Creamy Potato Corn Chowder with Bacon
Thick, creamy, and built on rendered bacon instead of butter, this Potato Corn Chowder gets its body from a cornstarch slurry and a couple of cups of blended soup rather than flour or heavy cream. One pot, 55 minutes, and it feeds 6 to 8 people.
Quick Look: Potato Corn Chowder
- 😋 Flavor & Texture: Smoky and savory from the bacon and sweet from the corn, with a creamy, spoon-coating base you can easily adjust to your tastes.
- 🥕 Main Ingredients: Bacon, yellow potatoes, sweet corn, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, chicken or vegetable broth, milk, and cornstarch
- 🕒 Total Time: 15 minutes prep + 40 minutes cook = 55 minutes
- 🍽️ Calories & Dietary Info: 391 per serving. Gluten-free as written, with vegetarian and dairy-free variations provided
- 👥 Servings: 6 to 8, which means dinner tonight & lunches later in the week
- 👩🍳 Best For: Weeknight dinner, Sunday meal prep, feeding a crowd on a budget
- ❤️ Why Make This Recipe: One pot stretches a bag of frozen corn and a pound and a half of potatoes into a full meal; it is gluten-free without a single swap, and you can make it any month of the year
Summarize & Save This Content On
I make this one year-round, and yes, that includes July. Soup in the summer is not a strange thing at my house. One pot turns a pound and a half of potatoes and a bag of frozen corn into dinner plus lunches for days, and for me, that math works in any season.
Most chowder recipes start with butter. I start with bacon and leave every bit of that rendered fat in the pot, so the smokiness gets into the base instead of just sitting on top. There is no flour either. A cornstarch slurry whisked into cold milk thickens it, and blending about 2 cups makes it taste like there is cream in here when there is only milk.
If you like the corn and bacon combination as much as I do, my one-pot shrimp corn chowder and zucchini corn chowder are the two soups you should try next.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- One pot, start to finish. The bacon, the aromatics, the potatoes, and the thickening all happen in the same Dutch oven. The blender is the only other thing you dirty, and an immersion blender skips even that.
- Naturally gluten-free. There's no flour, roux, or substitutions to make. The cornstarch does the work.
- You control the texture. I show you how to make it chunky, creamy, or somewhere in the middle.
- Frozen corn means any month works. I developed this chowder recipe with frozen corn on purpose, so it is not a recipe you can only make for six weeks in August.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Bacon: Regular cut, not thick cut. It renders faster and crisps up better in small pieces. Do not drain the fat when you pull the bacon out, because that fat is the flavor base for everything that follows. To make this meatless, use 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil plus 1 tablespoon butter.
- Yellow potatoes: Use Yukon Gold or any yellow variety. They are waxy enough to hold their cubes in the broth, but they still turn creamy when blended. Russets work but they break down more and can go a little gluey in a blender, so if you use them, blend the soup a little less.
- Sweet corn: Frozen or fresh, both are great. I use frozen most of the year. Three cups is roughly 4 ears of fresh corn.
- Milk: Use whole or 2% milk for the best results. Skim milk tastes thin because there is no cream in it. Swap in half-and-half if you want it a richer flavor.
- Cornstarch: This is what makes the chowder gluten-free and thick at the same time. It always gets whisked into the cold milk. Don't add it straight into the hot pot, or you get lumps.
- Chicken or vegetable broth: Use low-sodium, because the bacon adds plenty of salt on its own. My rotisserie chicken stock is worth making if you have a carcass sitting in the fridge, and this Instant Pot vegetable broth is my go-to for the meatless version.
- Dried thyme: Dried holds up better than fresh over a 20-minute simmer. If you only have fresh, use about 2 ¼ teaspoons and add it near the end.
- Celery and onion, no carrot: This is on purpose. Leaving the carrot out keeps the color clean and lets the corn stay the sweetest thing in the bowl.
How Much Corn Do I Need?
| If you're using | You need | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen corn | 3 cups (about 16 oz) | No need to thaw |
| Fresh corn | About 4 medium ears | After you cut the kernels off, run the back of your knife down each cob to press out the starchy corn "milk" and add it to the pot. It's the sweetest part of the ear and it gives the chowder a little extra body. |
| Canned corn | 3 15-ounce cans | Drain very well, rinse, and reduce the added salt slightly |
Check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and quantities of each one.
Dietary Modifications & Variations
- Vegetarian: Swap the bacon for 2 tablespoons olive oil plus 1 tablespoon butter, and use vegetable broth. To get some of that smokiness back, add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika with the thyme, or 2 to 3 drops of liquid smoke at the very end. Start small with the liquid smoke because it's pretty strong.
