Good recipes evolve every time you light up the grill. After making this Mexican-inspired chicken and corn chowder countless times, a few smart tweaks transformed an already solid bowl into something extraordinary!
We streamlined the prep, leaned into flavour layering with charcoal-grilled chicken, and swapped in fire-roasted tomatoes for instant smokiness. Simmering sweet corn with rich coconut milk naturally thickens the broth, eliminating the need for a flour roux. It is fresh, hearty, naturally gluten-free, and easy to make on any given weeknight.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Layered Charcoal Flavour: Grilling spice-rubbed chicken thighs over live fire adds a deep smoky character that a single pot cannot replicate.
- Naturally Rich Broth: Full-fat coconut milk creates a silky, thick chowder without relying on flour or cornstarch, keeping it 100% gluten-free.
- Effortless Smokiness: Fire-roasted tomatoes and sweet corn build a complex, slow-simmered flavour profile with minimal extra prep work.
- Customizable Finishing: Serving garnishes at the table lets everyone adjust the heat, richness, and crunch to their exact taste.
What is Chowder?
Chowder is a rich, hearty soup traditionally characterized by a thick broth base, tender potatoes or sweet corn, and chunky proteins or vegetables. Modern chowders can be thickened naturally through simmer reduction rather than traditional flour roux bases.
Behind the Recipe: What Makes This Version Better
➡️Should You Use Fresh or Frozen Corn for Chowder?
The best choice depends entirely on the season. During peak summer, fresh corn picked locally from a farm stand offers unmatched sweetness. Charcoal-grilling the cobs alongside the chicken introduces charred spots that pair beautifully with fire-roasted tomatoes.
During the off-season, frozen sweet corn is an outstanding option. Because it is flash-frozen at peak ripeness, it is often sweeter than produce store corn that has been in transport for days. You do not compromise on quality by using frozen corn in soup.
➡️Why Fire-Roasted Tomatoes Make a Difference
Swapping standard diced tomatoes for fire-roasted tomatoes adds immediate depth. They bring subtle smokiness, sweetness, and a charred note to the broth in a single step without extra prep.
➡️Why We Use Coconut Milk Instead of Heavy Cream or Flour
While whole milk or heavy cream work, full-fat coconut milk provides a richer, silken texture that highlights sweet corn and Southwestern spices. As the chowder simmers uncovered, the broth naturally reduces and thickens, removing the need for a flour slurry. This change keeps the broth clean, highlights individual ingredients, and keeps the recipe naturally gluten-free.
➡️Why We Grill the Chicken Thighs
Poaching or dicing chicken directly in broth cooks the meat, but grilling spice-rubbed chicken thighs over high heat creates a Maillard reaction. That caramelization, char, and rendered fat lock smoky flavour into the meat before it ever touches the soup pot.
If you have the option to use a charcoal grill, take advantage of it. Live-fire charcoal adds real wood-smoke flavour, rendered fat drip-char, and subtle smoky notes. Adding the sliced grilled chicken and its resting juices at the end infuses the entire chowder with authentic live-fire depth.
➡️How to Build Deep Flavour with Homemade Chicken Stock
Store-bought broth is convenient, but homemade chicken stock provides natural gelatin and rich body that store cartons cannot match. A practical approach is buying whole leg quarters or wings, portioning the meat for meals, and saving the backbones and bones in freezer bags for stock day.
Ingredients
Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken
- Chicken thighs
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Granulated onion
- Granulated garlic
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Chowder Base
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Red bell pepper
- Orange or yellow bell pepper
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Coconut milk
- Fire-roasted chopped tomatoes
- Corn
- Jalapeños
- Ground cumin
- Ancho chili powder
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Black beans
- Fresh cilantro
Optional Garnishes
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Diced avocado
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapeños
- Sour cream
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce
- Tortilla chips
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Season the Chicken
In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, granulated onion, granulated garlic, salt, and black pepper. Season the chicken thighs evenly on both sides. Set aside.
Sauté the Vegetable Base
Heat 5 tablespoon of olive oil in a large 6qt stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, and jalapeños. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and onions turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Build and Simmer the Broth
Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn (if using frozen), cumin, and ancho chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. The broth will naturally concentrate and thicken as it reduces.
