Every year I look forward to making a big pot of corn chowder to use up fresh produce. A couple of years ago, I shared this incredible vegan corn chowder recipe complete with perfectly sweet coconut milk (SO GOOD), and then I had to kick it up a notch.
This incredible Southwest chicken corn chowder is thick, creamy, and packed with protein and vegetables for a bowl of magic you’ll seriously crave. I filled this chowder with wonderful Southwest-inspired spices like cumin, coriander, and chili powder, and even added an extra protein boost with a can of black beans. It reminds me of my famous cheesy southwest bean dip but with a hint of sweetness from all of that fresh corn.
This comforting recipe is the perfect summer-into-fall dinner or lunch to enjoy as the temps start dropping. Have fun adding your fav toppings and be sure to read the full post for ways to make it your own!
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What makes this chicken corn chowder a little healthier
Traditional corn chowder recipes are typically made with butter, flour, and plenty of heavy cream to make it thick and creamy. We’re swapping out the heavy cream and butter for protein-packed greek yogurt, and thickening it up with potatoes. The result is equally as creamy but packed with more nutrients!
Everything you’ll need to make southwest chicken corn chowder
You’re going to LOVE how creamy this southwest corn chowder is. With wonderful spices and a few special ingredients, it has the perfect flavors and textures! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Chicken: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this corn chowder recipe, but chicken breasts will also work.
- Black beans: we’re also adding a can of black beans for extra fiber, protein, and Southwest-inspired flavor.
- Veggies: you’ll need an onion, garlic, poblano pepper, red bell pepper, and fresh or frozen sweet corn.
- Potatoes: that’s right, the secret ingredient for super creamy corn chowder is yukon gold potatoes!
- Spices: we’re using a mix of ground coriander, turmeric, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, and plenty of salt & pepper. Feel free to add some cayenne pepper if you like a little heat.
- For the base: you’ll need some low-sodium chicken broth, plain Greek yogurt, and milk to create a creamy texture. No cornstarch necessary!
- Optional toppings: I love to garnish my bowl with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped scallions, fresh cilantro & avocado, and tortilla chips. So good!
Customize your chowder
This easy southwest corn chowder is great for customizing — here are some simple ingredient swaps & customizations you can make:
- Go vegetarian: feel free to omit the chicken and enjoy the chowder as-is, or add in another can of black beans for an extra boost of protein.
- Choose the milk: you can really use any milk you’d like. I prefer unsweetened almond milk, but regular milk and even coconut milk will work well.
- Add some heat: if you love spice like we do, try swapping the poblano pepper for jalapeño and add in that cayenne pepper. A drizzle of your fav hot sauce on top would be perfect, too!
- Get a little indulgent: this chicken corn chowder would also be delicious with some cooked, chopped bacon for savory, salty bites.
The key to super creamy chicken corn chowder
As I mentioned, this southwest corn chowder is made extra creamy without using actual cream thanks to the potatoes! You’ll actually cook them up and blend the chowder all together to get the perfect texture. Adding Greek yogurt or sour cream is the perfect touch.
How to make this healthy chicken corn chowder
- Cook your chicken. Start by cooking up the diced chicken in a large pot with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set it aside in a separate bowl while you continue with the recipe.
- Cook the veggies. In the same pot, you’ll cook down the veggies until the potatoes start to soften slightly.
- Simmer with spices & broth. Stir the veggies with all of those spices to release the flavors, then add the broth, milk, yogurt, salt & pepper, and simmer everything until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Blend it up. Here’s the fun part! Take half of the chowder and carefully blend it in your blender so that it turns nice and creamy. Stir this back in with the rest of the corn chowder and voila! It will be so creamy and delicious.
- Add protein & serve. Finally, add the chicken back to the pot along with your can of black beans and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve with all of those delicious toppings.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: store this healthy chicken corn chowder in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: simply let the chowder completely cool, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it in the refrigerator and then heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More soups, stews & chowders you’ll love
- Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder
- Homemade Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- Lightened Up Cheddar Cauliflower Broccoli Soup
- Green Chile Chicken Pozole
- Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup with Mini Turkey Meatballs
Get all of our soup & stew recipes here!
I hope you love this southwest chicken corn chowder! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- For the chicken:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced into bite sized pieces
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- For the corn chowder:
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced (can also use 1 seeded jalapeño)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cups diced yukon gold potatoes
- 5 cups fresh sweet corn off the cob (can also use frozen)
- 1 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- Optional: ¼ teaspoon cayenne (only if you like a little heat)
- 2 cups milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk, but dairy milk or coconut milk would also work)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ cup plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- Juice from ½ lime
- To garnish:
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Scallions
- ½ cup fresh diced cilantro
- Diced avocado
- Tortilla chips
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and diced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until cooked through until chicken is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Once chicken is done cooking, transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside.
