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Chipotle Chicken Corn Chowder is that super hearty, chunky, a little bit spicy, and totally satisfying pot of soup your family will love! It's loaded with vegetables, seasoned blackened chicken, and canned chipotle peppers in adobo to give it that smokey heat. Rich and creamy and ready for all the toppings, this easy stovetop, all-in-one pot of corn chowder deserves a spot in your fall and winter dinner line up!
- Healthy and Hearty - This chicken corn chowder is loaded with potatoes, onions, bell pepper, garlic and herbs for a well-rounded healthy meal!
- Seriously Delicious! - My family approved this soup after the first bite! It's the perfect balance of spicy, smokey, creamy, with a touch of sweetness from the corn and a little brown sugar in the chicken seasoning! With a slightly southwest, hearty chili feel, it would be perfect for Sunday football parties in the fall! Seriously, it's delicious!
- If you Love this Corn Chowder - Try this White Chicken Chili, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and this Sweet Potato Corn Chowder!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
So many fresh ingredients are packed into this chowder, with a perfect spice blend and a nice touch of heat coming from the chipotle peppers!
- Chicken - You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts. If using chicken breasts that are pretty thick, slice them in half lengthwise into two thinner strips to have more surface area to season and sear.
- Blackening Seasoning - The heavily seasoned chicken is going to sear first, but eventually flavor the whole soup. The little bit of brown sugar adds nice balance! If you love it, I use a similar seasoning mix in my Blackened Chicken Chopped Salad and these Blackened Chicken Tacos!
- Onions, Peppers & Garlic - The backbone of southwest flavor! I used a red bell pepper and a dark green poblano pepper which is a little spicier. You can substitute really any peppers you have, like any 2 different colored bell peppers, or Cubanelle, Anaheim, or something spicier if you like!
- Potatoes - This is a chowder and therefore heavy on the potatoes! I used medium sized yellow potatoes, something like Yukon gold, but really any potatoes are fine. Russets or red potatoes can be used. I don't bother peeling them, but you can if you want. Size can really vary so just measure out 6 cups when cubed.
- Corn - Frozen corn is fine for this recipe, but if sweet corn is still in season, or you froze your own from the summer, you can use that. Use 3 cups or about 3 or 4 ears of fresh corn cut off the cob.
- Chipotle Peppers - This is where the chowder gets it's kick of spice! Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeño peppers. Measure out about ¼ cup with the sauce and finely chop. This will give you a good amount of spice, so if you want it less spicy, use less. The rest of the can of chipotle peppers can be put in a small jar and refrigerated or frozen for another use.
- Flour - A little bit of flour is used to thicken the soup, although it is naturally pretty thick from the large amount of potatoes and by pureeing a portion of the soup at the end.
- Chicken Stock - Use store-bought or make your own Homemade Chicken Stock to keep in the freezer for soup making!
- Cream - Finishing the soup with heavy cream is going to give you that rich velvety chowder texture you're looking for!
- Cilantro - Adds just the right flavor and a boost of freshness to finish the soup.
- Cheese and Toppings - I like topping the soup with shredded white cheddar cheese, although regular cheddar would be fine. Extra herbs like cilantro and scallions are great, and a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt nicely cool the spice.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This spicy chicken potato chowder cooks all in one pot, layer by layer on the stovetop. It's healthy, homemade and really very easy!
Step 1 - Prep all your vegetable before you start cooking.
Chop the onions, peppers, garlic, and potatoes. Cut the potato into slices, then split the pile in half and lay the two stacks on the cutting board. Cut them in strips, then into cubes.
Step 2 - Mix the blackening seasoning together and coat the chicken on all sides.
If using thicker chicken breasts, slice them in half lengthwise into two thinner pieces.
Step 3 - Preheat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with olive oil.
Sear the chicken on one side, about 3 minutes. Don't move it around in the pot, let it sear.
Step 4 - Flip the chicken to sear the second side. When it's flipped, you can add the onion, fresh peppers, and potatoes over the top to begin to cook.
Don't move the chicken around for 3 minutes to allow the second side to sear.
Step 5 - After the chicken is seared, you can stir everything together and continue cooking the chicken with the veggies another 5 to 7 minutes.
Then add the salt, garlic and flour and give everything a good stir to incorporate.
Step 6 - Add the corn and chipotle peppers in adobo.
Again mix everything together, it's okay that the chicken is not fully cooked at this point.
Step 7 - Add the chicken stock and simmer the soup, covered, for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Keep it at a gentle simmer over low to medium low heat, stirring occasionally. This will finish cooking the chicken and softening the potatoes.
Step 8 - When the chicken and potatoes are cooked through, remove the chicken and shred it with 2 forks and give it a rough chop.
Add a few cups of the soup (without the chicken) to a blender and puree until smooth - but don't overdo it or the potatoes can become gluey.
Step 9 - Add the pureed soup, the chicken, fresh cilantro and cream back to the chowder and stir well to combine.
Step 10 - Simmer a few more minutes and it's ready to serve with all the toppings!
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Prep your Veggies First - It's best to do all the vegetable chopping before getting started. The chicken sears pretty quickly and you'll want to watch it so the brown sugar doesn't burn. It might feel like a lot of prep work, but that's because you are eating a lot of healthy fresh vegetables!
