Here’s a detailed and delicious Potato Corn Chowder with Bacon recipe you can follow. It’s creamy, slightly sweet, and smoky from the bacon. I’ll give step-by-step instructions so it’s easy to make.
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 4–5 slices of bacon, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3–4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (Yukon Gold or Russet work well)
- 2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half for lighter chowder)
- 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional, adds extra smokiness)
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional, for extra richness)
- Chopped fresh parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the bacon
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy.
- Remove bacon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 1–2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot (discard the rest or save for another use).
- Sauté vegetables
- Add the diced onion to the bacon fat and cook for 3–4 minutes until soft.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook potatoes and corn
- Add the diced potatoes, corn, and chicken/vegetable broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15–20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
- Blend (optional)
- For a creamier chowder, use an immersion blender to lightly mash some of the potatoes. You can also transfer about half to a blender, blend, and return it to the pot.
- Add cream and seasonings
- Stir in the heavy cream, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Simmer for another 5 minutes, until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Finish with bacon
- Stir in most of the cooked bacon, reserving a little for garnish.
- Add butter if using for extra richness.
- Serve
- Ladle chowder into bowls, top with remaining bacon, and sprinkle with fresh parsley or chives.
- Optional: Serve with crusty bread for dipping.
This chowder is hearty, slightly sweet from the corn, and smoky from the bacon. The potatoes make it creamy even without heavy cream if you like.
If you want, I can also give you a shortcut version that uses only one pot and still gets crispy bacon flavor, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Do you want me to do that?
