Easy Crockpot Corn Chowder with Bacon and Potatoes
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This Crockpot Corn Chowder is thick, creamy, and loaded with sweet corn, tender potatoes, smoky bacon, and mild green chiles. Even better, this slow cooker corn chowder is a true dump-and-go dinner that takes just a few minutes to put together.
There’s a lot to love about this easy corn chowder recipe, but the best part may be how little work it takes. Frozen potatoes and frozen diced onion eliminate almost all of the chopping. Cream-style corn and condensed cream of chicken soup create the thick, creamy base without making a roux, blending the soup, or adding flour.
Then there’s the flavor. Sweet corn and creamy potatoes make the chowder comforting and hearty, while chopped green chiles add a mild savory kick. A generous amount of bacon gives every bowl a smoky, salty finish.
Unlike a traditional stovetop chowder that requires sautéing vegetables, simmering broth, thickening the soup, and watching the pot, this Crockpot soup recipe keeps things simple. Stir everything together press start on your slow cooker and in a few hours you have a delicious meal.
It’s the kind of easy Crockpot soup that works just as well for a busy weeknight as it does for a cozy Sunday dinner. Add everything to the slow cooker, give it a stir, and come back to a rich, comforting bowl of creamy corn chowder.
If easy slow cooker dinners are your thing, our Slow Cooker Taco Soup is another great recipe to keep on rotation. It also combines corn with bold Southwestern flavors and requires very little hands-on work. For another creamy soup with corn and green chiles, try our White Chicken Chili, which can also be made in the slow cooker.
Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Corn Chowder
This is one of those recipes that gives you maximum comfort-food payoff for very little effort.
The combination of cream-style corn, half-and-half, and cream of chicken soup makes the chowder rich and creamy without requiring an extra thickening step. The potatoes make it hearty enough for dinner, and the bacon adds plenty of savory flavor.
It’s also incredibly convenient. Since the recipe calls for frozen corn, frozen potatoes, and frozen diced onion, you can keep most of the ingredients on hand and make a pot whenever the craving hits.
And while corn chowder is especially comforting once cooler weather arrives, frozen corn means you can make this recipe any time of year. There’s no need to wait for fresh summer corn.
Another reason we love it? Toppings make every bowl customizable. Keep yours simple with extra bacon and black pepper, or turn it into a fully loaded chowder with cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, or sliced jalapeños.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy corn chowder with bacon.
Salt and pepper – Season according to taste. Because bacon and condensed soup can already contain quite a bit of salt, it’s best to taste the finished chowder before adding much extra salt.
Cream-style corn – Cream-style corn gives the soup extra corn flavor while also helping create the thick, creamy texture you expect from chowder. Make sure you use cream-style corn rather than regular canned corn for this portion of the recipe.
Condensed cream of chicken soup – This creates an easy, savory base and helps thicken the chowder without flour or cornstarch. Do not prepare the condensed soup according to the can directions before adding it.
Half-and-half – Half-and-half loosens the condensed soup while keeping the chowder rich and creamy. Whole milk will make a slightly thinner soup, while heavy cream will make it richer.
Chopped green chiles – Canned green chiles give the chowder a subtle Southwestern flavor without making it overly spicy. Mild green chiles are perfect for a family-friendly version.
Frozen corn – Whole corn kernels add texture and plenty of sweet corn flavor. There’s no need to thaw them before adding them to the Crockpot.
Frozen potatoes – Frozen cubed potatoes or shredded hash browns make this recipe incredibly easy because there’s no peeling or chopping required. Cubed potatoes give the chowder more texture, while shredded potatoes melt into the soup and create a thicker consistency.
Frozen diced onion – Another convenient shortcut that eliminates chopping. You can substitute fresh diced yellow or white onion if that’s what you have.
Cooked bacon – Bacon adds smoky, salty flavor and makes the chowder extra hearty. Cook the bacon until crisp before chopping it and adding it to the soup.
Butter – A little butter adds richness and rounds out the flavors in the creamy soup.
Using a combination of whole frozen corn and cream-style corn is especially helpful because you get two different textures. The cream-style corn blends into the broth while the frozen kernels remain intact, so every spoonful still feels like corn chowder rather than simply creamy corn soup.
How to Make Crockpot Corn Chowder
You won’t need a skillet, blender, or separate pot for this recipe. Once the bacon is cooked, everything goes directly into the slow cooker.
