Best Seafood Chowder Recipe (2024)

Best Seafood Chowder Recipe is made with shrimp, clams, and crab meat; a delicious, creamy “chowdah” bursting with flavor!

Best Seafood Chowder Recipe (1)

We are so in love with clam chowder, especially this time of year. Today’s recipe, Best Seafood Chowder Recipe, you’re going to want to add to your holiday menu! And friends, have you bought my new cookbook? Buy Big Boards for Families today! It’s “editor’s pick” on Amazon this month!

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Best Seafood Chowder Recipe

Perfect for any soup night, this recipe is particularly “special” on the weekend. Like a Friday night … :) It’s a soulful meal, and everyone just seems to love a good bowl of “chowdah.”

Best Seafood Chowder Recipe (2)

Made with your favorite seafood, we added bay shrimp, crab meat and clams!

It’s creamy, and delicious served with a hot crunchy bread.

Best Seafood Chowder Recipe (3)

Friends, I love my home in the fall months. It’s crispy cold in the mornings, and warm and breezy in the afternoon. It reminds me of how much I love soup this time of year.

Best Seafood Chowder Recipe (4)

I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin, and crisp sunburnt leaves.

– Ann Drake

Ingredients for Best Seafood Chowder

  • Bacon
  • Butter
  • Celery + leeks + onion + garlic
  • Potatoes
  • Broth
  • Clam juice + clams
  • Salt + pepper + dried thyme
  • Flour
  • Half-and-half
  • Salad shrimp (bay shrimp)
  • Crabmeat
  • Bay leaf
  • Old Bay seasoning
  • Chopped fresh chives or green onions, for garnish

TIP FOR BREAD: I love to keep my favorite bread in the freezer. When company comes, or I need a loaf for last-minute, I put a loaf in the microwave to defrost for a couple of minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees: Bake thawed bread for 10 minutes. If the bread is still frozen, bake for about 15-20 minutes.

This is how you get hot, crunchy bread!

Best Seafood Chowder Recipe (5)

OurBest Clam Chowder video has over 22 million views on Facebook! That’s right, it’s that good, and gets a lot of controversy with the bacon. HA. [PS. Do you follow me on Facebook?]

Do you love bacon in clam chowder? We do! So we have added it to this Best Seafood Chowder Recipe, too.

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A few chowder tips:

  • Always add the clam juice.
  • Optional to add bacon, but it’s SO good. It’s great for garnish!
  • Add chicken bouillon powder for more taste, if you want.
  • You can add fewer potatoes, and cut them really small.
  • Leeks are optional, but they make the soup SO good.

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How to make seafood chowder

  1. Cook the bacon (drain fat, but keep some in the pot). Add butter to the drippings; saute celery, leek, and onion until tender. Add garlic.
  2. Stir in the potatoes, broth, clam juice, salt, pepper and thyme.
  3. Combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into the soup. Cook until thickened.
  4. Stir in (drained) clams, shrimp, crabmeat, and remaining half-and-half. Add in 4 strips of crumbled bacon, and season to taste with Old Bay seasoning.
  5. Crumble the reserved 2 strips of bacon. Garnish chowder with crumbled bacon and fresh chopped chives.
  6. Serve with HOT crunchy bread!

Share soup with friends

We live in unusual times, but we can still gather in small groups.

I say, take simple pleasures this fall, like hosting a small meal. Cook, serve the food (you can always make my Clam Chowder Dinner Board), and listen and learn. We’ve enjoyed being with friends, family, and new neighbors this year. Even with many restrictions, being together and sharing meals has been a gift.

We anticipate tomorrow, with joy in our hearts, while living deeply in the present.

Being present with good food and good conversation!

Ps. Also try this Salmon Chowder!

Best Seafood Chowder Recipe (8)

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Best Seafood Chowder Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Yield: 8

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Ingredients

  • 8-10 bacon strips, divided
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 leek, finely chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3-4 small potatoes, red potatoes or Yukon gold, peeled and cubed
  • 2 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
  • 2 8 ounce bottles clam juice
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups half-and-half, divided
  • 3 6 ½ oz cans whole clams, chopped into chunky pieces, drained
  • 6 oz salad shrimp, bay shrimp
  • 6 oz crabmeat, shredded
  • Bay leaf
  • 1-2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
  • Chopped fresh chives or green onions, for garnish

Instructions

  • In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Add butter to the drippings (you can spoon out some of the drippings if you don’t want to use that much); saute celery, leek, and onion until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, broth, clam juice, salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

  • In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into the soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

  • Stir in (drained) clams, shrimp, crabmeat, and remaining 3 cups of half-and-half; heat through (do not boil); turn down to low heat; add the bay leaf. Cook for additional 2-3 minutes on low heat. Add in 4 strips of crumbled bacon, and season to taste with Old Bay seasoning.

