Cajun Shrimp and Corn Chowder is a hearty soup for cold weather with chunks of potato and salty pieces of bacon. Serve with a crusty piece of bread for a comforting cold weather meal.
The weather in South Carolina has been absolutely frigid the last few days and I know it is even colder in many areas of the country. Defintely soup weather!!
When it comes to soups I favor thick, hearty, and creamy chowder-type soups and shrimp and corn is probably my favorite combination. This Cajun Shrimp and Corn Chowder is also spicy so it will really warm you up!
This chowder is perfectly seasoned with Cajun seasoning, garlic, and thyme . There’s also some sweet onion, green onion, red bell pepper, and celery.
Type Of Corn To Use
And of course corn is one of the best complements for shrimp. In the winter, when corn is out of season, use frozen corn. But fresh corn is even more delicious if it is available. You can use canned corn in a pinch. The corn gives just a touch of sweetness to contrast the spiciness of the cajun seasonings and the saltiness of the bacon.
What Makes A Chowder a Chowder?
Chowder is characterized by its creamy and thick consistency, typically achieved by adding flour or a roux to the base of the soup. It often includes chunks of vegetables, seafood, or other proteins, and is commonly seasoned with herbs and spices. Chowder is known for its comforting and hearty nature, making it a perfect choice for colder weather.
How To Make Shrimp Chowder Soup
To make shrimp chowder soup, start by cooking chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven until crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside. Keep the bacon grease in the pot and add peeled and deveined shrimp along with Cajun seasoning. Cook the shrimp until they turn pink, then remove them and set them aside. In the same pot, add chopped onion, red bell pepper, and celery, and cook for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook for another minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, then add remaining Cajun seasoning, dried thyme, black pepper, cubed potatoes, and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Stir in heavy cream and simmer for a few more minutes. Finally, stir in the cooked shrimp and bacon. Serve in bowls, garnished with sliced green onions. Enjoy your homemade shrimp chowder soup!
Recipe Tip For Cajun Shrimp Chowder
Use a high quality chicken broth for this recipe or a homemade chicken broth. It will give the soup a more robust flavor.
More Chowder Recipes
- Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder
- Corn and Crawfish Chowder
- Crab and Corn Chowder
- Southwestern Shrimp Chowder
- Jalapeno Popper Corn Chowder
Cajun Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspooon black pepper
- 1 medium red potato, cubed
- 3 cups frozen corn
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving bacon grease in the Dutch oven.
- Add shrimp and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning and cook until shrimp just turn pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. (they can be a little undercooked at this point. The heat from the chowder will continue to cook them when you add them back in.) Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside with bacon.
- Add onion, red bell pepper, and celery to Dutch oven and cook 5 minutes, stirrinng occasionally.
- Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Sprinkle flour over veggies and cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in broth.
- Add remaining Cajun seasoning, thyme, black pepper, cubed potatoes, and corn. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
- Stir in heavy cream and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in shrimp and bacon. Serve in bowls and garnish with green onion.
Notes
Nutrition
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Originally posted January 2, 2018.
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Great flavor and very easy to make! I used green bell pepper instead of red because that’s what I had – no other changes.
Had to omit the bacon because my husband is muslim. But I don’t think the recipe suffers for that. Just used a little olive oil to start the shrimp and added a sprinkle of smoked paprika to get some of that flavor the bacon would have added. I used half n half to make it a tad healthier. Picked up a loaf of partially baked roasted garlic bread and finished that in the oven while the chowder was simmering. Simple, super satisfying comfort food.
EDIT: Forgot to mention I used a store-bought seafood broth instead of chicken and I think that made a big difference in the “chowderiness”.
The chowder tasted good but it was watery and did not thicken even after I added another 1/2 cup of heavy cream with corn starch added.
My hubby was the true test. We both loved this recipe 🙃
Can you freeze this?
Made this for lunch – very delicious and flavorful. I used a can of corn and a can of cream corn instead of frozen corn. The only thing I will change the next time I make it is to double the recipe cause everyone wants a second bowl of chowder.
Just curious why you rated the recipe 2 stars if you thought it was delicious?
Made this last night added chicken and andouille sausage and used milk because I didn’t have any cream. Awesome recipe! So delicious! Used cornstarch to make a little thicker due to using milk.
Lots of flavor and easy to make. Highly recommended.
I made the recipe as it’s written, with two exceptions. I added 1/4 tsp of sweet paprika and lump crab meat. This is an excellent base recipe. It would have been delicious without the added ingredients. Thank you so much!
Loved this. Lots of flavor. My shrimp was precooked so I added at the end. Will definitely make again
Wonderful!! I followed the recipe with the exception that I used seafood stock in place of chicken stock as I happen to have some in pantry. I also used already cooked frozen shrimp as it’s what I had on hand. Cooked it as directed but for slightly less time. One other change, I took about two to three cups of the chowder and puréed it with an emulsion blender prior to adding the cream and shrimp back in.
This was excellent. Only thing I changed was to use the shrimp shells and some water steeped for 5 min and strained to make a quick shrimp stock as an addition to the chicken broth. Would have rocked even without that change.
I was born and raised in New Orleans. Lived in Louisiana my entire life and bell peppers are used extremely often. I mean, its in the holy trinity. Its used in almost every southern dish. I use the green ones but definitely use them. I’ve NEVER had a bowl of corn and crab chowder without bell peppers in it. Btw, I’m also an ACF certified chef so I know what I am talking about. Ignore the haters and keep doing your thing!!
Cajun shrimp corn chowder doesn’t have bell peppers or anything else out of character. It’s not Cajun that way. Might taste ok, but isn’t Cajun. Then again, I wouldn’t expect someone from the Carolina s to actually know this. Take a trip down to Covington, LA and check out a few local restaurants that serve it. It will make you high after the first few bites and you will beg for the recipes. ( They won’t give them to you.) Reserve your bell peppers for other, more northern dishes or omelets. We don’t actually use them much down here.
Luke, you’re an idiot. Bell peppers are def part of the holy trinity, celery, onions, and bell peppers. Try looking something up before commenting. I find it more sad that someone living in NO doesn’t know this. Most NO recipes call for these 3 items.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nola.com/entertainment_life/eat-drink/article_b33ce87d-77f1-56b9-a32e-fc725b5a4de5.amp.html
Absolutely love the shrimp and corn chowder! Never any leftover. My 28 yr old picky eater son says this recipe is heaven and shares it with his friends. Thank you so much for making me look like a top shelf chef.