Seafood Chowder Recipe
This creamy seafood chowder is rich, hearty, and loaded with shrimp, fish, and tender potatoes. A cozy one-pot recipe perfect for cold days, family dinners, or special gatherings.
Ingredients
Seafood
- 1/2 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb white fish cod, haddock, halibut, cut into chunks
- 1 cup clams or mussels optional
Base & Vegetables
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and diced
Chowder Broth
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups seafood stock or chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
For Serving
- Fresh parsley
- Oyster crackers
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Sauté the Vegetables
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots.
- Cook 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add Flour to Make a Roux
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables. Stir and cook 1–2 minutes until coated and slightly golden.
Add Stock & Potatoes
- Slowly pour in seafood stock while stirring.
- Add potatoes, thyme, Old Bay, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer 10–12 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Add Cream & Milk
- Pour in heavy cream and whole milk. Stir gently and bring back to a low simmer.
Add the Seafood
- Add shrimp, fish chunks, and clams (if using).
- Simmer 4–6 minutes until shrimp are pink and fish is flaky.
Finish & Serve
- Remove bay leaf.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Garnish with parsley. Serve warm with crackers or crusty bread.
Notes
- Don’t boil after adding dairy — it can curdle.
- Swap white fish for salmon or scallops.
- Add corn for sweetness.
- For thicker chowder, mash a few potatoes directly in the pot.
- For smoky flavor, add 2–3 slices of cooked bacon.