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Poblano Corn Chowder | Instant Pot recipe

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This hearty poblano corn chowder is loaded with diced potatoes, veggies, and sweet corn, and given a bit of spice with a poblano pepper and a dash of hot sauce. 

Overhead picture of a yellow bowl filled with pressure cooker corn chowder on top of a yellow striped cloth, and corn bread in the background.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This recipe mixes up a traditional corn chowder with a little spice and heat from the poblano pepper. The potatoes and broth keep it hearty and the veggies keep it healthy.

Soups are where the Instant Pot shines! Your meal will taste like it has simmered on the stovetop all day, but your Instant Pot gets it on the table in a fraction of the time.

As opposed to our traditional corn chowder made with fresh ears of corn, this easy recipe keeps things simple by using frozen corn. (You don’t even need to defrost it!)

This recipe also uses a poblano pepper, which adds great flavor without adding too much heat; it’s a nice spicy contrast to the sweet corn in this chowder. The chunky potatoes make it a hearty soup perfect for a weeknight meal.

This is one of our classic Instant Pot Soup recipes. We have so many favorites, but wanted to highlight some older recipes you might have missed, like Instant Pot Ribolita, Vegetable Beef and Rice Soup, and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.

Ingredients for making Instant Pot poblano corn chowder, including diced peppers, spices, corn starch, garlic, oil, diced potatoes, diced carrots, chicken broth, onion, frozen corn, and half and half.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED to make Poblano Corn Chowder

Don’t be thrown off by the number of ingredients—these are soup staples that come together quickly:

  • Olive oil: Include one quick phrase or sentence here.
  • Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic: Also known as a mirepoix, this combination of veggies and aromatics has been the flavor base of soups for centuries. 
  • Poblano pepper: Make sure to remove the ribs and seeds if you want to keep it on the mild-side. 
  • Chicken broth: We add one can of chicken broth for the pressure cooking and one afterwards; this speeds up the cooking process without affecting the flavor.
  • Thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper, and parsley: We stuck with some basic chowder seasonings here, plus a bit of red pepper, which adds a lot of flavor without much heat. 
  • Potatoes: We choose russet potatoes, cubed into 1-inch pieces.
  • Cornstarch and water: Mix the cornstarch and water together to make a slurry, which will thicken your chowder.
  • Half and half: This adds a lovely creaminess to the chowder. If you prefer, you can use heavy cream, which will make the broth richer and thicker. You can substitute whole milk, but it is a little too thin for my liking.
  • Frozen corn: If you have fresh corn off the cob, you can add it and it tastes wonderful. We generally prefer the convenience of frozen. (No need to defrost before adding.)
  • Garnishes: Hot sauce, freshly chopped parsley, and maybe a little cheese; whatever 

Flavor tip: We love the extra flavor we get when we roast the poblano peppers before chopping. We’ll rub a little vegetable oil on the outside of the poblano, and then we’ll apply heat until it’s black and blistered.

(Barbara uses the flame on her gas stove to do this. Jenn will usually plan a grilled dinner the night before chowder night and just toss them on the barbecue to cook or use her kitchen torch.)

Overhead picture of diced poblano and veggies sautéing in an Instant Pot, with a bowl of frozen corn in the background.

How to Make Poblano Corn Chowder in an Instant Pot

✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in oil for about 5 minutes to build the flavor base of your soup. Then add the poblano and garlic and saute for another minute.

Add just 1 can of chicken broth now and stir to incorporate any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the seasonings

Use a steamer basket to hold the diced potatoes and carefully lower it into the pressure cooking pot. Cook at High Pressure with a 4 minute cook time.

Overhead picture of poblano corn chowder cooked and ready to serve in an Instant Pot, with spices and corn bread in the background.

Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then use a quick release to release any remaining pressure. 

Carefully remove the steamer basket with potatoes from the cooking pot. 

Add the cornstarch slurry and select Saute until the cornstarch activates and thickens the liquid in the pot. Gently mix in the chicken broth and half and half until combined and smooth. Add the cooked potatoes and corn to the cooking pot and allow to heat through, but do not bring to a boil.

Serve immediately, garnished with freshly ground salt and pepper to taste, a dash of hot sauce, chopped fresh parsley, and maybe a little cheese.