- Using Chipotle Peppers - Be careful when handling hot peppers, make sure to wash your hands and don't touch your face or eyes! A small can of chipotle peppers goes a long way and you won't need it all for this recipe. Extra can be frozen in a jar for another use like this Honey Chipotle Salsa!
- Adjust the Heat Level - This is a spicy corn chowder but it's easy to adjust the heat level to your liking. The heat comes from the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, so you can use less if you want it milder. You can also start with less and then decide to add a bit more after tasting your finished soup. Serving the soup with sour cream or plain yogurt also helps cool the spice!
- What to Serve it With - I like to serve this chowder with tortilla chips for dipping. It would also be great with Honey Skillet Cornbread! A big pot of this Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder would be perfect for game day Sunday's, add chips and Guacamole!
- Storage - Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge and reheated within 4 days. Corn Chowder can be frozen, although the texture of the potatoes can be not quite as good after being thawed.
Recipe FAQs
This chowder has a nice kick of spice, about a medium level. You can easily adjust this by using less or more chipotle peppers. You can start with less and add more after tasting the finished soup, they don't need to be cooked the whole time.
This chowder is meant to be thick and chunky! Pureeing a few cups of the soup will help it thicken. It will also continue to thicken the longer it is simmered and stirred, allowing the steam to escape. Once you add the cream, keep it at a low simmer and don't boil. If the soup ever becomes too thick, you can always add a bit more chicken stock or water to thin.
No, you don't have to blend a few cups of the soup, but I recommend it! Blending some and keeping some chunky gives you the best texture and consistency. It makes your chowder creamy while still having all those visible hearty veggies and chicken. You can puree in a blender or use a hand held immersion blender to puree just for a bit.
Yes, just leave out the flour to keep this soup gluten free or substitue a gluten-free flour. The flour helps thicken the soup so your soup may be a little thinner without it, but the amount of potatoes and blending a portion of the soup should still give you a pretty thick chowder, even without the flour.
More Similar Soups!
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Chipotle Chicken Corn Chowder
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Print Pin RateIngredients
For the Chicken
- 1 to 1.25 pounds chicken boneless, skinless thighs or breasts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 grinds fresh black pepper
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teapoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
For the Soup
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 poblano pepper chopped
- 6 medium yellow potatoes (6 cups cubed)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- ⅛ to ¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce finely chopped
- 3 cups corn frozen or fresh
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese shredded, for topping
- scallions sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables. Chop the onion, red and poblano peppers, garlic and potatoes.
- Mix the dry seasonings for the chicken in a bowl. Lay the chicken on a plate and coat it on all sides with the seasoning.
- Preheat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, add the oil and sear the chicken on one side, about 3 minutes. Don't move it around in the pot while it's searing.
- Flip the chicken and add the chopped onions, peppers and potatoes over the top. Let the chicken sear without moving it, another 3 minutes on the second side while the veggies begin to saute over the top. When the chicken is seared and releases from the pot, everything can be stirred together occasionally and continued cooking for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the salt, garlic, and flour and stir well, another few minutes.
- Add the corn, chipotle peppers, and chicken stock and mix well.
- Cover the pot and keep it at a gentle simmer (low to medium low heat) until the potatoes are softened and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board to shred with two forks and roughly chop.
- Optional but recommended - While the chicken is removed, add about 2 or 3 cups of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Then add back to the pot with the chunky soup.
- Add the chicken, cream and cilantro to the soup. Stir and simmer another few minutes while everything comes together.
- Serve the soup with white cheddar cheese, more cilantro, sliced scallions and tortilla chips for dipping.
Notes
- Chicken - Use boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts. If using thick chicken breasts, slice them in half lengthwise into two thinner strips. This gives you more surface area to season and sear.
- Adjusting the Spice Level - The amount of heat comes from the chipotle peppers in adobo, this soup is kinda spicy! Using ¼ cup as written will give you a nice medium kick of spice. You can use less if you want it milder, and can taste and add more to the finished soup if you want.
- Extra Chipotle Peppers - can be frozen in a jar for another use.
- Peppers - I used 1 red bell pepper and 1 poblano pepper, but you could really use any two peppers you have in any color or variety.
Ann says
Made this for the first time, and loved it! Perfect cold weather soup. I cut back a little on the peppers in the adobo sauce, but that is an easy thing to adjust. Will definitely be making again!!
Brian says
Nailed it. This soup has been added to the list of Sungrown recipes we will always have on the menu. Had some kale leftover from one of your other soups, so threw that in as well. Thanks Meryl!
Meryl Downing says
So glad you liked it Brian! My family loved it, and while I was worried some people might find it a little too spicy, I think the spice level is just right! Thanks so much for commenting!
Anna Walen says
This chowder was absolutely divine! It was just the right amount of smoky spice from the chipotle and a creamy base that made it feel like the ultimate cozy meal. Plus, it was so easy to make. I can definitely see this becoming a regular in my dinner rotation!
Meryl Downing says
I'm so glad you hear you liked it Anna, it was a big favorite in our house too! Thanks for leaving a review!
John says
One of the best soups I've ever had, very good!