Chicken Chowder
This chicken chowder recipe turns one pot and about 55 minutes into a thick, spoon-coating bowl of tender chicken, Yukon Gold potatoes, and sweet corn with a silky broth built from a quick flour roux, finished with cream, sharp cheddar, and crisp bacon.
Equipment
- 5 to 6 quart enameled Dutch oven - or heavy-bottomed soup pot, for even heat and no scorching
- Chef knife - sharp, for dicing the vegetables and chicken
- Cutting board - sturdy
- Wooden spoon - for stirring the roux and scraping up browned bits
- Whisk - for working the broth into the flour without lumps
- Soup Ladle - for serving
- Immersion blender - (optional) if you like a thicker, partly pureed chowder
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon - chopped
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs - 680 g, cut into 3/4-inch (2 cm) pieces; breasts work too but thighs stay juicier
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter - 45 g
- 1 medium yellow onion - about 1 cup / 150 g, diced
- 2 stalks celery - diced
- 2 medium carrots - peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour - 40 g
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth - 960 ml
- 1.5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes - 680 g, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) dice, about 3 cups; starchy enough to help thicken the broth
- 2 cups corn kernels - 300 g, fresh or frozen
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup heavy cream - 240 ml; or half-and-half for a lighter bowl
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese - 115 g, shredded
- salt and black pepper - to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley - chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Set the Dutch oven over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook, stirring now and then, for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp and the fat has rendered.
- Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon and set it on a paper-towel-lined plate. Leave the drippings in the pot.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the chicken to the bacon fat in a single layer.
- Sear for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, just until golden on the outside. It does not need to cook through here.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the butter to the pot. Once it melts, add the onion, celery, and carrots.
- Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the onion turns translucent and the vegetables soften. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes so the flour cooks and loses its raw taste. The mixture will look thick and paste-like.
- Pour in the chicken broth a splash at a time, whisking after each addition to keep the base smooth.
- Add the diced potatoes, corn, thyme, smoked paprika, and bay leaf. Return the seared chicken and any juices on the plate to the pot.
- Bring the chowder to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 15 to 18 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Lower the heat so the chowder is barely steaming, not boiling. Stir in the heavy cream and the shredded cheddar a handful at a time, letting each handful melt before adding more.
- Keep the heat gentle here. Boiling after the dairy goes in is what makes a chowder break.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and top each one with the reserved crisp bacon and a scatter of fresh parsley.
Notes
- Use starchy potatoes: Yukon Gold or russet release more starch than waxy red potatoes, which helps thicken the broth naturally.
- Keep the heat low after the dairy: Cream and cheese curdle at a hard boil. A bare simmer keeps everything smooth.
- Mash a few potatoes: For a thicker body without extra flour, press a handful of cooked potato pieces against the side of the pot and stir them back in.
- Dry the chicken before searing: A dry surface browns instead of steaming, which builds more flavor in the broth.
- Add cheese off the heat, gradually: Dumping it all in at once can make it clump. Handful by handful melts clean.
- Grate cheese from a block: Bagged shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch that can turn the broth grainy; block-grated melts far more smoothly.
- Let it rest 5 minutes: The chowder thickens as it cools slightly, and the flavors settle.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled chowder in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It will firm up as it chills; loosen with a splash of broth or milk when reheating over low heat.
- Freezing note: Cream-and-potato chowders can turn grainy or mealy after thawing. If you plan to freeze, the smoothest result comes from pureeing the thawed batch as you reheat it.
- Make-ahead shortcut: Skip the searing step and stir in about 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken during the last 5 minutes; lean on the bacon and smoked paprika for depth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 470kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 28gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 640mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6g
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