Chicken and Corn Chowder
This one-pot Chicken Corn Chowder is a creamy, comforting soup made with simple ingredients. Instead of thickening with flour or cream, simmered corn gets pureed right into the broth for natural creaminess without heaviness. Serve a warm bowl for chilly nights or any time you want a satisfying meal without a ton of fuss. With tender chicken, sweet corn, carrots, and peas, it’s a cozy dinner that feeds a crowd and reheats well the next day.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
This chicken corn chowder has been in my regular rotation for years. It started as a loose inspiration from an old cookbook, but over time it turned into the version my family asks for whenever the weather cools down. At this point, it’s fully ours, and I wouldn’t make it any other way.
This chicken corn chowder soup comes together in one pot, and it’s creamy without cream or flour. It is smooth and comforting, with a deep corn flavor layered with sage and thyme, then finished with hearty chunks of chicken, carrots, and peas for texture. It feels right on a cold night and always disappears fast in my house.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Corn Chowder
- Mostly Hands-Off Cooking: This chowder comes together in just under an hour, and most of that time is hands-off simmering. That leaves you free to prep the rest of dinner, tidy the kitchen, or pour yourself a glass of wine and let the pot do its thing.
- A GF Way to Get It Creamy: Instead of a flour-and-butter roux or heavy cream, this gluten free chicken corn chowder gets its smooth, creamy texture from pureed corn simmered in chicken broth. The result is thick, rich, and comforting without relying on traditional thickeners.
- Comforting Without Feeling Heavy: There are no potatoes in this chicken corn chowder. And using corn puree instead of cream keeps the chowder creamy and satisfying without tipping into overly rich territory. Plus, it’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free with no specialty ingredients required.
- Great for Making Ahead: This soup reheats beautifully, making it perfect for cooking a day or two in advance. Since there’s no cream or roux, it’s freezer-friendly and won’t separate or turn grainy when thawed.
Recipe Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make this chicken corn chowder. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full amounts and instructions.
- Olive oil. If you aren’t dairy-free, feel free to substitute butter.
- Onion. Chopped. No need to fuss with this since it gets pureed.
- Corn. Frozen corn is what I use to make this soup year-round, but you can also use fresh kernels cut off the cob.
- Chicken broth or stock. Check your labels for gluten if you are making gluten free chicken corn chowder.
- Sage and thyme. Fresh or dried work equally well.
- Cooked chicken. You can use leftovers from your Sunday dinner of roasted chicken or crockpot roast chicken, or cooked chicken breasts. Or this is one of my favorite recipes with leftover rotisserie chicken from Costco or the grocery store.
- Carrots. Again, fresh or frozen can be used with equally good results. You will have to simmer it a bit longer if you use fresh in order to get them tender.
- Frozen peas. You don’t even have to thaw them.
- Salt and pepper.
🍴 In the Cupcakes & Kale Chips Kitchen…
- Heavy-bottomed pot – While you can use any large soup pot or stockpot, I prefer one that is heavy-bottomed, particularly an enameled cast iron Dutch oven. This allows you to simmer the soup for a long time if you like without it scorching, and they are easy to clean.
- Immersion blender – is a great option to minimize cleanup, since you can blend it right in the pot.
- Blendtec blender – My high-powered blender always makes veggie soups super smooth and velvety, but a regular blender works fine too.
How to Make Chicken Corn Chowder Soup
- Sauté the corn. In a large pot, cook onion in olive oil with a little salt and pepper until translucent. Add corn, sage, and thyme, and sauté for a few minutes.
- Simmer till soft. Pour in chicken stock and simmer until corn is tender.
- Blend the soup. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Finish it off. Add additional chicken stock, corn, carrots, and peas, and stir everything together.
- Heat and serve. Simmer until the soup is hot and the carrots are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then ladle into bowls.
Tips for Success
- Make it with Thanksgiving leftovers. You can make this recipe with leftover roast turkey from your holiday feast. Also, feel free to add some cooked and crumbled sausage or sliced kielbasa for an extra kick of flavor.
- Swap the veggies. As I said, fresh or frozen veggies are both great options, but you can also add some sauteed peppers or celery, stir in a little kale or spinach for some dark leafy greens, or really any vegetables you love.
