This easy Seafood Chowder features generous portions of white fish, shellfish, and potatoes in a rich, velvety broth. It’s one of those creamy comfort foods I can’t get enough of.
If you know me at all, you know that soup will always be my first love. I make it year-round because I love transforming a bunch of simple ingredients into something so comforting. If you feel the same, you’ll want to try my Easy Corn Chowder and Creamy Fish Chowder recipes.
Homemade Seafood Chowder
This easy seafood chowder recipe comes from one of the restaurants where I worked as an executive chef. Rather than toss out the leftover seafood at the end of the day, I’d turn it into a big pot of chowder. I had no idea that it would end up being one of the most popular (and profitable) dishes on the menu! Recently, I made it again for a few friends, and they nearly licked their bowls clean.
Compared to other chowders, seafood chowder is a catch-all. Manhattan chowder skips cream entirely and uses a bright tomato broth; Rhode Island chowder is clear and briny; and beloved New England clam chowder is thick and creamy. My seafood chowder has a similar cozy style, but with way more variety.
Almost the entire ocean appears in this version. There’s a cream-based broth loaded with potatoes, vegetables, and tender chunks of seafood, including cod, calamari, shrimp, lobster, scallops, mussels, and clams. The best part is that you don’t have to use the exact seafood I do. Mix and match what you like, and you’ll still have a comforting, hearty meal that doesn’t feel overly heavy.
Ingredients and Substitutions
There are two components to my seafood chowder: the creamy chowder base and the seafood.
For the Chowder Base:
- Bacon – I used the crispy, thick-cut bacon and the rendered fat. Pancetta also works great here.
- Aromatics – To keep it classic, I made the base with shallots, celery, and garlic.
- Sherry – A splash of cream sherry is an absolute game-changer in chowder. If you can’t find it, regular sherry or Marsala wine will work as a substitute.
- Roux – I made a thickening roux with unsalted butter and all-purpose flour.
- Clam Juice – Bottled clam juice boosts the flavor. Fish stock or seafood stock works just as well.
- Stock – I used homemade chicken stock.
- Tomatoes – Canned, hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes are my favorite.
- Potatoes – I love how Yukon Gold potatoes hold their shape. If you need a substitute, opt for red potatoes or Russets.
- Oil – I use olive oil to sear the seafood.
- Cream – I finished the base with a splash of heavy whipping cream.
- Sherry Vinegar – Just a splash at the end for brightness. If you need a substitute, use white wine vinegar or lemon juice.
- Seasonings – I kept it simple with dried basil, fresh parsley, salt, pepper, and Tabasco for heat.
For the Seafood:
This chowder recipe is very flexible; fresh, frozen, and/or canned seafood can all be used (even a bagged frozen seafood mix is a great option). Just make sure everything is fully thawed and patted dry before cooking. Below is the variety I liked best:
- White Fish – I always use at least one firm, flaky white fish, like cod, halibut, haddock, or pollock.
- Calamari – I also add a mix of calamari tubes and tentacles. The tender, chewy bits pair well with the softer fish.
- Shellfish – Like shrimp, lobster tail, and bay scallops.
- Mollusks – Fresh mussels and clams (still in the shell) bring the best briny depth. Frozen mollusks can also be used and don’t need to be thawed in advance.
- Clams – This is the one ingredient I don’t recommend skipping or substituting. Both fresh and canned clams add that classic chowder texture and flavor.
How to Make Seafood Chowder
Render the bacon: First, I cook the bacon in a large rondeau pot until it becomes crispy and golden brown. I transfer the lardons to a plate and leave the rendered fat in the pot.
Caramelize the shallots: I add the shallots to the pot and sauté them until they start to brown. Next, I reduce the heat and continue cooking until they’re caramelized.
Sweat the aromatics: Now I can add the celery to the pot. Once it turns translucent, I stir in the garlic and cook it just until fragrant.
Deglaze: I deglaze the pot with the sherry and scrape up any browned bits stuck on the bottom. I let it reduce until only 1/4 cup remains.
Make the roux: Next, I melt the butter in the pot, then stir in the flour.
Simmer: Now I add the clam juice, cooked bacon, stock, potatoes, tomatoes, and basil, and simmer everything until the potatoes are tender.