Grill the Chicken (and Fresh Corn)
While the chowder simmers, preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Rub fresh ears of corn with olive oil, optional. Grill the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Grill fresh corn cobs, turning until lightly charred on all sides.
Transfer chicken to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 10 minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces. Slice charred corn kernels off the cob.
Finish the Chowder
Stir the black beans and charred corn kernels into the simmering chowder and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sliced grilled chicken along with any accumulated juices from the plate. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
Remove from heat and stir in fresh cilantro. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Serve
Ladle chowder into warm bowls. Serve alongside bowls of sharp cheddar, diced avocado, sliced jalapeños, fresh lime wedges, a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips for customization.
Tips, Substitutions & Variations
Controlling Jalapeño Heat
Adjust the spice level using one of three prep methods:
- Mild Heat: Remove all seeds and inner white membranes
- Medium Heat: Remove seeds, but leave the white membranes intact.
- Spicy Heat: Keep both seeds and white membranes intact.
Gluten-Free Note
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free when made with certified gluten-free chicken broth.
Easy Vegan Swap
- Replace chicken broth with a rich vegetable broth.
- Replace chicken thighs with thick slices of grilled portobello mushrooms, seasoned with the same spice blend.
- Omit cheddar cheese garnish or substitute with a plant-based alternative.
Transparency is important to us! We are Hestan Culinary ambassadors, and this post contains affiliate links.
Love this Chicken and Corn Chowder? Try These Recipes Next:
- Easy New England Clam Chowder
- Shrimp & Corn Chowder
- Roasted Carrot Chowder with Butter Beans & Corn (Dairy-Free)
📖 Recipe
Mexican-Inspired Chicken and Corn Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
➡️Note About Scaling the Recipe: When scaling to 2X or 3X, the light grey ingredient notes and the instructions remain unchanged. Please adjust as needed.
Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken
- 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 18 oz / 510 g)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Chowder Base
- 5 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1 large orange or yellow bell pepper diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups no-salt-added chicken broth (preferably homemade) 710 ml
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk 14 fl oz / 400 ml
- 1 can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes 28 oz / 796 ml
- 3 cups corn kernels from 3 ears fresh corn, or frozen
- 3 jalapeños seeded and finely diced
- 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 can black beans 15 oz / 398 ml drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Optional Garnishes
- Freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- Diced avocado
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapeños
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce
- Tortilla chips
- Sour cream
Instructions
Season the Chicken
- In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, granulated onion, granulated garlic, salt, and black pepper. Season the chicken thighs evenly on both sides. Set aside.
Sauté the Vegetable Base
- Heat 5 tablespoon of olive oil in a large 6qt stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, and jalapeños. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and onions turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Build and Simmer the Broth
- Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn (if using frozen), cumin, and ancho chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. The broth will naturally concentrate and thicken as it reduces.
Grill the Chicken (and Fresh Corn)
- While the chowder simmers, preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Rub fresh ears of corn with olive oil, optional. Grill the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Grill fresh corn cobs, turning until lightly charred on all sides.
- Transfer chicken to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 10 minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces. Slice charred corn kernels off the cob.
Finish the Chowder
- Stir the black beans and charred corn kernels into the simmering chowder and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sliced grilled chicken along with any accumulated juices from the plate. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
- Remove from heat and stir in fresh cilantro. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Serve
- Ladle chowder into warm bowls. Serve alongside bowls of sharp cheddar, diced avocado, sliced jalapeños, fresh lime wedges, a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips for customization.
💬Tried this Recipe?
- We'd really appreciate a rating and quick review! It helps more home cooks find the recipe, and we love hearing what you think.
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Notes
- Mild Heat: Remove all seeds and inner white membranes
- Medium Heat: Remove seeds, but leave the white membranes intact.
- Spicy Heat: Keep both seeds and white membranes intact.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free when made with certified gluten-free chicken broth.
- Replace chicken broth with a rich vegetable broth.
- Replace chicken thighs with thick slices of grilled portobello mushrooms, seasoned with the same spice blend.
- Omit cheddar cheese garnish or substitute with a plant-based alternative.
This is great recipe and not difficult to prepare or cook. Tastes so great off the stove, so you know it’s going to be killer tomorrow.
Thanks
Hi Terence,
Thanks so much! Yes, this chowder is excellent the next day!
Thanks for stopping by our website!
Have a great night!
Elaine & James