Crockpot Chicken Corn Chowder is the kind of dinner you throw together before you leave the house and don’t think about again until you walk back in. Ten minutes of chopping in the morning, and the slow cooker handles the other eight hours while you’re at work or running kids around.
Crockpot Chicken Corn Chowder
What I love most is that this chicken corn chowder soup is thick and creamy without any flour, roux, or standing at the stove whisking. The creamed corn does that work for you. My kids ask for it by name once it starts getting cold out, and the fact that it makes enough for leftovers the next day is a bonus I’ll take every time.
Ingredients & Equipment
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Canned corn
- Canned creamed corn
- Russet potatoes
- Onion
- Chicken broth
- Dried parsley
- Dried sage
- Heavy cream
- Salt and pepper
- Bacon bits, chives, and shredded cheddar cheese for serving
Full measurements for each ingredient can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll also need a few things from your kitchen:
- Slow cooker
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Can opener
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- Ladle
Step By Step Directions
This recipe makes 6 servings. It takes 10 minutes of prep time and 8 hours and 30 minutes of cook time.
Step 1. Combine the diced chicken, canned corn, creamed corn, diced potatoes, chopped onion, chicken broth, parsley, and sage in the bowl of your crock pot. Stir everything together.
Step 2. Place the lid on top and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. The chicken should shred easily and the potatoes should be fork tender.
Step 3. Remove the lid and pour in the heavy cream. Stir it through.
Step 4. Replace the lid and cook on high for 30 more minutes, just long enough to heat everything through.
Step 5. Serve with bacon bits, chopped chives, and shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Chicken Corn Potato Chowder
The potatoes are what turn this from a soup into a real chowder, and they’re the reason this fills up a hungry family. Four russet potatoes sounds like a lot going into the crock pot, but they break down just enough over eight hours to thicken everything without turning to mush.
Russets work best here because they’re starchy and soften completely. Yukon golds hold their shape more if you want distinct potato chunks. I peel mine, but you can leave the skins on if that’s how your family likes it.
If you want chicken corn chowder without potatoes, leave them out and add one more can of creamed corn. It’ll be thinner but still good, and it’s a decent swap if you’re serving it over rice or with a big piece of bread.
Variations
- Chipotle chicken corn chowder. Stir in 1 to 2 chopped chipotle peppers in adobo with the broth. Smoky and a little spicy without being too much for kids.
- Roasted poblano chicken corn chowder. Roast 2 poblano peppers, peel and chop them, and add them in the last hour. This is the version I make when it’s just adults eating.
- Mexican chicken corn chowder. Add a can of green chiles, 1 teaspoon of cumin, and swap the cheddar topping for pepper jack.
- Use rotisserie or canned chicken. Skip the raw chicken and stir in shredded rotisserie chicken or two drained cans of chicken during the last 30 minutes with the cream.
- Add bacon to the pot. Cook 6 strips, crumble them, and stir half in with the cream instead of only using bacon bits on top.
- Make it cheesier. Stir 2 cups of shredded cheddar into the pot along with the heavy cream until it melts.
- Swap the protein. Diced ham works beautifully here and turns this into a good use for leftover holiday ham.
- Lighten it up. Use half and half instead of heavy cream. It’s a little thinner but still creamy.
Leftovers & Storage
Store leftover chicken corn chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It thickens a lot overnight, so add a splash of broth or milk when you reheat it.
I don’t recommend freezing this one. The heavy cream and the potatoes both change texture after thawing, and it comes back grainy. If you want to freeze it, make the batch through step 2, freeze it before adding the cream, and stir the cream in fresh when you reheat.
Tips & Tricks
- Cut the chicken while it’s partly frozen. Twenty minutes in the freezer firms it up and makes dicing much faster and cleaner.
- Don’t drain the creamed corn. All of it goes in. That’s what makes the chowder thick.
- Do drain the regular canned corn. Otherwise you’re adding extra liquid you don’t want.
- Add the cream at the end, not the beginning. Dairy that cooks for eight hours can separate and turn grainy. The last 30 minutes is all it needs.
- Cut the potatoes about the same size. Half inch pieces cook evenly. Big chunks stay firm while small ones dissolve.
- Salt at the end. Between the broth, the canned corn, and the bacon bits on top, this can get salty fast. Taste it first.
- No slow cooker? Make it on the stove. Simmer everything except the cream in a large pot over medium low heat for about 35 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, then stir in the cream and heat it for 5 more minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use frozen corn instead of canned? Yes for the regular corn. Use about 3 cups of frozen kernels in place of the two cans, no thawing needed. You still need the canned creamed corn though, since that’s what thickens the chowder.
Can I put frozen chicken in the crock pot? I don’t recommend it. Frozen chicken spends too long in the temperature range where bacteria grow before it comes up to a safe temperature. Thaw it first, or use rotisserie chicken stirred in at the end.
How do I make this thicker? Mash some of the potatoes against the side of the crock pot with the back of a spoon before adding the cream. If you want it thicker still, whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into the cream before pouring it in.
Can I make this in the Instant Pot? Yes. Add everything except the cream, cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, then quick release. Stir in the cream and let it sit on warm for a few minutes. Start to finish it’s about 30 minutes.
Can I make this ahead? You can chop the chicken, potatoes, and onion the night before and keep them in the refrigerator in separate containers. Cover the potatoes with water so they don’t brown, then drain them before they go in. The chowder itself is best served the day it’s made.
Do I have to use heavy cream? No, but it’s what gives this its texture. Half and half works with a slightly thinner result. Whole milk works in a pinch, though it’s more likely to look thin and separate, so stir in a little cornstarch with it.
More Easy Soup Recipes
- One Pot Creamy Vegetable Soup
- Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
- Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
- Crockpot Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
- 2 15 ounce cans corn drained
- 2 15 ounce cans creamed corn undrained
- 4 russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Bacon bits chives, and shredded cheddar cheese for serving
Instructions
- Combine the diced chicken, canned corn, creamed corn, diced potatoes, chopped onion, chicken broth, parsley, and sage in the bowl of your crock pot. Stir everything together.
- Place the lid on top and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. The chicken should shred easily and the potatoes should be fork tender.
- Remove the lid and pour in the heavy cream. Stir it through.
- Replace the lid and cook on high for 30 more minutes, just long enough to heat everything through.
- Serve with bacon bits, chopped chives, and shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Notes
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