Chicken and Corn Chowder

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A creamy, budget-friendly Chicken and Corn Chowder featuring smoky bacon, caramelized sweet corn, tender gold potatoes, and juicy bone-in chicken thighs thickened with a foolproof velvety roux.

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: servings

Calories: 382kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

6 slices bacon chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided use
1 ½ cups chopped vegetables we like onion, carrot, celery; a mix or just one kind is fine!
2 cloves minced garlic
2 ½ to 3 cups corn kernels shaved fresh off cobs, in which case - reserve the cobs!, frozen, or drained from a can - anything goes, but fresh does give the best flavor
2 teaspoons BBQ seasoning more or less to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound golden potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
1 ½ to 2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken pieces I prefer to use chicken thighs and drumsticks, I buy skin on/bone in and just remove the skin, trim the excess fat and use them in the chowder
1 cup whole milk OR half and half, OR heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

Cook bacon: 
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy. If you want to set aside some for garnish, remove 1-2 tablespoons with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a paper towel lined plate.
6 slices bacon
Sauté vegetables: 
Once the bacon is crispy, add 1 tablespoon butter to the pot. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.   Stir the corn into the pot and sauté for 1-2 additional minutes.
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups chopped vegetables, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 ½ to 3 cups corn kernels
Roux: 
Add the remaining tablespoon butter, then stir in the BBQ seasoning and the flour, until no more dry flour is visible. Make sure to stick to medium heat, you don’t want to brown the flour in this step, just cook off the raw taste.
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons BBQ seasoning, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Start soup: 
Stir the chicken broth into the pot, scraping up any browned bits (it's easier to do ½ cup broth first, whisk until completely smooth, then whisk in the rest - you can do it off-heat if you're unsure about making a roux).
Season with salt & pepper to taste, then add the potatoes. Bring to a boil.
4 cups chicken broth, salt & pepper, 1 pound golden potatoes
Add chicken: 
Add the chicken pieces to the broth (plus the corn cobs, if you have them), reduce to a good simmer, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring a few times in between.
1 ½ to 2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken pieces
Thicken: 
Once the cooking time is up, remove the chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest for 5 minutes (and remove the corn cobs and discard, if you used them).
  In the meantime, whisk together the milk and cornstarch. Reduce the heat to the lowest simmer and quickly stir the milk mixture into the broth. Simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, until thickened.
For a creamier/thicker chowder, blend 2 cups of the chowder with an immersion blender and stir it back into the pot (I usually do 1 cup solids and 1 cup brothy liquid).
1 cup whole milk, 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch
Finish: 
Pull the chicken off the bones. Stir the pulled chicken pieces into the chowder. Warm through, check the seasoning and then serve.
The longer the chowder sits and cools, the more it thickens!

Notes

1. The Cornstarch Slurry Rule

Never pour your milk or cream directly into the hot pot by itself, or the dairy will curdle and split. Always whisk the cornstarch into the cold milk first in a separate bowl until smooth, then reduce your stove to its lowest setting before stirring the mixture quickly into the broth.

2. The Hidden Flavor Secret (For Fresh Corn)

If you shave fresh corn straight off the cob, do not throw the bare cobs away. Drop them into the pot to simmer right alongside the chicken and potatoes. The cobs will release an incredible, starchy corn "milk" that naturally thickens and sweetens the entire chowder base.

3. Chunk the Chicken, Do Not Shred It

When pulling the cooked meat off the bone, use your hands or two forks to separate it into hearty, bite-sized chunks. Avoid shredding it into stringy oblivion. Thick chunks give the chowder its rustic, satisfying texture and prevent the chicken from dissolving into the soup.

Nutrition