- Dairy-free: Use unsweetened canned coconut milk or oat milk in place of the whole milk, with the same 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Coconut milk adds a faint sweetness that works well with the corn.
- Loaded baked potato style: Sharp cheddar stirred in at the end, then top each bowl with sour cream, extra bacon, and green onion.
- Spicy: Add a diced poblano or jalapeño with the onion and celery, or a pinch of red pepper flakes with the thyme.
- Add more protein: Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken or diced ham at the end. For a seafood version, go straight to my shrimp corn chowder instead.
- Extra vegetables: Finely diced red bell pepper with the onion adds color. In late summer, diced zucchini in the last 10 minutes is wonderful, and if that sounds good, my zucchini corn chowder leans all the way into it.
- Peak season upgrade: If you are using fresh corn, drop the stripped cobs into the broth and simmer them for 10 minutes, then pull them out before the potatoes go in. It pulls a surprising amount of sweet corn flavor into the base.
How to Make Potato Corn Chowder
Step 1: Crisp the bacon. Cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until golden, then lift it out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate. Leave all that fat in the pot.
Step 2: Soften the vegetables. Add the celery and onion to the bacon fat and cook until the onion turns translucent. Scrape the bottom of the pot as you go, and the browned bits will lift right up.
Step 3: Add garlic and thyme. Cook for one minute to release the aroma. Garlic burns fast, so keep it moving.
Step 4: Simmer the potatoes. Add the broth and potatoes, bring the pot to a simmer, and then let it cook for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Add the corn. Stir in the corn, salt, and pepper, and simmer another 10 minutes. Adding the corn now instead of at the beginning keeps the kernels sweet and gives them a little pop instead of cooking them to mush.
Step 6: Whisk and add the milk. Turn the heat down to low first. Whisk the cornstarch into the cold milk until it is completely smooth, then stir it into the pot and let it heat for 3 to 5 minutes until it thickens. Do not let it boil after this point.
Step 7: Blend. Transfer 2 cups of soup (or your desired amount) to a blender, vent the lid, and blend until smooth. Pour the blended soup back in the pot. You can also use an immersion blender to blend it right in the pot.
Step 8: Finish and serve. Stir in most of the bacon, and heat for another minute or two. Taste the soup and season as needed. Serve the soup in bowls with the rest of the bacon on top.
How Much Should I Blend?
| Blend this much | You get |
|---|---|
| None | Brothy and chunky, more like a corn and potato soup |
| 1 ½ cups | Chunky with a little body |
| 2 cups | How I make it. Creamy but still plenty of texture |
| 3 to 4 cups | Velvety and thick, closest to a restaurant chowder |
Tip: Stop blending before you think you should. Potato starch keeps thickening off the heat, and over-blending turn the soup pasty.
Lyn's Top Tips
- Do not pour off the bacon fat. I know it looks like a lot. It is the whole reason this chowder tastes the way it does.
- Cut the potatoes small. About half an inch. They cook through in the time given, and the edges soften just enough to help thicken the pot on their own.
- Cold milk, always. Cornstarch dissolves in cold liquid and seizes into lumps in hot liquid. Whisk it in the measuring cup before it goes anywhere near the stove.
- Drop the heat before the milk goes in. This is the step that keeps your chowder smooth instead of grainy. Low heat, and no boiling afterward.
- Blend safely. Hot soup expands in a blender. Fill it no more than halfway, crack the lid to vent it, and hold a towel over the top. An immersion blender right in the pot is easier and gives you more control over how far you take it.
- Season at the very end. Bacon and broth vary so much that the final taste is where you fix the salt. I usually add another ½ teaspoon.
Troubleshooting Your Chowder
- My chowder is too thin. Whisk 1 more tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it in over low heat. Or blend another cup of soup, which thickens it without changing the flavor at all.
- My chowder is too thick. Add a splash of warm broth or milk and stir. This is the most common day-two question, because it always thickens overnight in the fridge.
- It curdled or looks grainy. The milk proteins separated, which happens when the heat is too high after the dairy goes in. It cannot be fully undone, but blending a cup or two will smooth the texture back out, and you would never know from eating it. Next time, drop to low before the milk goes in and keep it there.
- It went gluey or pasty. Over-blended potato starch. Nothing brings it back, so this one is really a warning. Blend in short bursts and stop early.
- It tastes flat. Salt first, then acid. A small squeeze of lemon or a splash of apple cider vinegar wakes up a rich starchy soup more than another pinch of salt will. Low-sodium broth plus a mild bacon can land pretty flat without it.
