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Chipotle Queso Chicken Corn Chowder – yellow corn, smoky poblano peppers, and shredded chicken all in a creamy, cheesy chowder base. The secret? Red salsa and smoky-spicy chipotle chiles in adobo. These two ingredients take this chowder from good to oh my gosh, I need another bowl. It’s a little spicy, super creamy, and so delicious. Top each bowl with crispy homemade bacon bits, melty cheddar, and plenty of avocado. Serve it as is, or with tortilla chips sprinkled with sea salt and lime.
I was actually going to save this recipe for a couple of weeks, but then my mom stepped in and set me straight. “Why not share it now? It’s seasonal and SO DELICIOUS,” she said. And, well…mom’s right.
So here we are, chowder on a Monday in mid-August. Even if it’s warm out, you can totally make this work—turn the AC up, crack the windows, or just embrace the cozy vibes. Honestly, you’ll want to make it now while the corn is at its sweetest.
This chowder is what happens when my corn chowder, chicken tortilla soup, and creamy queso all get together. I threw them into one pot, and wow—it’s everything I hoped for. If you’ve got more corn than you know what to do with, this is your answer. Make a double batch and freeze half for those crisp fall days ahead. Oh, and maybe bake up a loaf of beer bread while you’re at it. Cozy, cheesy, and perfect.
These are the details
Ingredients
- bacon
- onion
- garlic
- yellow corn kernels
- chicken breasts
- cumin
- paprika
- salt and pepper
- broth
- poblano peppers
- milk
- cream cheese
- red salsa
- chipotle chiles in adobo
- cheddar cheese
- cilantro
- tortilla chips, avocado, and cheddar cheese for topping
Steps
Step 1: crisp up the bacon
In a large soup pot, cook the bacon until it’s crispy. I like to dice mine super small for the best homemade bacon bits—they’re so good on top of a bowl of chowder, you can’t skip them! Remove the bacon and set aside for topping.
Step 2: make the chowder
Add the onion, garlic, and poblano peppers to the pot. Cook until softened, then stir in the cumin and smoked paprika. Pour in the broth, then add the chicken and corn. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily, about 15 mins.
Step 3: purée the chowder
Ladle some of the chowder into a blender (or use an immersion blender right in the pot). Add the salsa and chipotle chiles to the blender and purée until mostly smooth, leaving a few kernels of corn for texture. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
Step 4: finish the soup
Stir in the milk, cream cheese, and cheddar. Simmer until the broth thickens, becomes extra creamy, and the cheese has fully melted. At this point, the chowder will smell amazing!
Serve
Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with more cheese, the reserved bacon, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro. I love serving this with tortilla chips for scooping—kind of like a queso, and so delicious.
Looking for other corn recipes? Here are some favorites:
Crockpot White Chicken Chili Burrito Bowls
Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili
Creamy Corn, Zucchini, and Bacon Chowder
Honey Garlic Shrimp, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Salad
Garlic Herb Corn Carbonara with Burrata
Skillet Creamy Cajun Chicken Lazone with Herby Corn
Lastly, if you make this Chipotle Queso Chicken Corn Chowder, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chipotle Queso Chicken Corn Chowder
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 682 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 cups yellow corn kernels (4-5 ears corn)
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- sea salt and black pepper
- 3 cups broth
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 cups milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese, melted
- 2 cups red salsa
- 1/4 cup canned chipotle chilies in adobo
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- avocado, cheddar, and so many tortillas chips for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and reserve for topping.2. To the pot, add the onion, the garlic, and the poblano peppers, cook until fragrant, 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes. Add the broth, corn, and chicken. Season with more salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.3. Transfer 3/4 of the chowder to a blender, leaving the chicken in the pot. Add the salsa and the canned chipotle chilies. Blend until mostly smooth. 4. Shred the chicken using 2 forks. Return the chowder to the pot. 5. Stir in the milk, cream cheese, and cheddar. Cook 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. If needed, thin with additional milk.6. Ladle the chowder into bowls. Top, as desired, with bacon, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Eat and enjoy!
This post was originally published on August 11, 2025
This soup is amazing, fresh corn and peppers from our garden made this extra special. Another amazing Recipe 🩷 thank you
Hi Elle,
Love to hear this! Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Have a great weekend!
This was so good! After the sauté of the peppers, we put most everything else in the crockpot. We added the cheese the last hour of cooking. It was a huge hit!!!
Hey Megan,
Fantastic!🎃👻 I am so glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it!
Hi Tieghan,
I loved this soup and the smoky chipotle flavor. All the ingredients combined to make a great chowder that was delectable with every spoonful I ate. When I needed something quick to eat for a hearty meal, I turned to this soup. It was simply amazing!
Thanks so much, Mike! Love to hear this chowder turned out well for you! Happy fall!
Ok this may be one of the best soups I have ever made!! Such delicious flavors. Definitely will be in my rotation to make all year round.
Hi Meaghan,
Thanks for making this recipe! Love hearing it turned out just right. Have the best week!
i see thyme in there, when and how much do you add it? is that scallion in there also?
Hi Monica,
You can use any toppings that you enjoy! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Literally SO good! The best soup I’ve ever made.
Hi Hailey,
Amazing! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you giving it a try!
Have a great week!
Can this be made in a Crock-Pot?
Hey Christine,
So sorry I have not tested that with this recipe, so I don’t have the instructions. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
I made this last night for dinner. I usually have to make two meals when I make soup because my husband is not a soup person. To my surprise, he had two bowls of this instead of the other meal I made. That says a lot! It was delicious. The only changes I made were: no bacon at all, almond milk (unsweetened) instead of regular milk. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, and only a half cup of shredded cheese. It was delicious like that so if you are concerned with calories and or dairy etc it’s definitely able to be tweaked at no loss of flavor! If I am making for guests I would top with extra cheese and bacon.
Thanks so much, Jess! So glad this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Happy September:)
This was fabulous! Corn chowder with a kick! I made it in the instant pot. I did double the cream cheese as I wanted it a little thicker. My family raved over it! Thank you again, Tieghan! The majority of my best dishes come from you!
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much, so happy to hear you loved this chowder! Have a great day! xT