Grilled corn chowder is a delicious soup recipe made with sweet grilled corn, red peppers, potatoes, bacon, and fresh thyme. It's a creamy chowder that is made without dairy – but you'll never know that it's a healthy corn chowder recipe.

Complete the meal with some no yeast bread for dipping in the soup. And if you love corn in soup, also try our sweet corn gazpacho and our chicken taco soup (with lots of corn in it).

A bowl of grilled corn chowder with a spoon in it.

This recipe was originally published back in 2014. We've updated the post with some new photos and more information. We've also tweaked the recipe so that it's a little easier to make ā€“ but it's still every bit as delicious!

Grilled corn chowder

We've been making this corn chowder recipe for years now and we still can't get enough of it. It's richly flavored with sweet grilled corn, smoky bacon, and earthy thyme. And the potatoes, corn, and a touch of flour give the soup a luscious, creamy feel. It's delicious.

How to make grilled corn chowder

This simple soup recipe gets a real boost of flavor from grilling the corn. It's a step you don't want to skip.

  1. Start by removing the husks then lightly oiling the corn cobs – pouring a little oil into the palm of your hand then rubbing it onto the corn is the easiest way to oil the cobs. Then put them onto your grill for 10 minutes. Once they're grilled and they're cool enough to touch, cut the corn off the cobs.
  2. Now cook the bacon just like you've done 1000 times before. Put it into a pot on medium heat. Once it's nice and crispy, take the bacon and all but a few tablespoons of the flavorful oil it released out of the pot.
  3. It's time to saute the veggies. Once they're soft, stir in the flour and add the stock and potatoes.
  4. Then it's time for the magic ingredient – the corn cobs. Yes, after you cut off the corn, you put the shucked cobs into the soup pot.
  5. Once the potatoes are soft, remove the corn cobs from the pot, add the grilled corn, and season the soup. Then serve the soup with some of that crispy bacon crumbled on top.
A pot of healthy grilled corn chowder.

Is this a healthy corn chowder recipe?

Yes! Despite how delicious this is, it is a healthy corn chowder recipe. You won't find any dairy in this recipe. Instead, the starch from the potatoes and corn, and a tiny bit of flour (gluten-free, if needed), thickens to the soup just enough so that it feels deliciously creamy.

Pro tips

For the best flavor, after you cut the grilled corn off the cobs, put the cobs into the soup pot. The corn cobs will give the soup the best sweet corn flavor. Just make sure to remove them before serving the soup.

The most important part of any soup is the stock. There is not a single soup recipe out there that won't be made better or worse depending on the stock you use. If you can, use homemade stock. If you can't, use the best quality stock you can find, preferably store-bought bone broth.

Grilled corn chowder FAQs

How long does grilled corn chowder last?

This soup will keep well in a covered container in your fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop, adding a little splash of water or stock if gets too thick.

Can this recipe be frozen?

Potatoes don't freeze well as they become gritty after they thaw, so this isn't a good recipe for the freezer. But if you want to meal-prep this soup, you can make it without the potatoes and simply cook the potatoes in the soup after you thaw it.

A ladle scooping some healthy corn chowder out of a pot.

What to serve with grilled corn chowder

Grilled corn chowder is easily a meal in itself. But we love to butter up a slice of our no yeast bread to dunk into our soup bowls. This is also a great recipe to serve as a starter. Here are a few other grill recipes you can serve as the main course:

A white bowl of grilled corn chowder.
A white bowl of grilled corn chowder.

Grilled Corn Chowder Recipe

Yield: 8 cups
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Grilled corn chowder is a delicious soup recipe made with sweet grilled corn, red peppers, potatoes, bacon, and fresh thyme. It's a creamy chowder that is made without dairy – but you'll never know that it's a healthy corn chowder recipe.

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

5 stars (16 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons cooking oil
  • 4 cobs corn, husk removed
  • 5 slices bacon
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 2 clove garlic , minced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced small
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, (gluten-free, if needed)
  • 6 cups chicken stock, homemade for the best flavor
  • 4 cups diced potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon fresh tyme leaves, extra, to serve
  • 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper, more to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat your grill to medium-high. Rub the oil over the corn cobs then grill for 10 minutes, turning every few minutes until the corn is cooked through and charred in spots.
    2 teaspoons cooking oil, 4 cobs corn
  • While the corn is on the grill, cook the bacon. Put the bacon into a medium-sized soup pot over medium-high heat. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crispy, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium about halfway through cooking. Remove the bacon and all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon oil from the pot.
    5 slices bacon
  • Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies, stir, and let it cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and potatoes to the pot and stir.
    1 medium onion, 2 clove garlic, 1 medium red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 6 cups chicken stock, 4 cups diced potatoes
  • Hold a corn cob upright in a shallow bowl and cut off the kernels. Put the cobs into the soup pot and reserve the kernels. Simmer the soup, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Remove the corn cobs from the pot.
  • Add the grilled corn, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
    1 tablespoon fresh tyme leaves, 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
  • Crumble the bacon then serve the soup topped with some bacon and a few thyme leaves.
Serving: 1 cup, Calories: 218kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 563mg, Potassium: 814mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 599IU, Vitamin C: 46mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 2mg
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A bowl of grilled corn chowder with a spoon in it and the recipe title on top of the picture.