New England Seafood Chowder is everything you want in a soup. Fresh, creamy, with a slight smokiness and, of course, overflowing with your favorite seafood! If you’re looking for a quick seafood recipe, this is the one for you!
I think this New England seafood chowder is my new favorite dish. You will not believe how creamy and thick this chowder turns out. It’s pretty much like a hug in a cup, and you’re going to love it!
I love seafood chowder, but I feel like it’s one of those recipes that I always forget I can make. And then when I do remember to make it, I always tell myself I should make it again because it’s SO good! Seriously, there is something so cozy and comforting about a thick bowl of soup with all your favorite ingredients put into one bowl! And the best thing is, this chowder is totally customizable!
Don’t like shrimp? Swap it out for mussels, clams or more fish! Don’t like white fish? Salmon would work perfectly! It is really up to you how you want to create this recipe!
Recipes Tips for New England Seafood Chowder
- Use whatever seafood you’d like! I love using firm white fish like Pacific cod or tilapia. I find it holds its shape really easily and cooks well.
- Make sure your fish is chopped up evenly. To ensure consistent cooking time, try to make sure your fish is cut into similar sizes. If a few pieces are larger or smaller, the fish won’t cook at the same time.
- There is a fine line between simmering and boiling! When adding the milk, you want to avoid boiling the milk, instead, you want to keep it at a consistent temperature to allow it to thicken.
- Your choice of bacon will determine how much bacon fat is required to saute the onion and celery. We used smoky bacon that did not have a lot of fat on it. Therefore we kept all our bacon fat for frying and didn’t need to remove any or add any additional oil.
- Don’t overcook your seafood! I found 5 to 7 minutes was an adequate cook time for my shrimp and fish. Shrimp will turn a beautiful orange color when cooked. The fish should be soft and cooked all the way through, if the pieces are consistent it should take the same amount of time as the shrimp.
This recipe is honestly so easy to make, and tastes absolutely delicious! We found it enough for four servings and in our household of two, had leftovers for lunch the next day!
This New England seafood chowder can be served with fresh bread and butter, or traditional soup crackers. Always garnish with fresh parsley or chives!
Want more quick seafood recipes?
- Try these 20 easy and elegant seafood appetizers!
- These salmon burgers with wasabi mayo are a favorite of mine for summer grilling!
- It doesn’t get much quicker than this 5 minute salmon dip either!
New England Seafood Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 3 medium white potatoes diced and peeled
- 1/4 cup all purpose plain flour
- 4 cups milk
- 1 cup firm white fish
- 1/2 pound shellfish prawns, mussels, clams etc
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Sauté bacon in a large soup pot over medium-high heat until crispy, 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the bacon from the pot and place on a plate.
- Drain all but 1 Tbsp bacon grease from the pot. If there is not 1 Tbsp, then don't worrya bout draining the bacon fat.
- Add diced onions and celery to the bacon grease in the pot. Sauté over medium heat until soft, 3-4 minutes.
- Add potatoes. Saute 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
- Add the flour and stir, cooking until the flour is completely moistened.
- 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.
- Keep the soup at this point until the potatoes are nearly tender, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes. (Reduce the heat if the milk starts to foam.) The soup should start to thicken to a nice consistency.
- Add the fish, shellfish, corn and bacon.
- Continue to heat, just below boiling for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
- Add salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve with the fresh parsley, crackers or good quality bread.
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