- Sauté the veggies: In the same pot, reduce heat to medium and add in onion, garlic, poblano, red bell pepper, potatoes, and corn, and sauté for 6-8 minutes or until potatoes start to soften a bit.
- Add spices and broth: Next, stir in spices and cook for 30 seconds to release their flavors and aromas, then slowly stir in the milk, broth, and yogurt (or sour cream), scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 10-15 minutes uncovered, or until the potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.
- Blend the soup: To give a creamy texture, blend approximately half of the soup (BE CAREFUL WHILE DOING THIS!), then return to the pot. Stir to incorporate, then taste and adjust seasonings -- adding in more salt and pepper if necessary. You can blend more if you like a creamier soup, but I love a little texture. Finally, stir in the chicken, black beans, and lime juice.
- To serve: Garnish with shredded cheese, scallions, cilantro, avocado and a swirl of greek yogurt or sour cream (if not vegan). Makes 6 servings.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on August 25, 2021, republished on August 22, 2022, republished August 20th, 2023, and republished on August 19th, 2026.
Hi Monique,
Could I make this without adding milk?
Thanks,
Kristen Berry
You could just add more broth, but note that the soup won’t be very creamy!
SO good!!
Glad you enjoyed!!
My husband had only one word after his first mouthful, “Gorgeous”! It was a delicious combination of flavours.
So happy to hear that!
please list the sodium count in your nutrition.
Hi! I leave the sodium content out because many different brands of ingredients vary in sodium (i.e. chicken broths, sauces, etc.), as well as the salt to taste. I recommend using low-sodium products whenever possible, and reducing and/or leaving out any additional salt to keep recipes lower in sodium!
Could this be modified for the crockpot? Thanks!
I haven’t tested it, but I don’t see why not! I’d still suggest browning the chicken in a pan first, then adding everything to your crockpot to cook on high for 3-4 hours. You can still take out part of the soup, blend it, and mix it back into the crockpot before serving, too.
Really good flavor and super comforting. Everyone liked it. The only downside was the chicken. Cooking the diced thighs first made them kind of chewy and not great in the soup. Next time I would use chicken breast, cook it whole, shred it, and add it at the end. Would still make again with that change.
I’m glad you liked the flavor! Sorry to hear about the chicken thighs – I’ve actually never run into that issue (strange!) But yes, feel free to use chicken breasts and shred them.
SO GOOD. I wouldn’t have thought to make a corn chowder, but my friend wanted to try. We made together and it was definitely a bit of work (well enjoyed with lots of chit chat), but we were STUNNED by how amazing it came out. Would be great to make for a crowd. Also the fresh cilantro & toppings are key!
YES this one is sneaky good! Glad you both loved it!
It would have been very helpful to have details about adding in the milk and yogurt very slowly, or the yogurt at the end. My soup curdled and I had to throw it all out and water my potatoes, corn, etc. maybe it was user error…but I won’t be making this again
I’m sorry this recipe did not turn out for you! I always mention in the instructions any specific notes on stirring slowly, etc. for future reference. Thank you for giving it a try!
As usual, Monique has a banger here. Made this for my family last night and they loved it. However, I made some adjustments based some reviews I saw to boost the flavor a bit. Doubled the chili powder, garlic powder and oregano, kept the other spice measurements the same, add 1.5 tsp smoked paprika. I omitted the cayenne because I was cooking for kids. I didn’t include the black beans because I didn’t have them and it was tasty without. I also added 1/4 cup of all purpose flour during the sautéing of the veggies before adding the liquids to thicken the sauce. This meant I did not need to blend any of the soup, but you could if you wanted, or if you’re trying to keep it gluten free. I increased the broth liquid initially so there would be enough during the cooking process and to finish the dish (about 3.5 cups). Another hack that lended great flavor, instead of poblano or jalapeño I used a can of mild green chilies. I love poblano but didn’t have access to it, I’m sure it would be delicious too. I used cooking cream, which is close to whole milk but a little thicker, and did not add sour cream, again, didn’t have any. The end result was a mildly spicy, savory, creamy decadent chowder. Great with the suggested toppings too (cilantro, lime, scallions, cheddar, etc.)
Great tips here! So happy it was a hit!
Delicious! Only change I made was using two poblanos because I misread the recipe and had a spare. Big hit overall & definitely going in the rotation. We’re a big soup house and will def be making this year round.
Can’t go wrong with more poblanos! Glad it was a hit!
