This easy corn chowder with bacon recipe swaps in sweet potatoes for added flavor, fiber and nutrition! It's a little creamy, a little smoky, and entirely gluten free. The surprise ingredient? Curry powder!
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.
Let's put a twist on that same old corn chowder with bacon. Let's add sweet potatoes and curry powder!
I know you may be surprised, but think about the spices in curry powder—cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom—they all go so beautifully with vegetables that have an inherent sweetness, so YES!
For another surprise, let's swap the regular potatoes for sweet potatoes. Another delicious complement to that curry. (And the bacon!) It's a quick and hearty weeknight meal that will be your new favorite potato corn chowder from here on out!
Make this corn chowder recipe year round! It's perfect for chilly days in the fall and winter, but try it in the summer when fresh corn is in season.
While you're at the farm stand buying fresh corn, try my corn succotash, or this corn cakes recipe!
Jump to:
Why you'll love this corn chowder with bacon recipe
- Sweet potato swap: Swapping in sweet potatoes adds fiber and nutrition and complements the corn in the chowder beautifully. Sweet potato holds its shape a bit better than russet or Yukon Gold potatoes for great texture, and the flavor is a great contrast to the savory bacon.
- Herbs and spices amp up the flavor: This is not your same old boring potato bacon corn chowder. Curry powder adds a spicy kick, a beautiful color, and complex flavor. Fresh thyme, sage, and dried bay leaf infuse the aromatics for a tempting, irresistible aroma.
- It's quick and easy enough for a weeknight meal: Corn, bacon, sweet potato—you may already have most of these ingredients in your pantry. Prep goes quickly, you're just chopping the potatoes and a few other vegetables while the bacon cooks. From prep to finish, you'll have corn chowder ready for dinner in 45 minutes!
- One pot meal that freezes well: The soup is made in one pot for easy cleanup. It freezes well, so it's a great recipe for meal prep. Make it ahead and store for later!
Ingredients you'll need
This is not a traditional corn chowder with bacon recipe and that's why you're going to love it! We've got some flavor twists that make it a little different and adventurous.
- Corn: You can't have a corn chowder recipe without it! You can use frozen corn or canned corn (drain off the liquid if canned). If you can find fresh corn (usually in season May through September), it works really well, too. You'll need about 4 ears.
- Sweet Potatoes: Look for firm sweet potatoes with healthy, smooth skin. Wrinkly skin means they are old and starting to go bad.
- Bacon and rendered bacon fat: I like a smoky, thicker cut bacon for this recipe. We'll leave the fat in the pan when sautéeing the onions and peppers so the smoky bacon flavor permeates the whole pot of chowder.
- Curry powder: Yes! This surprise ingredient has a wonderful warm flavor that goes perfectly with the sweetness of the corn and sweet potatoes.
- Fresh sage, fresh thyme, dried bay leaf: These herbs give the recipe a wonderful aroma.
- Cayenne: Just a bit of cayenne for an extra kick to cut through the creaminess and balance out the sweetness.
- Onion, red bell pepper, and garlic: The aromatic base of the soup.
- Heavy cream and chicken broth: We're using more chicken broth than cream to keep it lighter, but you can adjust the ratios if you prefer a super creamy corn chowder.
- Sherry vinegar: For tanginess and umami!
- Fresh Cilantro: A bit of cilantro on top brings a light freshness and blends perfectly with the other ingredients.
How to make bacon corn chowder
Recipe adapted from Geoffrey Zakarian.
Step 1: Cook the bacon
Place a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the bacon slices and cook, turning occasionally until brown and crisp.
Step 2: Dice the red bell peppers, onion and sweet potatoes
While the bacon cooks, use a good chef's knife to dice the red pepper and onion. Finely chop the garlic. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into ½ inch chunks.
Step 3: Sweat the peppers and onions, add the herbs and spices
Remove the cooked bacon from the pan and set aside to drain on a paper towel lined plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
Add the peppers and onions and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.
