• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

Small book

My cookbook "Dinner" now available!

  • My RecipeTin
  • My cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Cookbook recipes
    • Iconic + cult classics
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Salads & veg
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice recipes
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Easter
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Soups

Corn Chowder with Bacon

By:Nagi
Published:23 Oct '17Updated:3 May '23
148 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Creamy, hearty Corn Chowder with BACON!! My two little effortless tips that take this up a notch is to use the bacon drippings to make the soup base, and toss the used corn cobs into the broth to infuse it with extra corn flavour. This soup is guaranteed to warm your soul and get your taste buds dancing!

Creamy Corn Chowder with Bacon, with a couple of simple tips for make it extra tasty! www.recipetineats.com

Corn Chowder

I’m a sucker for creamy soups in any form. In fact, I’m yet to come across a creamy soup I don’t love. Hmmmm…..that statement sounds somewhat awfully familiar.

I’ve written that here before. Oh, that’s right. I say the same thing about cheese. Umm… and potatoes.

This website would be a very different place indeed if I also said the same thing about salads. 😈

There are corn chowders, then there are corn chowders. A couple of years ago, I shared a quick ‘n easy Corn Chowder using leftover Christmas ham and frozen corn. This one is a teeny step up from that in terms of effort, and it’s totally worth it because it’s extra corny and loaded with extra flavour.

Here’s my tip: Use fresh corn and use the corn cobs to make a simple extra-corny broth. OH – and cook the bacon first and use the bacon drippings to make the soup base (i.e. sautéing onion and garlic then making a roux that thickens the soup).

How to Make Corn Chowder with Bacon www.recipetineats.com

Creamy Corn Chowder with Bacon, with a couple of simple tips for make it extra tasty! www.recipetineats.com

This method of infusing the soup broth with the corn cobs (also used in this Cold Corn Soup) is a tip I picked up from Kenji at Serious Eats, The Best Corn Chowder Recipe. Kenji says this, Kenji says that, Kenji’s tip for this, Kenji’s tested that… his name gets thrown around quite a bit in the RecipeTin family. While I’m pretty sure none of us has actually made any of his recipes exactly as written, we find his food-science approach to making the “best of the best” (like crunchy fried Chinese chicken that stays crunchy) or why it’s impossible to do this-or-that in a home kitchen (like truly charring noodles the South East Asian way) interesting reading, and are sometimes able to pick up tips that we can actually use in our normal day to day cooking.

Infusing the broth with the corn cobs is one such technique. 🙂

Creamy Corn Chowder with Bacon, with a couple of simple tips for make it extra tasty! www.recipetineats.com

Creamy Corn Chowder with Bacon, with a couple of simple tips for make it extra tasty! www.recipetineats.com

Now, I must confess something. Well, 2 things. The soup you see in the photos is cleaner than what you will see in the video. I usually make this with sprigs of thyme to infuse the broth. When I made the recipe video, I only had a few shrivelled up brown sprigs so I opted to use dried thyme instead rather than doing yet another run to the grocery store, so the soup broth is speckled with thyme leaves.

Having made that decision, I proceeded with the recipe video. Got the step where I was to toss in a bay leaf…. and realised I was out of bay leaves!!!

So… that bay leaf you see me plop into the soup is actually….. errr ….well, it’s a kaffir lime leaf. I fished it out as soon as I stopped recording!!!

These are not deal breakers though. Dried vs fresh thyme sprigs is just about aesthetics, and the bay leaf does add a subtle hint of extra flavour but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have it.

Just don’t substitute with kaffir lime leaf!!! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Corn Chowder with Bacon

Author: Nagi
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 50 mins
4.97 from 56 votes
Servings5 - 6 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 489
Make your next Corn Chowder extra tasty by using the bacon drippings to make the soup base and after cutting the kernels off, throw the corn cobs into the broth to infuse it with extra corn flavour! The potato is cooked until very soft, so the edges are starting to breakdown and this helps thicken the soup. Recipe VIDEO below.

Ingredients

Corn (choose one)

  • 4 ears of corn
  • 4 cups / 750g / 1.5 lb frozen or canned corn , drained

Soup:

  • 1 tsp butter (or oil)
  • 250g / 8 oz bacon , chopped
  • 30g / 2 tbsp butter (use 3 tbsp if bacon is lean)
  • 1 garlic clove , minced
  • 1 small onion , diced (or half large onion) (yellow, brown or white)
  • 5 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth , low sodium
  • 3 cups milk (I use low fat but full fat will work too)
  • 600g / 1.2 lb potatoes , cut into 1 cm / 2/5" cubes (about 2 large)
  • 2 sprigs of thyme OR 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 3/4 cup cream (Note 1)
  • 3/4 cup shallots / scallions , green part finely sliced
  • Salt and finely ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cut the corn off the cob. This is how I do it: Place a small ramekin in a large bowl. Place corn on the ramekin then cut the corn off. See video. Keep naked cobs.
  • Place 1 tsp butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove onto a paper towel lined plate. Leave fat in pot.
  • Lower heat to medium high. Add 2 tbsp butter, once melted, add garlic and onion. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes until onion is translucent.
  • Add flour and mix it in. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  • Add broth, milk, potatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Break naked cobs into 2 or 3 and add into the liquid. Put the lid on and simmer for 25 minutes (adjust heat so it's simmering energetically but not bubbling like crazy or super gently).
  • Remove lid, remove corn cobs. Add corn and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked to your taste.
  • Stir through cream and 3/4 of the bacon and shallots. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining bacon and shallots.

