Cozy up with a special bowl of Louisiana Shrimp and Corn Chowder using this simple recipe. Sweet corn, tender shrimp in a velvety rich cream chowder with a dash of Creole Seasoning and topped with salty bacon is what heart and soul cooking is all about.
Want more stick-to-your-ribs kind of soups? Try Farmhouse Cheese Soup or Creamy Southern Sweet Potato Soup to stay warm.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Chowder Recipe
- As always, FLAVOR, flavor, flavor. Did I say flavor? Robust, creamy with just a bit of a cajun kick. I can’t wait for you to wrap your hands around a bowl of this creamy seafood chowder
- This Louisiana style shrimp and corn chowder cooks up all in one pot in just 30 minutes, creating a velvety rich seafood dish that’s the ultimate winter comfort food.
- The corn and shrimp have a mild sweetness that is SO GOOD when smothered in cream and topped with bacon and served with a slice of crusty bread or tender cornbread.
- It easily creates a very special meal that’s completely soul satisfying and hearty.
What Makes it a Chowder Or A Soup?
The answer is a simple one! Chowders are always served piping hot with a thick and creamy base and loads of hearty seafood and veggies. Soups are thinner (even cream soups), and some kinds can be served cold.
How to Thicken a Chowder
There are lots of ways to create a nice, thick chowder base. Traditionally, it’s with flour and cream. Most recipes also use cooked down potatoes as their thickening agent. A cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 ½ tablespoons of cold water) can even do the trick.
In true Louisiana style, this recipe uses a simple blonde roux as its creamy base, then builds in layers of rich thickness with frozen creamed corn and a cup of cream at the end.
Recipe Ingredients & Overview
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- bacon
- yellow onion
- celery
- red bell pepper
- minced garlic
- butter
- flour
- chicken stock or broth (I use bone broth for a boost of nutrition and robust flavor.)
- frozen cream corn
- half & half cream
- large or medium shrimp, peeled, tail off, de-veined
- green onions
- all purpose Creole seasoning, bay leaves, fresh or dried thyme
- salt & black pepper
Recipe Additions/ Substitutions: Add lump crabmeat for extra seafood goodness!
For extra veggies, diced carrots work perfectly with the flavors of this chowder soup. Potatoes aren’t needed to thicken this soup, but if you just love them in your chowder, add a few diced red potatoes to make it like you like it!
Don’t want to use half & half cream? Try heavy cream, whole milk or even evaporated milk instead. Skim milk doesn’t really work for this recipe.
Canned cream corn will work in a pinch, but it isn’t nearly as good as the frozen and will be sweeter.
Have you run out of my all purpose Creole seasoning blend? It’s time to make some more! If you’re in a pinch, use Old Bay seasoning to whip up this shrimp & corn chowder anyway.
Lastly, if you want to peel your shrimp and make your own seafood stock from the shells like in my NOLA BBQ Shrimp recipe, your chowder will be even more authentic.
How To Make Shrimp And Corn Chowder
Check out the VIDEO in the recipe card to cook along with me!
The key to making any good one pot meal is to layer in those flavors. This means adding ingredients a few at a time, letting them simmer for a bit before adding more. This creates a depth of flavor that just can’t be achieved any other way.
Cook the bacon. In a dutch oven or large soup pot, cook bacon pieces until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the bottom of the dutch oven.
Add the Veggies. Add diced onion, bell pepper, celery to the bacon grease and cook until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add butter and stir to melt.
Make the Chowder Base. Stir in flour to coat the veggies and cook for 1-3 minutes until the flour begins to brown. Whisk in half of the chicken broth and stir until a smooth paste is formed.
Whisk in the rest of the broth and the wine, deglazing to get all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the Creole seasoning and herbs and simmer 3-5 minutes.
Add Corn & Shrimp. Add frozen corn. Simmer until thawed and incorporated into the chowder. Add shrimp, cooking just until pink and opaque (3-5 minutes). Be careful not to overcook them!
Finish with Cream & Top. Stir in the cream. Bring back to a simmer and serve topped with the bacon pieces and chopped green onion.
The Best Shrimp To Use For This Recipe
Use large or medium shrimp in the recipe. I prefer the large because I love how the look in the chowder, and chowders are supposed to be nice and chunky.
Frozen shrimp work deliciously in this recipe (because not all of us have access to shrimp caught fresh from the gulf the same morning as we cook them- they are the best!) Make sure to look for flash frozen shrimp- the shrimp should be frozen separately, not clumped together in ice for good frozen shrimp.
What Should I Serve with Shrimp & Corn Chowder
- Muffuletta Sandwich or Muffuletta Crescent Roll Ring
- Stuffed Cheesy Olive Bread
- Asparagus Puff Pastry Twists
- Green Salad with Mayo Vinaigrette Dressing
- Easy Sweet Potato Cornbread or Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins
How Long Does Chowder Last in the Refrigerator?
If in an airtight container, shrimp corn chowder can last in the refrigerator for 4 days.
To reheat. If just reheating a bowl or two, cover with a paper towel and reheat in the microwave. If reheating more, pour the chowder into a sauce pan and reheat on the stove top over low to medium heat. Just be mindful not to overcook the shrimp. In other words, don’t let it sit on the stove top and simmer or your shrimp will be rubbery and tough.
More Hearty Soup Recipes To Love
Louisiana Shrimp & Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons all purpose Creole seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (about 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 20 ounces frozen creamed corn
- 1 cup half and half cream
- 1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled, de-veined, tail off
- salt & pepper to taste
- chopped green onion, garnish
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or large soup pot, cook bacon pieces until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the dutch oven.
- Add diced onion, bell pepper, celery to the bacon grease and cook until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add butter and stir until melted.
- Stir in flour to coat the veggies and cook for 1-3 minutes until the flour begins to brown.
- Whisk in half of the chicken broth and stir until a smooth paste is formed. Whisk in the rest of the broth and the wine, deglazing to get all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the Creole seasoning and herbs and simmer 3-5 minutes.
- Add frozen corn. Simmer until thawed and incorporated into the chowder. Add shrimp, cooking just until pink and opaque (3-5 minutes). Stir in the cream. Bring back to a simmer and serve topped with the bacon pieces and some chopped green onion.
Video
Nutrition
This Louisiana Shrimp & Corn Chowder was incredibly delicious. My husband raved about it and we both agree that it could be served at the finest restaurant. Thank you so much for sharing this superb recipe.
Hi, Valerie! Thank you so much! And tell your husband thank you too. You both have made my day!