• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Chef Billy Parisi logo

  • Recipes
    • Courses
      • Beverages
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Salads
        • Salad Dressings
      • Soups
      • Main Dish
      • Pasta
      • Sauces
      • Side Dishes
      • Bread Recipes
      • Dessert
    • Ingredient
      • Beef
      • Lamb
      • Chicken & Poultry
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
    • Occasion
      • Grilling and BBQ
      • Holiday
      • Entertaining
  • Video
  • Cooking Tips
  • About
  • The Studio
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

Recipes » Soups » Easy Corn Chowder Recipe

Easy Corn Chowder Recipe

Posted on August 14, 2020 By Chef Billy Parisi

  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Learn how to make a delicious Corn Chowder Recipe for your next meal that comes together in under an hour.  Serve it up with crispy bacon and green onions.

Corn Chowder is a tasty soup that should be made and eaten during the summer which is the peak season for fresh corn.  You can definitely buy frozen corn kernels and make this soup but you’ll be missing out on the sweetness and ripeness that only fresh corn off the cob can deliver.

bowl of summer corn chowder with bacon

Now I don’t want to complain about the summer weather cause I’ll take it all day every day, but man I wish corn was in season in the winter so I could make this soup to heat me up.  The problem is though, it’s summer and corn is fresh now so why not do as much with it as possible, which includes soup on a hot day.  After you taste this you will forget all about the 90° heat it’s that good.  Simple ingredients and bold flavors’ is what I’m about and this soup speaks perfectly to that!

Corn Chowder

Corn chowder is a tasty thick soup that uses stock and cream as the base and is simmered with other vegetables such as potatoes, celery, and onions, to make it a rich stew.  Traditionally chowders include things like fish, clams, and seafood, however, we are taking those same methods and applying it to fresh corn off the cob.

CHEF NOTE: If you are a chowder freak, then my New England Clam Chowder recipe is a must-make!

Selecting Fresh Corn

When selecting fresh corn on the cob, it’s important to remember a few notes before picking and buying it.

  1. The outer husk should be firm
  2. The top part of the husk where all the silk is ( that’s the long stringy stuff) should be a little moist
  3. There should be no blemishes on the outside

To also ensure the corn is ripe and in season shuck the very top part of the corn by pulling it apart exposing the top of the corn cob.  If the corn kernels are bright yellow, firm, intact and full on the cob then you are good to go.

How to Make Corn Chowder

  1. Add some corn in the husk onto a sheet tray and back in the oven at 425° for about 25 minutes

adding corn un husked on a tray to an oven

  1. In the meantime, render the bacon fat in a large pot until crispy brown.  Set the lardons aside once cooked.cooking bacon in a pot until crispy
  2. Add the onions, celery, peppers, and garlic to the rendered bacon fat and cook until browned over medium heat, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

sauteing onions and peppers in a pot

  1. Deglaze with the cream sherry and cook it until it has been absorbed and only a small amount remains. The technical term for this is au sec, which means almost gone.

deglazing a pot with cream sherry

  1. Now, remove the corn from the oven and cool slightly before shucking and trim the kernels off of the cob and add them to the pot with sautéed vegetables along with the potatoes

slicing cooked corn off of the cob

  1. Pour in the stock, turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.

adding stock to a large pot

  1. While the soup is coming to a boil, we need to thicken it and you can make a blond roux by cooking equal parts weight flour and butter in a sauté pan over low heat until combined. A roux is a thickening agent used in cooking and commonly used in chowders.  It provides thickness and body to the soup.  The easier way though is to make a slurry using equal parts corn starch and cold water mixed together.

making a slurry in a bowl with cornstarch and water

  1. Whisk the slurry or roux into the soup until it becomes very thick, as a chowder should be, and cook it for a few more minutes over medium-low heat.  The technical term is called nappe which means the soup can coat the bacon of a spoon.

adding a slurry to a pot of corn chowder

  1. Whisk in ½ and 1/2 and back in the crispy bacon lardons along with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and tabasco sauce.

adding seasonings and milk to soup

Can You Make It in a Slow Cooker

You can definitely make corn chowder in a slow cooker and you would do it just about the same way, except for a few nuances.  I’ll post them below the recipe in the notes for you.