Step 1 – Add the ingredients. Add the cream-style corn, condensed cream of chicken soup, half-and-half, chopped green chiles, frozen corn, frozen potatoes, frozen diced onion, chopped cooked bacon, and butter to the Crockpot. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
Step 2 – Slow cook. Cover the slow cooker and cook the corn chowder on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4 hours. Stir occasionally if you’re nearby, but otherwise you can leave the slow cooker covered and let it do the work.
Step 3 – Check the potatoes. Before serving, check that the potatoes are fully heated through and tender. The exact time can vary slightly depending on your slow cooker and whether you use cubed or shredded frozen potatoes.
Step 4 – Season. Stir the chowder well, then taste it before adding salt. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
Step 5 – Serve. Ladle the hot Crockpot Corn Chowder into bowls and serve as-is or finish each serving with your favorite toppings.
That’s it! There’s no roux to make and no need to puree part of the soup to make it thick. The cream-style corn, condensed soup, potatoes, and half-and-half do all of that work for you.
How Thick Should Corn Chowder Be?
Chowder should be noticeably thicker and creamier than a broth-based soup, but it should still be easy to scoop with a spoon.
This recipe gets its body from several ingredients rather than relying on a flour-based roux. Cream-style corn is naturally thick. Condensed cream of chicken soup adds more body, and the starch from the potatoes helps create an even creamier texture as everything cooks together.
Your choice of potatoes can change the consistency, too.
Cubed frozen potatoes will hold more of their shape, giving you distinct bites of potato in the soup. Frozen shredded potatoes tend to break down more as they cook, so they’ll create a thicker, smoother potato corn chowder.
If the finished chowder seems thicker than you prefer, simply stir in a small splash of half-and-half until it reaches the consistency you like.
If it seems a little thinner than expected, give it a thorough stir first. Shredded potatoes can also be used the next time you make it if you prefer an extra-thick chowder.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Keep the lid closed. Every time you lift a slow cooker lid, heat escapes. Leave it covered as much as possible so the soup cooks evenly.
- Wait before adding extra salt. Bacon and condensed cream of chicken soup both add salt, so taste the finished chowder first and season only if needed.
- Choose your potato texture. Cubed potatoes make a chunkier chowder, while shredded frozen potatoes break down more and create an extra-creamy consistency.
Variations & Customizations
One of the best parts of this bacon corn chowder is how easily you can customize each batch.
- Make it cheesy. Stir in shredded sharp cheddar cheese after cooking, or sprinkle cheese over individual bowls so everyone can add as much as they like.
- Add chicken. Stir cooked shredded chicken into the chowder for an even heartier dinner. Rotisserie chicken is an easy shortcut.
- Make it spicier. Use hot diced green chiles, stir in minced jalapeño, or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Use fresh vegetables. Fresh diced onion can replace frozen onion, and fresh potatoes can be used instead of frozen. Make sure fresh potato pieces are cut small enough to become tender during the cooking time.
- Add a Southwestern finish. Top individual bowls with avocado, cilantro, sliced jalapeños, lime, shredded cheese, and crushed tortilla chips.
The base recipe has plenty of flavor on its own, so there’s no need to customize anything unless you want to. We especially like serving the toppings separately when making the soup for a family because everyone can build their own bowl.
The Best Toppings for Corn Chowder
A bowl of creamy chowder is great on its own, but toppings add color, texture, and another layer of flavor.
Crispy chopped bacon is the obvious choice. If you know you’ll want extra bacon for garnish, reserve some before stirring the rest into the Crockpot.
Thinly sliced green onions add freshness and a pop of color. Shredded cheddar melts right into the hot chowder, while a spoonful of sour cream makes it even richer.
For a little heat, try sliced jalapeños or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes. Fresh cilantro is another good option if you want to lean into the green chile and Southwestern flavors.
Crackers and crumbled tortilla chips are great when you want some crunch.
You can even set up a small toppings bar with bacon, cheddar, green onion, sour cream, and jalapeños. It’s an easy way to serve the chowder for a casual family dinner or when friends come over.
What to Serve with Crockpot Corn Chowder
This creamy Crockpot Corn Chowder is hearty enough to be the main course, so you don’t need much alongside it.
A warm loaf of crusty bread is one of the easiest choices. Use it to scoop up every bit of creamy broth left in the bowl. Soft dinner rolls, biscuits, or cornbread are all great choices, too.
For something lighter, serve the chowder with a simple green salad. The fresh, crisp vegetables are a nice contrast to the richness of the bacon and cream.
