The Coziest Potato Corn Chowder
Hearty, creamy, and loaded with flavor, this Potato Corn Chowder recipe is the ultimate comfort food dish to curl up with when the cold weather has you reaching for a blanket. It’s got a velvety-smooth texture with tender potato chunks and sweet pops of corn and other veggies, making it the ultimate antidote to a cold, grey day!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Potato Corn Chowder
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: butter, chopped onion, chopped green bell pepper, chicken broth, red potatoes, cubed, jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped, paprika, salt
- Why You'll Love It: Hearty, creamy, and loaded with the perfect blend of flavors, this potato corn chowder recipe is a comfort food dish to enjoy when the temperature drops.
Hearty, Filling, and Full of Southern Flavor
Oh, how I love this potato corn chowder recipe from my dear friend Tina. It’s the only chowder recipe I make, apart from my Country Chowder. I’ve added my own spin to it, and it’s just as delicious as ever.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the slightly long list of ingredients. Y’all know I wouldn’t have a recipe with THAT many ingredients if it wasn’t good! We just need lots of delicious vegetables to make it hearty and filling. Believe it or not, my favorite parts are the green onions and the sweet, juicy corn.
Then there are shelf-stable ingredients that come together to create the perfect blend of flavors. Yep, I promise there is no weird stuff that you wouldn’t be able to use again in another recipe! Just a tasty Southern dinner that’s great for entertaining guests or warming up on a chilly day.
Reader Review
“I made this last week, omg, it was amazing! I never made corn chowder before, it is so good my kids loved it too, I made it the next day again for my elderly parents, they loved it as well. You always have the best recipes, I love reading your stories about your life. Thank you so much for sharing!” – Joany
Ingredients
- Butter
- Onion
- Green bell pepper
- Chicken broth
- Red potatoes
- Jalapeno pepper (optional but would recommend – it adds a nice bit of flavor!)
- Paprika, salt, & red pepper flakes
- Frozen corn
- Milk
- Green onions
- All-purpose flour
Things I’ve Learned Making This Chowder
- Don’t rush the sautéing step. Taking your time to get the onions and bell pepper nice and tender makes a big difference in the final flavor.
- Cut my potatoes into small, even chunks so they cook at the same rate, and you get a bit of potato in every spoonful.
- A heavy-bottomed stockpot works best for soups and stews like this. It distributes heat evenly and prevents sticking or burning on the bottom.
- Keep the heat low when you add the milk. Bringing it to a boil too quickly can cause it to scorch on the bottom of the pot.
- I love topping mine with shredded cheddar, crispy bacon bits, and a dollop of sour cream. It takes it to the next level!
How To Make Potato Corn Chowder
1. Sauté
Start by chopping your veggies. Then melt some butter in a medium-sized stockpot over medium-high heat.
Toss in your onion and bell pepper and sauté them until they’re tender.
2. Boil & Simmer
Then, go ahead and add your broth and cubed potatoes.
Bring to a boil. Once it’s bubbling away, turn down the heat, pop the lid on, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add Remaining Veggies & Spices
Next, stir in the jalapeno, salt, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Toss in the corn and 1½ cups of milk. Bring it just to a boil, then let it simmer for 15 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then. Once that’s done, throw in the green onion.
4. Add Flour & More Milk
Now gradually add the flour and the rest of the milk, stirring constantly as it boils for two minutes or until thick and bubbly.
And you’re done! Serve hot, top and with bacon and cheese, if you wish.
Doesn’t this quick potato corn chowder look YUMMY?
Serving Suggestions
Serve your potato corn chowder with a grilled cheese sandwich, homemade dinner rolls, garlic bread, homemade cornbread, or a simple tangy salad like my tomato, onion, and cucumber salad!
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover potato chowder in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Note that the chowder will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of milk when reheating to thin it out.
Potato Corn Chowder FAQs
Yukon Gold or Red potatoes are both great choices for chowder. Yukon Golds offer a buttery flavor and will slightly cream the broth as they cook, while Red potatoes hold their shape and give you those firm, chunky pieces. I personally use Red potatoes in this recipe because I love a thick, hearty chowder with plenty of texture!
Yes, this potato corn chowder can easily be made vegetarian or vegan! To make it vegetarian-friendly, just substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth, and you’re off to the races! To make it vegan, use vegetable stock, coconut milk or almond milk, and the oil of your choice instead of butter.
If you’d prefer to use a slow cooker, sauté the bell pepper and onion first, then add the other ingredients to your crockpot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. About 15 minutes before it’s done, add the flour/milk mixture to thicken the chowder.
