Slow Cooker Bacon Chicken Chowder cooks low and slow all day long for a hearty, easy, rich chowder that is delicious and full of bacon!
Slow Cooker Soups are HUGE for us. The most popular one on the site by far is the Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup and this one is a similar style. You should also try Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup!
Sabrina’s Slow Cooker Bacon Chicken Chowder Recipe
One of my favorite things about soups is cooking them low and slow. I think we are so use to fast meals done in 30 minutes sometimes you forget the great flavors that come from simmering something on the stove. Except no one has time for that! Especially not during the holidays.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts , cut into 1" cubes
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 4 Yukon potatoes , peeled and chopped into 2 inch cubes
- 4 carrots , peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth *
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 pound thick cut bacon , cooked and crumbled
- 8 ounces 1 package cream cheese, cut into small chunks
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Add the chicken, onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper, broth, thyme, oregano and half the bacon to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 7 hours.
- Add the cream cheese to the slow cooker.
- Mix the cornstarch with the heavy cream and add it to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for an hour.
- Mix in the remaining bacon and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Table of contents
About this Recipe
This slow cooker chowder is a delicious comfort recipe that is deceptively easy and rich. The most important thing is bold flavors. I love the bacon, chicken base, cream cheese, heavy cream and garlic in this dish together. Aside from crumbled bacon, there is no precooking involved either. It’s perfect for warming up on a cold fall or winter evening.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes. If you want to make this chowder recipe ahead and freeze it, I would stop before the potatoes are completely cooked through and wait to add the half and half until you’re reheating it. For the fridge and for freezing, prepare the chowder up to the point before adding the half and half. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, reheat on the stove, then stir in the half and half. Garnish with bacon just before serving.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Pump up the flavor even more, cook the onions in the bacon fat before adding them to the slow cooker.
- I used chicken breast here because more of my clients liked white meat, but chicken thighs are an obvious swap here too. You can also swap the chicken for turkey meat also.
- Yukon potatoes are rich and buttery and hold up well in the slow cooker.
What to Pair with Slow Cooker Bacon Chicken Chowder
Chowder is perfect to eat all on its own, but why not make it a full delicious dinner? While the chowder is in the slow cooker, this allows more time to make Honey Cornbread or Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls that are great for dipping. Finish off your meal with warm Apple Pecan Crisp for dessert.
How to Store
- Storing: Store leftover chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally, or use the microwave in short intervals, stirring in between, until heated through.
- Freezing: This recipe has potatoes and dairy, so freezing it may make it more mushy and cause some of the milk to separate and become grainy when you reheat it. But it can be frozen for up to 3 months. If you plan to store, don’t add the half and half until ready to serve.
Variations
- Beef Chowder: For a deep beef-flavored chowder just use rosemary instead of thyme and beef broth instead of the chicken broth. Cook according to the instructions.
- Seafood Chowder: Add cooked shrimp, crab, clams, or a mixture of these. Add a teaspoon of paprika. Sauté the seafood separately and stir it in just before serving to prevent overcooking.
- Fresh Toppings: In addition to the bacon you can also top this chowder with fresh chopped parsley or green onions for some color and extra flavor.
Related Recipes
More Delicious Chowder
Photos used in a previous version of this post
If I swapped half the cream cheese for mascarpone would that mess up the texture? Thanks so much
That’s a great question Betty. I haven’t used this substitute with this recipe but mascarpone is a common swap for cream cheese. Please let us know what you ended up doing and how the chowder turned out!
If you use a rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken what would you adjust the crock pot cooking time to?
Hi Sandy, you’re going to keep the cooking time the same. You’ll shred your rotisserie chicken (about 226g or 8oz), and put it in the slow cooker when adding the cornstarch and heavy cream in the last hour of cooking.
This soup is delicious. I made it on the stovetop and it came out perfect.
Lactose intolerance in this household RE: heavy cream. Can anything be substituted?
This was a hit in our family! My only critique is that it could get a little too salty. I instinctively reduced the salt to 3/4 tsp and it was still *almost* too salty. But otherwise, very flavorful and comforting. Thanks for another great recipe!
I love using the broth but just bought a bottle of the Better than Broth stuff. Can I still use the broth plus maybe a teaspoon full of the base and it not be overpowering?
No, that’ll work fine. Enjoy!
can you make this in instant pot
I’m sure you can but I haven’t tested it using one yet. You might be able to find a similar recipe online using one and follow that as a guideline. Good luck!
