CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER
This healthy chicken corn chowder is rich, creamy, flavorful, and easy to make! It’s made without heavy cream or butter for a lighter, delicious comfort meal.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium brown onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper divided
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1, 16- ounce bag frozen corn
- 4 ounces mild diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup 2% milk or milk of choice
Instructions
- Prep the Potatoes: Peel the Yukon gold potatoes. Then, evenly chop them into even-sized 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
- Sauté the Veggies: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, crushed garlic cloves, and diced red bell pepper. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and fragrant. Then, push the veggies to one side of the pot.
- Sear the Chicken: Season both sides of the chicken breasts with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add them to the Dutch oven and sear for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Add Potatoes, Corn, and Chiles: Add the peeled and chopped potatoes, frozen corn, mild green chiles, smoked paprika, thyme, and a bay leaf.
- Simmer: Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir everything together until well combined. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the potatoes are tender.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it with two forks on a cutting board. Set aside. Also, remove the bay leaf from the pot.
- Blend for Creaminess: Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to blend part of the chowder until creamy, but still chunky. Do not fully blend the chowder. You want to keep some texture with the potatoes and corn.
- Finish it Off: Stir the shredded chicken back into the pot. Then, add the milk and stir until warmed through. Taste and season with 1 to 1½ teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, or to taste.
- Serve and Enjoy: Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with your optional favorite toppings such as fresh parsley, green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt, or crispy bacon.
Video
Notes
- Blender: If you don’t have an immersion blender, let about half of the chowder cool slightly, then carefully transfer it to a regular blender. Blend until smooth, return it to the pot, and stir to combine.
- Milk: We used 2% milk, but you can use 1%, fat-free, or your milk of choice. Or, use almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk for a dairy-free option.
- Rotisserie Chicken Option: If you don’t want to cook chicken breasts for this recipe, you can use fully-cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken and stir it in at the end for an even quicker chowder. You can also use any kind of chicken meat you have on hand, such as thighs, tenders, or leftover roasted chicken.
Nutrition
Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 6.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 380mg | Fiber: 3.6g | Sugar: 7g