There’s something magical about sweet summer corn that captures my cook’s heart, and makes me want to turn it into soup even when it’s hot outside. Jalapeno Bacon Corn Chowder combines all my favorite things about summer cooking in one pot: perfectly sweet and crisp corn kernels, the smokiness of bacon, and just enough heat from garden-fresh jalapeños to give the day a little extra zing. It’s creamy, comforting, and has the perfect balance of sweet and spicy that’ll have your family going back for seconds.
Soup in the summer? You bet your bacon!
I don’t think it will be a big surprise to learn that I love soup all year round. I have several go-to soups for this hot and humid season, but I have a special fondness for corn chowders. I live in the Midwest, and we get teased a lot for being flyover states with nothing but cornfields. But, that’s because we do corn right. Especially sweet corn.
Corn so scrumptious that it’s best eaten raw, when it’s sugary sweet, crunchy, and juicy. Pure corn essence.
And that’s why late summer corn chowders are simply the best. Add a little bacon, some spicy jalapeños, and there won’t be one complaint in the house about having soup in the summer.
Jalapeno Bacon Corn Chowder is —
- Loaded with fresh corn at its peak flavor, and the corn kernels stay crisp and sweet since they’re added at the end.
- Customizable on the heat level (use more or fewer jalapeños).
- A total flavor bomb: Bacon + jalapeños = spicy, smoky flavors in every bite.
- A summery soup that shows off the season’s beautiful produce, including sweet corn and zesty jalapeno peppers.
If you’re a super-fan of corn chowders like I am, you might also want to check out my Shrimp and Corn Chowder, Southwest Corn Chowder, and Smoky Hatch Chile Corn Chowder.
Key Ingredients
Corn — There’s nothing quite like sweet corn grown in the Midwest. Purchased as close to picking as possible, freshly shucked, the corn kernels are sugar-sweet and crisp. If you’re making this soup offseason, use frozen corn instead (give it a brief rinse in a sieve to take the chill off before adding it to the soup).
Jalapeno peppers — Is it just me or are jalapeño peppers getting milder? I used to be a one pepper only kind of person, but now it’s like, let’s start with three and see what that gets us! My advice for this soup is to buy 2 or 3 peppers, slice off a piece and give it a taste, and then let that sample determine how much to add. If your family is staunchly anti-chile-heat, don’t hesitate to swap out all of the jalapeños with green bell peppers.
Bacon — There’s lots of bacon in this chowder. While corn is the star of the show, the salty, savory bacon notes provide a lot of spot-on seasoning for the soup.
Potatoes — A chowder isn’t a chowder without the thickening power of potatoes. Although starchy russets are probably more common in chowders, they’re not my first choice. When they spend too much time in soup, starchy potatoes start to break down in a very mashed-potatoes way. Which is not at all the texture I’m looking for. Baby reds are too waxy (meaning, they hold together too well). My preferred potato for soups in general is the Yukon gold, which has both starchy and waxy qualities. It breaks down a bit to help thicken the soup, but also holds together enough to let its chunky presence be known.
Dairy — I usually go for half-and-half or heavy cream for chowders to add a smoothly creamy factor to the soup without having to use a lot of it. Dairy mutes flavors in a soup, and if you go with whole milk, you might have to add a little too much to get the same creaminess. And meanwhile, you’ve dulled the spices.
How to Make Jalapeño Bacon Corn Chowder
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to see the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the soup.
Prep notes
Here’s a quick guide for prepping the ingredients, if you need it (not including anything that simply needs to be measured out of a container, such as dried herbs and liquids).
- Peel the onion and dice, measuring out a scant half cup. Soak the onions in water for 15 minutes to take the harsh edges off. Drain and pat dry.
- Clean the celery ribs and slice off any rough ends. Slice lengthwise and then dice.
- Scrub the carrot, slice off the stem end, and dice or thinly slice
- Slice open the bell pepper and the jalapeno pepper, removing the seed heads and the seeds. Chop into small dice.
- Scrub and peel the potatoes. Cut into 1″ cubes.
- Remove the husks and silks from the ears of corn. Slice the kernels from the cob, and also firmly scrape down the cobs with the flat edge of the knife blade to release the yummy corn “milk.”
- Chop the bacon in 1/2″ pieces.
- Clean the green onions and slice thinly.
Crisp the bacon
Cook the bacon in pot, until crispy. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Leave the rendered fat in the pot.
Saute the aromatics
Add the onions, celery, carrots, bell peppers, and jalapenos to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened. Sprinkle the flour and seasonings over the vegetables and give everything a good stir.
Cook the potatoes
Add the potatoes and mix with the vegetables to get a bit of the seasonings on them. Pour in the broth and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until the potatoes are done: can either be pierced easily with a knife or smashed against the side of the pot.
Finish the soup
Add a ladle of the hot soup to the half-and-half in a bowl, and whisk well. This tempers the chilled dairy so that it doesn’t break apart when added to the hot soup. Stir in the corn, bacon (hold back a small amount for garnish), and tempered dairy. If you like your soup chunky, it’s ready to go! Or, smooth out the soup every so slightly with a couple of pulses with an immersion blender (this is what I did for the photos of the finished soup in this post). Garnish the soup with green onions, sliced jalapenos, and bacon crumbles.
Storing
Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and reheat over medium-low on stovetop.
If you make my Jalapeño Bacon Corn Chowder, I’d love to hear how it turns out. Drop a comment below, or tag me on Instagram with your photo (@soupaddict), and let me know if your jalapeños were hot or mild!
Jalapeno Bacon Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 4 strips uncooked bacon , chopped
- 1 small onion , diced
- 3 ribs celery , diced
- 1 medium carrot , diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper , diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers , seeds removed and diced*
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes , scrubbed, peeled, and cubed
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 ears of corn , shucked, kernels only
- 1 cup half-and-half**
- 2 green onions , sliced thinly
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 4 or 5 quart soup pot or Dutch oven over medium until the surface shimmers.
- Add the bacon to the pot and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally (about 8 minutes). Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the rendered fat in the pot.
- Add the onions, celery, carrots, and peppers to the pot and saute until they’ve started to soften and are glossy from the bacon fat.
- Stir in the flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt.
- Add the potatoes and mix well with the vegetables (if the mixture is pasty, add a splash of chicken broth).
- Pour in the chicken broth and raise the heat to bring the soup to an active boil. Adjust heat to maintain a steady bubbling, and cook until the potatoes are done (i.e., can be easily smooshed on the side of the pot; 15-20 minutes).
- In a small bowl, add a ladle of the hot soup to the half-and-half and whisk well. This tempers the dairy so that it won’t break once added to the soup. Set aside.
- Stir in the corn kernels and bacon, followed by the tempered half and half. (Hold back some corn kernels and bacon pieces for garnish, if you like.)
- If you want a slightly thicker soup, use an immersion blender to carefully pulse the soup a few times. My preference is some chunks with some of the soup broken down into smaller pieces (just 2 or 3 pulses).
- Mix in the green onions before serving.