Delicious and creamy! Next time I would add in the yogurt at the end. I think simmering the potatoes made the dairy split. It was still yummy!
Glad you enjoyed regardless!
This was so good! Did have to cook my potatoes a bit longer but nonetheless this was so easy and yummy! My kids gobbled it up too!
So glad it was a hit!
This was delicious! I didn’t have a poblano pepper or Yukon gold potatoes so I substituted a jalapeño pepper and small red potatoes. I had to cook it a bit longer to get the red potatoes soft/done but it still turned out delicious!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
Delicious! Even though I was sidetracked and accidentally doubled the broth, it was delicious! I always recommend your recipes!
Perfect!! Glad you loved it 🙂
Very flavorful! My husband doesn’t cook much and he easily made this recipe. We would make it again!
Love that!!
This is such a great end-of-summer recipe! Ambitious Kitchen has been my go-to for YEARS but over the past year or so, I lost a little bit of the passion I used to have for cooking and baking. But the cookbook pre-order bonus recipes has totally reignited that because those recipes remind me of my AK favorites like this chowder – full of nourishing ingredients, comforting, perfectly spiced, fun to make and husband-approved. I am excited to make the poblano portabella enchilada skillet bonus recipe tomorrow and can’t wait for the cookbook next month!!
I’ve made this soup a couple of times, it’s so easy and so incredibly delicious. Full of the most amazing flavours, will definitely make again.
Love that! One of my favs, too!
Absolutely delicious, the flavour combo was perfect. I will make again for sure.
Glad you enjoyed!
Crowd pleaser so tasty and so full of flavor. Everyone always asks me for the recipe.
So happy to hear that!
I made this last weekend and it was so delicious! We’re looking forward to having the leftovers tonight.
Amazing! Such a great, cozy dinner 🙂
Yum!! I make this Vegetarian with an extra can of beans, sub sweet potato for the white potato, and use the jalapeno. I usually reserve half the corn and the black beans, add a can of northern beans and puree with my immersion blender. Then add the black beans and remaining corn. I usually need 3 cups of vegetable broth when using the 2 cans of beans. I make this one frequently in the cold months with organic frozen corn.
YUM! Love this so much, glad this recipe turned out fabulous for you and you’re enjoying it!
We ended up using 1.5 lbs of potatoes, 1 cup of plain yogurt, and 24 oz of broth. Turned out great!
Perfect! Glad to hear this recipe turned out great for you 🙂
Made with fresh corn off the cob, this was just the most delicious soup! It has a wonderful flavor! I’ve made other chicken corn chowders that were okay, but just seemed to be missing a little something. This one isn’t missing anything. It’s beautifully seasoned. The only change I made was to add 2 more cups of broth since I wanted it a little looser. I know I’ll be making this a lot; it’s craveable!
PERFECT! Glad to hear that you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you, Sandy!
Absolutely FABULOUS. However, “TOTAL TIME – 55 MINS” um. no. It took me 2 hours. 30min taking 8.6 grams of fat (yes, I weighed it and took a picture – it was so ridiculous) off my organic chicken. Now I need to do all the dishes. But OMGOSH it was fabulous and my house smells delicious too.
Thanks for your feedback, glad you are enjoying this recipe!
This recipe is absolutely perfect exactly as written. I feature myself an at-home chef and its unusual for me not to tweak a recipe so that should tell you how good this is. I did not have any coriander on hand so I just left it out, no substitutions. As recommended, I did blend about 1/3 of the chowder to make it thicker and served with sides of tortilla chips, sour cream, green onion and cheddar cheese allowing my diners to add the toppings of their choice. It’s delicious and my guess is that the fresh corn was a big plus in the flavor.
As a side note, I have been an Ambitious Kitchen follower for a few years now and have made dozens of your recipes. Each recipe has been well received by my family and I have recommended your site to a number of friends and family.
Ahh, thank you! This seriously means the world to me. I am so glad you are loving my recipes and this chowder turned out great for you!
Could you use just water instead of broth?
You can, but I would recommend using at least 1/2 broth 1/2 water for the best flavor!
Delicious! I didn’t add the cayenne pepper. The poblano gave us the perfect heat. We will keep this in our rotation!
Delish. So glad to hear that this recipe is a hit ❤️🙂
This was so yummy. Definitely will be making again!
So happy to hear this. Glad you enjoyed!
Sooo good! I’m trying to cook using things that have been sitting around in the freezer and a big bag of corn got me started. I also used the canned chicken breast from Costco (I know, I can’t believe this is where I’m at in my cooking journey either) and it was great. I’m sure it would have been better with chicken cooked as recommended but I was cooking with a couple of kids and cutting that corner really helped. Thanks for the great recipe!
