Raid the pantry and whip up this amazingly Easy Mexican Street Corn Chowder! Ready in just 30 minutes, this dinner packs all the best flavors of Mexican street corn, and with a hearty dose of TABASCO® Sauce, it brings the heat and flavor you come to expect from the classic street food, but in a fun and flavorful full meal version. Follow the tips below for all the many ways you can make this Mexican street corn soup work with what you have on-hand!
Why Make This Mexican Street Corn Soup?
This flavorful soup is the quintessential pantry raid win. You can make this with so many staple foods, from canned veggies to simple onions and garlic, milk and cheese, or if the summer produce is bountiful, swap it all out for the overflow of fresh market finds!
So even if it’s the middle of winter or high-summer, you can successfully bring the noms to a table near you.
Plus, it’s ready in 30 minutes. Totally.winning.
What’s In This Dish?
We’ll start this recipe off with the simplest pantry version, so what you need is:
- canned creamed corn
- canned whole kernel corn
- canned black beans
- canned diced chiles
- fresh onion, bell pepper, garlic
- chicken broth
- spices
- milk
- cotija cheese
- TABASCO® Sauce
A lot of everyday staple items can make such a wonderfully delicious meal, and with TABASCO® Sauce to kick up the heat and add a deeper level of flavor, the Mexican street corn vibes are strong with this recipe!
How To Make This Soup
All you need is a single pot and about 30 minutes.
- saute onion and bell pepper until softened, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant
- add in creamed corn, whole kernel corn, black beans, spices, and chicken broth and simmer for 10 minutes
- stir in milk, cheese, and TABASCO® Sauce and simmer for 10 minutes more
- serve!
Common Swaps & Tips
There are a plethora of ways to make this Mexican street corn chowder work for you with what you have on hand. Let’s look at some substitutions and how to get them done!
- use fresh corn during the summer by adding 1 ½ cups of kernels to the pot first, then place 3 cups of kernels in a food processor and pulse them several times to break them up. Add them to the pot with an additional ½ cup of milk and a pinch of sugar. Fresh corn will add about 10-15 more minutes of cook time.
- replaced canned chiles with fresh serrano peppers by seeding and dicing them and adding them to the pot with the onion and bell peppers to soften.
- replace milk with half-and-half for a thicker chowder, or use full-fat canned coconut milk or shelf-stable coconut milk for a lighter chowder with a slight tropical twist.
- utilize canned Mexicorn instead of whole kernel corn to eliminate the need to use a bell pepper.
- don’t go without using TABASCO® Sauce, because the heat and rich flavor is essential to creating that signature Mexican street corn vibe. Without it, you just have corn chowder, and plain corn chowder is sad corn chowder.
Mexican Street Corn Chowder
Get your tastebuds tingling with this super simple but deeply flavorful soup that can be made in so many ways with so many different foods, it’s a win regardless of the season! Ready in 30 minutes, get the family around the table for a dinner they won’t soon forget!
Mexican Street Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 sweet yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans (14.75 oz each) creamed corn
- 1 can (15.25 oz) whole kernel corn*
- 1 can (15.5 oz) black beans* drained and rinsed
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth*
- 1 tablespoon TABASCO® Sauce
- 2 cups milk
- 1 ½ cups cotija cheese grated
Instructions
- Heat canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and add the onion and red bell pepper. Saute until softened, around 4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, or until fragrant.
- Add the creamed corn, whole kernel corn, black beans, diced green chiles, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, and chicken broth and stir to combine. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the TABASCO® Sauce, milk, and cotjia cheese, then reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 10 more minutes to allow the flavors to melt together, stirring occassionally.Serve immediately!
Notes
- I prefer to use salt-free varieties of canned goods and broths, but if you don't have salt-free, I would omit the added kosher salt and season as necessary at the end of cooking.
- use fresh corn during the summer by adding 1 ½ cups of kernels to the pot first, then place 3 cups of kernels in a food processor and pulse them several times to break them up. Add them to the pot with an additional ½ cup of milk and a pinch of sugar. Fresh corn will add about 10-15 more minutes of cook time.
- replaced canned chiles with fresh serrano peppers by seeding and dicing them and adding them to the pot with the onion and bell peppers to soften.
- replace milk with half-and-half for a thicker chowder, or use full-fat canned coconut milk or shelf-stable coconut milk for a lighter chowder with a slight tropical twist.
- utilize canned Mexicorn instead of whole kernel corn to eliminate the need to use a bell pepper.
- if you can't locate cotija cheese, parmesan is a suitable substitute.
Nutrition
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ANGELICA says
Made this as a side to street tacos. Opted to use seeded and diced jalopeno instead of a bell pepper & heavy whipping cream instead of milk. It was amazing.
Beverly Huckaby says
5 stars out of 5! Drop the mic easy and tasty. Thanks for such a great recipe idea!!