There’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of chicken corn chowder to bring comfort and satisfaction, especially when prepared with real food ingredients in a slow cooker. This article will guide you through the process of creating a hearty and delicious slow cooker chicken corn chowder that the whole family will love.
Introduction to Chicken Corn Chowder
What is Chicken Corn Chowder?
Chicken corn chowder is a delightfully thick, rich soup known for its creamy base and chunky texture, distinguishing it from other types of soups. While many chowders might feature seafood, potatoes, or various vegetables, the combination of juicy chicken and sweet corn remains incredibly popular. This particular chowder is a comforting, filling dish, perfect for colder months or as a satisfying meal year-round. It boasts a creamy texture and flavor, often enhanced by savory bacon in each bite, with the corn offering a great crunchy texture and vibrant color. This cozy chicken corn chowder recipe truly embodies the essence of comfort food.
Benefits of Using a Slow Cooker
The slow cooker chicken corn chowder is a true “set-it-and-forget-it” recipe, making it an ideal choice for busy individuals and families. All you need to do is toss the ingredients into the crockpot in the morning, and by the time you return home, you’ll be greeted by the yummy aroma of this comfort food bliss. This method allows the flavors to meld beautifully over several hours, resulting in a deeply savory and tender dish without constant stirring or supervision. It simplifies the cooking process, ensuring a delicious meal with minimal effort.
Why Choose Real Food Ingredients?
Choosing real food ingredients for your creamy chicken corn chowder ensures that you are nourishing your body with wholesome goodness. This creamy soup is made up of simple, whole food ingredients, packed with veggies and essential nutrients. Opting for real food means avoiding processed additives and artificial flavors, which contributes to a healthier and more flavorful final product. Utilizing items like fresh corn, tender chicken breast, and quality chicken broth helps to create a soup recipe that is not only delicious but also incredibly wholesome and satisfying for everyone.
How to Make Chicken Corn Chowder
Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder
To make chicken corn chowder, you will need a variety of ingredients to achieve that rich and creamy texture, along with robust flavors. Essential components include boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for tender meat, and crispy bacon for a savory depth. For the corn, you can use either frozen corn or fresh corn kernels, depending on what is available. The liquid base typically consists of chicken broth or chicken stock, which forms the foundation of this cozy soup. Flavor enhancers like salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper for a little kick, dried thyme, dried parsley, cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, chili powder, garlic powder, and oregano are crucial for a well-rounded seasoning profile. To achieve the desired thickness, all-purpose flour or potato starch can be used, alongside heavy cream and milk for creaminess. Vegetables such as russet or red potatoes, celery, yellow onion, and garlic contribute to the chowder’s hearty and comforting nature. For garnishes, consider shredded cheddar cheese, chopped scallions/green onions, fresh thyme or parsley, crumbled goat cheese, diced avocado, cilantro, or even tortilla chips for added crunch. For variations, some prefer to add black beans, poblano pepper, red bell pepper, Greek yogurt, or sour cream to their creamy chicken corn chowder.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Slow Cooker Chicken Corn Chowder
To prepare this slow cooker chicken corn chowder, begin by placing your diced chicken, russet or red potatoes, carrots, celery, yellow onion, and corn kernels (whether using fresh corn or frozen corn) into the slow cooker. Next, pour in the chicken broth, and add dried thyme, dried parsley, pepper, and salt, stirring everything well to ensure the seasonings are evenly distributed. Cook on LOW heat for 7-8 hours, or if you’re short on time, you can cook it on HIGH for 4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Just before serving, to thicken the soup, whisk together cornstarch with ⅓ cup of cold water to create a slurry, then stir this mixture into the hot soup, allowing it to cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until it slightly thickens to your desired consistency. Turn off the heat, stir in the heavy cream and reserved crispy bacon, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding more salt or pepper if desired. To make this chicken corn chowder on the stovetop, start by cutting the bacon into small pieces and cooking it in a large soup pot or Dutch oven until crispy (about 10 minutes). Remove the bacon and set it aside, leaving some bacon grease in the pot. Prep the onions, celery, and potatoes, and cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken and seasonings to the pot, cooking for 6-8 minutes until browned. Add the onion and celery, sauté for 5 minutes, then stir in the flour and cook for about one minute. Add the garlic, potatoes, corn, and chicken broth, stirring to dissolve the flour, then add milk and heavy cream. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce to a heavy simmer, covering with the lid slightly open, and cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are done, stirring often to prevent sticking. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with crispy bacon pieces and shredded cheddar for a delicious cozy finish.
Tips for Perfecting Your Soup Recipe
To achieve the ideal creamy texture in your chicken corn chowder, a combination of milk and heavy cream is often recommended, with a higher proportion of heavy cream yielding an even thicker and richer chowder. If you desire a particularly thick soup, you can add a slurry of cornstarch and water or flour and water towards the end of the cooking process; always mix the thickener with cold water first to prevent lumps from forming in your delicious soup. Throughout the cooking process, it’s crucial to taste the chowder and adjust the seasoning as it develops, adding more salt, pepper, smoked paprika, or cayenne pepper for additional depth and flavor. For an enhanced flavor profile and better texture, pan-searing the chicken breast before adding it to the soup pot is highly recommended. If you’re using pre-cooked chicken, such as rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken, it’s best to shred or dice it and add it during the last 10 minutes of cooking to prevent it from becoming dry. Garnish your final creamy chicken corn chowder with fresh herbs, extra bacon crumbles, or a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese for an inviting presentation and added flavor.