Made this a couple times before, it is delicious. I am making it again for quite a few people and want to double the recipe. Will this effect cook time? And also how big of a crock will i need for this? Last time i did it this recipe came up to half or a little more in my crock-pot. thanks for any helpl
I’m so glad you enjoy it so much! If you’re doubling it, I would suggest just making it in two slow cookers as I’m not sure if it’ll be too much liquid for a 6 qt. It would definitely take longer as the slow cooker would be fuller.
My husband and I loved it!! His 15 year old didn’t because the Oregano was a bit overpowering. I will leave that out next time. What a great recipe for my hubby who has the flu. Thank you!! I shared it to everyone, and will be making more of your recipes!
I hope he’s on the mend from the flu. Thanks for the 5 stars, Polly.
As a preference, I used chicken thighs in lieu of chicken breasts. As expected with your other recipes I’ve tried, this was absolutely delicious! So rich and full of flavor. A great comfort food dish. Thanks!
Happy to hear that you liked it! Chicken thighs tend to have a lot more flavor for sure – great swap 🙂
This sounds great – I’d like to start making it for tonight but don’t have 7 hours until dinner time. Can I cook on high with the same results, you think? If so, how long would you recommend?
I prefer low and slow but if you’re short on time, cooking it on high may still take 4-5 hours. Enjoy!
I love the sound of this recipe but I have a problem. I am lactose intollerant. I can get lactose free cream but have yet to find a cream cheese. Could I use a white cheddar (I can tolerate this) in place of the cream cheese.
Sure 🙂
Enjoy!
I am from Wisconsin and the wind chills this week can go as low as -50. When I saw your recipe for slow cooker chicken chowder, (which is the first of yours I am trying), I could not resist making it. It sounds fabulous just like the majority of your recipes. thanks.
Stay warm! I hope you enjoy it!
Will cauliflower work instead of potatoes? Can I leave out the corn starch and still have a creamy soup?
It will work to a point, it won’t work as well as you or I would hope as cauliflower can never really replace the delicious creamy texture of a potato. If you leave out the cornstarch you’ll need additional thickening to create a thicker soup. You may be better suited to just start with a healthier recipe instead of starting from this base.
Love this recipe. There are so many ads on the mobile version though I finally gathered ingredients and just plopped them all in. Would love to be able to read your posts without so many pesky ads. With that being said I’m sure you benefit from them and my whole family benefits from you sharing so I suppose it’s a fair trade 🙂 thanks for sharing!
I accidentally added everything at once ????? is it gonna turn out bad?
So sorry I’m just now seeing this! Hope it turned out ok.
I’ve been making a lot of your soups lately. My husband works out in the middle of no-man’s land and it’s freezing! He always just packs a sandwich because a measly can of Progresso soup just doesn’t cut it out in the cold. I finally found a big 3 cup soup thermos and that was the ticket! Big enough to satisfy a big man and it warmed him up. You already know what fans we are and this soup did NOT disappoint! He loved the bacon! Fabulously flavorful!
Yay!! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know! Stay warm!!
How much chicken bouillon did you use? How many cubes??
I don’t use the cubes, I use the base. I used 4 teaspoons of Better than Bouillon mixed with water to make the 4 cups of broth.
Love the bacon in this!
Haha, you know how much I love my bacon <3
Made this tonight and it’s delicious. I added corn. Will make again! Does it freeze well with the cream??
I’ve never tested it but I’m thinking the cream mixed in with the potato won’t freeze very well. Sorry.
I made this today. Perfect soup for a day in the teens. I changed things just a bit. I used a rotisserie chicken and just added the picked chicken near the end. My husband hates cream-based soups, so I had to change the amount of cream cheese and cream. Instead of regular cream cheese, I added a heaping tablespoon of chive cream cheese. (I love onions) and I reduced the amount of cream to about 1/4 cup. Also, I had used the oven earlier in the day and so I cooked my bacon at that time. I added the crispy bacon when I added the rotisserie chicken. I seasoned with poultry seasoning and a little chicken base. Don’t forget the cornstarch slurry – it makes it nice and thick. I think a few peas would be a nice touch. Maybe next time.
Love that you were able to customize it to your liking!
After so many parties with party food, I have been looking for a hearty meal to fix. My family thanks you!
You’re welcome!! Enjoy!
This is the perfect recipe for winter!
Thank you!
Oh my! This sounds fantastic!! I am loving the bacon!! YUM!!
Thanks Katerina!
oh, i love that you put the chicken in uncooked! what a timesaver!
Thanks April!