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Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Chowder (The Carcass-and-Cob Trick)

A creamy leftover rotisserie chicken chowder deepened by simmering the carcass and corn cobs, then thickened with blended potato instead of flour.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 leftover rotisserie chicken carcass, most meat removed (reserve 2–3 cups shredded meat)
  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 fresh corn cobs, kernels cut off and cobs reserved (or 2 cups frozen corn, cobs omitted)
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
  • 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
  • 2–3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh chives or parsley, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
  2. Add the butter, onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Sauté 6-7 minutes until softened.
  3. Stir in the garlic and smoked paprika, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Add the chicken carcass, corn cobs (if using), broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook 25 minutes to build flavor.
  5. Remove and discard the carcass, cobs, and bay leaf. Add the cubed potatoes and corn kernels, and simmer 15-18 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
  6. Scoop out about 1 1/3 cups of the cooked potatoes with a bit of the broth, blend until smooth (blender or immersion blender), then stir the puree back into the pot to thicken.
  7. Stir in the milk and shredded rotisserie chicken. Warm through for 3-4 minutes over low heat — do not boil.
  8. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved bacon and fresh chives.

Notes

The carcass-and-cob simmer is the whole trick here — don’t skip it even if you’re tempted to just use carton broth, it’s what makes this taste like a from-scratch chowder. If you don’t have a carcass on hand, use 6 cups broth as-is and simmer the cobs alone for 15 minutes instead. Chowder thickens further as it cools; thin leftovers with a splash of milk when reheating gently over low heat.

  • Author: Ella Whitley
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Method: Stovetop simmer
  • Cuisine: American