Seafood Chowder Recipe

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My easy Seafood Chowder Recipe is ready in 45 minutes using simple ingredients. It's creamy, smoky, and overflowing with bacon, potatoes, fish, shellfish, and veggies. Looking for the most flavorful but simple seafood chowder recipe? This is the one!

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• Seafood Chowder
• Easy Seafood Chowder Recipe Ingredients
• How do you make seafood chowder?
• Recipe for Seafood Chowder FAQ
• How to Store and Reheat Chowder Soup
• What is seafood chowder?
• Seafood Chowder Recipes FAQ
• Chowder Recipes Variations
• Simple Seafood Chowder Recipe
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• Seafood Chowder
• Reviews

Seafood Chowder

If there's one protein I can never get enough of, it's seafood of all kinds. I love fish and shellfish, especially living in Florida where it's easy to find it fresh!

Fish chowder recipes are among the best, and my family's favorite is easily my recipe for seafood chowder. (Other than my famous shrimp bisque, of course!) It's cozy, customizable, and packed with flavor. If you love New England seafood chowder, you need to try this seafood chowder soup recipe!

And, again, it's customizable. Don't like shrimp? Swap them out for mussels, clams, or more fish. Not a fan of white fish? Salmon is great, too! It's up to you how you want to make my seafood chowder soup, and I promise it will be delicious. Let me show you how to make seafood chowder you're going to love!

Easy Seafood Chowder Recipe Ingredients

• Bacon: I find it easiest to make the bacon ahead of time following my air fryer bacon recipe. If you want to really spice things up, you could even use my famous candied bacon!
• Onion: Sweet yellow onion works best. Dice the onion.
• Celery: Necessary for bringing together the base flavors of the soup. Dice the celery.
• Potatoes: Large russet potatoes work best. Dice and peel them.
• Flour: I use plain, all-purpose flour in this chowder. You can also use gluten-free flour at a 1:1 ratio.
• Firm White Fish: Any kind will do.
• Shellfish: Shrimp, prawns, mussels, clams… or all of the above!
• Corn: I like using leftover corn in this dish.
• Fresh Parsley: Optional, but it really adds so much freshness.
• Salt and Pepper: Use kosher salt or sea salt flakes for best results.
• Oyster Crackers: Optional, but who doesn't love these on chowder?

How do you make seafood chowder?

1. Saute bacon in a large soup pot over medium-high heat until crispy, 3-4 minutes.
2. Remove the bacon from the pot and place it on a plate.
3. Drain all but one tablespoon of bacon grease from the pot. If there is not 1 tablespoon, then don't drain the bacon fat.
4. Add diced onions and celery to the bacon grease in the pot. Saute over medium heat until soft, 3-4 minutes.
5. Add potatoes. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
6. Add the flour and stir, cooking until the flour is completely moistened.
7. Add the milk and increase the heat to medium. Heat the soup until it is steaming, but just before it starts to boil, stirring often.
8. Simmer the soup until the potatoes are nearly tender, and uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. (Reduce the heat if the milk starts to foam.) The soup should start to thicken to a nice consistency.
9. Add the fish, shellfish, corn, and bacon.
10. Heat below boiling for 5 to 10 minutes until the fish is cooked.
11. Add salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
12. Serve with fresh parsley, oyster crackers, or good-quality bread.

Recipe for Seafood Chowder FAQ

• Use whatever seafood you like! I love using firm white fish like Pacific cod or tilapia. It holds its shape easily and cooks well. You can make this a shrimp chowder by using more shrimp or a clam chowder by using more clam. It's the best seafood chowder recipe!
• Evenly chop your fish. For a consistent cook time, cut your fish into similar sizes. If a few pieces are larger or smaller, the fish won't cook evenly.
• There is a fine line between simmering and boiling! When adding the milk, you want to avoid boiling the milk. You want to keep it at a consistent temperature to allow it to thicken.
• Your choice of bacon will determine how much bacon fat you need to saute the onion and celery. We use smoky bacon without a lot of fat on it. Therefore, we kept all our bacon fat for frying and didn't need to remove or add any additional oil.
• Don't overcook your seafood! 5 to 7 minutes is an adequate cook time for my shrimp and fish recipe. Shrimp will turn a beautiful orange color when cooked. The fish should be soft and cooked all the way through, and if the pieces are consistent it should take the same amount of time as the shrimp.
• If the chowder becomes too thick, use chicken broth or fish stock.

How to Store and Reheat Chowder Soup

Refrigerating

1. Before storing seafood chowder, let it cool to room temperature.
2. Divide the chowder into smaller portions, then store in airtight containers or resealable plastic bags for up to 3-4 days. Keep in mind that even in soup, seafood is best fresh, so you may want to consume it within 2-3 days.

Freezing

1. Pour the chowder into an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty resealable plastic bags. Leave some space at the top for the liquid to expand as the soup freezes.
2. To minimize the separation of dairy, stir the chowder well before freezing and gently stir it when reheating.

Reheating

1. When ready to enjoy your seafood chowder, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight if frozen.
2. Reheat it on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring gently to avoid scorching. Be patient and heat it slowly to maintain the soup's texture and prevent curdling. Avoid boiling the chowder, as this can cause the seafood to become overcooked and tough.
3. After reheating, taste the chowder and adjust the seasoning if necessary by adding additional salt and pepper as desired.

What is seafood chowder?

Chowder is a rich soup recipe with a creamy base, containing seafood and vegetables like potatoes, onions, and corn. I love seafood chowder using a mix of my favorite seafood, but there are a few specific variations, clam chowder being the most popular.

Seafood Chowder Recipes FAQ

Chowder Recipes Variations

• Make it a traditional clam chowder by using baby clams.
• Try making a shrimp chowder with large shrimp.
• Scallops and Lobster make an amazing chowder.
• Use salmon for salmon chowder!
• If you want a bit more flavor, you can add a teaspoon of old bay seasoning.
• You can use corn and make a simple corn chowder.

Simple Seafood Chowder Recipe

This seafood soup recipe is so easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious! It makes enough for four servings, so in a smaller house, you may even have enough for leftovers. I know you're going to love it, so leave a comment and a rating below to let me know what you think! I love to hear from you!