Looking for a fresh corn recipe that’s a break from the summer corn norm? Instant Pot Corn Chowder is decadent without being heavy and hits all the right summertime notes. Chunky potatoes give it the feel of a seaside boil, while smoky bacon screams backyard barbecue. If you’re going to make an Instant Pot soup recipe in the height of summer, corn chowder is the way to go!
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It’s time to stop pushing soup to the proverbial back burner every summer. It’s not like we stop eating any other hot foods. And it’s not like we don’t swelter over barbecue grills in 90 degree heat anyway. There’s only one season for fresh corn, and taking full advantage of it includes hot soup. So, slurp it up, buttercup!
If you’re either acclimated or air conditioned, sweet summer corn soup and turkey corn chowder are household favorites that warrant consideration. But I get that the thought of simmering soup for a few hours in the middle of August isn’t everyone’s definition of a good time, even in the best of conditions.
Lucky for us, every season is soup season when you have an Instant Pot.
Instant pot recipes are the perfect method for staving off summertime stove sweating. Just liking making black bean soup in the Instant Pot saves you time (and a lot of it!), making corn chowder in a pressure cooker saves you the sweats (and a lot of ’em!).
Don’t let the ingredient list fool you. Yes, it may be starch-forward, but Instant Pot corn chowder never goes past comfort food status into heavy rib-sticking territory thanks to that bright, sweet summer corn.
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make our Instant Pot corn chowder. Scroll for ingredient notes and substitutions.
- Bacon: bacon is a classic ingredient in corn chowder. It’s smoky and salty, and not to be skipped! Use regular or thick cut bacon, and cook until it’s golden brown and very crispy.
- Fresh sweet corn: if you’re making this recipe in the summer when fresh corn is abundant, then fresh sweet corn is a must. It’s flavor is superior to frozen corn, and it will also hold up better under pressure – literally.
- Mirepoix: a combination of onions, carrots, and celery, mirepoix is often the first layer of flavor in homemade soup recipes. We use two parts sweet onion, to one part carrots and one part celery. Mirepoix vegetables are cooked over low heat until they soften; the low heat will intensify their sweet flavors, but since the vegetables don’t brown, their flavor won’t compete with the stars of the show.
- Garlic: use fresh minced garlic.
- Russet potatoes: russet potatoes are a great choice for creamy corn chowder thanks to their higher starch content. The starch will leach from the potatoes while the soup cooks, adding body and thickness to the broth.
- Seasonings: we season our corn chowder with fresh thyme, a bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
- Water: we reach for water instead of stock or broth to preserve the flavor of the sweet corn; chicken or vegetable broths are often very flavorful and can overpower the delicate flavor of fresh corn.
- Cornstarch: we use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup after pressure cooking.
- Heavy cream: stir in heavy cream at the end, after thickening with cornstarch.
Essential Notes and Tips
- Fresh corn doesn’t stay fresh for long! Farm fresh corn will start to lose flavor the minute it’s harvested; for the best salad possible, purchase farm fresh corn no more than one day before you intend to make this salad. Read the information in our fresh corn cooking guide for everything you need to know about buying fresh corn.
- If you find yourself battling stubborn silks clinging to the kernels, run the cobs until water and gently brush away the silks with a soft-bristled vegetable brush or toothbrush.
- Mind your dice! finely dice the onions, carrots, and celery to one-quarter inch, just a bit larger than the corn kernels. Dice the potatoes into a meatier 1.5-inch dice to prevent them from disintegrating while pressure cooking.
- Use kitchen shears to slice the bacon – they’re so much easier to use than a chef’s knife for this task.
- Always reserve both dairy and thickening agents for after you’ve pressure cooked a recipe in the Instant Pot. Thickening agents like cornstarch and flour may prevent the pot from coming to pressure. Significant amounts of dairy like milk and cream may curdle under the pressure. It’s best practice to add these items after the pressure cooking cycle has completed.
- Cornstarch requires heat to be effective as a thickening agent. Before adding the cornstarch slurry, bring the soup to a simmer first. The broth will start to thicken as soon as you add the slurry and begin stirring.
Serving Suggestions
Corn chowder in the Instant Pot is a hearty meal all on its own, but if you can’t get over having “just soup” for dinner, pair it with fresh bread and light sides that complement this rich and creamy soup.
- Side Salads: Italian tossed salad, tomato cucumber salad, butter lettuce salad, or kale and Brussels sprouts salad
- Easy Veggies: baked asparagus, parmesan roasted cauliflower, or garlicky green beans.
Did you make this Instant Pot corn chowder? We’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below, or share with your friends and fam!
Instant Pot Corn Chowder
Description
Corn chowder with fresh sweet corn is a summer-time classic. Take out some of the sweat work and make it in the Instant Pot! Use the freshest, sweetest corn you can find and season simply to avoid competing with the corn's delicate flavor. Ready in just one hour, Instant Pot corn chowder is the best of summer comfort food in a bowl.
Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh sweet corn, see Note 1
- 6 strips bacon, sliced into ½” lardons, see Note 2
- 1 large sweet onion, diced to ½”, about 1 cup
- 2 medium carrots, diced to ½”, about ½ cup
- 2 stalks celery, diced to ½”, about ½ cup
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound russet potatoes (about 2 large potatoes), peeled and diced into 1.5" chunks
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- chopped fresh chives, to garnish
Instructions
- Shuck the corn, removing the husks and silks (see Note 3). Position an ear of corn stem-side down in a large bowl. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice off a section of kernels starting at the top and working your way down in one long, even stroke. The kernels will collect in the bottom of the bowl. Turn the cobs, then slice off another section. Repeat until the kernels have been sliced from all six cobs. Six earns of corn will yield approximately 4 cups of fresh corn kernels.
- Layer a plate with paper towels and set aside. Place the bacon in the inner pot of the Instant Pot (see Note 4). Press the “Saute” button and adjust the temperature setting to “Medium”. If your model has a timer, ensure it’s set to at least 20 minutes. Once the bacon starts to sizzle, stir occasionally and cook until the fat renders and the bacon is golden brown (about 8 minutes). Remove using a slotted spoon and place onto the paper-towel lined plate to drain.
- Reduce the temperature to “Low”, then add the onion, carrot, and celery; toss to coat in the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and onion turns translucent (5-6 minutes); do not allow the vegetables to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Press the “Cancel” button to turn off the Saute function.
- Add the corn kernels, potatoes, 2 cups of water, salt, and pepper, then give everything a good stir. Top with the thyme sprig and bay leaf.
- Secure the lid and ensure the pressure valve is set to sealing. Press the “Pressure Cook” button, adjust to High Pressure, and set the timer for 8 minutes. It will take 15-20 minutes for the pot to come to pressure. Once the timer goes off, perform a quick release and wait until the float valve has dropped completely.
- Open the pot, positioning the lid so that the steam will waft away from your body. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stem using tongs. Gently shake the thyme stems to release the leaves.
- Press the “Saute” button once more, adjust the temperature setting to “Medium”, and bring the soup to a simmer (see Note 5). Whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl until smooth to create a slurry. Pour the slurry into the pot, along with the heavy cream. Stir and simmer 3-5 minutes more, or until the broth has thickened.
- Stir in half of the cooked bacon, then taste for seasoning. Adjust the salt and pepper if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining cooked bacon and chopped chives to taste. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Note 1. Fresh corn starts to lose flavor the minute it’s harvested; for the best salad possible, purchase farm fresh corn no more than one day before you intend to make this recipe.
- Note 2. A “lardon” is simply a fancy way of saying “sliced”. To create lardons, arrange several pieces of bacon in a stack. Using a sharp chef’s knife or kitchen shears, slice the bacon into ½” wide pieces.
- Note 3. To remove any stubborn, clinging silks, run the corn until water and gently brush them away with a soft-bristled vegetable brush or toothbrush. Pat the corn dry before drizzling with oil and seasoning.
- Note 4. Always start bacon in a cold cooking vessel, in this case, a cold Instant Pot. Heating the bacon gradually allows the bacon to slowly render its fat and helps the bacon cook evenly.
- Note 5. Cornstarch requires heat to be effective as a thickening agent; bring the broth to a simmer before adding the cornstarch slurry so that it activates as soon as you add it.
- Corn chowder will thicken as it cools. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water per serving before reheating to thin the broth.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat single portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Reheat larger portions in a saucepan on the stove over medium low heat until the edges start to bubble.
- Corn chowder can be frozen – heavy cream doesn’t tend to separate when frozen. Store in airtight containers to ward off freezer burn. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat as directed.
Nutrition Facts
serving size: 2 cups
calories per serving: 318 kcal
total fat: 16g
saturated fat: 8g
monounsaturated fat: 5g
polyunsaturated fat: 1g
trans fat: 0g
cholesterol: 41mg
sodium: 403mg
protein: 9g
total carbohydrates: 41g
fiber: 5g
sugars: 9g
potassium: 799mg
vitamin a: 227%
vitamin c: 40%
calcium: 6%
iron: 9%
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Step-By-Step Recipe Photos
- Use the Saute function, cook the bacon over medium heat until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set onto a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in the rendered bacon fat over low heat until soft; add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the fresh corn kernels along with the potatoes, water, salt, and pepper, then give everything a good stir. Top with a bay leaf and sprig of fresh thyme.
- Seal the pot and program to High Pressure for 8 minutes. Once the timer goes off, perform a quick release then open the pot.
- Using the Saute function, bring the soup to a simmer, then pour in the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and water) along with the heavy cream.
- Simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the broth is thickened to your preference.
- Stir in half of the cooked bacon. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining bacon and fresh chives. Enjoy!
Shake It Up!
If you’ve never met a recipe you can’t tweak just a lil’ bit, this section is for you! If you change things up, write a comment below and tell us all about it.
- Make chicken corn chowder: add three cups of diced or shredded rotisserie chicken between steps 6 and 7 (after removing the thyme and bay leaf, and before bringing the soup to a simmer again).
- Use frozen corn: yes, you can use frozen corn for this recipe; you’ll need 4 cups. Don’t defrost the corn first, and do use sweet or super-sweet corn.
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