- It is too sweet. Sweet corn varieties vary a lot, and some frozen bags are sweeter than others. Fix it with salt, a little acid, a good pinch of black pepper, or a bit more bacon. Fresh peak-season corn tends to be sweeter than frozen, so keep that in mind in August.
Potato Corn Chowder Recipe FAQs
Yellow potatoes like Yukon Gold. They hold their shape in the broth but turn creamy when blended, which is exactly what a chowder needs. Russets are starchier and break down more, so they work, but you should blend less of the soup.
Yes. Crisp the bacon and cook the celery, onion, garlic, and thyme on the stove first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker with the broth and potatoes. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 7. Add the corn in the last 30 minutes, and stir in the milk and cornstarch slurry in the last 20 minutes with the lid off so it can thicken.
Yes, absolutely! Use the sauté function to cook the bacon and vegetables, then add the broth and potatoes and pressure-cook on high for 5 minutes with a quick release once it's done cooking. Switch back to sauté, stir in the corn, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the pot off, then add the milk and cornstarch slurry and let the residual heat thicken it. Do not pressure cook with dairy in the pot.
Yes, and it freezes better than most chowders because there is no cream in it and the blended portion helps everything hold together, though the potato cubes will soften some. Freeze up to 3 months in individual containers, thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat gently on the stove while stirring.
Soup-er Toppings & Serving Suggestions
This is a whole meal in a bowl on its own, but a little crunch on top makes it feel like more.
- Toppings: Top bowls of chowder with minced chives or green onion, shredded sharp cheddar, grated Parmesan, the reserved bacon, and/or a crack of black pepper. For an upgrade, my cornbread croutons are the best thing that has ever happened to a bowl of corn chowder.
- Bread on the side: Crusty dinner rolls are great for dunking, or try some cheddar cheese biscuits if you want to lean all the way into the comfort food thing.
- Make it a bigger dinner: A brie grilled cheese alongside a smaller cup of chowder is one of my favorite cold weather lunches.
- For meal prep: Portion it into jars once it cools and add the bacon and cheese fresh when you serve so the toppings stay crisp.
How This One Compares to My Other Potato Soups
I have a few potato soups on this site, and people ask me which one to make.
- Creamy potato soup is the simplest of the bunch and the most classic with potatoes as the main focus.
- Ham and potato soup is the richest. It's where leftover holiday ham works great!
- Instant Pot potato leek soup is the elegant one, silky and smooth.
- Shrimp corn chowder is this recipe's seafood cousin, same corn and bacon foundation with shrimp folded in at the end.
More Creamy Soup Recipes
Looking for more like this? My summer soup recipes and fall soup recipes collections both have a spot for this chowder, because it genuinely works in either season.
Did you try this soup recipe? Please leave a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating if you loved it and your comments below! For more recipes, you can follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Creamy Potato Corn Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 pieces bacon cut into small pieces
- 3 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 4 cups cubed yellow potatoes about 1 ½ lbs, cut into small cubes
- 3 cups frozen or fresh sweet corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups milk preferably whole or 2%
To Garnish (Optional)
- minced chives or green onions
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese or grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute for 4-5 minutes or until crisp and golden.
- Using a slotted spoon, very carefully scoop out the bacon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the grease in the pot.
- Add the celery and onion to the bacon grease and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the onion turns translucent, scraping down the bottom of the pan if browned bits start to stick.
- Add the garlic and thyme, and sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the broth and potatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the corn, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Whisk the cornstarch into the milk until smooth. Stir the milk into the soup, then heat for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a high-speed blender. Blend with the lid slightly vented until smooth (alternatively, you can blend the soup with an immersion blender until it is your desired consistency). Transfer the soup back to the pot, stir in all but a few tablespoons of the browned bacon, and heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
- Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with the remaining bacon bits, chives or green onions, and cheese.
Recipe Tips
- Don't drain the bacon fat. It looks like a lot, but that rendered fat is what gets the smoky flavor into the base of the soup instead of just on top.
- Whisk the cornstarch into cold milk. Cornstarch dissolves in cold liquid and forms lumps in hot liquid. Do it in the measuring cup before it goes near the stove.
- Drop the heat to low before the milk goes in. This is what keeps the chowder smooth. Milk proteins separate at high heat, so don't let it boil once the dairy is in.
- Stop blending before you think you should. Potato starch keeps thickening off the heat, and over-blending turns the soup pasty. Short bursts, and check as you go.
- Season at the very end. Bacon and broth vary so much that you can't know where you've landed until it's all together. I add another ½ teaspoon of salt most times I make it.