While potato and corn are the hero vegetables, you can really add whatever you like. For example, many corn chowder recipes include diced carrot and celery instead of bell pepper. If you want to make this corn chowder heartier, add the protein of your choice when you add the potatoes:
– Cooked and crumbled sausage
– Leftover diced chicken pieces or rotisserie chicken
– Leftover ham
– Salmon or garlic shrimp
Did this chowder warm you right up? Rate it below and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
More Delicious Recipes for Chilly Days
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
- 2 large red potatoes cubed
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cups frozen corn
- 3 cups milk divided
- 4 green onions chopped
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a medium-sized stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the butter, then sauté the onion and bell pepper until tender. Then add the broth and cubed potatoes.2 tablespoons butter, 1 onion, 1 green bell pepper, 1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth, 2 large red potatoes
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the jalapeno, salt, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add the corn and 1½ cups of milk. Bring just to a boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the green onion.1 jalapeno pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 3 cups frozen corn, 3 cups milk, 4 green onions
- Combine the flour and remaining milk and mix well. Gradually add this to the chowder. Boil while stirring constantly for two minutes or until thick and bubbly. Serve hot. Top with bacon and cheese, if desired.3 cups milk, ½ cup all-purpose flour
I BASICALLY MAKE THE SAME RECIPE — BUT I USE CHICKEN , COOKED , PLENTY OF IT &&&&&& IT”S CALLED CHICKEN CORN SOUP .. — A PENNA. AMISH , GERMAN RECIPE – SO GOOD !!!!!!
I was just getting ready to add that I would put chicken in that recipe as I live in SE Ohio with aheavy Amish and German influence.
I don’t know what’s better… the recipe, or the running commentary… you just honestly make me LOL.
As for cold southerners… I truly believe that no one is worse than a cold northerner/now southerner. Grew up in NJ my whole life, moved to VA for 10 years (which is almost southern), BACK to nj for 2 very long years, and now a Southernern in FL. you are RIGHT. I have one turtleneck i wear about 5x a year. I will defend my right to wear flip flops and shorts into december. But once I make the switch to long pants/shoes/socks/long sleeves, I’m DONE. I’m freezing right up til March.! lol
Yum yum yum! I can’t wait to try this!
Hi Christy! Not sure where you were in Canada in January, but I can tell you the part that I live in makes most Canadians start a-shivering in July just imagining it.
I know what you mean about Southerners and Winter … I remember being in Arkansas in November in 65 degree weather and people were pretty much in straight “you people are crazy” mode when they heard we were going to sit in the hot tub for a while.
Anyway, back to the Chowder. It’s a favorite of mine as a hearty soup, and I often make it over an open fire on the lake in summer … being outdoors all day makes you hungrier, and there’s no good reason to go home at noon when you’re out fishing. It does get as hot in summer here as it gets cold in winter. Okay, maybe not … but 105 F is considered a normal temperature here in July, although 80~95 is more common.
Anyway … I’m going to try this a second time. Back to the Chowder. I see a few people talking about adding bacon bits at the end. You’re half way there. What you need to do is cut up some bacon into small pieces and fry that, for about 1 minute or so. 2 slices would be fine. Then you add the butter to your skillet, and your onions, (I add celery), peppers, and saute away.
The other thing is you can make a chowder from anything, it doesn’t have to be clams, although people who live near the ocean eat it that way. It’s not really a “red meat” dish, but chicken, turkey, fish, shrimp, probably crayfish … you get the idea.
And, aside from potatoes and bacon, in my kitchen chowder always has corn, and a little shredded carrot. The carrot is really there mostly for appearance.
Great site … I came her looking for a Southern Gravy recipe. Found one, too.
Stay warm down there. Summer’s on it’s way.
Thanks for this recipe! It’s supposed to be fall (in the south, it may feel like summer!) I too am in soup mode! I can understand the bacon & cheese to serve (everything is better with both!)
ok Christy! If u don’t eat seafood and ur from the south, then do u not eat crawfish? I mean that’s like the southern sin here in Louisiana if u don’t eat crawfish! (I know ur not from Louisiana, but ur just a skip and a hop away!)
We loved this…the pot was licked clean. My 17 year old son actually did the cooking, it was a very easy recipe for him to follow. He also added 1/2 a pound of bacon. This recipe got two thumbs up from this northern Illinois family.
I wound up making this last night instead of back on the 2nd. It came out really delicious, and my husband loved it! I wound up taking the idea of bacon and running with it. I cooked about 1/2 a pound of chopped up bacon in a separate pot, and added it to the chowder at the same time as the corn and green onion. I got the kind from Wal-Mart that’s covered in pepper. And of course once that bacon was cooked up I put the grease in a jar I started after moving to GA. I keep mine in the fridge though. My grandma used to keep hers on the top of the stove. Anyway, the chowder was awesome and all that peppered bacon really gave it good flavor and peppery-ness. Thank you for sharing this great recipe, Christy!