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Instant Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe

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Instant Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe – delicious soup made in a pressure cooker. This rich and creamy chowder is packed with fresh corn, potatoes and crispy bacon.

If you enjoy hearty soups, you need to try my Potato Ham Chowder too. My Instant Pot Corn on the Cob is another great way to enjoy corn!

Instant Pot corn chowder A Instant Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe

INSTANT POT CORN CHOWDER WITH BACON

One of our favorite summer soups to make is corn chowder. It’s creamy, satisfying and full of flavor. Especially since I make it in my pressure cooker. If you have an Instant Pot and never tried to cook soup in it, you have to do it! You will love it! The flavors are as intense as if the soup was simmering on the stove for hours, when in fact it takes under 30 minutes to have it done from the time you cut the corn off the cob. Besides, there is bacon involved and that is always a good thing. I love the meaty flavor it adds to this chowder.

Cooking the bacon in the pot first creates a base for this delicious soup. I also add the fresh corn to veggies to saute before closing the lid to let it caramelize just a bit. All of these flavors make this Instant Pot Corn Chowder one of the best I have ever had!

instant pot corn chowder 2 Instant Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe

How to make Instant Pot Corn Chowder?

  • Start by heating up the Instant Pot on the saute setting. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove and place on a plate.
  • Saute garlic and onion in bacon grease. Add corn kernels and saute for a few minutes. Press “cancel/off” button to turn off the saute setting.
  • Add remaining ingredients, along with half of the bacon. Close the lid, press “manual” or “pressure cook” setting and set the timer to 10 minutes. Once done, let the Instant Pot release pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
  • Add cornstarch whisked with half and half and stir into the soup. Let it sit for 10 minutes. If the chowder is not as thick as you like, remove 2 cups and blend the rest with an immersion blender.

Fresh corn vs. frozen corn

I buy fresh corn on the cob at ALDI’s. The package comes with 4 cobs and I used all of them in this recipe. The amount of time the chowder cooks in the pressure cooker, allows the corn to cook but not get mushy and completely broken down. It has it’s texture and you can still enjoy the fresh corn flavor. You can also use canned (drained and rinsed) or frozen corn without adjusting the time. It is just needed for the potatoes to cook.

How to thicken up Instant Pot Corn Chowder?

If you like smoother texture chowder, feel free to spoon two cups into a bowl and blend the rest in the pot with an immersion blender. Add reserved chowder back in and enjoy.

instant pot corn chowder 3 Instant Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe

Check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance!

More easy Instant Pot recipes:

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Corn on the Cob

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Instant Pot Soup Recipes Roundup (all in one place)

pin it button Instant Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

5 from 15 votes
Instant Pot corn chowder A 150x150 Instant Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe
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Instant Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
11 mins
Total Time
21 mins
 

Instant Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon Recipe - delicious soup made in a pressure cooker. This rich and creamy chowder is packed with fresh corn, potatoes and crispy bacon.

www.crunchycreamysweet.com

Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: corn chowder, Instant Pot, Instant Pot chowder
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 308 kcal
Author: Anna
Ingredients
  • 4 ears corn on the cob
  • 4 slices bacon chopped
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 4 red potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock or water
  • 1.5 cups half and half
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • fresh parsley chopped
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Turn pressure cooker on. Press SAUTE button. Wait 2 minutes for the pot to heat up. Add chopped bacon. Cook until almost all of is crispy. Remove onto a plate.
  2. Add garlic and onion to pot with bacon grease. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Cut corn kernels off the cobs. Add to pot with onion. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring often.
  4. Press OFF button on Instant Pot.

  5. Add potatoes, water, stock and half of cooked bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Close lid, set to sealing position. Press MANUAL button and set timer to 10 minutes. The pressure cooker will start cooking. It will take it a few minutes to come to pressure.

  6. When the Instant Pot is done it will beep. Click OFF button. Let pressure cooker naturally release the pressure for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, whisk together half and half and cornstarch. Quick release pressure. Add half and half to pot and stir. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  7. Serve chowder garnished with reserved bacon and chopped parsley.
Recipe Notes

Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days. You can use canned corn (drained and rinsed) in this recipe. You don't have to adjust the cooking time. It is needed for the potatoes to cook. The smaller the dice of the potatoes, the quicker they will cook. Do not dice them too small. 

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Corn Chowder with Bacon
Amount Per Serving
Calories 308 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 32mg11%
Sodium 668mg29%
Potassium 942mg27%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 505IU10%
Vitamin C 18.5mg22%
Calcium 86mg9%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Sarah says

    Whenever I have a recipe with potatoes that calls for thickening, I use instant mashed potatoes instead of flour or cornstarch. Then I don’t have to worry about cooking out their flavors.

