Slow Cooker Mexican Street Corn Soup

Slow Cooker Mexican Street Corn Soup turns the classic flavors of elote into a cozy, comforting bowl! Sweet corn, tender potatoes, smoky chipotle peppers, juicy chicken, crispy bacon, and zesty spices all come together in a creamy broth. Both hearty and indulgent, this one-pot wonder is sure to become a family favorite.

Love More Soup Recipes? Try My Easy Taco Soup with Ranch or this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It is effortless comfort in a bowl. The smoky, charred flavor gives it a delicious twist you’d expect from a restaurant, yet it only takes about ten minutes of real work. With the creamy-tangy blend of ingredients, it always ends up being a crowd-pleaser, whether I make it for family or friends.

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Ingredient List

For the Soup Base:

• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 poblano or jalapeño pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced or minced
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil (or avocado oil)

Main Soup Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced
• 2 tbsp of the adobo sauce
• 1 lb chicken breast
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz cream cheese or crème fraîche

For Serving:

• 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
• Lime wedges
• Fresh cilantro
• Cotija cheese (optional but SO worth it!)

Substitution Notes: No poblano on hand? I’ve used bell pepper with extra jalapeño dozens of times. Dairy-free folks can use coconut milk instead of cream cheese. Can’t find chipotle in adobo anywhere? Mix some smoked paprika with cayenne and brown sugar.

Why These Ingredients Work

Look, I tried fresh corn first because it sounds fancier. Don’t make my mistake. After eight hours in that slow cooker, fresh corn turns to mush. Frozen corn keeps its bite and actually tastes better.

Those russet potatoes are doing double duty here. They get tender enough to eat but also break down just enough to thicken up the whole pot. No flour, no roux, no fuss.

Here’s what nobody tells you about chipotle peppers – one tiny pepper changes everything. I buy those little cans and freeze the extras in ice cube trays. Worth every penny for that smoky heat that makes people think you’re some kind of cooking genius.

Cream cheese was my mom’s trick for creamy soups. Heavy cream can curdle if you look at it wrong, but cream cheese just melts into silky perfection.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Slow cooker (6-quart works great)
• Medium sauté pan
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Two forks for shredding chicken
• Ladle

How To Make Slow Cooker Mexican Street Corn Soup

Step 1: Build Your Flavor Base

Get your sauté pan hot with that olive oil. Toss in the onion, poblano, and garlic. Let them sizzle for three minutes until your kitchen starts smelling amazing and the onion pieces look translucent.

Step 2: Toast Those Spices

Here’s where most people mess up – they skip this part. Add your chili powder and cumin right to that hot pan. Stir them around for maybe thirty seconds. You’ll smell them wake up. This makes all the difference between good soup and incredible soup.

Step 3: Load the Slow Cooker

Scrape all that aromatic goodness into your slow cooker. Add everything else – corn, potatoes, chipotle, adobo sauce, chicken, broth. Give it one good stir and walk away.

Step 4: Let It Work Its Magic

Set it on low and forget about it for six to eight hours. Seriously, don’t even peek. Every time you lift that lid, you’re adding twenty more minutes to your cook time.

Step 5: Add the Creaminess

When you’ve got about thirty minutes left, stir in that cream cheese. While you’re waiting for it to melt, cook up your bacon. I do mine in the oven at 400 degrees for fifteen minutes – no splatter, perfect crispy pieces every time.

Step 6: Shred That Chicken

Take two forks and shred that chicken right in the pot. After all those hours, it should fall apart like butter. Mix everything up and taste it. You might need more salt.

Step 7: Serve and Garnish

Ladle it into bowls and go crazy with the toppings. Bacon, cheese, cilantro, lime – this is where the magic really happens. My kids fight over who gets the most bacon pieces.

You Must Know

Don’t add cream cheese too early. I learned this the hard way when my first batch looked like cottage cheese soup. Thirty minutes before serving is perfect.

My personal secret: I always dice up an extra chipotle and keep it on the side. Some people want more heat, others don’t. This keeps everyone happy at my dinner table.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Want perfect bacon every time? Oven method is foolproof. Line a sheet pan with foil, lay out your bacon, 400 degrees for fifteen to twenty minutes depending on thickness. No flipping, no splatter, no burnt edges.

Don’t thaw that frozen corn. Straight from freezer to slow cooker works better.

If your chicken isn’t shredding easily after six hours, give it another hour. Sometimes thicker pieces need more time.

Stop lifting the lid to check on things. I know it’s tempting, but every peek adds cooking time.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Vegetarian version: Skip the chicken and bacon, use vegetable broth instead, and add black beans in the last hour. Still incredible.

Extra smoky: Add a teaspoon of liquid smoke with the adobo sauce. My husband’s favorite version.

Lighter option: Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese works, but stir it in off the heat so it doesn’t curdle.

Heat lovers: Dice up fresh jalapeños for garnish or add hot sauce to individual bowls.

Make-Ahead Options

This soup gets better overnight. All those flavors meld together beautifully. You can prep everything the night before and store it in your slow cooker insert in the fridge. Just pop it in the base the next morning and turn it on.

Want to freeze it? Leave off the garnishes and it keeps for three months. The cream cheese might separate a little when you reheat it, but a good stir fixes that right up.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Those russet potatoes will break down some during cooking. That’s exactly what we want – natural thickening. If you want firmer potato pieces, use Yukon Gold instead.

No cotija cheese at your store? Queso fresco works great, or even crumbled feta if that’s what you’ve got. Sharp cheddar tastes completely different but still delicious.

Serving Suggestions

This soup is a complete meal, but warm tortillas for dipping make it feel extra special. Cornbread on the side is fantastic too. Sometimes I make a simple avocado salad to serve alongside.

For parties, I set up a garnish station with all the toppings and let people build their own bowls. Everyone loves customizing their portions.

How to Store Your Slow Cooker Mexican Street Corn Soup

In the fridge: Good for four days in containers with tight lids. Honestly tastes better the next day.

In the freezer: Three months in freezer-safe containers. Leave some room at the top for expansion.

Reheating: Stovetop over medium-low heat works best. Add a splash of broth if it got too thick. Microwave works for single servings – just stir halfway through.

Allergy Information

Contains: Dairy from the cream cheese and cotija cheese. Some chicken broths have gluten, so check your labels.

Dairy-free: Coconut milk instead of cream cheese works great. Skip the cotija or use a dairy-free cheese.

Gluten-free: Most chicken broths are fine, but always double-check the label to be sure.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

What is Mexican Street Corn?

Mexican street corn (elote) is grilled corn on the cob slathered with mayo, rolled in cotija cheese, sprinkled with chili powder, and finished with lime juice. It’s sold by street vendors all over Mexico and has that perfect combo of smoky, creamy, tangy, and spicy flavors that I’ve captured in this soup.

Can this be made in the Instant Pot?

Absolutely! Use the same ingredients but pressure cook on high for 25 minutes with natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest. Add your cream cheese after cooking and use the sauté function to melt it in. The chicken will shred perfectly after pressure cooking.

Can I use chicken thighs instead?

Absolutely! They’ll be even more tender and flavorful. Just remove the skin first or your soup will be greasy.

💬 Made this soup? Tell me how it turned out! Did you load it up with extra bacon? Go crazy with the lime? I want to hear all about your version.