Variations

To change up this corn chowder you can absolutely add in cooked chicken to make a chicken corn chowder or crab meat to make a delicious crab corn chowder recipe.  A few other options include:

  • Ham and Potato
  • Sausage
  • Poblano
  • Lobster
  • Sweet Potato

For any of these variations, this soup recipe stays the same and you will simply add in the extra cooked ingredient to modify the chowder to your likings such as cooked ham, sausage, lobster, crab or chicken.  For vegetables, add them in when adding in the corn like poblano or sweet potato.

Making Corn Chowder Thick

In this corn chowder recipe I made it very classically using a blond roux, however, if you want to back away from the flour here are a few other ways to make your corn chowder thick.

  1. Using an immersion blender, blend some of the ingredients together before adding in any thickening agent to naturally make the soup thick.
  2. Use arrowroot or corn starch and water to help thicken.
  3. Cook and mash the potatoes before whisking into the chowder before the roux is added as well.

How to Serve it

I like to add a few garnishes on top of the corn chowder to help add some flavor such as the cooked bacon lardons and sliced green onions.  You could also add some sauteed corn on top as well.  Here are a few things that would go well with the chowder.

  • Slices of French Boule Bread Recipe
  • Focaccia Bread Recipe
  • Summer Salad Recipe

corn chowder served with sliced bread

Recipe Chef Notes + Tips

How to Reheat: If you plan on eating this soup for a few days you are going to need to reheat it.  To do this add the desired amount of soup you plan to eat to a small size saucepot over low heat until it reaches 165°.  The soup may need to be re-seasoned with salt and pepper as well as re thickened.

If the soup does need to be re-thickened, add a small amount of slurry to it once it reaches 165°.  A slurry is equal parts volume corn starch mixed with water until combined.

How to Store: This corn chowder can be stored covered in a plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  In addition, it can be frozen covered in a plastic container for up to 2 months.  After thawing it can be reheated as described above.

More Soup Recipes

  • Fish Chowder Recipe
  • Vegetable Curry Noodle Bowl
  • Chicken and Wild Rice
  • Split Pea
  • Italian Wedding
  • Chicken Noodle

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!

Video

bowl of summer corn chowder with bacon
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Easy Corn Chowder Recipe

Learn how to make an Easy Corn Chowder Recipe for your next meal. Serve it up with crispy bacon, green onions, and fresh basil.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10
Calories: 336kcal
Author: Chef Billy Parisi

Ingredients

  • 10 slices of chopped bacon
  • 1 peeled and small diced sweet onion
  • 4 small diced stalks of celery
  • 1 seeded and small diced red bell pepper
  • 3 finely minced cloves of garlic
  • 1/3 cup of cream sherry
  • 8 ears of corn
  • 10 each large diced red potatoes
  • 80 ounces chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
  • sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • Tabasco to taste
  • Lea & Perrins to taste
  • fresh sliced green for garnish

Instructions

  • Add some corn in the husk onto a sheet tray and back in the oven at 425° for about25 minutes
  • In a large hot pot on high heat render the bacon fat and cook the bacon until it becomes crispy. Once it is cooked, remove the bacon from the pan turn down the heat to medium and add in the onions, celery, peppers, and garlic and sweat over low heat for 10-15 minutes
  • Deglaze with the cream sherry and cook until it becomes absorbed and only a small amount remains. The technical term for this is au sec, whichmeans almost gone.
  • Now,remove the corn from the oven and cool slightly before shucking and trim thekernels off of the cob and add them to the pot with sautéed vegetables alongwith the potatoes
  • Pour in the stock, turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and water and then whisk the slurry or roux into the soup until it becomes very thick, as a chowdershould be, and cook it for a few more minutes over medium-low heat.  Thetechnical term is called nappe which means the soup can coat the bacon of aspoon.
  • Whisk in ½ and 1/2 and back in the crispy bacon lardons along with salt, pepper,Worcestershire sauce and tabasco sauce.
  • Adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, Tabasco and Lea & Perrins and garnish with the green onions and crispy bacon lardons

Notes

Chef Notes:
  • To also ensure the corn is ripe and in season shuck the very top part of the corn by pulling it apart exposing the top of the corn cob.  If the corn kernels are bright yellow, firm, in tact and full on the cob then you are good to go.
 
