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Creamy Hatch Chili Corn Chowder with Bacon

hatch chili corn chowder - featured image
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This smoky, sweet, and creamy chowder features roasted Hatch green chiles, sweet corn, and crispy bacon. It’s a comforting bowl of New Mexico-inspired flavor that comes together in about 45 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup roasted Hatch green chiles, peeled and chopped
  • 4 cups frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 bay leaf
  • For garnish: reserved crispy bacon bits, 2 tablespoons fresh chives or green onions (chopped), sour cream or crema (optional), extra roasted Hatch chiles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon: Place chopped bacon in a cold Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave rendered fat in the pot.
  2. Sauté the aromatics: Add butter to the bacon fat and melt over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, stirring constantly.
  3. Add chiles and corn: Stir in chopped Hatch green chiles and thawed corn. Cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add potatoes, broth, and seasonings: Add diced potatoes, chicken broth, cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.
  5. Partially blend the chowder: Remove bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend about half of the chowder directly in the pot, leaving some chunky pieces. Alternatively, blend about 2 cups in a regular blender and return to the pot.
  6. Finish with cream: Stir in heavy cream. Simmer for 3-5 minutes over low heat until heated through. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
  7. Serve and garnish: Ladle into bowls. Top with reserved crispy bacon bits, fresh chives or green onions, and a dollop of sour cream or crema if desired. Add extra Hatch chiles for more heat.

Notes

For best texture, partially blend the chowder to achieve a creamy-yet-chunky consistency. Store bacon separately to keep it crispy. The chowder thickens upon standing; add a splash of broth when reheating. For a vegetarian version, omit bacon, use olive oil or butter, add smoked paprika and liquid smoke, and use vegetable broth. For dairy-free, substitute full-fat canned coconut milk for heavy cream.

Nutrition

Keywords: Hatch chili corn chowder, creamy corn chowder, bacon corn chowder, Hatch green chile soup, easy chowder recipe

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