This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
My mom’s made this 20-minute shrimp and potato chowder for decades, and that’s because it’s just SO good, quick, and easy. A few shortcut ingredients make this recipe fast, but it doesn’t scrimp on flavor at all. You still get tender potatoes, shrimp, and corn in a rich, creamy chowder – just delicious!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why You’ll Love Our Family Chowder Recipe
- A delicious, complex chowder can take a while to make, certainly not something I’d usually embark on during the week. But, my mom’s recipe uses easy shortcuts like cream of potato soup, evaporated milk and a whole can of corn (juice and all!) to make a rich, creamy shrimp and potato chowder in just 20 minutes.
- The potato pieces are nice and tender as they come straight from the soup can (make sure you choose a variety with chunks!), the corn stays nice and sweet, and the fresh, juicy shrimp elevates the soup from something made from shortcuts to a dinner that tastes homemade.
- With vegetables, protein and plenty of creaminess it’s a complete one pot meal you don’t have to add anything to, though I won’t say no to a couple of crackers on the side to crumble on top of my bowl!
More Recipes You’ll Love
What I’ve Learned Making This Recipe
- My Mom wrote this recipe to serve 6-8 people (it makes a great appetizer!) but when I’m making it for dinner I find I get 4 big dinner-sized bowls of chowder instead.
- Make sure you soften the cream cheese before adding it to the soup as adding it cold will result in lumps in the soup. Been there, done that! I also find that if pieces are being stubborn a whisk is much better for incorporating it than a spoon.
- I use 1 can of evaporated milk which is slightly less than my mom’s recipe which calls for 1 1/2 soup cans of evaporated milk which leaves you a couple of ounces short. You can’t really tell the difference in the finished soup, and as modern cans are a slightly different size than when she wrote the recipe I don’t think it is worth opening an extra can for a couple of extra ounces of evaporated milk.
Ingredients
Butter – Instead of using oil to cook the aromatics, using butter adds richness to the chowder.
Green onions РThese are both chopped and saut̩ed to form the base of the chowder, and sprinkled over the top as an easy garnish.
Garlic – As the backbone of this chowder comes from canned soup, always use fresh garlic to help keep things fresh-tasting!
Cayenne Pepper – A very small amount of cayenne (only 1/8 teaspoon) adds a lovely warmth to this chowder, but feel free to omit if you’re sensitive to spice or feeding small children. If you like things spicier, serve with hot sauce rather adding more cayenne which can be a little overpowering.
Cream of Potato Soup – Choose a brand like Campbell’s which has a few chunks of potato instead of a completely smooth one so you also get potato pieces in the soup.
Evaporated milk – Adds richness and creaminess to the soup without the heaviness of cream. I like that it also gives a smoother finish than making the chowder with just plain milk.
Cream cheese – Full fat cream cheese will provide the creamiest classic chowder texture, but low fat cream cheese will lighten the dish.
Canned corn – Choose the whole kernel variety. We’ll be adding both the corn and the juice from the can to the soup!
Raw shrimp – Choose medium de-veined and peeled shrimp, not the ones with the tails still attached. No one wants that in their soup!
Serving & Storage Suggestions
This potato and shrimp chowder is hearty enough by itself to make a meal, but I always like to serve some crackers on the side. Or, you could go the extra mile by serving it in a bread bowl.
Leftovers don’t really work with this chowder as you don’t want to be reheating the shrimp (both for food safety and flavor reasons!) – if you’re planning for leftovers and you don’t want to scale the chowder down, add cooked shrimp to each bowl instead of cooking them in the chowder. This way, you can gently reheat the bowls of chowder from the refrigerator. This way it should keep for up to 4 days!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Make sure you thaw it completely and pat completely dry on kitchen paper before adding to the pot.
All the potato flavor in this chowder recipe comes from canned cream of potato soup, so make sure you choose a version with chunks if you want potato chunks in the finished soup!
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Creamy Potato, Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Equipment
- large lidded cooking pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup chopped green onions approx. 2-3 green onions, reserving a few green pieces for garnish
- 1 garlic clove minced
- â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cans cream of potato soup
- 12 ounce evaporated milk 1 can
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- 8 ounces whole kernel corn 1 can, with the juice
- 2 cups raw shrimp
Instructions
- In a large, lidded cooking pot melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the chopped green onions, minced garlic and cayenne pepper and sauté until tender. This should not take any more than 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the soup, evaporated milk and cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese has melted.
- Add the shrimp, canned corn, including the juice from the can. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low. Add the lid and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve in warm bowls topped with the reserved green onion.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!
Never Miss A Meal!
New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox
A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
Thank you!
You have successfully joined our subscriber list.