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Creamy Sweet Corn Chowder Recipe Easy Homemade with Crispy Bacon

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A comforting and easy-to-make creamy sweet corn chowder featuring crispy bacon and fresh chives, perfect for cozy dinners and quick weeknight meals.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 4 cups sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 4 cups chicken broth (low sodium recommended)
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk or half-and-half
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Optional: pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Place 6 thick-cut bacon slices in a cold large pot or Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium and cook until bacon is crispy, about 8 minutes, flipping occasionally. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the bacon fat and melt over medium heat. Add 1 medium diced yellow onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent and soft. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Stir in 2 diced Yukon Gold potatoes and 4 cups sweet corn kernels. Cook for 2-3 minutes, tossing occasionally to combine flavors.
  4. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the vegetables. Stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
  5. Slowly whisk in 4 cups chicken broth, making sure no lumps form. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
  6. Carefully ladle about 3 cups of the chowder into a blender or use an immersion blender to puree roughly half of the soup until smooth. Pour it back into the pot.
  7. Stir in 1 ½ cups whole milk and warm through for 5 minutes without boiling. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and add a pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne if desired.
  8. Crumble the reserved crispy bacon and stir half into the chowder. Ladle into bowls and garnish each with remaining bacon and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives.

Notes

To keep the chowder gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with cornstarch or a gluten-free blend. Avoid boiling the milk to prevent curdling. Use frozen corn thawed and drained to avoid watery chowder. For a vegetarian version, omit bacon and use olive oil or vegan butter with smoked paprika or liquid smoke for flavor. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat gently and add milk or broth if too thick. Freezing is not recommended for the chowder with potatoes.

Nutrition

Keywords: corn chowder, creamy corn soup, sweet corn chowder, bacon chowder, easy chowder recipe, weeknight dinner, comfort food

Find it online: https://juliamadeit.com/creamy-sweet-corn-chowder-recipe-easy-homemade-with-crispy-bacon/