Get ready to try the best seafood bisque recipe of your life! My Shrimp Bisque recipe takes less than an hour to make and tastes incredible.
With mildly spiced shrimp and an easy, creamy bisque soup base, this is hands down the BEST bisque recipe ever.
Shrimp Bisque is the Best Bisque Recipe Ever
I love Shrimp Bisque. In fact, I make it every year around the holidays as a special treat for my family, and they spend the whole year looking forward to it!
When it gets to be that time of year, I know the question is coming: “When are you going to make shrimp bisque?”
There is a lot to love about shrimp bisque. It packs so much flavor in such an easy recipe, you just can’t go wrong with it.
It’s honestly so delicious, everyone in my family winds up drinking the rest out of their bowls when their spoons don’t do the job anymore!
The best part about this seafood bisque recipe is that even though I make it just around the holidays as a special treat, it’s so simple that you can easily make it any time of the year.
My bisque recipe is so easy, you can even use frozen shrimp to make it!
What is bisque?
Bisque definition: Bisques are creamy soup recipes, usually using shellfish like shrimp, lobster, or crab.
Although this is a shrimp bisque recipe, you could use prawns for a prawn bisque, lobster for a lobster bisque, or even crab for a crab bisque.
Shrimp and crab go together deliciously, so try cooking in a little crab meat if you want to try a combination of both!
Bisque vs. Chowder
The difference between bisque and chowder is simple: bisques are creamier than chowder, which are chunkier.
I love any seafood soup recipe, so I’m a big fan of chowder, too. Try my favorite New England Seafood Chowder recipe – you can make it a shrimp chowder, a crab chowder, or any mix you want, and it tastes amazing!
Shrimp Bisque Recipe Ingredients
- 1/2 stick butter
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. garlic (minced or paste)
- 2 lbs. shrimp, chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. flour
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup white wine
- 64 oz. chicken broth
- 2 cups half & half
- 1/2 cup Parmesan
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: bits of Candied Bacon on top
How to Make Shrimp Bisque
- Heat a deep soup pot over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil and swirl it around to evenly distribute it.
- Add 2 finely chopped celery stalks and 2 Tbsp. garlic (minced or paste) and saute for about 3 minutes.
- Add 2 lbs. chopped shrimp.
- Add 2 finely chopped green onions and saute both for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Melt 1/2 stick butter in the pot and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Spread 3 Tbsp. flour over the ingredients in the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, constantly stirring.
- Pour in 1 cup white wine while continuously stirring. Let it simmer and thicken. When it is thick enough, it will take longer to pool back to the center of the pot when pushed with a spatula (see photo below).
- Add 2 cups of tomato sauce and let it bubble and thicken while continuing to stir.
- Once it thickens, add 64 oz. chicken broth and let it simmer. Turn the heat to low and wait for it to cool off somewhat.
- Add in 2 cups half & half SLOWLY while stirring for about 1 minute!
- Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of Parmesan SLOWLY while continuing to stir for about 2 minutes!
- Turn heat back to medium and let the soup sit until it starts to bubble. Season with salt & pepper to taste, and serve!
And there you have it! Deliciously easy shrimp bisque.
I top my shrimp bisque off with a little bit of candied bacon for extra spice and flavor. Bacon adds an extra layer of deliciousness to this already incredible bisque recipe!
Serve with an extra whole shrimp with a little bit of cayenne and a slice of crusty toasted bread, and you’ll find yourself hooked on this seafood bisque.
Tips for Making the Perfect Shrimp Bisque Recipe
- Stir constantly: Make sure you are constantly stirring throughout making the bisque. This keeps everything consistent and prevents burning.
- Especially with dairy: Stirring is especially important when adding dry ingredients like flour and dairy ingredients like half & half and Parmesan.
- Turn the heat down: Turning the heat down and allowing the bisque to lower in heat before adding the half & half will prevent it from curdling.
How to Store Shrimp Bisque
Store your shrimp bisque recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze shrimp bisque?
Yes, you can! After cooking, allow the bisque to cool. Then add to covered, airtight containers or freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. But trust me – you will eat it before then!
How to Reheat Shrimp Bisque
Reheat Shrimp Bisque easily in the microwave or on the stovetop. In the microwave, heat in 1-minute intervals until heated through.
Stir well between intervals. On the stove, heat over medium-low heat until heated through. Stir well while reheating.
