This easy Instant Pot potato corn chowder recipe is amazing!! It only takes 15 minutes to make and is the perfect creamy corn soup to eat all year long. Served by itself for dinner or with a side of rolls it surely will be your new favorite Ninja Foodi recipe or pressure cooker soup. Your kids will think it’s a winner too!
OH MY Goodness is this Instant Pot potato corn chowder amazing! I have been experimenting with new appliance of mine since I got it just before Christmas and it has changed my world! It’s one of our favorite Instant Pot recipes. (affiliate links present)
Potato Corn Chowder
We eat together more often now because everything cooks SO much faster. You can use a Ninja Foodi or Crockpot Express too. The brand of pot doesn’t really matter.
I feel like we eat a bit healthier too because I can cook with fresh veggies and it takes no time at all. We’ve made soups, chili, popcorn, and now this chowder in it and I think this is It starts with two main items from the produce department, corn and potatoes. I usually have a bag of the latter in my pantry since we live in Idaho of course…
Jump to:
- Potato Corn Chowder
- Instant Pot Corn Chowder
- What are the best potatoes for chowder?
- Ninja Foodi Potato Corn Chowder
- Can you make Instant Pot potato corn chowder without cream?
- How do you make a thick & hearty corn chowder?
- How do you thicken corn chowder?
- How do I make corn soup at home?
- Potato Corn Chowder with Heavy Cream
- What do you eat corn chowder with?
- Can you freeze potato corn chowder?
Let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
- Then LIKE our IP Facebook page for new ideas daily.
- This is a great InstaPot cookbook to grab too.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot. It is easier to clean and will avoid the burn message too.
- For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have and use for all recipe creations.
Instant Pot Corn Chowder
You can use frozen kernels too and I have when fresh doesn’t look great at the store or I’m just trying to do it real quick. From start to finish in the pot it takes about 15 minutes pressure cooking cook time. Adding in the prep you’re looking at a quick 25 minutes from start to finish.
Just enough time to throw some rolls in the oven and everything is done at once! It’s so good! If you’ve been to San Francisco and had the Boudin clam chowder there this reminds me of that kind of soup. Tip: I’d highly recommend fresh vs. frozen corn but if that’s all you have give it a go.
- It is perfect as is but I usually throw a loaf of garlic bread in the oven once I put everything in my Instant Pot and it is all done right around the same time.
I’ve since made this easy Instant Pot clam chowder recipe and between these two I’m set for a few great nights of comfort food at it’s finest. On high pressure with a quick release it’s SUPER fast and done in 30 minutes.
What are the best potatoes for chowder?
I like red potatoes for recipes such as this one. Yukon Gold are probably the second best. You really want one that won’t break apart and mess with the thickness of your soup. I have used russet as well, depends on what I have.
Ninja Foodi Potato Corn Chowder
You will want your electric pressure cooker. If you have an Instant Pot I HIGHLY suggest getting a non stick pot. To make as a Ninja Foodi recipe it already has a ceramic coating so no issues there. For this machine you will use the lid that is NOT attached and the pressure cook button.
The first two are obvious. I like red potatoes and fresh corn kernels off the cob are ideal. Beyond that add onions, broth, heavy cream, cornstarch, butter, cheddar cheese and we like either bacon bits or diced leftover ham in it!!
- Red potatoes
- I have used russet too if that’s all I have
- diced small with skin on is my preference
- Fresh corn kernels – right off the cob like when you make Instant Pot corn is best
- Onion
- Vegetable or chicken broth (way better than using water)
- Cheddar cheese
- Half and half or heavy cream
- Corn starch or flour
- Butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Bacon – bits of crispy bacon crumbled on the top takes it over the top!
Can you make Instant Pot potato corn chowder without cream?
I mean you can do what you want since it is made from scratch homemade by you. If you need a dairy free version I would whisk a bit of cornstarch with coconut milk or cashew milk instead. Difference would be that this isn’t as thick which is why I would whisk in 1 tbsp thickener. It is a great comfort food that can be adjusted to your liking, but just as is it tastes amazing too.
How do you make a thick & hearty corn chowder?
I think it is all about adding all the things. After Easter and Christmas I will use leftovers instead of bacon. I just dice up what I have left over the day or two after the holidays and it turns out amazing! Of course you can make it year round with store bought meat or ham hocks but it’s a must then.
This whole process is really easy and I love that I can use fresh produce to create it. I also love that you could easily add in bits of made with leftover ham, bacon, or diced celery inside as well if you desired.
How do you thicken corn chowder?
Use 1 tbsp flour or corn starch, arrowroot is a gluten free choice as well. You will want to whisk this with about 4 tbsp cool water until smooth and then if you don’t think it is thick enough set to saute when done. Allow to bubble and pour this mixture. Stir and in time it will get thicker. As it cools this will thicken too.
How do I make corn soup at home?
You could easily make this Instant Pot potato corn chowder soup recipe on the stove too. You would just follow the directions but add into a large pot over medium high heat. Allow to reach a consistent boil and stir intermittently until russets are as tender as you’d like them to be and thick. Then serve!
- Set Instant Pot to saute and add butter until melted.
- Add diced onions and cook until softened. Turn pot off now to avoid burn notice.
- Pour in broth, diced potatoes and corn kernels now. Season with salt and pepper.
- Close the lid and steam valve.
- Set to high pressure for 10 minutes.
I know, it’s done super duper fast right? It will come out creamy and delicious. Of course you can skip the cornstarch if you wanted but I like it thick. Flour can be used instead to make the roux.
- I usually allow it to naturally release steam for just 1 minute to avoid any spraying, then quick release.
