This article explores various keto-friendly chicken corn chowder recipes, offering options that cater to different preferences, dietary needs, and cooking methods. Whether you're looking for a dairy-free version, a low-carb alternative to traditional chowder, or a way to use leftover chicken or turkey, you'll find inspiration and guidance to create a comforting and satisfying meal.
Wholesome and Flavorful: Dairy-Free Chicken and Corn Chowder
This Chicken and Corn Chowder soup is a wholesome and hearty option, perfect for a weeknight dinner. It's packed with sweet corn, shredded chicken, and tender potatoes, all simmered in almond milk for a completely dairy-free experience. This recipe is not only delicious but also nutritious, offering plenty of protein and veggies.
Key Features:
- Wholesome: Healthy, protein-rich, and packed with vegetables.
- One-Pot Meal: Easy to make in a single pot.
- Dairy-Free: Uses almond milk for a creamy texture without dairy.
Ingredients:
- Onion (yellow, white, or sweet)
- Bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange)
- Waxy potatoes (Yukon gold or red potatoes)
- Shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached)
- Almond milk (or coconut milk/regular milk as substitutes)
- Canned corn
- Vegetable broth
Instructions:
- Sauté the veggies: Heat oil in a large pot and sauté onion, celery, and bell peppers until softened.
- Add veggies and broth: Add potatoes, shredded chicken, corn, and vegetable broth.
- Simmer: Bring to a simmer until potatoes are tender.
- Make cornstarch slurry: Whisk cornstarch with water or almond milk.
- Add almond milk: Stir in the almond milk and cornstarch slurry to thicken.
- Garnish and serve: Season and garnish as desired.
Tips and Variations:
- Corn: Fresh, frozen, or canned corn can be used. Fresh corn provides the best flavor.
- Potatoes: No need to peel the potatoes; just scrub them well.
- Thickening: Use cornstarch, flour, or mash some of the potatoes to thicken the chowder.
- Serving: Serve as a main dish or side with garlic bread, salad, or a sandwich.
Slow Cooker Adaptation:
For a hands-off approach, use a slow cooker or crockpot. Sauté the onions, bell peppers, and celery for a few minutes until tender. Then, transfer to the crockpot and add the potatoes, carrots, corn, broth, and seasonings. Mix to combine. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. To thicken the soup, whisk together cornstarch and milk in a small bowl. Pour it into the slow cooker, stir the soup well, and cook for 30 minutes to an hour until the soup thickens.
Keto Creamy Chicken Chowder: Low-Carb Comfort
For those following a ketogenic diet, this Keto Creamy Chicken Chowder offers a satisfying and flavorful alternative to traditional chowder. This recipe uses cauliflower rice as a substitute for potatoes, keeping the carb count low while maintaining a creamy and hearty texture.
Key Features:
- Low-Carb: Uses cauliflower rice instead of potatoes.
- Dairy-Free Option: Can be made with coconut milk or Nutpods instead of heavy cream.
- Versatile: Can be made in an Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stovetop.
Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Turnips (or daikon radish)
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Green beans
- Cauliflower rice
- Chicken stock
- Cashews (for creamy texture)
- Spices (rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper)
Instructions (Instant Pot):
- Sauté vegetables: Sauté carrots, celery, turnips, onion, and green beans in ghee until soft.
- Add garlic and herbs: Cook garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage for another 30 seconds.
- Add chicken and stock: Add diced chicken breasts and chicken stock. Stir to combine.
- Pressure cook: Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes, then do a QUICK RELEASE.
- Blend for creaminess: Blend cauliflower rice, cashews, and cooking liquid until smooth.
- Combine and serve: Pour the creamy mixture into the Instant Pot. Stir to combine. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve warm with keto biscuits.
Instructions (Stove Top):
- Sauté vegetables: Follow Instant Pot Instructions 2-4.
- Simmer: After adding the chicken stock, simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 45 minutes-1 hour, until the vegetables are soft.
- Blend for creaminess: Follow Instant Pot Instructions 6-9.
Instructions (Slow Cooker):
- Sauté vegetables: Follow Instant Pot Instructions 2 + 3.
- Transfer to slow cooker: Transfer the cooked vegetables into your slow cooker, along with the chicken breasts + chicken stock.
- Cook: Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Blend for creaminess: Follow Instant Pot Instructions 6-9.
Tips and Variations:
- Cashew Substitute: Use coconut milk, Nutpods, or heavy cream if you're okay digesting dairy.
- Serving: Serve with keto biscuits and top with hot sauce or lemon juice for a little bit of acid.
- Vegetables: Green or red cabbage can be used
Keto Chicken Bacon Chowder: A Smoky and Savory Delight
This Keto Chicken Bacon Chowder combines the creamy texture of traditional chowder with the smoky flavors of bacon and chipotle. It's a hearty and satisfying option that's perfect for a chilly evening.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Key Features:
- Smoky Flavor: Chipotle peppers add a smoky kick.
- Rich and Creamy: Made with heavy whipping cream and cheddar cheese.
- Low-Carb: Uses turnip as a potato replacement.
Ingredients:
- Bacon
- Chicken
- Turnip
- Onion
- Garlic
- Heavy whipping cream
- Cheddar cheese
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Chicken broth
- Spices (cumin, salt, pepper)
- Glucomannan (optional, for thickening)
- Fresh cilantro (for garnish)
Instructions:
- Cook the bacon: Cook bacon until crisp.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add onion and turnip to bacon grease and cook until onions are tender.
