Mexican Street Corn and Chicken Chowder

This Mexican Street Corn (aka Elote!) and Chicken Chowder is the absolute BEST! Loaded with juicy corn, tender chicken and tons of veggies – this creamy soup is a major crowd pleaser and will warm you up on a chilly night!

Alright, so y’all know that I have talked about my obsession with Mexican Street Corn aka Elote a few times on my blog by now.

I love the creaminess of it, the tanginess, the way it’s so many textures/flavors at one time all wrapped up into a steaming hot vessel of goodness – and those feelings transfer over to this chowder as well!

Why This Will Become Your New Go-To Meal 

First off, this meal is insanely simple. No Instant Pot, no slow cooker needed – just you, a dutch oven (or large pot) and a few simple ingredients stand between you and a large bowl of this creamy chowder. 

It can all be done in under 35 minutes and you have dinner on the table for everyone! 

Another thing that I absolutely love about this chowder is that it’s rich – but it isn’t OVERLY rich.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love heavy cream, but sometimes eating a big bowl of soup with heavy cream can hit me the wrong way.

Using half and half in this recipe really is able to “lighten” it up a little bit by still maintaining a thick creaminess. 

Guess what? You also don’t have to make a traditional roux to thicken this soup! Can I get a high five?

Instead of making a roux, you simply stir the flour into the cooked veggies (find more info on that below) and then add in the chicken broth. Win win! 

It’s definitely one of those soups where you can throw it together, let it simmer on the stove for 20 minutes and then go avoid folding those 3 loads of laundry you were supposed to fold yesterday. Ha! 

I love how this meal isn’t overly spicy but the perfect balance of creamy, rich and full of spice. The tajin (chili lime seasoning) truly sets it over the top!

Another thing that sets it over the top for me? COTIJA CHEESE! This is absolutely my favorite Mexican cheese to make and you MUST use it in this soup.

The cotija adds such a tanginess to the entire dish that would be missing without it!

The corn is SO juicy and is loaded in every single bite. You can use fresh corn if you’d like or hey, trying to save some time? Use cans! No judgement here! 

Overall the creamy rich base loaded with bite size chunks of chicken, juicy corn, crunchy vegetables like red onion and green chiles…you’re in for a delicious bowl (or two!) of chowder!

Ingredients You Need: 

• Chicken breast
• Fresh (or canned) corn 
• Red onion 
• Bell pepper
• Canned green chiles
• Jalapeno 
• Fresh garlic
• Chicken broth 
• All purpose flour
• Half and half 
• Sour cream 
• Cotija cheese 
• Tajin seasoning, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper to taste 

Ways to Take This Chowder Over the Top 

First, let’s start by making the chicken in the dutch oven. By making the chicken first, it will make sure that each bit of the chowder has that delicious flavor in each bite! 

Make sure you dice it into bite size chunks before you throw it into the pot – once you have, brown it up! Cook it for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Remove it on a plate. 

And now here is where the flavor comes in! Add in 3 tbsp of melted butter (oh yes!) to the pot and then add in all of your chopped veggies. 

You just want to let those cook for a few minutes until they’re translucent and then add in the garlic.

I always wait to add my garlic until the last minute because I don’t want it to overcook – just to become fragrant! 

Anyway – remember how earlier in the post I was talking about how you didn’t have to make a roux to thicken this soup?

Well here we are! To the cooked veggies, add in ¼ cup of all purpose flour and stir to combine. Let the flour cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Then you add in the chicken broth. Boom! Simple as that! High five for not standing over the stove top constantly whisking something until it’s thickened (although I do love you, my Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese!)

Next, you add in the corn (whether it’s fresh or canned is up to you – just make sure if it is canned to DRAIN the cans before you add them into the pot), add the chicken back in and a drained canned of diced green chiles. 

Time to spice it up now! Now, these can all be adjusted at your preference – but I personally love the combination of garlic powder, tajin (must have!), chili powder (also must have!), cumin, smoked paprika and salt to taste. This combo yields a smoky, hint of spicy perfectly balanced goodness! 

Lastly, you add in the delicious nectar that is half and half. Like I said above, this yields for a creamy but not overly rich soup. 

Let it come to a low boil (not a rolling boil!!) and then turn it down to let it simmer. 

Make sure you stir occasionally as it simmers on low heat for the next 15 minutes or so on the stove!

And the finale to truly achieve that creamy, tangy street corn taste? Add in both sour cream and cotija cheese to the soup. Mix together, scoop out a generous size serving and voila! 

Make sure to top it with additional red onions, jalapenos, extra cotija cheese and a healthy pinch of tajin seasoning. 

Storing Leftovers: 

Store leftover soup in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days…..this leftover soup is the BEST! So much flavor. 

When you’re ready for another bowl, simply warm it up to your liking and top with your favorite toppings and enjoy every bite. 

It’s the best, y’all. Truly one of (if not my favorite) soup/chowder recipe I’ve ever created for OBB. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! XO – Haylie 

Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few others you might like: 

Shrimp and Street Corn Tacos 

Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup 

Chicken Pot Pie with Cheesy Everything Bagel Seasoned Biscuits 

Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie