Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder

This instant pot chicken corn chowder is creamy without a drop of dairy, thanks to coconut milk and a quick blend of the cooked potatoes and sweet potatoes right in the pot. It comes together in under 30 minutes with simple pantry ingredients, works with fresh or frozen corn, and can easily be made vegetarian by swapping the chicken for extra vegetables and using vegetable stock.

Healthy Dairy-Free Chicken Corn Chowder

I love a good instant pot recipe, and this dairy-free chicken corn chowder is one of my all-time favorites. It’s ridiculously easy to pull together, the natural sweetness from the corn and sweet potatoes makes it a hit with kids, and a good drizzle of hot sauce on top balances things out perfectly for the adults. Because you can use fresh or frozen corn, it works as an easy meal prep recipe any time of year. I love it as a light dinner that won’t heat up the kitchen in the summer, and the coziest chowder bowl to curl up with in winter.

All you have to do is sauté your onion, add your veggies and chicken, and let the Instant Pot do its thing. Once it’s done, a quick blitz with an immersion blender gives you that signature velvety chowder texture, without any thickeners or flour. Stir in full-fat canned coconut milk (no heavy cream needed here) and a splash of vinegar to round out the flavors, and dinner is done. With plenty of vegetables + chicken, this chowder is a complete meal on its own. That said, it’s great alongside a simple salad or some crusty bread for dipping.

For a dairy-free corn chowder without the chicken, my slow cooker creamy potato corn chowder is a great vegetarian option. And another cozy instant pot soup worth trying is my golden glow butternut squash soup, which uses a similar method and comes together just as fast.

My Tips for Creamy Corn Chowder Without the Dairy

• Don’t skip the sauté step. I recommend sautéing the onion for a full 7 minutes before adding the other ingredients. This builds the flavor base for the whole chowder and makes a noticeable difference in the final result.
• Use the blending step to control texture. After pressure cooking, blend a portion of the soup directly in the pot with an immersion blender. The more you blend, the creamier the base. I like to leave some chunks for texture, so I blend about half.
• Quick release works better than natural release here. When I tested both methods, quick release gave the chicken a better texture. Natural release can overcook the chicken slightly.
• Fresh or frozen corn both work. I tested this recipe with both and found no meaningful difference in flavor. Frozen corn goes in straight from the bag without defrosting.
• Make it vegetarian by skipping the chicken and using vegetable stock. The sweet potatoes and corn provide enough body and sweetness that the soup holds up well without the protein. Add a can of white beans if you want to keep it filling.

Ingredients & Modifications

Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts but you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. Both work great in this recipe.

Potatoes: I used Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe but you could also use another waxy yellow potato in its place.

Sweet potatoes: I love the flavor and color that the sweet potatoes add to this chowder. But if you prefer, you could also just use all Yukon gold potatoes in their place.

Sweet corn kernels: Fresh corn really shines here, so if you have it in abundance I highly recommend putting it to use in this recipe. Frozen works just as well, though, so if you don’t have fresh or just don’t want to deal with cutting off the kernels it’s a great option–just avoid the canned stuff, as the consistency won’t hold up well during the cooking process.

Garlic: Since we’re using so few ingredients, I opted to use fresh garlic cloves for this recipe and it adds beautiful flavor to this homemade corn chowder. But you could also use granulated garlic powder in its place if you prefer.

Onion: I love the aromatic & savory depth of flavor that onions add to homemade soups, stews and chowders. You could also use shallot in its place. If you don’t like or can’t have onions, feel free to omit them.

Chicken stock: I used homemade chicken stock for this recipe but you could also use storebought or vegetable broth in its place.

Canned coconut milk: To make this a truly creamy & also dairy-free chicken chowder, I recommend using full-fat coconut milk from a can (note that this will not work with “coconut beverage” from a box). It imparts some creaminess without much (if any) noticeable coconut flavor. You can also use an equal amount of heavy cream in place of coconut milk.

White wine vinegar: My trick to lifting up the flavors from a pressure cooker soup is to add a bit of vinegar just at the end of cooking. I used white wine vinegar but you could also substitute fresh lemon juice in its place.

Olive oil: I like the subtle flavor from the olive oil but you can also use any other neutral oil you like – such as avocado, canola or vegetable oil.

Turmeric powder: I love the golden color that the turmeric brings to this recipe. Together with the garlic and onions, it helps to create the most delicious, warming broth.

Kosher salt: Look for kosher salt with the regular iodized salt at the grocery store (it has a subtler flavor). Use less iodized salt if that’s what you have on hand.

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