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Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder is a delicious thick, creamy soup filled with sweet corn, juicy chicken cubes, buttery potatoes, bacon, milk, cream and cheddar Cheese. This Creamy Chicken Potato Corn Chowder with bacon is super addictive. Don't miss the tips & the recipe video.
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What is Chicken Corn Chowder?
Chicken Corn Chowder with bacon is a delicious thick, creamy soup made with whole corn kernels, boneless chicken, potatoes in a dairy based base.
This Chicken Corn Chowder Instant Pot recipe get's done under 30 minutes just like this New England Clam Chowder Instant Pot & Alaskan Salmon Chowder. This thick, creamy, luscious soup is outstanding, your whole family will go for seconds or thirds.
Crispy bacon, a well balanced seasoning, cream, milk and extra sharp cheddar cheese packs this delicious chowder with unbeatable flavors! It's simply addictive and easy!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just a reference.
- Chicken: You can use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. I used a combination of both.
- Potatoes: Our favorite pick is Russet Potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes. I peeled and diced the potatoes into 1 inch cubes.
- Sweet Corn Whole Kernel: You can either use frozen corn kernels or use canned corns drained.
- Sweet Corn Cream Style: This will seriously transform the whole recipe and lend an incredible creaminess to the chowder. We love how creamy and flavorful it makes the soup.
- Aromatics: Onion & garlic.
- Veggies: Carrot & red bell pepper (capsicum).
- Bacon: Crispy fried bacon bits are a must. We can't imagine our Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder without bacon.
- Seasoning: Black pepper powder, paprika, dijon mustard paste, Worcestershire Sauce. If you want a completely white chowder skip using the paprika. We love the slight smoky flavor of the paprika and the gorgeous hue it imparts to the chowder. Simply outstanding.
- Dairy: Whole milk, heavy cream & sharp cheddar cheese. If you want a less rich Chicken corn chowder skip the cheese and use half and half instead of heavy cream.
- Chicken Stock: Better than Bouillon diluted in warm water is what we used.
- Thickener: Cornstarch slurry (1:1 cornstarch : water) acts as a wonderful thickener. We love to thicken soups with cornstarch at the end of the cooking process as it's neutral in flavor and does not require cooking like a flour roux.
- Butter
- Olive Oil: You can use any neutral oil as well.
- Garnish: Crispy fried bacon bits, chopped fresh parsley, crushed black pepper.
Note: This post has been updated with reheating directions, serving ideas, leftovers and storage and frequently asked questions.
Tips & Tricks
- Extra Creamy & Rich Chowder: If you prefer super rich & creamy chowder do add the heavy cream and also the cheddar cheese. You can also sub the cheddar with Mozzarella cheese.
- Less Creamy & less rich Chowder: Replace the heavy cream with half and half. Skip the cheese. You can also sub the whole milk with low fat varieties. The consistency and the taste of the Chowder will change but it will still be delicious.
- More Flavor: Sauté the chicken cubes, it adds tons of good flavor. Add all the seasonings, especially the paprika, mustard & the Worcestershire sauce. This combo will instantly face lift the whole Chicken corn chowder recipe. And don't miss the bacon! You'll come back for seconds 😀
- Dairy: Turn off the heat before adding the dairy. This will prevent the dairy from curdling. Add room temperature cream or warm up the fridge cold cream in the microwave oven and than add it to the soup. The cream won't curdle or turn grainy.
- Cheese: Add the cheese after turning off the heat and do not ever simmer the soup after adding the cheese. The cheese will curdle and the chowder will become grainy.
- Thick Chowder: Do add the thickener and also the sweet corn cream style. This helps thicken the easy chicken corn chowder soup in a delicious way and also makes it so creamy and appetizing.
How to make Chicken Corn Chowder in Instant Pot?
Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.
Step #1 Fry the bacon
Set the Instant Pot on SAUTE function & set it on HIGH heat. Fry the bacon with some olive oil until crispy. Set aside and drain the bacon fat if you do not prefer a greasy chowder.
Don't worry about the browned Instant Pot bottom, we'll be de-glazing the pot later.
Step #2 Saute Aromatics & chicken
Add butter and as it begins to melt throw in the onion and garlic and saute until the onion turns translucent. Throw in some salt to quick the sauteing process. Than, add the diced chicken and saute well until they become opaque.
This simple step will boost the flavor of the chowder almost instantly.
Step #3 Pressure Cook to make the soup
Now, add the chopped veggies (bell pepper & carrots) and give a quick stir. Pour the stock and de-glaze the pot very well scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. This will prevent the BURN error.
