Crock Pot Corn Chowder

This Crock Pot Corn Chowder is a cozy slow cooker dinner that's thick, creamy, and packed with sweet corn, frozen hash browns, cheddar, cream cheese, and crispy bacon. It delivers all the rich flavor of classic corn chowder without peeling or chopping potatoes. Just dump everything into the slow cooker for an easy weeknight soup your family will ask for again and again!

Bowl of corn chowder toppe with bacon, cheese, green onions.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

leslie lambert, author of lamberts lately.

Back-to-school season is officially here, which means my kitchen is back to relying on easy weeknight wins. There is nothing better than a dump-and-go Crock Pot recipe that actually delivers on flavor without the stovetop stress.

If you've enjoyed my Crack Chicken Chili or that viral Marry Me Chicken Soup, then this Crock Pot Corn Chowder is going to be your new favorite rotation. It's incredibly rich and velvety thanks to a cream cheese base, with a sharp cheddar bite and a double-hit of corn for the perfect texture. Plus, you can have it prepped and simmering in just 10-15 minutes!

The "Secret" Pantry Thickener: Forget messy flour rouxs or clumpy cornstarch. I'm sharing my favorite hack for a thick, restaurant-style consistency that stays perfectly smooth and never breaks in the slow cooker. Hint: it's an easy ingredient you might already have on hand!

A Texture Champ: By using both whole-kernel and cream-style corn, you get a satisfying "pop" in every bite along with a deeply infused sweet corn flavor throughout the velvety, cream-cheese base.

True Dump-and-Go Prep: Between the frozen hash browns and canned staples, you can have this entire meal prepped and simmering in just 10-15 minutes - no sautéing, chopping, or extra pans required!

Grab a bowl, pile on the extra bacon and cheese, and enjoy a cozy, stress-free dinner that your whole family will love!

Ingredient Notes

For full list of ingredients and quantities, see recipe card at the end of this post.)

Frozen Shredded Hash Browns: These are the ultimate shortcut because you can dump them straight from the freezer into the pot with zero thawing or peeling required.
Chicken Broth: If you happen to have homemade chicken broth in the freezer it works even better here to deepen the flavor.
Instant Mashed Potatoes: This is my secret ingredient for the perfect chowder. It is an inexpensive pantry staple that dissolves instantly to thicken the soup and boost the potato flavor without the clumps you sometimes get from flour or cornstarch.
Canned Whole-Kernel and Cream-Style Corn: I like using both to get the best of both worlds. You get the satisfying pop of sweet corn kernels plus the naturally thick consistency from the cream-style can.
Cream Cheese: Adding this at the end provides the signature richness and tang that makes this recipe feel like true comfort food.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese: For the best results I highly recommend shredding your own from a block. Pre-shredded bags are coated in a powder that can prevent the cheese from melting perfectly into the soup.
Bacon: Salty and crispy bacon is the perfect contrast to the sweet corn. I like to cook it separately so it stays nice and crunchy when you pile it on as a topping.

Variations & Additions

Want to make this recipe vegetarian? Leave out the bacon, change the chicken broth to vegetable broth, and use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken.
Shredded chicken is fantastic in this recipe. It makes the soup heartier - more of a full meal! I recommend adding 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.
You can sneak veggies into this recipe really easily! Add 1 cup of chopped celery, onion, carrots, broccoli, or peas at the beginning of cooking for a little nutrition boost.

How to Make Crock Pot Corn Chowder

Mixing hash browns and corn in a Crock Pot for corn chowder base.

added cheese, cream cheese, and heavy cream to corn chowder.

Combine the base: Add the frozen hash browns, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, milk, instant mashed potatoes, canned corn, and all seasonings to your slow cooker. Give it a good stir until everything is well combined and the potato flakes are fully incorporated into the liquid.
Slow cook: Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. Cooking on low is super important - it allows the frozen hash browns to soften perfectly and gives the flavors enough time to really blend together.
The creamy finish: About 15 minutes before you are ready to eat, add the heavy cream, shredded cheddar, and the cream cheese. I recommend cutting the cream cheese into small (around 1") chunks first so it melts faster. Stir thoroughly until the cheese is completely melted and the chowder looks velvety and smooth.
Prep the toppings: While the cheese is melting in the pot, cook your bacon in a skillet or the oven until it is extra crispy. Crumble it into small bits so you get a little bit of salty crunch in every single bite.
Serve and garnish: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and pile on the remaining cheddar, fresh green onions, and plenty of that crispy bacon. These toppings add the perfect fresh and salty contrast to the rich corn base.

Alternate Directions: Instant Pot

Add hash browns, soup, broth, corn, and seasonings to Instant Pot.
Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then naturally release pressure for 10-15 minutes.
Stir in milk, instant potatoes, heavy cream, cream cheese, and 1 cup of cheddar.
Mix until smooth and creamy.
Top with remaining cheddar, green onions, and crumbled bacon.

Alternate Directions: Stove Top

Add hash browns, soup, broth, milk, instant potatoes, corn, and seasonings to a large soup pot.
Simmer on the stove for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Before serving, stir in cream cheese, heavy cream, and 1 cup of cheddar.
Top each bowl with crumbled bacon, green onions, and additional cheddar cheese.

bowl of crockpot corn chowder topped with bacon, cheese, green onions.

Leslie's Helpful Tips & Tricks

Leftovers: This soup is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy your soup within 3-4 days of cooking. When you're ready to reheat leftovers, simply microwave servings for about a minute, stir, and microwave for an additional minute if needed.
If your chowder isn't quite as thick as you'd like, add an extra ¼ cup of instant mashed potatoes until you reach the desired thickness.
Alternately, if it's too thick, add ½ cup of chicken broth until you reach the desired thickness.
This soup freezes wonderfully! You can either freeze it in a gallon-sized freezer bag or, my personal preference, in single-servings with Souper Cubes. Thaw the chowder in the refrigerator when you're ready to serve.
This is a hearty soup that doesn't need a side - but if you'd like one, try garlic bread, grilled cheese, a bread bowl, a simple salad, oyster crackers, or biscuits.

FAQs & Troubleshooting

Yes. Use diced Yukon gold or russet potatoes cut into small cubes so they cook evenly. Canned potatoes also work - just add them during the last 1-2 hours so they don't get too soft.

This usually happens if the cheese is added when the soup is too hot or if pre-shredded cheese is used. For the smoothest texture, stir in freshly shredded cheddar during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.

Yes, the flavors get even better the next day! Store it in the fridge and reheat with a splash of broth or milk if it thickens overnight.

Absolutely! Leave it out and add a little extra cheddar or a splash of half-and-half at the end for richness.

Yes, but it's best to halve the recipe. A 6-quart slow cooker gives the best room for even cooking.

More Crock Pot Recipes

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Crock Pot Corn Chowder

Why You'll Love This Recipe