Add the sage, thyme, bay leaf and chopped garlic to the pan. Stir frequently and cook for about 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the curry powder, cayenne, and a pinch of salt, stirring to coat the peppers and onions for about 1 minute, to allow the spices to bloom.
Step 4: Add the corn, potatoes and remaining ingredients to the chowder and simmer
Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Remove the sprig of sage and the thyme stems.
Serve the corn chowder topped with crumbled bacon and fresh cilantro.
FAQ
You can make it in the slow cooker, but I don't think you need to. This chowder recipe only needs to simmer for about 25 minutes. You'd still need to cook the bacon, peppers and onion in a separate skillet, so in this case, making it in one pot on the stovetop is an easier procees.
Of course you can. I recommend rotisserie or leftover chicken to keep things simple. When it's time to serve, add shredded cheddar cheese or monterey jack on top of the corn chowder, then top with bacon.
Yes! This corn chowder with bacon freezes very well. First, cool completely then chill in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Transfer to the freezer for up to 3 months.
Corn chowder tips and storage
- You are doing most of your chopping and peeling while other things are cooking, so this recipe moves along quickly and easily. Gather the potatoes and corn and all of the ingredients before you start cooking the bacon and you are set up for success!
- If you are using fresh corn cut from the cob, add the corn cobs while chowder simmers for extra bonus corn flavor!
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Substitutions
- You can easily swap in half and half for the heavy cream 1:1 to lighten it up a bit.
- If you want to make this bacon and potato corn chowder dairy free, use coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Coconut milk and corn taste great together!
- If you don't have chicken stock, use vegetable stock or plain water!
- No sherry vinegar? Swap apple cider vinegar instead.
What to serve with bacon corn chowder
- Cornbread Madeleines are gluten free and also have bacon in them! Yay!
- Ukrainian Pampushky rolls are perfect for dipping into soup.
- Make a Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake for dessert.
More gluten free soup recipes
Try these quick and easy gluten free soups!
- Speaking of bacon, Potato Cheese Soup is one of my weeknight go-tos.
- More secret ingredient soups: Tuscan White Bean Soup gets a TON of flavor from a parmesan rind simmered in the broth.
- If you're feeling fancy, Creamy Cauliflower Soup will whisk you away to a Parisian bistro. (And it's so EASY!)
- And if you're diggin' the sweet potato coconut milk vibe, try this smooth and creamy Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut Milk, Bacon and Sage.
If you enjoy this recipe, please leave me a 5-star rating in the recipe card! It really helps others find my content and helps my business grow! Sign up for my newsletter for recipes delivered to your inbox and follow me on Instagram and Pinterest! Thank you!
Recipe
Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon thick cut
- 2 cups diced sweet potatoes
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 cups corn frozen, canned or fresh
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh sage
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 3 ¼ cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Place a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the bacon slices and cook, turning occasionally until brown and crisp.
- While the bacon cooks, use a good chef's knife to dice the red pepper and onion. Finely chop the garlic. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into ½ inch chunks.
- Remove the cooked bacon from the pan and set aside to drain on a paper towel lined plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Add the peppers and onions and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.
- Add the sage, thyme, bay leaf and chopped garlic to the pan. Stir frequently and cook for about 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the curry powder, cayenne, and a pinch of salt, stirring to coat the peppers and onions for about 1 minute, to allow the spices to bloom.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Remove the sprig of sage and the thyme stems. Serve topped with crumbled bacon and fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Prep time is minimal because you are doing most of your chopping and peeling while other things are cooking, so this recipe moves along quickly and easily. Gather all of the ingredients before you start cooking the bacon and you are set up for success!
- To freeze, allow the chowder to cool completely, then chill in the fridge overnight in an airtight container. Transfer to the the freezer and store for up to 3 months.
- Be sure to check out the post above for details about ingredients and substitutions.
Sutton
Made this for dinner and it was DELICIOUS!!!! Will definitely make it again. Wonderful flavors, not too heavy, and pretty simple. 10/10!!!
Debra
Hi Sutton!
So glad liked it!
Thanks for reading,
Debra