Insanely Good Mexican Street Corn Chicken Chowder
This creamy Mexican Street Corn Chicken Chowder combines everything you love about classic elote with tender chicken, roasted corn, potatoes, peppers, cotija cheese, cheddar, and fresh lime. It’s a hearty one-pot dinner that’s packed with bold flavor and perfect for cozy family meals.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 MINUTES
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: DINNER | SOUP
- Method: STOVETOP
- Cuisine: MEXICAN INSPIRED
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 4 cups frozen fire-roasted corn
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Optional Toppings
- Extra cotija cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Tajín seasoning
- Chili powder
- Jalapeño slices
- Crushed tortilla strips
- Diced avocado
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the diced chicken, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook until the chicken is mostly cooked through.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the diced potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Stir in the roasted corn and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the softened cream cheese until completely melted. Add the heavy cream, cheddar cheese, and cotija cheese, stirring until smooth and creamy.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with extra cotija cheese, cilantro, jalapeños, Tajín, tortilla strips, avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Notes
- Fire-roasted corn adds the best smoky, authentic street corn flavor.
- Rotisserie chicken can be substituted for a quicker meal.
- Freshly grate your cheddar cheese for the smoothest texture.
- Do not boil the soup after adding the dairy to prevent curdling.
- Mash a few potatoes into the broth for an even thicker chowder.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day.