Add the potatoes, corn, seasonings and give everything a very good mix. Throw in a handful of crispy fried bacon bits. Give everything a quick stir.
CANCEL the SAUTE function & PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for just 5 minutes followed by a quick pressure release (QPR).
Step #4 Add dairy
TURN OFF the Instant Pot. Add the milk and the corn starch slurry. Hit back the SAUTE function & set it on LOW heat. Simmer the chowder to thicken it up.
TURN OFF the Instant Pot and add the cream. Mix well. Also, add the cheese and mix well until the cheese fully incorporates into the chicken corn chowder.
Do not simmer the soup after or while adding the cream and cheese. You might end up with a grainy chowder because the cheese and the cream might curdle.
Check the seasoning, add more salt and crushed black pepper if you want to. Garnish the Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder with crispy fried bacon bits & fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
How to thicken Chicken Corn Chowder?
You can thicken Chicken Corn Chowder the following ways:
- Butter flour roux: You can add a simple roux. To avoid raw flour flavor cook the flour in the butter for minimum 1 minute.
- Cornstarch Slurry : This is a fantastic thickener that requires no cooking and is also naturally gluten free.
- Cheese: Pre shredded cheese helps thicken the chowder as the cheese is coated with cornstarch.
- Pureeing cooked potatoes: If you want to avoid thickeners & want to naturally thicken the soup you may puree a few cooked potatoes and than add them back to the soup.
How to serve
Chicken corn chowder soup is quite heavy and you can make a meal out of it even if you do not accompany it with any side at all. However, you can serve it with the following:
- Biscuits.
- Corn bread.
- Bread sticks.
- Any crusty bread like sourdough or French baguette.
- A light and crisp salad.
- A simple coleslaw.
Leftovers and storage
Fridge: Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder should last for 4 days in the fridge. The chowder will thicken further. Always store it in air tight containers.
Freezer: Chicken bacon Corn Chowder can be frozen if you use evaporated milk instead of milk. Today's recipe contains milk. If you want to freeze the chowder replace the milk with equal quantity of evaporated milk.
How to reheat
Microwave Oven: Thaw the creamy chicken corn chowder over night in the fridge and than re-heat over medium low stirring often. You may add splashes of stock or dairy to bring back the right consistency.
Stove-top: You can also reheat this soup in a heavy bottomed saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. Stir the soup frequently to prevent it from burning. You can also add a splash of water, milk or cream before reheating the broccoli cheese soup. This help to thin out the fridge cold soup!
FAQs
Yes, you can reheat chowder in the microwave oven or stove top until warm or hot.
Yes, you can freeze soup with potatoes in it. The potatoes might might not hold shape very well when thawed and reheated. However, they don't completely disintegrate into the soup either. The soup would taste equally good when thawed and reheated.
You can thicken corn chowder by using a thickener like all purpose flour or cornstarch. You can also thicken the soup naturally by mashing/pureeing some of the soup with a potato masher or blender.
If you add more liquid than the chowder will become watery. If you do not thicken the chowder than you might end with a watery chowder. Also, the fats tend to harden when the chowder cools down. This may also make it temporarily watery. Chicken corn chowder with potatoes will regain its initial texture as soon as you reheat it either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Stir the chowder while it heats to quickly break down the congealed fats.
You can make chowder creamier by adding cream style corn, heavy whipping cream and also by thickening the chicken potato corn chowder with flour or cornstarch.
Use a thickener like all purpose flour or cornstarch to thicken chowder without cream. You can also puree a small amount of the soup in a blender, than add it back to the pot full of soup. This will help thicken the chowder.
More instant pot soups you’ll love
- Lemon chicken orzo soup instant pot.
- Tom Kha Gai Soup Instant Pot.
- Alaskan salmon chowder.
- Instant pot creamy chicken noodle soup.
- Instant pot chicken wild rice soup.
- Chili’s chicken enchilada soup instant pot.
- Chicken gnocchi soup instant pot.
- Instant pot stuffed pepper soup with sausage.
- Creamy chicken tortilla soup instant pot.
- Unstuffed cabbage roll soup instant pot.
- New England clam chowder instant pot.
- Instant pot Olive Garden zuppa toscana copycat.
- Instant pot cheesy potato soup.
- Creamy chicken tortellini soup.
- Herbed white bean and sausage stew.
- Lamb stew recipe instant pot.
- Instant pot easy lasagna soup.
