Smoky Chicken Corn Chowder
Tender chicken, sweet corn, and tangy tomatoes, simmered together in a creamy, smoky, satiny blend of aromatics and spices. Like a commingling of chicken chili and corn chowder, this is a big pot of comfort. Also incredibly healthy and ready in under 30 minutes.
I love all things corn, so I knew I would be dazzled by this chowder. But the addition of moist chicken, smoky spices, and tangy tomatoes takes corn chowder to new heights.
You might already have all the ingredients you need. If you have ground turkey or ground beef, you can swap that in – so there’s no need to race to the grocery store. And for the corn, you can use frozen or canned, so again – there’s no need to run to the store or shuck a cob.
This chowder is undeniably healthy too. Most corn chowders start with a butter-flour roux, a blend that guarantees a thick, chowder consistency. In this case, we achieve the same thick, rich sauce by blending cornstarch with half and half. And I used fat-free half-and-half, dodging even more fat and calories.
This chowder is gluten-free too. Since we don’t need the butter-flour roux, there’s no gluten in this amazing soup!
How should you serve your chicken corn chowder? This chowder is super satisfying, so you don’t need much on the side. I served our corn chowder with a warm loaf of sourdough bread and some roasted zucchini. You can nestle a salad on the side too – the crisp greens would partner well with the soft stew.
Smoky Chicken Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 14- ounce can diced tomatoes, regular, petite, and/or fire-roasted (I used petite)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups corn, canned or frozen
- 1/2 cup half-and-half, regular or fat-free
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oil in large saucepan or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 3 minutes, until soft.
- Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the spices are fragrant.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, and corn and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in the cream (or half-and-half) and add the mixture to the pan. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Ladle the chowder into bowls and serve.