Shrimp and Corn Chowder

This creamy shrimp and corn chowder is full of smoky bacon, sweet corn, tender potatoes, and plump Old Bay shrimp. It is a one-pot shrimp soup that simmers on the stovetop in about an hour. Use fresh corn during the summer growing season, or frozen corn any time you need a cozy bowl!

Before You Get Started

A few things make the difference between a rich, spoon-coating chowder and a thin, rubbery one. Read these before you turn on the stove:

• Buy medium shrimp and watch them closely. They are the right size to scoop with a spoon, no chopping needed, and they go from tender to rubbery in about a minute.
• Do not skip the cream-style corn. It thickens the pot and adds sweetness, doing the work of pureeing fresh kernels without the mess.
• Use whole milk, half-and-half, or cream. Lower-fat substitutes will not give you the velvety texture this chowder is known for.

this is the best! i used a little white wine with the chicken stock….i think its the cream corn that makes it extra special…

– Teresa

How to Make Shrimp and Corn Chowder

This Southern shrimp soup is thickened two ways: a quick roux at the start and a can of cream-style corn in the middle. Here is how the pot comes together:

Step 1: Fry the Bacon

Cook the chopped bacon in a cast iron Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot over medium-high heat, just until it is lightly browned and the fat has rendered. That rendered fat is the flavor base for everything that follows, so leave it in the pot.

⇢ No raw bacon on hand? Use what you have. A spoonful of saved bacon grease plus a handful of real bacon bits works, and readers have had good results with it.

Step 2: Build the Flavor Base

Add the diced onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds,

then sprinkle in the flour and cook for a full minute. 

Cooking the flour first is what keeps the finished chowder from tasting pasty.

⇢ Doubling the pot? Double the flour too. The roux is what sets the body of the soup, so scaling everything except the flour leaves you with a thin chowder.

Step 3: Stir in the Broth

Slowly stir in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Go slowly here and the roux will loosen smoothly instead of clumping.

⇢ A splash of white wine is a nice touch: Add a few tablespoons along with the broth for a little brightness against all that cream.

Step 4: Simmer the Potatoes and Vegetables

Add the celery, diced potato, bay leaf, thyme, and cream-style corn. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

⇢ Extra vegetables (optional): A drained can of diced tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, or diced carrots all work if you add them alongside the celery.

Step 5: Add the Corn Kernels and Dairy

Stir in the corn kernels and the milk or cream. Simmer over low heat until the kernels are tender but still have a slight bite, about 5 minutes. 

Don’t let the pot come to a boil once the dairy is in, or it can separate. Fish out the bay leaf before moving on.

⇢ Fresh corn is worth it in late summer. Cut it straight from the cob when it is in season, and use frozen kernels the rest of the year (the soup will still be great!).

Step 6: Season and Cook the Shrimp

Season the shrimp with Old Bay, then stir them into the pot and cook just until they turn pink and opaque, about 4 minutes. Pull the pot off the heat as soon as they do. 

Pre-Cooked vs Frozen Shrimp: If you are starting with already-cooked shrimp, a minute is plenty. If you are using frozen, thaw it first in the refrigerator overnight or in a colander under cold running water so it does not cool down the pot too much.

Step 7: Finish and Serve

Stir in the fresh parsley, then season with salt and pepper to taste. 

If you started with unsalted or low-sodium broth, you will need more salt than you think. Add more Old Bay to the broth here too if you want it. 

Ladle into bowls and garnish with extra bacon, fresh herbs, or sliced green onion.

⇢ Adjust the thickness now. This pot is thick and chowder-like by design, so thin it with a splash more broth or cream if you prefer a looser soup.

What to Serve Alongside

This chowder is rich and mild, so bread is almost always the right first call. Something with a little crunch or a little corn flavor gives you a way to soak up the last of the broth in the bowl. 

Saltines and oyster crackers do the job in a pinch, but a warm pan of cornbread is even better. A crisp salad on the side cuts through all that cream and turns a bowl of soup into a full supper.

Here are a few more that work well:  

• Southern Cornbread
• Corn Sticks
• 3-Ingredient Biscuits
• No Knead Bread
• House Salad with Candied Pecans
• Southern Caesar Salad

Storage and Reheating

To Store: Cool the chowder and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. It will thicken as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of broth or milk when you reheat.

To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this chowder once the dairy is in, since the milk or cream can break when it thaws. To make it ahead, follow the recipe but leave out the dairy and the shrimp. Cool, then freeze in containers with an inch of headspace at the top.

To Reheat: Warm the chowder in a pot over low heat, just until heated through, and do not let it boil. If you froze a dairy-free batch, thaw and warm it first, then stir in the milk or cream and add the seasoned shrimp at the very end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my chowder thin, and how do I thicken it?

The most common cause is scaling the recipe up without scaling the flour. If you double the pot, double the roux. 

To fix a batch that is already made, whisk 1 tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl until smooth, then stir the slurry slowly into the warm chowder over medium heat and let it simmer a few minutes to thicken. It will also thicken noticeably overnight in the refrigerator.

Why did my soup curdle or separate?

Heat is almost always the culprit. Dairy breaks when it boils, so keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the milk or cream goes in, and do the same when you reheat leftovers. Using whole milk, half-and-half, or cream instead of a lower-fat option also makes the chowder much more forgiving.

Can I use crab or a mix of seafood instead of just shrimp?

Yes, and it is excellent. Swap in an equal amount of lump crab meat, or use half shrimp and half crab for a fuller seafood chowder. One reader made it with both and won first place at a soup competition, so it is a swap worth trying! Add crab at the very end, since it only needs to warm through.

Do I have to use bacon?

It adds a smoky backbone that is hard to replace, but you have options. A tablespoon of saved bacon grease plus a handful of real bacon bits gets you most of the way there. If you are skipping pork entirely, start with a tablespoon of butter and add a pinch of smoked paprika with the Old Bay.

This soup was absolutely delicious! My family loved it and it will definitely be added into our dinner rotation…

– Karen

More Shrimp and Seafood Dinners

• Cioppino {Fisherman’s Stew}
• Crockpot Gumbo with Chicken, Sausage, & Shrimp
• Southern Shrimp and Grits
• Frogmore Stew (Lowcountry Boil)
• Sheet Pan Low Country Boil
• Maryland Crab Cakes