    Reply

  3. Rick says

    Great recipe! Made this today for lunch and I’am going to finish it up for dinner. I was supposed to share this with my partner at work but it was too good. Guess I will be making another batch for her.

    Reply

  5. Sara Johnson says

    Trying this tonight, had lots of fresh corn left and it’s the first almost cook rainy day of fall. So excited, the house smells amazing! Added a little red bell pepper in with the onion for color.

    Reply

      • Tammy Badger says

        I just made this. Doubled the recipe. I cooked 8 ears of corn in the instant pot for 2 minutes. Reserved the juice and omitted 1/2 cup broth. I added the reserved 1/2 cup corn juice @ the the end. I sautéed 1 sweet red pepper & added 1 fresh jalapeño both chopped after sautéing the onions & garlic. I also finely sliced 2 celery stalks. Additionally flavoured the mix with 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika. I put 1/2 the mixture in the blender. No cornstarch or flour required. Added 1/2 cup 1/2 & 1/2. Added remaining fresh corn & topped it with bacon, chives and fresh green onions. Absolutely delicious.

        Reply

  6. Beth says

    I’m going to use turkey bacon. Would I need to add some coconut oil to sauté the veggies as turkey bacon has little fat? Can’t wait to try this!

    Reply

  7. Marina says

    I didn’t have a starch so I didn’t add it.
    What I did is when soup was ready I blended a cup of it and put it back, it gave a pure appearance and made it more thicker like it was previously suggested. So next time I am not even going to put a starch

    Reply

  8. Anna says

    I made this and it was so easy and tasty… I will make again… I think the next time I will change out the bacon for tuna…

    Reply

  9. Krista E Bandy says

    When I need to thicken creamy potato soup I add in a little instant potato flakes. It makes an even more flavorful chowder.

    Reply

  10. Stephanie says

    So yummy! I did as suggested by another person and added an extra tbsp cornstarch. That worked nicely to thicken it up. Also, I didn’t have red potatoes, but had some tiny potatoes (red and white) that needed to be used up anyway, so I just cut them, keeping their peels on (who wants to peel a tiny potato!?) And, I didn’t have parsley, but I did have cilantro. So yummy!

    Reply

  11. SandyK says

    Thanks for the recipe. I made it last night and my husband loved it. It was a bit thin, but I like the broth. I did need more salt and pepper. A keeper.

    Reply

    • Becky says

      I’ll tell you in a bit since I accidentally added the cream with the other liquids!! 😳🤪

      Reply

  16. Nicole says

    I just finished making this. I added cubed ham as well and an extra tablespoon of cornstarch and then sautéed it on low until it got to desired thickness. It is Delicious!!

    Reply

  17. Tony says

    Thank you for a wonderful receipt. My family loved it, I should have made more as it was all gone and everyone wanted more.

    Reply

  19. Crystal says

    Has anyone tried this in a crockpot or on the stove top? I don’t have a pressure cooker and don’t wnat to buy for just one Recipe .

    Reply

    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      Hi Crystal! I based this recipe on my stove top version. It’s the same, just the cooking time will be longer. I do hope you will consider Instant Pot in the future. It is one of my favorite kitchen countertop appliances!

      Reply

  20. Amanda says

    Great flavor. I will use more bacon next time. Also I will make a roux instead of the cornstarch to make it thicker. Other than that it was perfect.

    Reply

  22. Gina D from Texas says

    Can this be done in the electric pressure cooker instead of the instant pot? Would everything be the same?

    Reply

    • Amber says

      The instant pot is an electric pressure cooker, so any brand should work as long as it has a sautee feature 🙂

      I’ve made this a few times..It’s amazing! Super easy and my boyfriend is always requesting it be on the menu!

      Reply

    • Mary says

      Yep – the Instant Pot is just a brand of electric pressure cooker. I follow IP recipes all the time in my Chef Ming electric pressure cooker.

      Reply

  23. Wendy says

    I made this last night for the first time and my husband had 3 bowls! I was blown away by how quickly the raw potatoes cooked, literally just 10 minutes like the recipe said! The only gripe (and it’s personal preference, really) is it wasn’t thick enough. Here in New England we love thick chowder. Next time I might add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch and heat it up for the 10 minutes instead of just let it sit without heat for 10 minutes. Also it needed another teaspoon of salt. Other than that, it was delicious.

    Reply

  28. Instant Pot Eats says

    What a tremendous trio of ingredients! I never thought to mix the three, although I’ve done variations with potato and bacon. Love this for using up that summer bounty of corn xx

    Reply

  30. Tabitha says

    I agree with Averie, I have sooo many appliances but looking at this recipe really makes me want to buy an instant pot! I too, love Aldi! 🙂

    Reply

  31. averie says

    I’m the only person left without an Instant Pot because I am resisting another bulky appliance but I should get one, huh! This looks great!

    Reply

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