NOTE: I love this soup after the potatoes have had a chance to absorb the flavor from the broth, so I generally try to make it the night before so the flavors can blend overnight. 

Overhead picture of diced potatoes in a steamer basket and placed inside an Instant Pot.

Is the steamer basket required for this recipe?

The steamer basket isn’t mandatory, but it does make a big difference in the texture of the finished potatoes. The basket keeps the potatoes out of the cooking liquid, so they steam instead of boil so the potato retains some firmness. 

We really like the Avokado steamer basket for its high sides and ease of carrying. We have also liked the Salbree mesh steamer basket for its silicone handle, which makes it easier to remove from a hot pressure cooking pot.

Pictured above is the Oxo Steamer Basket. (This is still Barbara’s favorite steamer.)

Two yellow bowls of Instant Pot poblano corn chowder ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions about Making Poblano Corn Chowder

I can’t find a poblano pepper—what else can I use?

You can substitute Anaheim peppers 1:1.

Some stores also carry canned poblano peppers, which are already roasted and diced. You’ll want to drain these before adding. You could also substitute canned green chiles, but the whole can would be spicier than I prefer.

Can I make a double batch? What about a half batch?

Yes, you can easily double the recipe. Make sure not to fill the pot past the fill line before pressure cooking; this might mean only adding 1½ cans of chicken broth before pressure cooking.. 

If you’re making a half batch, add the full can of chicken broth before pressure cooking, but not other changes to the recipe.

How can I store leftovers?

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. (Again, I think it tastes best the next day.) Reheat it in the Instant Pot using the pot-in-pot method for single servings or use the saute setting or stovetop to warm through. 

Can I freeze leftover chowder after I make it?

Yes, we often freeze leftover soup with potatoes. Just be aware that the potatoes will break down when reheated, so the texture will be different. We still enjoy it, but others might not.
You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.

Can I add meat to this soup for extra protein?

Yes, ground chicken or chorizo are a delicious addition. Just brown the ground meat, then brown the veggies. No need to add oil if there is enough fat from the chorizo in the pot.
We also will add leftover rotisserie chicken to this soup when we have it.

Corn chowder served in a yellow bowl and topped with fresh parsley, with more parsley, cornbread, and an Instant Pot in the background.

MORE Chicken Soup Recipes

If you loved this easy chicken chowder, you’ll want to try one of these easy Instant Pot chicken soup recipes next:

  • Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a creamy soup made with diced chicken and tender wild rice. 
  • White Chicken Chili Recipe is a super comforting and hearty soup with shredded chicken and beans. 
  • This Instant Pot Chicken Stew, from our friend Neena at Paint the Kitchen Red, is a comforting meal made with chicken thighs and hearty veggies. 
  • Our friends at Stay at Home Chef have a Creamy Chicken Soup flavored with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. (Scroll up above the recipe card to view the pressure cooking instructions.)

Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!

A spoon full of Instant Pot corn chowder over a yellow bowl full of chowder and corn bread in the background.

Poblano Corn Chowder

Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Additional Time: 16 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
A hearty pressure cooker poblano corn chowder loaded with diced potatoes and sweet corn, spiced up with a poblano chile and a dash of hot sauce. 
5 from 2 votes
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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 large carrots peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery peeled and diced
  • 1 large poblano pepper ribs and seeds removed, finely diced*
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 14 oz. cans chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • dash red pepper flakes
  • 4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 4 cups frozen corn
  • a dash of hot sauce and fresh chopped parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Select Sauté to preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add the oil, then add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add poblano pepper and garlic. Cook 1 minute more.
  • Add 1 can chicken broth, thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley to the pot. Put the steamer basket in the pressure cooker pot. Add the diced potatoes. Lock lid in place, select High Pressure and 4 minutes cook time and start. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, unlock the lid.
  • Carefully remove potatoes and steamer basket from the pressure cooking pot.
  • In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 3 tablespoons water. Select Simmer and add cornstarch mixture to the pot stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Gradually whisk in the remaining can of chicken broth. Stir in half and half, corn, and potatoes; heat through, but do not bring to a boil.
  • Add a dash of hot sauce, if desired. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

*We recommend roasting your poblano before chopping. Coat the chile with a little vegetable oil and heat until it’s black and blistered. I used the flame on my gas stove.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 738mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2829IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg

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