Recipe Notes:

1. I use heavy / thickened cream. Feel free to use half and half, pouring or even light cream. Butter is also a great option if you don't have cream - just a small knob to add richness. Or omit it for a healthier version - it's still beautifully creamy and thick.
2. Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings. 175 calories of the 620 calories is attributable to the bacon (streaky bacon). Use lean or turkey bacon to cut down on calories!

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 523gCalories: 620cal (31%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

More creamy soups

Soul warming Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup. Simply and utterly divine. recipetineats.com
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
Ham and Corn Chowder in a French casserole pot being ladled out for serving.
Ham and Corn Chowder with Potato
Bowl of Mushroom Soup garnished with golden mushrooms
Mushroom Soup
Close up of Broccoli and Potato Soup in a pot, ready to be served
Broccoli and Potato Soup
Close up of Carrot Soup in a rustic black bowl being scooped up with a spoon.
Creamy Carrot Soup
Close up of a freshly made pot of Celeriac Soup
Celeriac Soup
Creamy Dreamy Cauliflower Soup - just 190 calories for BIG bowl, effortless to make and soooo creamy!
Creamy, Dreamy Cauliflower Soup
It's a miracle - this creamy soup is super low cal, low carb, gluten free and unbelievably tasty. The secret: peeled zucchini, cauliflower, onion and garlic cooked then pureed. Imagine the possibilities! recipetineats.com
Super Low Cal Healthy Creamy Vegetable Soup
Close up of Cream of Vegetable Soup with Noodles (no cream!) in a pot, fresh off the stove ready to be served
Soups


LIFE OF DOZER

Nowhere to be seen when I was cutting the corn, made an appearance when the bacon was cooking. (PS I shot this recipe pre Cindy Crawford beauty spot in the photo I shared last Friday a.k.a smudge of permanent hair colour on his face)

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Previous Post
Hummus
Next Post
Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Pot of Sweet potato soup ready to serve

Sweet Potato Soup – simple but great!

Bowls of Gazpacho ready to be eaten

Gazpacho

Spanish seafood stew from RecipeTin Eats "Dinner" cookbook by Nagi Maehashi

Spanish Seafood Stew

More Soups

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




148 Comments

  1. Marilyn Wentworth Hanson says

    August 3, 2020 at 10:09 am

    5 stars
    The sweet corn was at the ripest this weekend so I made a big pot of soup it was excellent
    Thanks

    Reply
  2. Stephanie Volin says

    July 25, 2020 at 10:04 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! Our go-to corn chowder recipe. We added foraged mushrooms (black velvet boletes) for even more deliciousness.

    Reply
  3. Bundy Girl says

    July 6, 2020 at 5:32 am

    I am now the worlds BEST wife after making this delicious soup for my husband ! He has always loved my homemade soups but this one tops the lot for sure. We had it for lunch (with your no knead bread rolls) and then for dinner. Just as delicious heated up the 2nd time. Thanks Nagi x And his to Dozer x

    Reply
  4. Ginger says

    May 13, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    Hi Nagi
    Just want to tell that I made your creamy Corn Chowder with Bacon … easy to make plus delicious… family enjoyed it

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 14, 2020 at 11:14 am

      Perfect Ginger!! N x

      Reply
  5. Lily says

    April 29, 2020 at 2:43 pm

    5 stars
    I cooked this a few weeks ago and only tasted onion from the soup. This has happened a few times, I think the onions I buy are larger than the ones you use in your recipes 🙁
    Today I only used 1/4 of a large yellow onion, and it’s perfect. Eating this with garlic bread is a must!!

    Reply
  6. Eryka says

    April 17, 2020 at 11:37 pm

    5 stars
    Recooked your recipe, amazingly good delicious creamy like chowdeeer, but not overpowering thick… its light and savoury… oya, i added bits of chicken that i made from the chick stock too.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 18, 2020 at 6:14 pm

      Um so glad you enjoyed it Eryka! N x

      Reply
  7. Gale Reed says

    April 12, 2020 at 4:08 am

    5 stars
    Amazing! I’ve made corn chowder before but never boiled the cobs. What a game changer! Creamy corn taste throughout with that slight salty bite from bacon. Thanks so much Nagi!