A sandwich also makes this feel like a cozy soup-and-sandwich lunch. Grilled cheese is especially good because it keeps the entire meal comforting and family-friendly.
If you love easy soup dinners, you may also want to try our Rotisserie Chicken Soup with Tortellini. It uses convenient ingredients to keep prep easy and makes another great weeknight meal.
Our Slow Cooker Pizza Soup is another fun Crockpot soup for families, especially if you want a meal everyone can customize with their favorite toppings.
Can I Make This Corn Chowder Ahead of Time?
Yes. Corn chowder is a great make-ahead meal because the flavors continue to come together as it sits.
Prepare the soup according to the recipe, let the leftovers cool promptly, and transfer them to airtight containers before refrigerating.
For meal prep, divide the soup into individual portions. That makes it easy to grab one serving for lunch and reheat only what you plan to eat.
The chowder will thicken somewhat after refrigeration because of the potatoes and dairy. That’s completely normal. Add a splash of milk or half-and-half while reheating if you’d like to loosen the consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The frozen corn can go directly into the slow cooker without thawing first. Because frozen vegetables can vary and slow cookers heat differently, check that the chowder is hot throughout and the potatoes are tender before serving.
Yes. Shredded frozen potatoes work very well in this Crockpot Corn Chowder. They break down more than cubed potatoes, so the final soup will usually be a little thicker and creamier.
If you want visible chunks of potato in each bowl, use frozen diced or cubed potatoes instead.
No. You can add the frozen potatoes, corn, and diced onion directly to the Crockpot.
You can substitute whole milk, but the finished chowder will be slightly less rich.
Heavy cream can also be used if you want an extra-rich chowder. Because heavy cream contains more fat than half-and-half, you may want to replace only part of the half-and-half with cream rather than all of it.
Yes. You can leave the bacon out, but it provides a lot of the salty, smoky flavor in the original recipe.
If you omit it, you may want to increase the final seasoning after tasting the soup.
Absolutely. Cooked shredded chicken is an easy addition and turns this recipe into a hearty chicken corn chowder.
Rotisserie chicken is perfect because it’s already cooked. Stir it into the Crockpot with the other ingredients so it heats through with the chowder.
The potatoes and cream-style corn continue to thicken the soup, and shredded potatoes can make it especially thick.
Stir in a little additional half-and-half or milk until the chowder reaches the consistency you prefer.
First, stir it thoroughly. Ingredients can settle while cooking, and a good stir often improves the consistency.
The type of frozen potatoes also matters. Shredded potatoes tend to thicken the soup more than cubes because they break down while cooking.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator
Let leftover Crockpot Corn Chowder cool and transfer it to shallow airtight containers. Refrigerate promptly and use leftovers within about 3 to 4 days.
Because this soup contains dairy, don’t leave it sitting at room temperature for an extended period.
Freezer
You can freeze corn chowder, but creamy soups can change texture after freezing. The potatoes can become softer or slightly grainy, and the dairy may separate.
If you decide to freeze it, portion completely cooled chowder into freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room for expansion.
Thaw frozen chowder in the refrigerator before reheating for the most even results. Stirring well as it warms will help bring the creamy consistency back together.
How to Reheat Corn Chowder
For the best texture, reheat the chowder slowly on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often so the creamy base doesn’t scorch.
You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave. Heat in shorter intervals and stir between each one so the chowder warms evenly.
The USDA recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F and advises against using a slow cooker to reheat cold leftovers because they may spend too long warming through. Once food has been safely reheated, a preheated slow cooker can be used to hold it hot for serving.
If the refrigerated chowder is thicker than you want, stir in a splash of half-and-half or milk as it reheats.
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Crockpot Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 29.5 ounces Canned Cream-style corn, 2 – 14.75 ounces cans
- 21.5 ounces Condensed cream of chicken soup, 2 – 10.75 ounces cans
- 2 cups Half and half
- 8 ounces Canned Chopped green chiles
- 12 ounces Frozen corn
- 12 ounces Frozen Potatoes, cubed or shredded
- 6 ounces Frozen Diced Onion
- 1 pound Cooked bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Stir everything together and cook on high for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- For a chunkier potato corn chowder, use cubed frozen potatoes. For a thicker, smoother chowder, use frozen shredded potatoes.
- Taste the soup before adding salt because both the bacon and condensed cream of chicken soup contain salt.
- Optional toppings include additional cooked bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, sour cream, jalapeños, cilantro, or crushed tortilla chips.
Nutrition