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Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder
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Ingredients
- 2.5 cups chicken (**boneless skinless breasts or thighs diced into ½ inch cubes. )
- 2.5 cups potato (**peeled & diced into 1 inch cubes. I used Yukon gold potatoes)
- 15,25 oz Sweet Corn (**whole kernel. 432 g. Canned corns drained or use frozen corn thawed.)
- 15.25 oz Cream of Corn (**canned)
- ½ cup carrots (**roughly chopped)
- ½ cup red bell pepper (**roughly chopped)
- 1 cup onion (**roughly chopped. Use yellow.)
- 2 tbsp garlic (**minced)
- 6 strips bacon (**roughly chopped)
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- ½ tbsp Olive Oil (**or any neutral oil)
Seasonings
- ¼ tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp dijon mustard paste
- 1.5 tsp Black Pepper (**ground)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Liquid
- 2 cups chicken stock (**I used 2 tbsp better than bouillon paste diluted in 2 cups warm water. Use more if you prefer thin chowder.)
Dairy
- 1 cup whole Milk
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream (**or half and half)
- ½ cup cheddar cheese (**Use sharp or mild. I used pre-shredded sharp cheddar.)
Thickener
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch (**diluted in 3 tbsp water to form a slurry. For thin chowder use 2 tbsp cornstarch. )
Garnish
- fresh parsley (**chopped)
- black pepper (**crushed)
- Bacon (**crispy fried bacon bits. Use as much as you love)
Equipment Used
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot on Saute & set it on HIGH heat. Add ½ tbsp olive oil, when the oil becomes hot gently release the chopped bacon, fry stirring frequently until crispy. Set the crispy fried bacon aside. Drain the bacon fat.
- After draining out the bacon fat add butter into the same pot. Don't worry about the brown bits stuck at the bottom of the pot, we'll be de-glazing the pot later.
- Now add the onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to become translucent. Add salt to quick the process.
- Add the diced chicken cubes and saute along with the aromatics until the chicken become opaque.
- Next, add the carrot and the bell pepper and give everything a quick stir.
- Pour the chicken stock and de-glaze the pot very well scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. There should not be any food particles stuck at the bottom of the pot. This will prevent the BURN error.
- Now, add the diced potatoes, whole corn kernels, cream of corn and all the ingredients mentioned above in the "Seasonings" section of the ingredients list (paprika, mustard, pepper powder, Worcestershire sauce). Give everything a good mix.
- Throw in about 2 tbsp crispy fried bacon bits. CANCEL the SAUTE function. Close the lid, seal the valve and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 5 minutes.
- Once, the pressure cooking cycle is over the Instant Pot will begin to beep. Immediately perform a quick pressure release (QPR) by manually moving the valve from the sealing to the venting positon.
- Cancel the Pressure Cook function. Add milk, corn starch and heavy cream (use room temperature cream or slightly warm it up). Give everything a quick stir.
- Hit the SAUTE function and set it on LOW heat setting. Simmer the chowder stirring often to thicken it.
- Once the chowder thickens TURN OFF the Instant Pot. Add the cheese and stir briskly until the cheese uniformly incorporates into the chicken corn chowder. Add crushed black pepper & mix well. Check for seasoning.
- If you feel the chowder is too thick you can always add more stock or water to thin it up. The chowder thickens further as it cools down.
- Garnish with crispy fried bacon bits, chopped fresh parsley, crushed black pepper and serve the chowder hot.
Notes
- Chicken Corn Chowder consistency: Today's recipe will reward you with a thick chowder. The Chowder will thicken further as it cools down. You can totally control the consistency of the chowder. If you feel it's too thick add more chicken stock or water to dilute it.
- Red pepper flakes: If you prefer a slight kick in your chowder recipe do add ½ tsp red pepper flakes. I did not use any.
- Adding pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken: You can also make today's chowder recipe using pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken. In that case skip using the raw chicken and add the pre cooked chicken once the pressure cooking cycle is over, the rest of the recipe remains the same.
- Dairy Sub: You can sub the whole milk with fat free milk or evaporated and you can also sub the heavy cream with half and half.
- Lighter Chicken Chowder: You can reduce the amount of cream and increase the amount of milk instead.
- Cheese: The cheese is optional for today's recipe. You can reduce the calories by skipping the cheese.
- Creamy Chowder without Cheese: Mash a few potatoes with the back of a ladle or puree them and add them back to the chowder for a creamy texture.
