This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
How to Make Poblano Chicken and Corn Chowder. A hearty and filling chowder loaded with Yukon gold potatoes, corn, seasonings and so much more!
Kids and adults alike are going to love this creamy Poblano Chicken and Corn Chowder.
This is my not-quite-fall but also no-longer-feels-like-summer chowder.
It has a delicious smoky flavor. This is partly due to the smoky paprika and then some of it from the fresh poblano.
For me, what makes the perfect chicken and corn chowder is the balanced bites of creamy veggies and chunk bites. I need just the right amount of broth to veggies where I can shove a tablespoon of this in my mouth and really get all of it.
This easy stovetop recipe that just bubbles away in the background. The smells throughout the house are so cozy. And you have a perfectly creamy base speckled with chicken, corn, and potatoes.
This one needs to be on the dinner table, stat!
Ingredients for Chicken Corn Chowder Recipe
- Butter: starts as the base where we fry the onions and peppers.
- Yellow Onion: I have yellow onions on the recipe card but feel free to swap this for white onion too, this recipe is pretty forgiving.
- Poblano peppers: I don’t bother removing the skin when we’re dicing the peppers and cooking them down. But feel free to char the poblanos, remove the skin before dicing and adding to the soup if that’s what you typically prefer!
- Bay leaves: gives the butter a complexity.
- Garlic: amps up the aromatic flavor int he soup.
- All purpose flour: once the veggies are sautéed in the butter we’ll add the flour to the butter to make a roux that will help thicken the chowder later.
- Seasonings: I like to use a combination of smoked paprika, ground cumin, oregano, garlic powder, ground chipotle, coriander and kosher salt and pepper if you’d like.
- Chicken Broth or stock: Use homemade if you happen to have chicken bone broth here if you want to up the protein and have some in the freezer.
- Yukon gold Potatoes: or you can use red potatoes if you prefer. Leave the skin on or off, it’s your call! Russet potatoes would also work but they don’t hold their shape as well. For best flavor and results, I suggest something other than russet.
- Sweet Corn: I like to use fresh corn on the cob when it’s in season and so that I can let the cob cook in the chowder and give it plenty of flavor. Feel free to swap the cobs for a jar or a drained 15-oz can depending on the time of year.
- Cooked Shredded Chicken: feel free to roast bone-in chicken breasts and then shred, poached chicken, or a rotisserie chicken that’s shredded up. All of these are good options.
- Heavy Cream: add ½ cup for just a lightly creamy flavor or use the full cup to give this plenty of creaminess!
- Cilantro for topping: feel free to leave this out or top with chopped scallions or green onions if you aren’t a cilantro fan!
Recipe Tip
We prefer to be a little light handed with the cream in this recipe. This is because the broth has so many aromatic spices that end up become very muted if we add the entire cup of heavy cream.
For this reason, we suggest adding a smidge of cream and adjusting to preference. If you’re worried about thickening up the chowder, feel free to transfer about 1 cup of this to a blender. Blend, then add it back to the recipe. This will help thicken the chowder while ensuring the flavors aren’t muted.
Other Ways to Use Poblano Peppers
Other Soup Recipes to Try
Dinner
Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Soups & Stews
Turkish Chicken Soup with Noodles (Tavuk Corbasi)
Soups & Stews
Seattle-Style Smoked Salmon Chowder
Poblano Chicken and Corn Chowder
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 poblano peppers chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika heaping
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin heaping
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 5 cups low sodium chicken stock plus 1 cup
- 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes small diced
- 4 fresh sweetcorn cobs sliced off cob + reserved (or use 2 ½ cups frozen fire-roasted corn kernels)
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- ½-1 cup heavy cream see notes
- Cilantro or chopped scallions for serving
Instructions
- SAUTE: Melt the butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions poblano peppers, bay leaves, and cook or 6-7 minutes, stirring with a spoon frequently or until softened. Add the garlic and the flour and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes.3 tablespoons butter, 1 medium yellow onion, 2 poblano peppers, 2 bay leaves, 6 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- LIQUID: When the flour starts to brown, add the seasonings and allow them to bloom for 30 seconds. Slowly pour the chicken stock in the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot to pick up any stuck on bits. Then add the potatoes and corn cobs (hold off on the kernels for now.) Bring the soup pot a boil, stirring occasionally.1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground chipotle, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, 5 cups low sodium chicken stock, 4 fresh sweetcorn cobs, 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
- SIMMER: Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Then add the corn kernels and continue to cook for another 7 minutes.
- FINISH: Check the potatoes for doneness, remove the cobs and discard, then add the shredded chicken to the pot and let it heat through for another 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- SERVE: Stir in ½ cup of cream and allow it to heat through. Taste and adjust with more salt or other seasonings as desired. If you find it needs more cream to your taste, feel free to add up to another ½ cup. Serve warm in bowls with crusty bread, topped with a sprinkling of paprika, cilantro to scallions, and lime wedges on the side.½-1 cup heavy cream, Cilantro or chopped scallions
Notes
- Leftovers: hang out well in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Corn: If you want to give this a fire roasted corn topping, simple char one of the corn cobs over an open flame before you slice it off the cob. This is purely for presentation though.
- Heavy Cream: we prefer this recipe with less heavy cream because otherwise it mutes a lot of the spices and that’s what we really like about this chowder. So I suggest adding ½ cup giving it a taste and then adjusting as needed to preference. If you’re worried about thickening up the chowder, feel free to transfer 1 cup of this to a blender. Blend, then add it back to the recipe. This will help thicken the chowder while ensuring the flavors aren’t muted. You could also up all of the spices a little bit if you prefer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
