Description
Fiesta Chicken Corn Chowder is a hearty and flavorful Mexican-inspired soup featuring tender chicken, sweet corn, roasted tomatoes, and a creamy blend of cheeses and spices. Perfect for a comforting dinner with a spicy kick, it is garnished with fresh toppings like cilantro, avocado, and tortilla chips for added texture and taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Soup Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 1 pound chicken breasts, chopped/uncooked (or 2 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 (14.75 oz) cans cream-style corn
- 1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups fresh or frozen)
- 1 (14 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (4 oz) can mild diced green chilies
- 4 oz block cream cheese, very soft
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Hot sauce to taste
Garnishes (Optional)
- Sour cream (highly recommended)
- Shredded cheese
- Cilantro
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics and chicken: Melt the butter in the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the chopped chicken, onions, jalapenos, and seasonings including cumin, salt, chili powder, smoked paprika, and oregano. Sauté for 3 minutes until fragrant and the chicken begins to cook.
- Add bell peppers, garlic, and flour: Stir in the red bell pepper, minced garlic, and flour. Cook while stirring continuously for 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste and combine flavors.
- Add chicken broth and thicken: Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in 3 cups of chicken broth. In a separate bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch with the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth until smooth, then add the mixture to the soup to help thicken it.
- Add corn, tomatoes, and chilies: Stir in the cream-style corn, whole corn, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and mild diced green chilies. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add rotisserie chicken if using and simmer: If using pre-cooked shredded rotisserie chicken, add it now. Simmer the soup uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend the flavors.
- Add cheeses and finish: Reduce heat to low and stir in the softened cream cheese until melted and incorporated. Then add shredded sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses a handful at a time, stirring continuously until fully melted and the soup is creamy.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the chowder into bowls and garnish each serving with your choice of sour cream, extra cheese, cilantro, avocado slices, diced tomatoes, and tortilla chips. Add hot sauce to taste for extra heat.
Notes
- For best flavor, use fresh jalapenos but remove seeds to reduce heat if desired.
- Substitute rotisserie chicken for raw chicken breasts to save time; add shredded chicken in step 5.
- Use low sodium chicken broth to control the saltiness of the chowder.
- For a thicker chowder, increase the cornstarch to 3 tablespoons, mixing with an equal amount of broth.
- Garnishes like avocado and tortilla chips add texture—feel free to customize.
- Use gluten-free flour if needed to make it gluten free.
- Leftovers store well for up to 3 days refrigerated and reheat gently on stovetop.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
