Instant Pot Corn Chowder | Corn Chowder Recipe

Have you ever made Instant Pot Corn Chowder? It's perfectly sweet and salty and pulled together beautifully with a creamy finish. Make it on your stove or in your Instant Pot!

What Makes This Recipe Unique?

• Fast. Make this in under 30 minutes for a quick weeknight meal.
• Easy. A simple pour and cook recipe.
• Versatile. Make this In your Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
• Comforting. Filling, full of flavor, and familiar flavors the whole family will love.

This isn't just any ordinary Corn Chowder recipe, because that's not how I do things. The secret is that it has bacon in it, which makes it twice as amazing as a traditional version.

If you've never had a really good Corn Chowder recipe, you're missing out. This is a classic chowder recipe that's smooth and creamy. It's the kind of dish you'll want to make extra of so you have leftovers. Add bacon to that, and you've made a dish everyone is sure to enjoy.

Why Should I Make It In The Instant Pot?

I love using pressure cookers for soup recipes. A lot of the flavor in soups comes from good, hearty broths. My problem is that I hate making a deep, rich broth first, and THEN making a soup out of it. It's just too many steps and much too much planning for me.

Pressure cookers are great at infusing flavor into stocks quickly. When I make soup in my Instant Pot, I'm getting a two for one--I'm making a rich broth but also cooking the other ingredients for the soup at the same time.

I find that the same is true for vegetable broths and spices in that broth. Deep, rich flavor, no need to make the broth separately, and often, just a pour and cook recipe. It's hard to argue with efficiency of that sort, isn't it?

Now sometimes, just to get a double whack of flavor, I do use chicken stock or this chicken bouillion powder. I mean, I feel like the more flavor the merrier. So for this recipe, that is what I did.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Bacon- You can leave this out for a Vegetarian or Vegan option
• Onion- Adds to the depth of flavor and adds texture.
• Minced Garlic
• Fresh or frozen corn- I prefer fresh for the flavor, but you can't tell a difference in the texture once it is cooked.
• Potatoes- Idaho or Russet work best.
• Chicken Stock- Makes for an incredibly flavorful broth.
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Dried Thyme
• Ground Nutmeg
• Heavy Whipping Cream- Gives the chowder a creamy consistency.

How To Make Instant Pot Corn Chowder

Believe it or not, there are only four simple steps to make this recipe. This makes it a fantastic meal for beginner Instant Pot users and meal prep.

1. Place the chopped bacon, onion, garlic, corn, potatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, and stock in the inner liner of the Instant Pot. 
2. Cook at high pressure. Allow the pot to sit for 5 minutes, and then release all remaining pressure.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree about soup so that it gets thicker but you have solid chunks of potato and corn still visible.
4. Add the nutmeg and cream and stir well before serving.

How To Make It On The Stovetop

1. Sauté the onions and bacon (if you're using).
2. Add everything but the nutmeg and cream in, plus an additional cup of water and cook on medium high heat for 20 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to roughly puree about soup so that it gets thicker but you have solid chunks of potato and corn still visible.
4. Add the cream and nutmeg and stir.

How Do You Thicken Corn Chowder?

In my recipes, I try to keep the ingredients as simple and natural as I can. So instead of using a thickening agent like many other Corn Chowder recipes, I simply use the ingredients that are already in it to thicken it.

How do I do that? It's simple. Just use an immersion blender. You can either take half of the Corn Chowder out of the pot and puree the remaining half or you can use the immersion blender sparingly in the whole pot of chowder, making sure you leave plenty of chunks of corn and potato.

What To Serve With It

If you're looking for ideas to serve with your Corn Chowder recipe, here are a few of my favorite things to eat with it:

• Brazilian Cheese Bread
• Low Carb Nut and Seed Crackers
• Cauliflower Breadsticks
• Antipasto Salad

Can I Make This A Vegetarian Corn Chowder Recipe?

If you're vegetarian or avoid pork, all you'll need to do is leave out the bacon and substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth and you will still have something lovely.

How Long Does It Last?

Corn Chowder is a great meal prep option because it stays just as delicious as the day you made it for several days. For the best flavor and texture, enjoy any leftovers 3-4 days after it is cooked.

Can You Freeze Instant Pot Corn Chowder?

Yes, you can freeze corn chowder. Just be advised that the texture of the potatoes and dairy can change once they are frozen. For best results, remove the potato chunks from the leftover soup (or omit if you're making ahead for a freezer meal). Add fresh potatoes in when you reheat the defrosted Corn Chowder.

To freeze, place the chowder in a freezer-safe container or SouperCubes. I prefer to freeze it in single portions for a quick lunch or dinner option since smaller portions defrost quicker than one giant block. This chowder recipe lasts up to 3 months in the freezer.

Want More Delicious Soup Recipes?

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• Chicken Pot Pie Soup - A low carb take on a traditional favorite.
• Sweet Corn Chicken Soup - this is another favorite of mine and is a great spin on traditional chicken soup!
• Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana- Just like your favorite soup from Olive Garden without all of the carbs.
• Miso Soup with Salmon- Loaded with umami flavor.
• Sauerkraut Soup- A rich and brothy keto-friendly favorite.

Whether you make this lovely Instant Pot Corn Chowder now or save it for later, you're going to love it! It's creamy and delicious, and not at all difficult to make. I can't wait to hear how you like it.

Originally Published October 8, 2018

Don't forget to check out my other Best-selling Instant Pot Cookbooks!

Indian Instant Pot, Keto Instant Pot, Instant Pot Fast and Easy, Healthy Instant Pot & Vegetarian Instant Pot.