potatoes are done next time.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Taylor. We haven’t had any issues with it curdling during the process.
I’ve had curdling happen using cream in other recipes and I have two (potentially useless) ideas. One, is the fresher the cream the better. I buy UHT because I know the cream might sit a bit in my fridge. So, I’ve often wondered if that was a problem. The other thought is to let the cream come to room temperature before adding it. Maybe the curdling is a result of the ice cold cream getting shocked? Maybe measure out the cream before you get your mise together? Mind you, I haven’t actually done any trials to be sure, so I could be completely wrong.
Yeah a note to add would be to start the stock with dairy at a low heat to let it come up gently or like you said let it come to room temp; if you open up that burner to full blast with ice-cold cream I’d expect it to curdle if you’re not careful.
Other thing to add: made this with shrimp and chucked the shells in with the cobs, 10/10 recipe that allows for a lot of substitutions / experimentation.
Thanks, I will try letting it warm a bit. It seems to curdle over time, I made it twice and it did the same thing. I cant think of a reason not to wait until the end to add the cream since it doesn’t need to simmer like the other ingredients. Most chowder recipes I have made add it near the end and I have had it happen before. In any case I am making it again tomorrow.
Best corn chowder I ever made! I did add extra bacon, some shrimp, mushrooms, garlic and roasted red peppers. This kind of recipe that lends itself to cleaning out the fridge so things don’t go to waste. A real win-win!! Definitely will make this again and àgain.
That’s wonderful, Debra! I’m so glad you loved it.
This was REALLY delicious. I RARELY cook but was craving corn chowder. I followed everything basically but used half and half instead of whipping cream (as that’s all I had) I added extra of this and more milk. I’m going back for seconds as we speak!
Hi Courtney! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
Delicious! This definitely made its way into our dinner rotation! Thank you for another great recipe!
Hi Erna! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
Delicious! I omitted the cayenne and used Old Bay Spice instead. So good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!