- Cook the chicken: Add the broth and chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and simmer 10 minutes, until chicken is just cooked through.
- Finish the chowder: Add the cream, cheese, and minced chipotle and cook gently for another 3 minutes, stirring to melt the cheese.
- Thicken (optional): Whisk in glucomannan, if using.
- Garnish and serve: Ladle into bowls and sprinkle the tops with bacon bits and chopped cilantro.
Tips and Variations:
- Turnip Substitute: Try daikon radish for a milder flavor.
- Cheese: Choose a cheddar that melts well, such as a block of cheddar rather than pre-grated.
- Chipotle: Use canned chipotle in adobo sauce or chipotle powder.
- Thickening: When adding glucomannan, sprinkle it over the liquid while whisking continuously.
Multicooker Instructions:
Follow the recipe as written but use the Sauté setting for the bacon, chicken, and vegetable steps. Add about a cup of broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom and deglaze the pot. Add the remaining broth and other ingredients (except the cream and cream cheese). Secure the lid and cook on low pressure for 20 minutes, using a quick release at the end of the cook time.
Crockpot - Slow- Cooker Instructions:
You can make this soup in a crockpot; to do so, add the chicken that has been cut, onion, garlic, carrots, cauliflower rice, chicken broth, and spices to the slow cooker.Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.Once the soup has simmered and the chicken is fully cooked, add the cream cheese, heavy cream, cheddar cheese, and half the cooked bacon pieces.Garnish with parsley and the remaining pieces and bacon.
Chicken Corn Chowder: A Classic Reimagined
This Chicken Corn Chowder recipe offers a lighter and allergy-friendly take on the classic chowder, using corn puree instead of cream or flour for thickening. It's a versatile recipe that can be easily customized with your favorite vegetables and protein sources.
Key Features:
- Lighter and Allergy-Friendly: Thickened with corn puree instead of cream or flour.
- Versatile: Can be made with leftover chicken or turkey, and customized with various vegetables.
- Make-Ahead: Can be made in advance and reheated.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Corn
- Sage and thyme
- Cooked chicken
- Carrots
- Frozen peas
- Chicken stock
Instructions:
- Sauté the aromatics and corn: Cook onion in olive oil with salt and pepper until translucent. Add corn, sage, and thyme, and sauté for a few minutes.
- Simmer till soft: Add 2 cups of chicken stock and cook about 15-20 minutes to soften the corn.
- Blend the soup: Transfer the entire mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender and puree until smooth.
- Finish it off: Return the puree to the saucepan over medium-low heat, and add the remaining 2 cups stock, 2 cups corn, chicken, peas, and carrots.
- Heat and serve: Bring to a simmer and cook for another 10-20 minutes, until heated through and carrots are tender.
Tips and Variations:
- Protein: Use leftover roast turkey or crockpot roast chicken.
- Vegetables: Add sautéed peppers or celery, kale or spinach, or any vegetables you love.
- Vegetarian: Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and omit the chicken for a basic corn chowder recipe.
- Puree: An immersion blender is a great option to minimize cleanup, but a regular blender works fine too.
Low Carb Chicken and Baby Corn Chowder: A Textural Twist
This recipe puts a keto spin on a classic comfort food! Creamy chicken chowder dotted with plump corn kernels is a textural delight, one that was hard to replicate on keto. Then I discovered canned baby corn. It has a very low carb count because it hasn’t matured and developed the starches found in ripe corn. It doesn’t have a lot of flavor, but it does have that familiar corn texture if you chop it into corn kernel-size pieces. It is often found in the Asian food aisle of the supermarket alongside bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.
Key Features:
- Low-Carb: Canned baby corn is used as a substitute for corn.
- Rich and Creamy: Made with heavy whipping cream and cream cheese.
Ingredients:
- Bacon
- Chicken
- Onion
- Garlic
- Bell pepper
- Cauliflower
- Baby corn
- Heavy whipping cream
- Cream cheese
- Chicken broth
- Spices (salt, pepper)
Instructions:
- Brown the bacon: In a large soup pot over medium heat, brown the bacon for 5 to 7 minutes or until crispy. Using a slotted spoon or fork, transfer the bacon to a paper towel.
- Cook the chicken: In the bacon fat, cook the chicken until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the butter to the remaining fat, along with the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and cauliflower. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the onion starts to become translucent.
- Deglaze: Add 1 cup of broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze.
- Simmer: Return the chicken to the pot and add the remaining 5 cups of broth, baby corn, salt, and pepper. Turn up the heat to high and stir well to combine. When the soup is almost at a boil, turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes. Stir regularly, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking.
- Finish: Remove the pot from the heat and add the cream and cream cheese. Stir well to melt. (Adding these at the end prevents the cream separating and ruining the chowder.)
- Serve: Taste for seasoning.
Multicooker Instructions:
Follow the recipe as written but use the Sauté setting for the bacon, chicken, and vegetable steps. Add about a cup of broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom and deglaze the pot. Add the remaining broth and other ingredients (except the cream and cream cheese). Secure the lid and cook on low pressure for 20 minutes, using a quick release at the end of the cook time.
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