Sear the fish and calamari: Meanwhile, I sear the cod and calamari in a nonstick pan for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. I transfer them to a plate (it’s okay if they aren’t fully cooked yet).
Sear the shrimp, scallops, and lobster: I repeat the process with the shrimp, scallops, and lobster, then set them aside with the rest of the seafood.
Open the mussels and clams: I sauté the mussels and clams in the pot until the shells start to open.
Finish: By now, the chowder base is complete, so I add all the cooked seafood to the pot, along with the canned clams, cream, parsley, and vinegar. I stir everything together, then season the chowder with salt, pepper, and Tabasco before serving.
Chef Tip + Notes
I always say that the quickest way to ruin a perfectly creamy seafood chowder is with overcooked, rubbery seafood. My advice: cook the seafood just until it’s slightly underdone, then set it aside before folding it into the chowder at the very end. This will leave you with tender and juicy seafood.
- Wait to add the cream: High heat can cause heavy cream to separate, so I always add it in at the very end over low heat to keep the chowder base silky.
- Adjust the thickness: The roux and potatoes should naturally thicken the soup. If it becomes too thick, stir in a splash of stock, water, or clam juice.
- Avoid over-salting: Seafood is already naturally seasoned by the sea, so I like to add salt in stages—a little with the aromatics, then again at the end after tasting. That way, every bite ends up perfectly seasoned without going overboard.
- Add vegetables: I kept this recipe classic with aromatics and potatoes, but feel free to add diced carrots, red bell peppers, leeks, cauliflower florets, or corn for extra color, flavor, and texture.
Serving Suggestions
All I really need are some oyster crackers and crusty artisan bread to soak up the velvety broth. If I’m having this for lunch, I’ll pair it with a simple green salad dressed in a tangy vinaigrette.
I also like serving chowder as an appetizer for a larger seafood spread. If you’re looking for an easy seafood soup to kick off the Feast of the Seven Fishes, it doesn’t get any better than this.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make the chowder base a few days in advance. Then, fold in the cooked seafood right before serving.
How to Store: Store leftover chowder in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
How to Reheat: Reheat the leftovers in a small pot over low heat. Be careful not to boil the chowder, as this can make the seafood tough.
More Seafood Recipes
Seafood Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 Slices of thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced
- 5 shallots, peeled, small-diced
- 4 ribs of celery, thickly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 cup creamy sherry
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 16 ounces clam juice
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 28- ounce San Marzano tomatoes (canned), hand crushed
- 6 Yukon gold potatoes, medium-sized, peeled, quartered, and thickly sliced
- 2 tablespoons dry sweet basil
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces white fish, cut into small chunks, cod, halibut, etc.
- 12 ounces medium-diced calamari, tubes, tentacles, or both
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, medium diced
- 8- ounce lobster tail, medium-diced shelled, optional, replace with shrimp
- 12 ounces bay scallops, roughly chopped
- 1 pound fresh mussels
- 1 pound fresh clams
- 8- ounce chopped clams (canned)
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup finely minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, optional
- Tabasco, to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large rondeau pot over low to medium heat, add in the bacon and cook just until crispy brown. Set the lardons to the side.
- In the rendered bacon fat, add in the shallots, gently season with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes or until browned. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelized.
- Next, add in the celery and sweat for 6 to 7 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 to 45 seconds.
- Deglaze with the sherry and cook until only ¼ cup remains.
- Add in the butter and cook until melted. Stir in the flour to make a roux.
- Pour in the clam juice, cooked bacon, chicken stock, potatoes, tomatoes, and basil, and cook over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. This mixture will become thick from the roux and the potato starch. This is what you want.
- In the meantime, in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once it begins to lightly smoke, add the cod and calamari and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. It’s ok if they are not completely cooked through. Set it aside on a plate.
- In the same pan with another tablespoon of olive oil over high heat, repeat the process with the shrimp, scallops, and lobster, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes per side or just until lightly browned. Set them to the side with the other cooked seafood.
- Lastly, in the same pan over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the mussels and clams, and sauté until they just start to open.
- At this point, the chowder should be done. Add all the cooked seafood to the pot along with the canned clams, cooked bacon, cream, parsley, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Mix to combine and serve.
Seafood Chowder Recipe