Potato Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe

Warm up with a bowl of this comforting Potato Corn Chowder when nights are chilly. It is loaded with chunks of potato, salty bacon, and sweet corn. Every bite is rich, creamy, and downright delicious!

CORN CHOWDER WITH BACON

I have over a dozen recipes for soup, but this corn and potato chowder is definitely a favorite at our house. Bacon just makes everything taste better, and this corn chowder soup is no exception!

With most creamy soups, you thicken them with butter and flour. But for this corn and bacon chowder, you actually use the drippings from the cooked bacon instead of butter.

It adds such a great smoky, rich flavor that I’ve had several people tell me this is the best corn chowder they’ve ever tasted!

And in addition to the bacon in the soup, I like to save some to serve additional bacon bits top of the soup. Delish!

HOW TO MAKE CORN CHOWDER:

1. COOK THE VEGETABLES – Wash and chop the potatoes, celery, and onion, and cook in chicken broth till tender.
2. CRISP THE BACON – While the veggies are simmering, dice and cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium or low heat till very crisp. Set aside.
3. MAKE A ROUX (WHITE SAUCE) – Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet. Whisk in flour over medium heat. Cook and stir for at least a minute. Add the milk and cream and continue cooking and whisking till smooth and creamy.
4. COMBINE – Pour the white sauce mixture into the cooked vegetables with the corn, bacon, and black pepper. Heat through.
5. GARNISH – Top each bowl of soup with bacon and cheddar cheese if desired.

This recipe does make a large pot of chowder, so feel free to cut it in half if you have a small family.

Like having a visual when you cook? Watch the video below to learn how to make bacon corn chowder!

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER SOUP

Leftovers will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container.  We actually think it tastes better the next day.

You can reheat it in a soup pot or saucepan, or heat individual servings in glass bowls in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

I don’t recommend freezing leftover chowder because it changes the texture. Unfortunately, the potatoes tend to disintegrate, and the cream mixture can separate. 

VARIATIONS:

• We like this soup with russet potatoes because the starch makes the soup extra creamy, but you can use unpeeled red potatoes if you prefer. Still delicious!
• I almost always make this corn chowder with frozen corn, but you can use fresh corn. Canned corn will work in a pinch, but it definitely isn’t as tasty.
• If you are using precooked bacon, you can replace the bacon fat with butter or olive oil. You won’t get as much of the rich bacon flavor, but the soup is still really, really good.
• Feel free to add other vegetables like diced carrots, or even some diced jalapenos if you want a bit of heat.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CORN CHOWDER

• Angel Biscuits are quick and easy, and can even be made ahead of time. 
• We love these Homemade Garlic Knots with any soup recipe.
• Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese makes a great side dish, and who doesn’t love dipping grilled cheese in soup?
• One Hour Dinner Rolls taste like you spent all afternoon baking, but they are ready in 60 minutes!

MORE SOUP RECIPES:

• Lasagna Soup Recipe
• Ham Broccoli Soup
• Spicy Corn Chowder
• Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup from Scratch
• Cheese Soup Recipe

Corn Chowder with Bacon

Kara

Creamy corn chowder with bacon and potatoes. A perfectly comforting soup recipe everyone will love!

4.82 from 11 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Soups

Cuisine American

Servings 10 servings

Calories 540 kcal

Equipment

• OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
• Stainless Steel Wire Whisk Set, Dishwasher Safe, 3 Piece
• Farberware Stainless Steel 6-Quart Covered Stockpot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6 potatoes peeled and diced (about 6 cups)
• 1 onion diced
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 pound bacon cut up
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 3 ½ cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 cups frozen corn
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

 

• Cook potatoes, onion, and celery in broth and salt in a large soup pot till crisp tender, about 15-20 minutes.
• In a skillet or large saucepan, cook the bacon over medium low heat till very crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked bacon from pan.
• Drain off all but 3-4 tablespoons of bacon grease. Whisk in the flour till there are no lumps. Cook and stir for at least a minute.
• Slowly whisk in the milk and cream. Continue to cook and stir till mixture thickens and boils.
• Add the white sauce to the vegetable mixture. Mash soup slightly with a potato masher if desired. Stir in the corn, the pepper, and about 3/4 of the bacon. Heat through.
• Garnish soup with the remaining bacon and shredded cheese if desired.

Video

Notes

• If you have fresh corn, (lucky you), it works great. I don’t recommend canned corn, it makes the soup overly salty and doesn’t add any sweetness. But it will work in a pinch.
• Make sure you brown your bacon over low or medium low heat or the drippings will burn and turn the soup an ugly color. Sadly, I learned this the hard way.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 16gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 833mgPotassium: 1133mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 517IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 148mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Potato Corn Chowder

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My family loves this potato corn chowder recipe during the winter, but it is also a great recipe to make during the summer months if you have fresh corn!