Reader Interactions with Chicken Corn Chowder
What Readers Are Saying About This Recipe
Many readers have shared their delightful experiences with this chicken corn chowder, often describing it as “delicious and creamy,” “phenomenal,” and “tasty and easy to make.” It’s frequently lauded as “one of my favorite soups I’ve ever made,” with comments highlighting its “very tasty, filling, and healthy” attributes. The “great flavor, packed with lots of yummy spices,” has been a consistent highlight, and parents often rejoice that their kids “gobbled it up and wanted more,” which is always a sign of a truly beloved comfort food. One particularly enthusiastic reader even made this slow cooker chicken corn chowder twice in a single week, exclaiming it was “seriously the best!”
Share Your Own Variations and Tips
This creamy chicken corn chowder recipe is incredibly versatile, inviting readers to experiment with their own creative variations. For those seeking a vegetarian alternative, one ingenious reader omitted the chicken and incorporated black beans, finding it “absolutely delicious.” If you prefer a bit of heat in your soup, there are numerous options: a dash of ground cayenne pepper, sliced jalapenos, or crushed red pepper flakes can be added as a garnish or cooked directly into the chowder for a more infused spice. To introduce a delightful southwest flair, consider adding bell peppers, canned green chiles, or black beans to the mix, complementing the sweet corn and other real food ingredients beautifully.
Submit Your Questions and Recipe FAQs
We love hearing from our readers and are happy to address common questions about making this cozy chicken corn chowder. A frequently asked question is whether the chicken corn chowder can be made dairy-free, which is certainly possible with a few substitutions for the heavy cream and milk. Another common inquiry delves into what Chicken Corn Chowder tastes like, often described as a rich, creamy, and savory soup with a delightful balance of sweet corn and tender chicken. Other recipe FAQs cover the health aspects of the chowder, the best thickener to achieve that perfect creamy texture (cornstarch or flour are good options), and the best type of cream to use for maximum richness. Concerns about bland chowder are also addressed, emphasizing the importance of proper seasoning with garlic, onion, and various spices, as well as how many servings one recipe yields to help with meal planning for the whole family.
Using Leftover Chicken in Your Chowder
Transforming Leftover Chicken into a Delicious Soup
When preparing this cozy chicken corn chowder, you have the flexibility to use various forms of chicken, including pre-cooked options for a quicker meal. If you’re looking to save time, feel free to use pre-cooked chicken, such as store-bought rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken you might have from another recipe. If incorporating leftover rotisserie chicken, it’s best to shred or dice the chicken and add it during the last 10 minutes of cooking. This prevents the chicken from becoming overcooked and dry, ensuring it retains its juicy texture while fully absorbing the rich flavors of the creamy chicken corn chowder. This versatility makes the soup recipe even more convenient for busy weeknights.
Storage Tips for Leftover Chicken Corn Chowder
If you find yourself with extra servings of this delicious creamy chicken corn chowder, rest assured that it stores wonderfully, often tasting even better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld together. Leftovers of chicken corn chowder can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, gently warm the chowder on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave until it is heated through. Avoid boiling to maintain the creamy texture of the soup. This hearty soup is perfect for meal prepping, allowing you to enjoy this comfort food throughout the week with minimal effort.
Creative Ways to Use Leftover Chowder
This versatile chicken corn chowder recipe is so delightful that you might find yourself wanting to make a double batch, specifically to ensure you have delicious leftovers for easy lunches throughout the week. The hearty nature of this soup makes it an excellent standalone meal, but its creamy texture and rich flavors also allow for creative repurposing. You could serve it alongside a warm, crusty biscuit for a complete meal, or even slightly thicken it further to use as a base for a chicken pot pie filling. The tender chicken, sweet corn, and savory broth make it a satisfying and convenient option for any meal. And if you’re looking to expand your comfort food collection, don’t miss this Delicious Chicken Marsala Fettuccine Recipe another crowd-pleasing favorite that’s rich, flavorful, and perfect for any dinner table.
Conclusion: Why You Should Try This Recipe
Final Thoughts on Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder
This creamy chicken corn chowder is truly a comfort food masterpiece, boasting a luscious, well-rounded depth of flavor that comes from slowly simmering real, whole ingredients together. The blend of tender chicken, sweet corn, and a velvety cream base creates a hearty and satisfying soup that’s both rich and utterly delicious. It’s a perfect example of how simple, wholesome ingredients can come together to make something exceptional. If you enjoy hearty, nourishing meals like this, you might also love exploring more classic American chowder recipes or learning about the history of corn as a staple in comfort food.
Encouragement to Share and Enjoy
This cozy soup is more than just a meal; it’s a heartwarming experience that the whole family will undoubtedly love. My entire family absolutely adores this chicken corn chowder recipe, so much so that it’s become a regular fixture in our meal rotation, made over and over again. Its comforting flavors and hearty ingredients make it a perfect dish to share with loved ones, bringing warmth and satisfaction to any gathering. It truly embodies the essence of comfort food, making it a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that everyone will appreciate.
Invitation to Explore More Soup Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed the rich flavors and comforting embrace of this slow cooker chicken corn chowder, then you’re in for a treat, as there are many other delightful soup recipes to explore that promise similar satisfaction. Consider trying Creamy Chicken Soup for a classic take, or Ground Chicken Soup for a different texture. For those who appreciate hearty vegetable-based options, Tuscan White Bean Soup and Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Bacon are excellent choices. Other fantastic recipes include Chicken Tomato Soup, Creamy Chicken And Dumpling Soup, One Pot Lasagna Soup, Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup (Gluten-Free), The Best Cauliflower Soup Recipe, Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup with Bacon (Easy & Delicious), Homemade Roasted Tomato Basil Soup, Lightened Up Cheddar Cauliflower Broccoli Soup, Green Chile Chicken Pozole, and Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup with Mini Turkey Meatballs. Each of these soups offers a unique blend of flavors and textures, ensuring there’s a perfect soup for every palate.
