Make this simple, warm Crock Pot Corn Chowder right in your slow cooker with tender potatoes, sweet corn, and salty, smoky bacon in a creamy soup.
Crock Pot Corn Chowder
This warm creamy soup is a classic made even better. Crock Pot Corn Chowder can be made right in your slow cooker, making it so ridiculously easy to make.
This Crock Pot Corn Chowder has the perfect amount of creamy and savory with bursts of gentle sweetness from the corn. Warm, tender potatoes, sweet corn, and salty, smoky bacon all swimming in a thick creamy chowder.
It's great for using fresh sweet corn in the summer (and can be frozen, too if you want to save it for later!), and it's equally as amazing on those chilly winter nights with a big piece of buttery, warm, crusty bread.
Can I Use Fresh Corn?
If it's in season, then by all means go for it! Nothing can beat fresh sweet corn!
You'll need about 10 ears, or about 5-6 cups.
Can I Use Canned Corn?
Yes. You'll need about 4 cans, drained.
How to Thicken Corn Chowder
This recipe already includes a thickener. It adds cornstarch to half-and-half, and that little cornstarch slurry thickens the whole soup.
I also sometimes puree the soup a little bit with my immersion blender, as blending up the corn (but not too much because a chowder should still be nice and chunky) will thicken it up quite a bit.
For additional thickening, you can add a little more cornstarch, about a tablespoon, to about 2 tablespoons of water and stir that mixture into the chowder.
Add-Ins for Your Corn Chowder
This classic recipe is great, but I know sometimes it's fun to mix it up a little. Try adding a little something to your chowder to give it that extra punch you're looking for.
- Add a protein. Try cooked and crumbled sausage, cooked ham, or cooked chicken. Added protein will really help this soup feel like a full meal.
- Sprinkle some cheese. Everything is better with a little gooey cheese. You can add cheese on top to garnish, or sprinkle some into the whole pot of soup. My favorites are cheddar or gouda.
- Kick up the heat. Add some hot peppers, like jalapenos, to up the spicy factor. No peppers on hand? A few dashes of a hot sauce like Tabasco or a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes will also do the trick!
What to Serve with Crock Pot Corn Chowder
Crock Pot Corn Chowder works as a main dish on a chilly day or even as a side.
Serve it with a green salad and a piece of crusty bread for a full, rounded meal.
Or serve it as a side with grilled or baked chicken or pork chops with another side such as green beans with shallots or grilled brussels sprouts.
More Soup Recipes You'll Love
- Cheesy Ham and Corn Chowder - simple stovetop recipe that's great for a warm dinner and using up leftover ham.
- Southwest Bean Chowder - creamy southwest style soup that gets all of its creamy, rich flavor from beans!
- Southern Corn Chowder - if you love this corn chowder, try our stovetop version too!
- Crock Pot Cheesy Potato Soup - a comfort food classic made in the slow cooker, and you better believe it's extra cheesy!
- Cheeseburger Soup - my family's all-time favorite soup. Filled with potatoes, cheese, and ground beef, it's like a warm, comforting meal in a bowl.
Crock Pot Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 pound red potatoes diced
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bags frozen whole kernel corn (12 ounces each)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ pound bacon crisply cooked and crumbled
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chives for garnish
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, add potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, corn, and chicken broth.
- Cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or high for 3-4 hours), or until potatoes are tender.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together half-and-half (or cream) and cornstarch until smooth.
- Add half-and-half mixture to the slow cooker. Cover and cook an additional 15-20 minutes until thickened and heated through.
- Optional: Using an immersion blender, blend about half of the soup to thicken a little bit more.
- Add in bacon and season with salt and pepper before serving,
Notes
- Blending the soup (the last step) is optional, but it does result in a very nice, thick chowder. Just don't blend it completely into a puree or you lose that chunky texture chowders are known for.
- For another thickening option, use an additional 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Stir the mixture into the soup.
- Substitute 10 fresh ears of corn or 4 drained cans of corn instead of frozen corn.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer Directions: Prepare soup and allow to cool completely. Transfer to a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3-6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove over medium heat in a large pot.
Nutrition
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Mahy says
Fantastic chowder to make this weekend. Just what I have been looking for!
Kimberly says
I have never made corn chowder. I was nervous but it came out great. I added 4 tablespoons bacon fat added 4 pieces of crumbled bacon, a tablespoon of white sugar, 1tsp. Salt, 1 tsp. Cracked black pepper and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Also added extra crumbled bacon on top of chowder in bowl 😋
Dannii says
Chowder is total comfort food and this looks delicious. Such a vibrant colour too.
Tavo says
Sounds like the perfect fall recipe! Looks super yummy and easy to make. I'll make it over the weekend. Thank you!
Sarah James says
What a delicious soup, perfect for this time of year. I love how you make it in the slow cooker, going to try this at the weekend.
sue says
Why have I never thought to add bacon to corn chowder?? This is a fabulous recipe.
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a hit all around the table! The perfect fall chowder; easily, a new favorite dish!
Kate says
I love corn chowder but have never made it in my crockpot - what a fab idea, it works really well.
Julie says
This is one hearty, comforting and delicious looking chowder.
Anjali says
I absolutely love corn chowder and I love that your version can be made in the crock pot instead of on the stove top! Can't wait to make this for dinner tonight!
Jess says
This is the perfect bowl of soup. It is full of flavor and love that it can be made in the slow cooker.
Becca says
Easy to make but super watery not creamy (I had to add stuff) and totally bland I ended up adding my own spices. Even my 7 year old thought it was watery and plain
Michelle says
Hi Becca, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your soup. There is a full 2 cups of cream in this soup, so that definitely qualifies it as "creamy." Corn chowder is a very mild flavored soup to feature the corn, which has a very soft and mild flavor. Perhaps you'd enjoy this Cheeseburger Soup, which is super creamy and cheesy and loaded with flavor. It's my kids favorite soup (and mine too 🙂 )
https://www.thegraciouswife.com/cheeseburger-soup-recipe/
Susan says
Might check wording in freezer directions of recipe..think you forgot "cool"..I am sure everyone figured it out. I appreciated your suggestions of "add ins". It is my practice to do this, too, when I share recipes. I could see some roasted hatch green chilis working nicely, too.
Michelle says
Thanks for letting me know. I've fixed it. Green chiles sound delicious! Great idea!
Annie Kessler says
We LOVE this recipe. Made it again tonight and used a roux because we were out of cornstarch -- still worked great. We like to add a dash of cayenne at the end when we add the cream and we end up adding a little garlic and onion powder too because we like everything a bit more flavorful. Taste and sprinkle at the end to get it just to your liking! We love that this recipe can be slightly changed to suit our current flavor preferences. We also sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese in our bowls with the bacon bits and chives. What a yummy, cozy recipe. Thank you!