- Whisk together in a small bowl your cornstarch and some hot liquid from pot.
- Set pressure cooker to saute, add cornstarch slurry and stir in with half and half and shredded cheese.
- Allow to thicken and serve!!
Potato Corn Chowder with Heavy Cream
Looking for more Instant pot recipes? More specifically, pressure cooker soups? We have a lot of options beyond this one, some healthy like our homemade Instant Pot chicken noodle soup and others are just feel good comfort food you have to try.
Our Pressure cooker cabbage soup is another creation that uses a lot of vegetables that we love.
- This Instant Pot split pea soup recipe is homemade!
- Instant Pot pinto bean soup
If you only have a slow cooker here is crockpot corn chowder you can make at home too. 😉
What do you eat corn chowder with?
Corn bread is a great pairing, or a nice fresh green salad works. A simple semi homemade pull apart bread with refrigerated biscuits is probably our favorite simple side dish.
- For dessert a simple Instant Pot apple crisp w/ ice cream is yummy for dessert.
Can you freeze potato corn chowder?
Yes!! We rarely have any leftovers but if you do just: cool soup completely, then add to a freezer safe container and freeze for 1-2 months.
To thaw place containers in the refrigerator overnight or until thawed completely on your countertop. Reheat in pot on the stovetop or in the microwave. Heat in 30 second increments. You can add a bit of half and half and stir thin it out as you reheat. Sprinkle top with some shredded cheese and/or bacon bits and serve!
I have used this recipe and added leftover ham to it too! This one was made in my Ninja Foodi and turned out amazingly well. I hate wasting food and the meat made it an even heartier soup.
Now for the printable instructions so you can enjoy this at home too this week. Nutritional information is calculated by the recipe card and is available below as well. Let us know what you think below in the comments once you make it for your family!
My family loves this one. It was one of the first pressure cooker soups we made but still is their favorite even today. There is a printable recipe card below with nutritional information included as well. Of course we love “seeing you” so please come back time and time again to get instructions.
Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 6 red potatoes, diced
- 4 ears corn, (kernels removed from cob, about 2 cups, can use frozen or canned)
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 3 c vegetable broth, can use water but this is better
- 3/4 c cheddar cheese
- 3 c half and half
- 2 tbsp corn starch, + 2-3 tbsp water, a bit more cornstarch depending on how thick you want it
- 3 tbsp butter
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Dice all your veggies.
- Put Instant Pot on saute and add butter until melted.
- Add diced onions and cook until soft.
- Add vegetable broth, diced potatoes, and corn removed from the cob.
- Can add pinch of salt now. Close lid and close steam valve. Set to pressure high for 10 minutes.
- When done do a quick release, carefully lift lid when steam is gone.
- Whisk together a bit of water and cornstarch into a small cup until smooth.
- Push saute on pressure cooker to allow mixture to boil. Add cornstarch mixture to pot and stir.
- Add half and half and cheese slowly, stir and serve when it has thickened a bit.
- Top with crispy bacon pieces to take it over the top!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
For anyone looking to make this on the stove top — I cooked the onion with a little bit of veggie broth (no oil). Then added the veggie broth, diced potatoes, and canned corn. Brought to a boil and simmered until the potatoes were almost done. Then added the cornstarch plus 1.5 tsp garlic powder and 1.5 tsp salt to add some more flavor. Continued simmering until the potatoes were ready. Then added 3/4 cup of 2% milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream (didn’t have any half and half) plus an additional tablespoon of cornstarch because mine was still looking pretty thin. I cooked it about 5 more minutes until soup thickened up more. Before seasoning it with garlic powder and salt I thought it was a bit bland for my taste but afterward it tasted very good. I would absolutely make this again!
Delicious! I added ham to it and my family absolutely loved it!
I am new to cooking (the instant pot has changed my life!). Tried this recipe, substituted a few things because I didn’t have them at home (whole milk instead of half and half; flour instead of corn starch), and it came out so wonderfully! And was delicious. I also used Cabot smoky bacon cheddar for this and WOW was that a great choice! So if anyone likes bacon in their corn chowder, definitely a great way to add that! This recipe was so easy to follow, and I am so excited to have this now saved to use in the future!
Made this today and it is delicious. Thank You so very much for taking the time to post your recipes! I have made a number of them and they are always easy, yummy and delicious. Please know that finding something yummy to make with just a few clicks is always greatly appreciated! ?
Thank you for the message, glad you love them.
Hi, just a quick question. Do I do “natural release” or “quick release” when it’s done? or does it matter?
I usually do what I call a slow release just moving the steam valve slightly and have it come out slowly.
I tried this recipe tonight and the family loved it. I have to say though that as written there isn’t much flavor at all (maybe it was the brand of vegetable broth?). I added quite a bit of salt, pepper and a little red pepper for a touch of heat in the back of your throat. I also added crispy bacon and ham to the pot once cooked and almost 1.5c of the cheddar. Thank you, I will be trying some of your other recipes.
I’m new to IP and everything I’ve read says not to use quick release pressure if you cooking potatoes/beans I’m a lady of “a certain age” and have a very small kitchen,so I really don’t want soup all over my cabinets and walls. Should I try this recipe and use natural release pressure?
This is really good. I followed the recipe and it was easy and very good.
Absolutely delicious! This was my first Instant Pot recipe, and I found it quick and easy to assemble and complete. The only changes I made to the recipe were adding ham and bacon. As an added bonus, my family raved about it. My son, who can be a bit picky, said “Mom, you have to make this again!” This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
I’m so glad!!
Anything to contribute on the actual dish…or…nah?