📌 Pin Shrimp Bisque Recipe:
Did you try my shrimp bisque recipe? I would love to hear from you! Snap a pic and share it with us on Pinterest, or let me know in the comments below and with a rating.
More Easy Seafood Recipes to Try
- Steamed Crab Legs (How to Boil Crab Legs)
- Lobster Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce
- Shrimp Scampi Linguine
- Cucumber Canapes with Shrimp Appetizers
- Chinese Prawns Recipe (Shrimp Stir Fry)
Check out our easy seafood appetizers and best seafood recipes for more ideas!
Shrimp Bisque Recipe
🍳 Equipment
- Large heavy pot
- Spatula
🥘 Ingredients
- 1/2 stick butter
- 2 celery stalks finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. garlic minced or paste (about 2 cloves if minced)
- 2 lbs. shrimp chopped
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. flour
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup white wine
- 64 oz. chicken broth
- 2 cups half & half
- 1/2 cup Parmesan
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Candied bacon pieces (optional for topping)
🔪 Instructions
- Heat a deep soup pot over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil and swirl it around to evenly distribute it.
- Add 2 finely chopped celery stalks and 2 Tbsp. garlic (minced or paste) and saute for about 3 minutes.
- Add 2 lbs. chopped shrimp.
- Add 2 finely chopped green onions and saute both for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Melt 1/2 stick butter in the pot and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Spread 3 Tbsp. flour over the ingredients in the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, constantly stirring.
- Pour in 1 cup white wine while continuously stirring. Let it simmer and thicken. When it is thick enough, it will take longer to pool back to the center of the pot when pushed with a spatula (see photo below).
- Add 2 cups of tomato sauce and let it bubble and thicken while continuing to stir.
- Once it thickens, add 64 oz. chicken broth and let it simmer. Turn the heat to low and wait for it to cool off somewhat.
- Add in 2 cups half & half SLOWLY while stirring for about 1 minute!
- Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of Parmesan SLOWLY while continuing to stir for about 2 minutes!
- Turn heat back to medium and let the soup sit until it starts to bubble. Season with salt & pepper to taste, and serve!
Video
Notes
- Stir constantly: Make sure you are constantly stirring throughout making the bisque. This keeps everything consistent and prevents burning.
- Especially with dairy: Stirring is especially important when adding dry ingredients like flour and dairy ingredients like half & half and Parmesan.
- Turn the heat down: Turning the heat down and allowing the bisque to lower in heat before adding the half & half will prevent it from curdling.
- Adding candied bacon: I like to top my shrimp bisque with bits of candied bacon. The recipe for my candied bacon is linked in-post!
- Serve with bread and shrimp: Serve with a slice of crusty toasted bread and cooked shrimp coated in a little bit of cayenne. Yum!
Vera says
This recipe reminded me so much of my grandma. She makes the best Shrimp Bisque (Literally). This is mostly how she makes hers. I am wondering why mine doesn’t taste as hers, even after religiously following her guidelines. Could you have any explanation for this?
I will use this recipe guide and see what I come up with.
Thanks for sharing
Em Beitel says
Vera, this is such a lovely comment. Thank you for leaving it for us. There is something special about the way grandmas make our food for us – even when we follow their recipe word for word, it just isn’t the same! I don’t know about your grandma, but I do know that mine almost never writes what she does down completely. There’s always a little something that people don’t realize they’re doing when they cook. Or it could just be knowing that it was made with love that makes it taste that much better.
I hope you love this recipe! I bet your grandma’s version tastes incredible.
Angela Allison says
Wow! This was incredible! Tastes just like something I’d get at a fancy restaurant. So good!
Em Beitel says
Thank you, Angela! It’s one of my personal favorites. The last time I had it I wound up drinking the rest straight out of the bowl when I couldn’t get more on my spoon!
Pamela says
This shrimp chowder looks so creamy and delicious!
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Pamela!
Matt @ Plating Pixels says
Love soups and this looks way easier than I though it would be. Can’t wait to make this!
Em Beitel says
Thanks so much, Matt! Bisque is surprisingly easy, right?
Amanda says
This bisque looks delicious! I actually have some homemade seafood stock in the freezer, so now I have the perfect recipe to use some of that up.
Em Beitel says
Awesome, Amanda! We know you’ll love it! Thank you!