Roasted Corn Chowder in a bowl with a spoon in it and lime wedges on the side.

I can’t remember the first time I tried a Corn Chowder Recipe, but I do remember instantly falling in love with it. I love corn and get so excited for fresh, sweet corn in the summer. Our recipe uses both the kernels and the cobs, soaking up every last bit of flavor.

We add bacon which adds a nice smoky and salty element to the chowder, the potatoes give it body and the roasted peppers add a bright finish! Our recipe takes a little more time and effort but is 100% worth it for the best corn chowder you’ll ever taste!

How to Make Our Corn Chowder Recipe

An ingredient shot of all the items needed to make our Roasted Corn Chowder recipe.

Process

Place some corn kernels and corn cobs in a pot with stock and simmer for 20 minutes.

Corn on the cob simmering in stock to make corn chowder.

Remove cobs and pour remaining mixture into a blender.
Puree kernels and stock in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

Blended corn and stock in a blender to make corn chowder.

Place pot back on stove over medium heat and render bacon, about 5 minutes. Remove from pot and drain onto paper towels.

Pot with bacon rendered brown and crispy.

Drain some grease from pot and add onions, roasted peppers, celery, and potatoes. Sauté until vegetables begin to sweat and soften.
Stir in remaining corn kernels and season with salt and pepper.

Vegetables cooking in a stock pot to make corn chowder.

Vegetables and corn in a stock pot cooking for corn chowder.

Sprinkle vegetables with flour.
Stir together until flour is evenly combined in vegetable mixture. Continue to stir while adding the tequila. Allow alcohol to cook off.

Corn chowder vegetables sprinkled with flour in a pot.

Corn chowder vegetables cooking in a pot.

Stir corn infused stock to vegetable mixture until fully incorporated and no flour lumps remain. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and potatoes are fork tender. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in herbs, followed by half the cooked bacon and lime juice. Stir together.

Remove from heat and stir in cream and adjust seasonings.
Ladle into bowls and top each serving of corn chowder with a sprinkle of cotija cheese, remaining bacon, cilantro leaves. Serve with extra lime wedges.

A bowl of corn chowder garnished with bacon and cilantro with a spoon.

Tools You Will Need

How to Char Corn for Our Recipe

You can char the corn by placing the corn on the cobs under the broiler for a few minutes, turning the corn after each minute to char all sides. You just want each side to lightly char. Cool corn then slice kernels from cobs.

How to Roast Peppers

The peppers can be roasted under the broiler as well. Place the peppers under the broiler and char each side until completely black. Once the peppers are totally black all over, quickly transfer them to a heat-safe bowl and cover with a damp towel.

Allow peppers to steam for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove towel and rub all the charred skin off each pepper. Stem and seed each pepper and dice.

Corn Chowder Recipe Variations

Vegetarian friendly version: The bacon can be omitted and replaced with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter and 4 ounces of stemmed and thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms. To replace bacon with mushrooms: Melt 1 tablespoon butter into the pot and add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until cooked down and crisp around the edges. Remove mushrooms from pot, reserve and use in the recipe in place of the cooked bacon. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter into the pot before adding the vegetables.
Using frozen or canned corn: If using frozen, we recommend using whole frozen corn on the cob. Thaw completely, pat dry and char. If using canned, thoroughly drain, rinse and pat the kernels dry (about 2 cups). Spread the kernels out onto a baking sheet in a single layer and char under broiler for a minute or 2. Add 1 cup kernels to the stock, simmer and puree as stated in the recipe.
Dairy-free version: Replace butter with vegan butter and heavy cream with coconut milk and omit cotija cheese garnish.

Make Ahead Instructions

This corn chowder recipe can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Note that the cream should not be added to the chowder until ready to reheat and serve.
To reheat, pour the chowder into a pot and simmer over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened up. Remove the chowder from the heat and stir in the cream. Adjust seasonings as needed and serve.