- Make it vegetarian. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth or stock and omit the chicken for a basic corn chowder recipe. Or feel free to add some white beans for protein.
- Prep it ahead. This is definitely a soup you can make in advance, and leftovers are delicious. It’s also simple to make a double batch.
FAQs
This chicken corn chowder recipe does not have potatoes, so they definitely aren’t needed. Pureed corn simmered in broth thickens the soup.
This recipe is thickened with corn puree. 4 cups of corn are cooked with 2 cups of broth and then pureed, thickening the soup without making a flour roux or adding cream. The remaining corn, chicken, carrots, and peas get stirred in afterward.
Yes. I use frozen corn to make this chicken corn chowder year-round, but fresh kernels cut off the cob work too. The recipe calls for 6 cups total.
Freeze for up to about 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight. With no cream or roux, it doesn’t separate or turn grainy. Get more details in the storage section below.
Yes, you can use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or rotisserie chicken as a shortcut.
Yes, make vegetarian corn chowder by swapping in vegetable broth and leaving out the chicken. You can add a drained can of white beans for extra protein.
Not all are, but this is a gluten free corn chowder recipe. No flour is used, and the ingredients are naturally gluten free, but broth can contain hidden gluten, so check your labels.
Chicken corn chowder is great to serve with crusty bread, salad, or a sandwich, using gluten free options, if needed. See more ideas in the “Make it a Meal” section below.
Storing Leftover Chicken Corn Chowder
Whether you refrigerate or freeze it, you can package leftover chicken corn chowder in individual portions or make it ahead and store it as a full batch that you can reheat to have enough for a family dinner.
- Refrigerate – Cool the soup and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.
- Freeze – Transfer the leftover soup to an airtight container, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer. It can be frozen for up to about three months. The night before you are going to eat it, let it thaw in the refrigerator. Then reheat as instructed.
- Reheat – To heat it up, transfer the soup to a pot and gently warm to a simmer on the stove or microwave until just barely starting to bubble, stirring occasionally.
Make it a Meal
Of course, you can simply enjoy your soup with some crackers. But you can definitely make it a heartier meal with some sides to serve with your steamy bowl of corn chowder. Here are a few serving suggestions:
- Have Some Bread. Grab a big hunk of crusty Gluten Free French Bread for dunking. A buttery slice of Gluten Free Cornbread would also be nice.
- Add a Salad. Toss a simple salad and drizzle it with Italian Dressing or Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- Have Soup and Sandwich. It’s a classic combo for lunch or dinner. Go with some Kentucky Hot Brown Grilled Cheese (use gluten free bread, if needed), or make Gluten Free Ham and Cheese Sliders.
- Serve More Veggies. You can even have some Baked Cauliflower Tots or Air Fryer Carrots on the side.
Chicken Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- salt and pepper , to taste
- 6 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 1 cup fresh or frozen sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat
- Add 1 cup chopped onion and a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for about 5 minutes, until translucent.
- Add 4 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels, 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage, and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, and saute for 4-5 minutes to start to soften the corn.
- Add 2 cups chicken broth or stock and cook for about 15-20 minutes to soften the corn.
- Transfer the entire mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender and puree until smooth.
- Return the puree to the saucepan over medium-low heat, and add the remaining 2 cups chicken broth or stock, 2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels, 2 cups chopped cooked chicken, 1 cup fresh or frozen sliced carrots, and 1/2 cup frozen peas.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for another 10-20 minutes, until heated through and carrots are tender (time will depend on whether you used fresh or frozen carrots). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Any thoughts about how to make this vegetarian besides veggie stock and omit chicken?
That’s all you need to do to make it vegetarian. Feel free to add any other veggies or a plant-based protein if you want to make it a bit heartier.
Thoughts on using leftover thanksgiving turkey??
Absolutely! Go for it!
I have a cookbook problem too–I lost count around 100! And I have that cooking with Rosie book too, but I haven’t opened it in ages. I probably should give it another look!
Your chicken corn chowder looks great….I wish to have a bowl of them now!
I like your version of this classic!
Thanks Cindy!
This is such an awesome soup! I like corn I like chicken I like soup….hoooorayyy!
We can never get enough soup recipes in our house. Once it get’s chilly, we usually have soup once a week! Recipe is pinned!