Ahhh this is amazing! SO glad you loved this recipe and it came out great 😊
This was amazing! I don’t normally do substitutions from your recipes but my grocery store was out of chicken thighs (I was worried breasts would dry out) so I went with ground chicken. It was still delicious! Thank you Monique!
So glad to hear the ground chicken worked well and that you loved it, Molly! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Silly question (I’m not much of a cook) but do I leave the skin on the potatoes?
I leave it on! That’s a personal preference but I like the texture + added nutrition and I think it’s much easier than peeling 🙂
Hi I see the recipe makes 6 servings. What serving size are you using?
Looks delicious! Is the serving size 8 oz or 12 oz? 1 cup or 1 & 1/2 cups? I can’t wait to make this! I’m trying to figure out serving size because I’m cooking this in a large batch for my church and need to make 46 servings. Hoping you can respond and let me know. Thanks so much! – Amy
Hi! Sorry, I haven’t measured it out so I can’t say exactly how much a serving is, but 1 batch makes 6 servings, so you’ll probably want to make around 7 batches. Hope that helps!
This chowder was delicious! I made it last night for a comforting rainy night meal and my husband and son loved it. I baked on-hand chicken breasts, used 4 fresh corn cobs and 1/2 can of black beans. Used 1 tsp taco mix and 1/4 tsp sazon, to improvise the spices that I didn’t have. Blended soup really thickened the pot nicely. Crusty bread and dinner is served. I will definitely make this again! Your detailed recipe instructions and sub suggestions are very helpful. Thanks Monique!
Perfect! So glad it was a hit with the whole family 🙂
Made without the cayenne so it was friendly for a toddler’s palate, but this was enjoyed by all. Hearty dinner made with peak late summer produce, this recipe is worth bookmarking to make again.
Perfect! One of our favs for late summer, too.
The adults in the house enjoyed this very much and it was a nice way to eat corn from our farm share box in a different way. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It paired really well with a bacon cheese herb bread.
SO happy you guys loved it! And that bread sounds incredible 😍
As always, this did not disappoint! This is such a great use of fresh corn especially when it’s in season. I added green chilies and chose to leave out the milk and yogurt. The whole family loved it.
Sounds amazing! SO happy you and the fam loved it 🙂 Thanks for the review!
I made this recipe as written. My husband remarked how good it was. I also love this soup with it’s south western flavors. It will be a recipe to repeat, for sure.
Yay!! So glad you both loved it 🙂
I love your recipes. I started the Mediterranean diet and all are perfect. I haven’t made any yet because its been so hot bit I certainly will as soon as the cooler weather comes.
Aw thank you, so happy you’re here! Can’t wait for you to try some of them — let me know what you think 🙂
Made this soup last year when you posted it and both my husband and I loved it! It is the perfect end of summer soup to use up the fresh sweet corn that is available right now. We just made it again tonight, and I have a feeling this will be an end of summer staple going forward!
I’m so happy you both are fans!! Agreed, SO good for end of summer 🙂
This recipe was delicious exactly as is!
SO SO delicious and flavourful! I used regular yogurt instead of greek, swapped the cayenne for smoke paprika since that was what I had at home!! Made the veggie version with extra black beans instead of chicken and it was good!
I’m so happy you loved it! Yay!
This was pretty extraordinary. Teenage boys, college-aged girls, my mom and husband destroyed this. I doubled the recipe. I subbed hatch green chiles and cream bc it was what I had on hand and I used two cans of diced potatoes that I let simmer in the chicken broth bc I did not feel like chopping potatoes. I set out bowls of shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado and diced bacon. Everyone gave the recipe a 5/5. Thank you for your creativity and great recipes!
Haha LOVE THAT! I’m so happy you guys were all obsessed 🙂 Thanks for the review!
This is one of the best soups I have made! It is filling and flavorful with just enough southwest flavor! I love that it is a cross between white chicken chili and corn chowder; it seriously changes the game with the sweetness of corn contrasted with southwest spice. I used frozen corn and it worked wonderfully!
Ahh YAY I’m so happy you loved it! And yes totally about it being a cross between the two 🙂
WOW! This was fabulous! And so easy to make. My one tip, and maybe for seasoned cookers it is a given, but make sure all ingrediencies are cut and prepped before you begin (all chicken, veggies etc.) because this chowder cooks fast. I cooked this for myself and my husband for lunch prep and it did not disappoint. In fact, I am eating it while I type this!
Don’t wait, cook it NOW!
Yes, that’s a great tip! So glad you’re loving it!!