An easy chicken and corn chowder recipe combines shredded rotisserie chicken breast, diced russet potatoes, sweet white and yellow corn, and half-and-half in a rich butter-flour roux base.
This stovetop soup takes 20 minutes to prep, 40 minutes to cook, and yields 8 hearty servings in just 1 hour. By using pre-cooked chicken and potatoes, you can prepare a thick, comforting meal quickly for weeknight dinners.
Recipe Overview and Key Time Details
This stovetop recipe yields 8 full servings, making it suitable for family meals or batch cooking. Preparing the meal requires 20 minutes of active prep time and 40 minutes of cooking time, totaling 1 hour from start to finish.
Using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken breast halves saves time during preparation, though home cooks can also cook and shred fresh chicken breast if preferred.
Precooking the russet potatoes further speeds up the cooking process on busy weeknights.
Ingredients for Chicken and Corn Chowder
Preparing this chowder requires standard pantry items divided into fresh aromatics, rich dairy, and savory proteins that work together to create a balanced, comforting soup base.
Vegetables, Aromatics, and Seasonings
- Butter: ½ cup melted to sauté vegetables and create the flour roux paste.
- Onion: 1 small onion, finely diced for essential aromatic flavor.
- Carrot: 1 small carrot, finely diced to add subtle sweetness.
- Celery: 1 stalk celery, diced for balanced base flavor.
- Garlic: 1 clove garlic, minced.
- All-Purpose Flour: ½ cup flour used as a thickening agent.
- Corn Kernels: 1 ½ cups white corn kernels and 1 ½ cups yellow corn kernels.
- Seasonings: 1 pinch nutmeg, plus salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Starches, Proteins, and Cooking Liquids
- Russet Potatoes: 4 russet potatoes, diced into small uniform pieces.
- Rotisserie Chicken: 2 cooked rotisserie chicken breast halves, shredded.
- Chicken Stock: 4 cups chicken stock, divided into 3 cups and 1 cup portions.
- Half-and-Half: 2 ½ cups half-and-half to give the chowder a creamy consistency.
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
Follow these clear cooking steps to build flavor sequentially on your stovetop, ensuring a smooth flour roux paste and tender potatoes in every bowl.
Sauté Aromatics and Prepare the Flour Roux
Melt ½ cup of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 small finely diced onion, 1 small finely diced carrot, 1 stalk diced celery, and 1 clove minced garlic to the hot butter.
Cook and stir the mixture for about 2 minutes until the vegetables soften slightly. Next, stir ½ cup of all-purpose flour into the vegetable mixture to form a paste.
Cook for about 5 minutes until the flour turns lightly browned and gives off a slightly toasted aroma. Stir continuously and watch carefully because flour burns easily. Remove the saucepan from the heat source and set it aside to cool slightly.
Combine Ingredients and Thickened Soup Base
In a separate large soup pot set over medium heat, stir together 4 diced russet potatoes, 2 shredded rotisserie chicken breast halves, 1 ½ cups white corn kernels, 1 ½ cups yellow corn kernels, and 3 cups of chicken stock.
Whisk the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock directly into the saucepan containing the cooked vegetable and flour paste until smooth and combined.
Pour this thickened roux mixture into the main soup pot and bring the liquid to a simmer. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes as the soup thickens.
Simmer and Finish with Half-and-Half
Stir 2 ½ cups of half-and-half, 1 pinch of ground nutmeg, salt, and ground black pepper into the soup pot. Bring the chowder to a full boil over medium heat.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot to let the soup simmer. Allow the chowder to simmer for about 20 minutes until the diced potatoes become completely tender. Serve warm once the potatoes are soft.
Cooking Tips and Recipe Variations
Customize your chowder using alternative kitchen appliances or simple ingredient additions to adjust flavor profiles, spice levels, or protein content based on preference.
Slow Cooker Method and Time-Saving Hacks
You can adapt this entire meal for a slow cooker. Prepare the vegetable and flour roux paste on the stovetop first, then combine all ingredients inside your slow cooker vessel.
Set the slow cooker to Medium heat and cook for 5 hours until the flavors meld and potatoes soften. To save active prep time on weeknights, buy pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and pre-cut or pre-cooked potatoes.
Flavor Variations and Optional Toppings
If chicken is unavailable, diced ham works as an equal meat substitute. For extra protein, increase the chicken content by using 3 large chicken breasts.
To add a spicy kick, sauté 1 diced serrano pepper with the aromatics and stir in a small amount of rendered bacon grease. Finish individual serving bowls with toppings like crispy crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, or chopped fresh herbs.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving
This recipe makes 8 total servings. Below is the nutritional breakdown per individual serving.
| Nutrient | Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 443 | – |
| Total Fat | 22g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 66% |
| Cholesterol | 77mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 489mg | 21% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 50g | 18% |
| Dietary Fiber | 4g | 14% |
| Total Sugars | 3g | – |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Vitamin C | 14mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 118mg | 9% |
| Iron | 2mg | 12% |
| Potassium | 937mg | 20% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
