Instant Pot Copycat Panera Corn Chowder (Easy!)

Panera’s Summer Corn Chowder has a cult following for a reason — it’s sweet, creamy, and somehow both light and filling at the same time. The good news is that it’s one of the easiest copycats to pull off at home, and the Instant Pot does most of the work.

This copycat Panera corn chowder takes about ten minutes of hands-on prep. You sauté the vegetables right in the pot, pressure cook everything for six minutes, and stir in a quick roux at the end for that signature velvety texture. No standing over a stove, no scorched milk on the bottom of the pan.

If you love the Panera soup lineup, this pairs nicely with my Instant Pot Copycat Panera Broccoli and Cheddar Soup — between the two, you’ve basically got the menu covered.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It tastes like the original. Sweet corn, tender potatoes, and a creamy base built on a butter-and-flour roux, exactly the way chowder should be thickened.
• Six minutes of pressure cooking. The potatoes come out tender without turning to mush, and the corn keeps its bite.
• It’s flexible. Fresh, frozen, or canned corn all work, and it’s easy to make vegetarian.
• It feeds a crowd for very little. Six generous servings from mostly pantry and freezer staples.
• Better the next day. The flavors settle overnight, which makes it a great make-ahead lunch.

Ingredients

Olive oil: One tablespoon to sauté the vegetables. Any high-heat oil works — avocado, grapeseed, or coconut oil all substitute directly. Butter works too if you want a richer base.

Onion: One large onion, peeled and diced. This builds the savory foundation under all that sweet corn. Yellow onion is standard; sweet onion leans the chowder sweeter.

Bell peppers: One green and one red, seeded and diced. The green adds a little bite, the red adds sweetness and color. No need to peel them — just core and dice.

Chicken broth: Four cups. Swap in vegetable broth to make this vegetarian, or low-sodium broth if you want tighter control over the salt.

Russet potatoes: About 1½ pounds (three large), peeled and cubed into ¾-inch pieces. Russets break down slightly and help thicken the chowder naturally. Yukon Golds hold their shape better and give a buttery flavor — both are good, just different.

Corn: Four cups. Fresh kernels cut off the cob are best in season, but frozen corn works year-round and needs no thawing. Canned corn works in a pinch — drain it well.

Butter: Three tablespoons, unsalted, for the roux. This is what makes the chowder creamy rather than watery.

All-purpose flour: Three tablespoons, whisked into the butter. Gluten-free all-purpose flour works as a one-to-one swap. For a cornstarch version, see the FAQ below.

Milk: One cup. Whole milk is the everyday choice, heavy cream makes it decadent, and oat or almond milk keeps it dairy-free.

Kosher salt and black pepper: Start with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper, then adjust after cooking. Broth varies wildly in sodium, so always taste at the end.

Optional toppings: Crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced green onions, or a dusting of smoked paprika.

Why the roux goes in last: Dairy added before pressure cooking can curdle or scorch against the bottom of the pot and trigger a burn warning. Stirring it in after the pressure releases avoids both problems entirely.

How to Make Copycat Panera Corn Chowder in the Instant Pot

Step One: Set the Instant Pot to the sauté function and add the olive oil. Add the onion and both bell peppers and sauté for about 4 minutes, until softened. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot so you don’t get a burn notice later.

Step Two: Add the broth, potatoes, and corn, then stir well. Season with the salt and pepper.

Step Three: Lock on the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.

Step Four: While it cooks, make the roux. Melt the butter in the microwave, then whisk in the flour until smooth, followed by the milk. Whisk out any lumps now — it’s much easier before it goes in the pot.

Step Five: When the cooking time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then move the valve to venting to release anything remaining.

Step Six: Stir the roux into the chowder. Turn the sauté function back on and let it bubble gently for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until it thickens. Taste and adjust the salt.

Step Seven: Ladle into bowls and top with bacon, cheddar, or sour cream. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Cut the potatoes evenly. Uniform ¾-inch cubes cook at the same rate. Oversized chunks stay firm in the center while the small ones dissolve.

Don’t skip the natural release. A hard quick release makes soups sputter out of the valve and can cause the potatoes to break apart.

Never fill past the two-thirds line. This is a safety rule for any soup in a pressure cooker, since liquids foam under pressure.

