Super creamy, fast and easy Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder is a hearty soup that comes together in under an hour and delivers major fresh corn flavors.
I cannot describe the happiness I felt when my husband (who is my toughest food critic) took a bite of this soup for the first time. His eyes lit up and he dug in for another spoonful. Two bowls later, I officially claimed this soup a complete WIN.
My kids loved it, too. It’s a ‘hit’ for the whole family. And I love Instant Pot recipes because they’re easy.
What’s the secret to such a spectacular soup? Read through my step-by-step and you’ll see!
How to Make Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder
Time needed: 1 hour
Let’s get cookin’!
- Crisp the Bacon
Bacon makes everything better! Set the Instant Pot to the ‘sauté’ setting and add the diced bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy. Remove and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pot, making sure to dispose of the grease properly (see note below).
Alternatively, you can cook the bacon in a skillet, then transfer the crispy bacon and 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat to the Instant Pot.
- Saute the Aromatics and Fill the Pot
Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the Instant Pot with the reserved bacon and 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and fragrant.
Next, add the can of diced green chilies (7 oz), 2 cups of frozen corn, 3 diced chicken breasts, 3/4 cup chicken broth, 2 diced red potatoes, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin to the pot.
- Cook on Manual
Cook on manual (high pressure) for 10 minutes, then allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for an additional 10 minutes. This means leaving the Instant Pot untouched for 10 minutes after the cooking time ends, so it can gradually release the built-up pressure. Afterward, flip the switch to release any remaining pressure, then open the pot to add the final ingredients.
- Make the Corn Slurry
This is where we turn up the corn volume on this recipe and introduce a nice creamy texture. The secret to this soup’s success!
Blend the remaining 2 cups of frozen sweet corn and 1/2 cup of cream or milk in a blender until it’s a nice chunky-smooth slurry. Then add this to the Instant Pot and stir to incorporate everything together. - Simmer the Soup
Set the Instant Pot back to the saute function for 5 minutes to heat everything through after the addition of the corn slurry. And then otherwise, you can just leave it on the warm setting up to two hours until you’re ready to serve.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder
If you have extra crispy bacon bits, feel free to add that for garnish. I also like to sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. Green onions and diced green bell peppers are other options for fresh toppings.
And of course I love to serve bread with soup. My Sourdough Sandwich Loaf is what you see in the photo below.
Slow Cooker Method
This same recipe works great in the Crock Pot. Instead of cooking on manual pressure for 10 minutes, set the slow cooker to “high” for 4 hours. Then add in the corn slurry at the end and let it heat through before serving.
How to dispose of bacon grease
Let it cool and solidify, then scrape it into a container or wrap it in a piece of foil. You can then throw it in the trash. Alternatively, you can pour the warm (not hot) grease into a heat-safe container, like a glass jar, and dispose of it when it’s full.
Never pour bacon grease down the sink, as it can solidify and cause clogs. If you’d like to reuse it, strain the grease through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove any bits and store it in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Print
Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder with Bacon
- Prep Time: 15min
- Cook Time: 45min
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: pressure cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Super creamy, fast and easy Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder is hearty and comes together in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 4 strips of thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 7oz can diced green chilies
- 4 cups frozen corn, divided
- 3 chicken breasts (approx. 1lb) diced
- 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 medium red potatoes, diced
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup cream, half-and-half or milk
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to ‘sauté’ and add the diced bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pot. (Dispose of excess grease properly; see note below.)
- Keep the Instant Pot on ‘sauté.’ Add diced onion, minced garlic, reserved bacon grease, and cooked bacon. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and fragrant.
- Add diced green chilies (7 oz), 2 cups of frozen corn, 3 diced chicken breasts, 3/4 cup chicken broth, 2 diced red potatoes, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Set Instant Pot to manual (high pressure) for 10 minutes. After cooking, allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes—leave the pot undisturbed as pressure gradually decreases. Then, flip the switch to release any remaining pressure and open the pot.
- In a blender, combine the remaining 2 cups frozen sweet corn and 1/2 cup cream or milk until chunky-smooth. Add this mixture to the Instant Pot, stirring to combine.
- Set Instant Pot back to ‘sauté’ for 5 minutes to heat everything through.
- Keep the Instant Pot on ‘warm’ for up to two hours until ready to serve.
Notes
To dispose of bacon grease, let it cool and solidify, then scrape it into a container or wrap it in a piece of foil. You can then throw it in the trash. Alternatively, you can pour the warm (not hot) grease into a heat-safe container, like a glass jar, and dispose of it when it’s full.
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