    Reply
  8. Mike says

    February 10, 2020 at 3:07 pm

    5 stars
    Made this a few times now and it is absolutely brilliant. I also like to throw in a small can of white crab meat into it and/or some fresh prawns.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 11, 2020 at 6:35 am

      Woah that sounds decadent, I must try! N x

      Reply
  9. Sherri Drdla says

    October 8, 2019 at 5:30 am

    5 stars
    Loved it! Even my son who likes very little, thought it was great!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 8, 2019 at 9:32 am

      That’s great to hear Sherri!!

      Reply
  10. Tenille says

    September 15, 2019 at 9:02 pm

    5 stars
    So YUM!! Family loved it. I had no thyme so replaced with some rosemary and was still good. Added this to the comfort food list. Thanks for the recipe will make again for sure 😊

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 16, 2019 at 7:52 am

      Perfect! I’m so glad you loved it Tenille!!

      Reply
  11. Kim says

    August 29, 2019 at 12:12 am

    5 stars
    I made this recipe as written and it was the absolute best soup ever. We make a variety of homemade soups on a regular basis but my family devoured this and appropriately name it “the best soup ever”.
    You need to make this soup!! Life changer. 😬 side dish of fresh bread from the oven and you have a little piece of heaven.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 29, 2019 at 6:19 pm

      Woah what a great compliment Kim!

      Reply
  12. Alene says

    August 27, 2019 at 8:49 am

    This was delicious!! I even had all the ingredients, for a change. Thank you for sharing this. And my husband thanks you too!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 27, 2019 at 6:09 pm

      Awesome thanks so much Alene ❤️

      Reply
    • Alene says

      August 27, 2019 at 8:54 am

      5 stars
      Oh, and I forgot to say that I am gluten free, not by choice unfortunately. So I added cornstarch instead of flour, a little over 3 tablespoons. It was perfect and we couldn’t taste the change at all.

      Reply
  13. MICHELLE CHCH NZ says

    June 17, 2019 at 12:31 pm

    IF I had any leftover, is it suitable to freeze?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 17, 2019 at 8:26 pm

      Hi Michelle, I haven’t tried with this recipe, I think it may not be suitable because of the cream in it – N x

      Reply
  14. MICHELLE CHCH NZ says

    June 17, 2019 at 12:22 pm

    5 stars
    OMG this soup is delicious! Will be making this time and time again.
    Thanks Nagi

    Reply
  15. Christine says

    May 10, 2019 at 12:04 am

    What kind of cream do you use

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 10, 2019 at 1:42 pm

      Hi Christine, it’s all in the recipe notes ☺️

      Reply
  16. Juniper says

    April 27, 2019 at 9:06 am

    5 stars
    OMG !!! This corn chowder with bacon soup looks amazing .. I love making soup. I make a soup that is pretty much the same but it is potato chowder with bacon.. I do use corn in it also . is much the same .. I love thick rich cream soups !! Thanks and keep sending the yummy recipies…

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 27, 2019 at 9:28 am

      I hope you give this one a go and love it!

      Reply
  17. Sarah says

    April 25, 2019 at 7:24 pm

    5 stars
    Winner winner chowder dinner! I used leek instead of onion and skipped the shallots, adding fresh parsley instead. So yummy, all devoured and no leftovers.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 26, 2019 at 7:22 pm

      Sounds like a winner Sarah!

      Reply
  18. Hanna says

    February 13, 2019 at 9:50 am

    5 stars
    So yummy!

    Reply
  19. Charles Suggs says

    November 25, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    5 stars
    Shallots or scallions?

    Hard to make that exchange. We are doing shallot, no green part to slice thinly. Put the shallots in sooner?

    Thank you for the recipe, we are still getting lovely “candy corn” (white and yellow kernels mixed.)

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 26, 2018 at 7:23 pm

      Scallions to you! We call them shallots here 🙂 N x

      Reply
  20. Chivonne Dorgan says

    October 16, 2018 at 12:04 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi,

    It was pouring outside yesterday so Chowder was the perfect meal! Your recipe is absolutely delicious and so easy! Just ran out of cream so I used evaporated milk – not sure how it would be with the cream, but I think I’m going to stick with the milk… This recipe is husband, 4 year old & baby approved 😉

    Reply
    • Emily says

      February 11, 2020 at 9:53 am

      Can you freeze this ?

      Reply
Newer Comments
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

What's for Dinner?

Close up of beef enchiladas in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Beef Enchiladas

Butter Chicken served over basmati rice in a bowl, ready to be served

Butter Chicken

Overhead photo of 2 black bowls with Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Dressing, ready to be eaten

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salisbury Steak recipe in skillet.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Fast prep. Big flavours!

Never miss a recipe

Back to Top
  • Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Center
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • Image Use
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled © RecipeTin Eats 2023 · All Rights Reserved Back to Top