  • A roux is a thickening agent used in cooking and commonly used in chowders.  It provides thickness and body to the soup.
 
  • How to Store: This corn chowder can be stored covered in a plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  In addition it can be frozen covered in a plastic container for up to 2 months.  After thawing it can be reheated as described above.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
  1. Complete steps 1 through 4 in a slow cooker using the saute function.
  2. Next, cook the corn chowder, along with the potatoes on high heat in the slow cooker for 2 hours or until the potatoes are tender.
  3. Instead of using a roux to thicken the soup, use a slurry which is equal parts volume of corn starch and water a mixed together and then whisk it into the soup and cook until it becomes thick stirring every few minutes.
  4. Once it is thick simply set the slow cooker to warm and serve with garnishes of sliced green onions and crisp cooked bacon lardons.

Nutrition

Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 518mg | Potassium: 659mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 765IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg
Easy Corn Chowder Recipe was last modified: August 18th, 2020 by Chef Billy Parisi

FREE EMAIL SERIES

5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Better

Chef Billy's go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant”!

Previous Post: « Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe
Next Post: Homemade Bagel Recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susan Cain says

    November 03, 2020 at 11:25 am

    Can you give me an idea how much corn you get off eight ears? It’s past the season for fresh, so I’d like to make this using frozen super sweet corn. Looks scrumptious.

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      November 06, 2020 at 5:29 am

      around a 1/2 – 3/4 cup per ear depending on the size

      Reply
  2. Donna Antaramian says

    August 27, 2020 at 6:38 pm

    5 stars
    I made this tonight .. loved that I learnt I new way to cook corn, what a slurry was and how sherry is great in chowder and bisque. Next time I need to make the potatoes a little smaller. As a person with celiac this was a great gluten free recipe for me.

    Reply
  3. Judy Schell says

    August 17, 2020 at 3:30 pm

    Love your recipes. Thank you.
    I want to prepare tomorrow. Can I use regular golden sherry. I’m only making a 1/4 quantity so I hate to go out to get a bottle of sherry.

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      August 18, 2020 at 5:24 am

      you could

      Reply
    • Emma says

      September 06, 2020 at 5:48 pm

      5 stars
      Went to recipe first. Didn’t know what 2 cups 1/2and 1/2 ment. Until I went to your video and heard you say 1/2 and 1/2 cream . I want to thank you for all your great Recipes.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

ABOUT ME

I’m Billy Parisi and thanks for checking out my site! I’m a culinary school grad that spent 15 years in the restaurant industry as a line cook, sous chef and executive chef. Now I write recipes, take pictures of’em, shoot some video, occasionally hosting on TV, checking out the latest fashion, hangin with my wife and daughter and watching a whole bunch of college sports. Hope you enjoy my twists on classics as well as new innovations! Read More…

free email series

5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Better

Chef Billy's go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant”!

FEATURED IN

IT’S SOUP SEASON

bowl of beef and barley soup with herbs

Traditional Beef and Barley Soup Recipe

bowl of ham and bean soup

Amazing Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

bowl of ribollita soup with kale and carrots

Tuscan Ribollita Soup Recipe

bowl of summer corn chowder with bacon

Easy Corn Chowder Recipe

bowl of chicken noodle soup with vegetables

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

bowl of stew with vegetables

Mulligan Stew Recipe

POPULAR POSTS

  • Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder Recipe
  • vinegar based coleslaw recipe with apple cider vinegar Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe
  • Beef Braciole Recipe (Involtini)
  • jar of homemade cobb salad dressing Classic Cobb Salad Dressing Recipe
  • how to boil green beans Boiled Green Beans Recipe with Butter Glaze
  • Spaghetti and The Best Meatball Recipe Ever

Footer

As Seen On:

Copyright © 2021 Chef Billy Parisi | Privacy Policy