- Freezing Tips: If you plan to freeze today's recipe replace the milk with evaporated milk in the recipe. Freeze the chowder in air tight freezer safe containers. It'll last for 3 months in the freezer.
- Re-heating Tips: Thaw the chicken chowder overnight in the fridge. Re-heat on the stove top over medium low heat stirring often. You can add splashes of milk or stock or water to bring back the consistency that you prefer. The potatoes will turn mushy in the process.
Carolyn says
I made this recipe today with a few changes due to what I had on hand. It was amazing! I would definitely make it again. I don’t have an instant pot so I just cooked it on the stove. I already had some rotisserie chicken in my freezer, so I used that (like you suggested in your notes). Also, I had frozen grilled corn that we grilled in the summer and it worked great. I was out of potatoes so I used rice. Other than the rice, I’d say the ingredients I used were close to what was in the recipe. I loved the seasonings. The flavor was amazing. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Carolyn so glad you loved the recipe so much and the subs worked well for you 🙂 Thanks so much for the amazing feedback, appreciate it. - Meghna.
Maria says
Holy smokes, this was DELICIOUS! I followed the recipe exactly as written.
Foodies Terminal says
So glad you loved this recipe Maria 🙂 Thanks so much for the amazing feedback. - Meghna.
Jenn H says
If you are searching for the perfect chicken corn chowder there is no need to continue searching, you found it! This recipe is so good, it is now a dinner staple in our home. It smells amazing as it cooks, it looks appetizing and the taste is phenomenal. I absolutely love this meal which isn't surprising since Foodies Terminal is one of my favorite sites for recipes! Give this one a try, just the way it is written and you will not be disappointed.
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks so much for the most wonderful feedback Jenn 🙂 Appreciate your feedback. So glad you loved this recipe so much, it's certainly a keeper 🙂 - Meghna.
Jon says
Made a heaping pot of this, and it was wonderful. That said, lots of leftovers...yea! Your tip says to use evaporated milk if you plan to freeze - my question is do you add water to the evaporated milk or JUST use evaporated milk in equal quantity to the recipe?
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Jon,
My apologies for the super late reply. You just need to add evaporated milk. Do not add water to the evaporated milk. Let me know if you have any questions regarding this recipe 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the flavors of this recipe 🙂 - Meghna.
Nadia says
Made this tonight and it was a big hit! Everyone loved it! By far THE BEST “corn chowder” I’ve ever had.
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Nadia so glad that you enjoyed the recipe so much 🙂 Thanks a lot for sharing your amazing feedback and for giving the recipe a try, appreciate it and a lot! Hope you also try our other recipes and enjoy making each one of them 🙂 Take care Nadia 🙂 - Meghna. XOXO
Roxann says
2 tablespoons of garlic seems like a lot, is this correct.
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Roxann we love garlic and this recipe makes a lot of soup, according to me 2 tbsp garlic is just the perfect amount necessary for elevating the flavors of the dish. However, if you are do not prefer garlic than you may slash down the amount to 1 tbsp 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂 Take care Roxann. - Meghna. XOXO.
Avery says
Cooked this last night and it was delicious! You can totally do this without the chicken and bacon too if you want to cut down cost.
I added chili powder, cumin, and I seasoned the chicken with Cajun seasoning before hand. It was great!!! It makes like 6-8 hearty bowls so be careful if you want to double! I didn’t use the bacon because I’m a broke college girl but it still tasted amazing!! The woozy sauce adds a lot of savory to the soup so I feel like I didn’t miss much taking out the bacon.
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Avery we are so glad that you enjoyed the recipe so much and made it your own 🙂 Thanks so much for the helpful and super awesome feedback, totally appreciate it! Hope you try our other recipes as well! Take care Avery 🙂 - Meghna. xoxo
Sharon says
made it tonight was amazing than you for posting this recipe
Foodies Terminal says
So glad that you enjoyed the recipe Sharon! Thanks a lot for sharing such an amazing feedback with us, appreciate it and a lot 🙂 Hope you try our other recipes as well. Take care Sharon 🙂 - Meghna. XOXO
Jennie Stemm says
I followed this recipe almost exactly except I didn't have Dijon mustard so I just left it out and I substituted half and half for all the milk. It was DELICIOUS! I will definitely be making this chowder again!!
Foodies Terminal says
We are so glad that you enjoyed the recipe so much Jennie 🙂 Thanks much for giving it a try and for sharing your amazing feedback 🙂 Hope you take a look around and give our other recipes a try as well. - Meghna.