Blend some of it for a thicker chowder. An immersion blender pulsed two or three times against the side of the pot gives you a creamier body while leaving plenty of texture.

Season in stages. Salt lightly before pressure cooking, then adjust at the end. It’s easy to add and impossible to take back.

Add smoke. A half teaspoon of smoked paprika or a few drops of liquid smoke pushes this closer to a classic chowder flavor, especially if you’re skipping the bacon.

Slow Cooker Corn Chowder Adaptation

No Instant Pot? This works just as well in a Crockpot — it simply trades six minutes of pressure for a few hours of hands-off time. The method changes in three small ways.

1. Sauté first, or don’t. For the best flavor, cook the onion and bell peppers in a skillet with the olive oil for about 4 minutes, then scrape them into the slow cooker. If you’d rather not dirty a pan, you can add them raw — the chowder will be slightly sweeter and less savory, but still good.

2. Cook low and long. Add the broth, potatoes, corn, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes pierce easily with a fork.

3. Add the roux at the very end. This part matters more in a slow cooker than a pressure cooker. Dairy left to sit for hours on low heat will break and turn grainy. Whisk the melted butter, flour, and milk together as directed, stir it into the pot during the last 20 to 30 minutes, and leave the lid off so it can thicken.

Slow cooker notes:

• Cut the potatoes slightly larger, about 1 inch, since they have far longer to soften.
• Frozen corn can go in straight from the freezer, but it will add 20 to 30 minutes to the total time on low.
• If the chowder looks thin at the end, turn the cooker to high, leave the lid off, and let it reduce for 15 minutes before adding more thickener.
• A 6-quart slow cooker is the right size for this batch. Anything smaller and you’ll be near the fill line.

What to Serve With Corn Chowder

Chowder wants bread, full stop. Air Fryer Soft Dinner Rolls are worth the effort if you have the time, and Air Fryer Garlic Toast comes together in minutes if you don’t. For something in between, my Air Fryer Garlic & Herb Biscuits start with canned dough and take five minutes.

A simple green salad on the side keeps the meal from feeling too heavy.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The chowder thickens considerably as it chills.

Reheating: Warm gently on the stove or using the sauté function, adding a splash of broth or milk to loosen it. Avoid a hard boil, which can cause the dairy to separate.

Freezing: Dairy-based chowders can turn grainy after freezing, and potatoes soften. If you know you’ll freeze it, stop before adding the roux — freeze the soup base, then stir in fresh roux and milk when you reheat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen corn instead of fresh? Yes, and there’s no need to thaw it first. Add it straight from the freezer with the potatoes. Canned corn works too — just drain it well so it doesn’t water down the broth.

How do I make the chowder thicker? The roux does most of the work, but if you want it thicker, whisk 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into a little cold water and stir it in on the sauté setting until it bubbles. Blending part of the soup works too.

Can I make this dairy-free? Yes. Use olive oil or a dairy-free butter for the roux and swap the milk for oat, almond, or full-fat coconut milk. Coconut milk adds a subtle sweetness that works well with corn.

What potatoes work best? Russets soften slightly and thicken the chowder. Yukon Golds hold their shape and taste buttery. Avoid waxy red potatoes if you want a creamy result.

How long do I pressure cook it? Six minutes on high pressure, followed by a 10-minute natural release. Note that the pot also needs roughly 10 minutes to come to pressure, so plan for about 40 minutes total from start to table.

Can I add other vegetables? Carrots, celery, and zucchini all work. Add carrots and celery with the onion so they soften, and add zucchini with the potatoes.

Can I make this vegetarian? Yes — use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and skip the bacon topping. Everything else stays the same.

Can I make it ahead? It’s arguably better on day two. Make it up to three days ahead and reheat gently, loosening with a little broth.

Can I make this in a slow cooker instead? Yes. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, then stir in the roux during the last 20 to 30 minutes with the lid off. Full details are in the slow cooker section above.

Why did my Instant Pot give me a burn notice? Almost always food stuck to the bottom after sautéing. Deglaze with a splash of broth and scrape the bottom clean before locking on the lid.

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

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• Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder
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• Instant Pot Curried Pumpkin Soup