Instant Pot Corn Chowder with a Spicy Kick

It’s summer! As a kid, I grew up in the suburban areas of Pennsylvania where passing corn fields was a normal everyday thing. Little did I know, that was not normal. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it, but I really love corn. I manage to eat bags of frozen corn throughout the year and then get really excited when real corn on the cob hit the grocery stores!

These deliciously sweet corns are great on their own but are also amazing when showcased as the main ingredient in a dish, like today’s corn chowder. In the peak of summer, the corns are super sweet which really makes out a bright flavor in the creamy chowder. While this will taste great with any form of corn, if it’s summer I recommend trying to use the corn straight of the cob! It’s worth the extra effort and why not eat something in season?

What’s also great about this recipe is that it’s fast and you don’t need to turn up the stove heat. We’ll use the help of an Instant Pot and bring out deep flavors of the corn quickly through the pressure cooker. This also means, if you have an instant pot, you won’t be turning on the oven for hours that can really make your kitchen warm. We will though bring up the heat with just enough spicy peppers to bring balance into a creamy dish.

Serve this creamy corn chowder with some toasted bread to use as a spoon or a side of salad.

*If you don’t have an instant pot, you may cook this over the stoptop in a stockpot. You’ll just need to turn on the stove and simmer the corn for about 30 minutes instead of 10 minutes in the instant pot.  

Print Recipe

Instant Pot Corn Chowder with a Spicy Kick

Servings

Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon
• ½ onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 4 cups yellow corn kernels about 4 ears of corn
• 1 potato peeled and cut into cubes
• 2-4 spicy peppers depending on the spicy kick preference
• Salt and black pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 green onions scallion

Servings Ingredients 4 strips bacon ½ onion diced 4 cloves garlic minced 4 cups yellow corn kernels about 4 ears of corn 1 potato peeled and cut into cubes 2-4 spicy peppers depending on the spicy kick preference Salt and black pepper 3 cups chicken broth 2 cups whole milk 2 green onions scallion

Instructions

1. Set the instant pot to saute and cook the bacon until crisp to your liking. Set bacon aside on a paper towel lined plate. Keep about 1 Tbsp of bacon fat in the pot, remove the rest.
2. In the instant pot, add the onion and garlic, cook until lightly browned. Continue to add in the corn, potatoes and spicy peppers. Saute for about one minute to bring out the flavors. Pour in the chicken broth and season the soup with salt and pepper. Cover the instant pot and set on manual, high pressure for 10 minutes. Once it’s done, let it natural release for just a few minutes so the broth doesn’t spurt out the top.
3. Pour about ½ of the chowder into a blender and blend until the chowder becomes more combined (similar to a chunky smoothie consistency) but not yet pureed. Pour the mixture back into the instant pot.

   
4. Set the instant pot back on to saute. Continue to stir the chowder mixture while adding in the milk and cheese. Cook for another 5 minutes until the cheese has melted and the chowder has thickened.
5. Serve the corn chowder in large soup bowls topped with bacon and green onions! I love to eat with this with toasted bread to dip into the chowder!

   

Recipe Notes

Recipe is barely adapted from Half Baked Harvest!