  • Crumble the reserved 2 strips of bacon. Garnish chowder with crumbled bacon and fresh chopped chives.

Cuisine: American

Course: Soup

Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer

Did you make this recipe?Tag @reluctantentertainer on Instagram and hashtag it #reluctantentertainer!

Best Seafood Chowder Recipe (9)

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  • Epic Clam Chowder Dinner Board
  • Mixed Seafood Stew
Best Seafood Chowder Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a thickening agent for seafood chowder? ›

How to thicken seafood chowder? Though a traditional recipe will call for milk, cream, as well as a roux to ensure a creamy and thick seafood chowder, you may feel the need to thicken it further. To do so, make a cornflour slurry by combing equal parts cornflour and cold water, broth, or soup.

How do you thicken up seafood chowder? ›

You can start with 2 tablespoons of flour for every 1 cup of liquid as a general rule of thumb. To make a smooth paste, combine the flour with a small amount of cold liquid. Stir the paste gradually into the soup. To allow the flour to thicken the mixture, cook and stir it for a few minutes.

What is a substitute for heavy cream in seafood chowder? ›

Can I substitute the heavy cream in soup? Short answer: Yes. Recommended substitutes: Evaporated milk, whole milk, coconut milk, cashew cream, onion cream.

What is the most popular chowder? ›

New England clam chowder is perhaps the most popular and well-known iteration of the dish. It's a classic combination of clams, onions, corn, celery, bacon or salt pork, and potatoes.

Is it better to thicken chowder with flour or cornstarch? ›

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

Which thickener is most often used in chowders? ›

White and blond roux are the most common, used to thicken sauces, soups, and chowders. Brown and dark brown roux have more flavor, but less thickening power than white or blond roux.

What makes chowder thick? ›

Use a Roux:A roux is a mixture of fat (usually butter) and flour. Melt the butter, add an equal amount of flour, and cook it until it turns a light golden color. Gradually whisk in hot broth or milk to create a smooth paste. Stir this roux into your soup and simmer until it thickens.

Will heavy cream thicken chowder? ›

Heavy cream

Use heavy cream as a keto-friendly thickening option for your soups and broths. Heavy cream has more fat than regular whole milk, so you can add it to your soup recipes without worrying about it curdling.

How do you reduce the fishy taste in chowder? ›

This can be done by cooking the fish in foil or by adding other ingredients to the recipe that will help to mask the strong fishy taste of the fish. Also, you can marinate the fish in a mixture of lemon juice, vinegar, and water for 30 minutes. This will help to neutralize the fishy taste.

Why use evaporated milk in chowder? ›

Clam juice: Clam juice takes the seafood flavor up a notch. Flour: Thicken the chowder up with all-purpose flour. Seasonings: Season the fish chowder with Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Evaporated milk: Evaporated milk makes the chowder even thicker and richer.

Can I use sour cream instead of heavy cream? ›

Sour cream is an easy replacement for heavy cream. It can be easily stirred into a dish and offers another flavor profile to soups, stews and sauces. Plus, using it as a heavy cream substitute is a great way to use up that lingering tub in the fridge.

Can I use milk instead of cream for chowder? ›

You really only have three choices when it comes to dairy for your chowder. You can use whole milk (hom*o milk), you can use heavy cream, or you can use a combination of the two. Any milk with a fat content lower than 3.25% is likely to split when heat, salt, acid, or even the seafood is added.

What ingredient does chowder always have? ›

Customarily, chowder included onion, potatoes, and cream. Nowadays, not all chowders adhere to these guidelines.

What state is known for chowder? ›

Maine and Massachusetts may be the two states most associated with the cream-based clam chowder. In fact, it is known as one of Maine's most iconic dishes and is considered a classic in Boston's historic neighborhoods.

What are the three types of chowder? ›

Many regional variations exist, but the three most prevalent are New England or "white" clam chowder, which includes milk or cream, Manhattan or "red" clam chowder, which includes tomatoes, and Rhode Island or "clear" clam chowder, which omits both.

Which thickening agent used to thick chowder? ›

Roux is a cooked mixture of flour and fat and is used to thicken soups and sauces. A crumbly mixture, it is added to liquid and boiled until thick, resulting in a rich, heavy, and opaque liquid.

How can I thicken my seafood sauce? ›

Add Cornstarch or Flour: Mix a slurry of cornstarch or flour with water or broth until smooth, then gradually stir it into the sauce while simmering until desired thickness is reached.

What are 2 thickening agents used in cream soups? ›

Thicken the soup's liquid by:
  • concentrating the liquid ingredients by evaporation.
  • adding corn starch or potato starch or arrowroot.
  • use a roux, made of liquid fat and some kind of flour.
  • use gelatin, agar, or collagen (if the soup is consumed cool enough)
Feb 27, 2021

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