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Slow Cooker Turkey Corn Chowder + VIDEO

Slow cooker turkey corn chowder is a hearty and comforting soup. This easy chowder recipe is the perfect way to repurpose remaining Thanksgiving turkey into a sensational meal that will warm your soul on chilly days. Instructions to make this easy turkey chowder in the Instant Pot are also included.

overhead shot of turkey corn chowder in a white bowl garnished with fresh thyme

Ingredients For Turkey Corn Chowder

  • Leftover Turkey
  • Canned Corn
  • Potatoes
  • Chicken Broth
  • Whipping Cream
  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Garlic
  • Seasonings: salt, pepper, dried thyme or oregano
overhead shot of uncooked turkey corn chowder in a black slow cooker

before (slow cooker)

How To Make Turkey Corn Chowder In The Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker

  1. Add all ingredients EXCEPT the whipping cream to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
  2. Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.
  3. Stir in the whipping cream. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes.

Instant Pot

  1. Set Instant Pot to the high sauté setting. Once hot, add oil, onion, celery, and carrots &  cook, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Turn off the pressure cooker.
  2. Add broth and deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon. Stir in turkey, potatoes, corn, salt, pepper, and thyme.
  3. Close lid & seal vent. Select high pressure and set time for 12 minutes. When done, natural release pressure 5 minutes then quick-release remaining pressure.
  4. Set Instant Pot to the low sauté setting. Stir in whipping cream. Cook on low 5-10 minutes or until chowder has thickened.
overhead shot of cooked turkey corn chowder in a black slow cooker

after (slow cooker)

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

I don’t know about you but I enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers just as much as the original meal. Like a lot of people, by day 2 I’m looking for something different than the leftover dinner plate. Thanksgiving means soup season so why not take your leftover Thanksgiving turkey and make an easy slow cooker or Instant Pot soup? Personally, I like to use between 3/4 to a 1 full pound of leftover turkey when making this slow cooker chowder recipe. I find anything more than that the turkey overpowers the dish. Of course if you don’t have leftover turkey you can always use chicken.

What Is Chowder?

Chowder is a kind of like a stew but it’s creamier and chunkier. There are tons of different types of chowders out there. In addition to turkey chowder, there’s corn chowder, seafood chowder, clam chowder, potato chowder, etc. It’s one of those recipes that you can really make your own. What you see here is my slow cooker or Instant Pot version of turkey corn chowder.

 

overhead shot of turkey corn chowder in a white bowl garnished with fresh thyme

 

What Type Of Potatoes To Use

Waxy potatoes always work best for slow cooking because they hold their shape better than other forms of potatoes. Having said that, like most of my recipes, I encourage you to use the ingredients you have & like. Meaning, you can use your preferred potato whether it be a waxy potato like red or yellow, russet potato, or even sweet potato. If you use non-waxy potatoes like russet potatoes, I suggest you cut them into larger chunks than you usually would. This will help them hold their shape during the cooking process and not turn mushy on you. I used a combination of baby red & yellow potatoes.

 

overhead shot of turkey corn chowder in a white bowl garnished with fresh thyme

 

Storing & Freezing Leftover Turkey Chowder

If you have leftover turkey corn chowder, you can store or freeze it for later use. Store leftover chowder in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze leftover turkey chowder, let the chowder cool completely. Once cooled, add the chowder to an air tight container or freezer-friendly plastic bag. Store the chowder in your freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat frozen turkey corn chowder, you have two options. You can either thaw the chowder overnight  in the refrigerator OR add the turkey chowder directly to the slow cooker or Instant Pot & thaw on the warm setting!

overhead shot of turkey corn chowder in a white bowl garnished with fresh thyme and bacon

garnished with bacon

 

FAQs & Tips 

  • Most slow cooker and Instant Pots have a warm setting. If you’re not going to eat your turkey corn chowder right away, use it! The warm setting will keep the chowder heated through until it’s ready to serve. Please note that all appliances are different. If your slow cooker or Instant Pot heats on the hotter side, you may need to shut it completely off.
  • Use your preferred cream! While I used heavy whipping cream, you can use half & half or even coconut milk.
  • Your food might not be fully submerged in liquid when this starts to cook. Remember this is a chowder, not a soup. It’s meant to be chunky. Also keep in mind that 2 cups of cream are added later. Of course if you want, you can add an additional cup of broth.
  • I used a 3.5-quart slow cooker for this recipe but it can easily be doubled and cooked in a 5 or 6-quart.

Leftover Turkey Recipes 

Leftover Turkey Soup

Turkey Mashed Potato Soup

Cajun Turkey & Sausage Soup

Low Carb Turkey Tetrazzini

Print
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overhead shot of turkey corn chowder in a white bowl garnished with fresh thyme

Turkey Corn Chowder

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

Slow cooker turkey corn chowder is a hearty and comforting soup. This easy chowder recipe is the perfect way to repurpose remaining Thanksgiving turkey into a sensational meal that will warm your soul on chilly days. Instructions to make this easy turkey chowder in the Instant Pot are also included.

  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 3-4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3/4 to 1 pound leftover cooked turkey
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 pound potatoes, diced
  • 15 ounces canned corn, drained & rinsed
  • 1/4 cup onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 small carrot, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or more)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon oil (for Instant Pot)

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  1. Add all ingredients EXCEPT the heavy cream to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
  2. Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.
  3. Stir in the heavy cream. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes.

Instant Pot

  1. Set Instant Pot to the high sauté setting. Once hot, add oil, onion, celery, and carrots &  cook, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Turn off the pressure cooker.
  2. Add broth and deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon. Stir in turkey, potatoes, corn, salt, pepper, and thyme.
  3. Close lid & seal vent. Select high pressure and set time for 12 minutes. When done, natural release pressure 5 minutes then quick-release remaining pressure.
  4. Set Instant Pot to the low sauté setting. Stir in heavy cream. Cook on low 5-10 minutes or until chowder has thickened.
  • Author: Shannon Epstein
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hours

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 352
  • Sugar: 9.7 g
  • Sodium: 489.2 mg
  • Fat: 6.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 35.4 g
  • Fiber: 4.8 g
  • Protein: 40.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 114.5 mg

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive money if you make a purchase using one of the links. For more about my disclosure policy see here: https://fitslowcookerqueen.com/about/disclosure-policy/

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Slow Cooker Turkey Corn Chowder + VIDEO
Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Lorenzo

Sunday 27th of November 2022

This checks like ALL the boxes! Great recipe

Linda Shaeffer

Friday 19th of November 2021

I found this in a Facebook group. It’s phenomenal!

Marie Handel

Tuesday 2nd of November 2021

I was looking for a corn chowder & used this with chicken. DELICIOUS.

Rose Lindeman

Friday 19th of August 2016

Hello Buddy,

This is such a great collection! Love finding healthy slow cooker meals. We eat a lot of chicken at our house and I can’t wait to try out a bunch of these new and yummy recipes!

You don’t need to turn on the oven for one thing, and the convenience factor is just too easy for those days when you are having too much fun outside. I love using my slow cooker in the summer because it doesn’t heat up the house as much as the oven.

Thanks and Regards Rose

Fit SlowCooker Queen

Monday 22nd of August 2016

Hello Rose - thank you so much for the kind words. As you can tell, I love my slow cooker as well:-) I hope you try some of the recipes. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks! Shannon

joceysbeautyfiles

Thursday 18th of August 2016

This looks good. Thanks for sharing!

Fit SlowCooker Queen

Monday 22nd of August 2016

Great minds think alike:-) You're welcome! I look forward to trying a couple of your recipes.