This deliciously satisfying Crock-Pot Seafood Chowder will earn a leading spot in your culinary rotation come soup season.
In my humble opinion, crock-pots, slow cookers, air fryers, and Instant Pots are some of the greatest inventions. They make our lives easier, letting us prepare meals in less time or with reduced effort. I especially love slow cookers’ “dump it in and forget about it” simplicity. That’s one reason why I love this recipe for seafood chowder – it’s made using a slow cooker, ensuring I’ll have a hearty soup at the end of the day with minimal effort.
Best of all, you can use any combination of seafood to customize it the way you like. Clams, shrimp, lobster, crab, mussels, scallops, fish fillets (cod, salmon, haddock, halibut, flounder), octopus, and squid all taste great in this chowder. You can prepare this chowder with only one type of seafood or as many as you like.
There’s nothing like a filling bowl of hearty chowder to warm the coldest nights. However, since seafood chowder conjures up thoughts of wind-swept beaches, you can certainly enjoy it any time of year. While I often buy frozen mixed shellfish trays for use in this recipe, finding fresh, seasonal options throughout the year makes for unique taste sensations when making this dish.
Is Crock-Pot Seafood Chowder Healthy?
This chowder provides abundant protein with fairly low calories and sugar. It is also relatively low in fat while providing some fiber for your diet. The primary concern for some people is that seafood is naturally high in sodium, so if you are watching your salt intake, consume this soup in smaller portion sizes. You can also help reduce the sodium by using a low-sodium stock and decreasing added salt in favor of more herbs and spices.
How To Adjust This Crock-Pot Recipe For Stovetop Cooking
What happens if you don’t have a crock-pot or slow cooker but want to make this seafood chowder? That’s no problem, as you can easily adjust this recipe for stovetop cooking. Instead of sautéing the onion and garlic in a skillet, do it in a soup pot. That way, you add all the ingredients in the second step of the instructions to the cooked onion/garlic mixture. Then you’ll cover the pot and heat the liquid to a simmer, cooking it for about 20 minutes until the potatoes become fork-tender. Add the seafood and half-and-half and cook uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes until the seafood is thoroughly cooked. Check each type of seafood before removing the pot from the heat.
FAQs & Tips
Crock-pot seafood chowder is best consumed when it’s freshly made, but you can still refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently on the stove. I’m not a lover of freezing chowder as the consistency of cooked potatoes changes upon freezing and thawing, but you could do so if you like for up to 3 months. Remember to let your chowder cool to room temperature before refrigerating, and let it cool in the fridge overnight before freezing.
Chicken and vegetable stock or broth will both work for this recipe. I do not recommend beef stock as the flavor will be too strong for the seafood.
You can substitute any plant-based cream or half-and-half for the dairy version to make a dairy-free chowder. I like to use full-fat coconut milk for a delicious, rich taste.
Serving Suggestions
There’s something special about serving creamy chowder with Pão De Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread). You can also serve it with any crusty roll or baguette. Since soup and salad always go well together, I recommend trying a Kale Caesar Salad or Healthy Broccoli Salad for a different change of pace. Add a Key Lime Pie for dessert, and you will feel transported to the tropics.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 4 hours 30 minutes
Total: 4 hours 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Vegetable oil as needed for sautéing
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 1/4 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 1/4 cups celery diced
- 4 cups seafood stock
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound mixed seafood shrimp, scallops, clams, and crab meat, thawed if frozen
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Kosher salt to taste
- Fresh parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
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In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic with a little vegetable oil until translucent. Transfer to the crock-pot.
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To the crock-pot, add diced potatoes, corn, celery, seafood stock, thyme, and black pepper.
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Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, until vegetables are mostly tender.
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Stir in mixed seafood and half-and-half. Cook on high for an additional 30 minutes or until seafood is cooked through.
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Add salt and adjust seasonings as needed. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 264kcal (13%) Carbohydrates: 32g (11%) Protein: 20g (40%) Fat: 7g (11%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 14mg (5%) Sodium: 1317mg (57%) Potassium: 807mg (23%) Fiber: 4g (17%) Sugar: 5g (6%) Vitamin A: 269IU (5%) Vitamin C: 26mg (32%) Calcium: 126mg (13%) Iron: 2mg (11%)
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