Crockpot Seafood Chowder: Step-by-Step Guide
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Our family friendly crockpot seafood chowder recipe takes just 15 minutes to prepare! This flavor packed comfort food is perfect for any day of the week and the magic lies within the crockpot, where tender shrimp, fish and vegetables slowly simmer all day in a creamy white wine broth.
Rich and delicious, this chowder offers an easy meal that is ideal comfort food for both busy weekdays or relaxed weekends. Let’s get started!
Seafood Chowder Recipe
The perfect seafood chowder is made with a combination of fresh or canned ingredients like shrimp, scallops, potatoes, and celery. Seafood chowder can be made with a variety of broths, including fish stock, clam juice, lobster stock, shrimp broth, and vegetable broth.
What kind of ingredients for creamy slow cooker seafood chowder?
Ingredient List:
One pound of peeled and deveined shrimp, one pound of cleaned and scrubbed clams, two cups of corn kernels (fresh or frozen), four medium-sized diced potatoes, two stalks of chopped celery, two peeled and sliced carrots, four cups of seafood broth (or chicken stock if unavailable), one cup of water, four cloves of minced garlic, one teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of black pepper, two tablespoons of butter, half a cup of flour (or cornstarch for thickening), and one cup of warm water for mixing with the flour if you’re using it.
How To Make Seafood Chowder in Crockpot
Step 1: Prepare Your Crockpot
Begin by setting up your crockpot and making sure it’s clean and ready for use. You can use a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup, but it’s optional.
Step 2: Add the Liquids
- Pour the 4 cups of seafood broth into your crockpot.
- Stir in the minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Mix well to ensure the flavors are evenly distributed.
Step 3: Mix in the Seafood and Vegetables
- Carefully add the peeled and deveined shrimp and cleaned clams to the crockpot.
- Follow with the diced potatoes, chopped celery, sliced carrots, and corn kernels.
Step 4: Cooking Time
- Cover and cook
- Set your crockpot to “High” and let it cook for 4-5 hours. If you have more time, you can opt for the “Low” setting and cook for 6-8 hours.
- Check periodically to make sure the potatoes and celery have softened to your liking.
Step 5: Thicken Seafood Chowder (Optional)
- If you desire a thick seafood chowder, you can thicken it in the last 30 minutes of cooking or once the chowder is done
- If you have cornstarch, follow the directions on the box to achieve the desired thickness.
- If you don’t have cornstarch, you can make a flour mixture by combining 1/2 cup of flour with 1 cup of warm water.
- Slowly pour the flour mixture into the crockpot while stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
- Allow the chowder to simmer for a few more minutes until it thickens to your preference.
What To Serve with Seafood Chowder
My mom has the best bread maker but unfortunately, she didn’t have time to make any so she picked up a fresh loaf of french country bread and it was perfect for dipping.
Homemade bread or oyster crackers pair perfectly with crockpot seafood stew!
What Is The Difference Between Seafood Chowder and Seafood Stew?
Seafood chowder and seafood stew may sound similar, but they are actually quite different dishes. Seafood chowder is a thick soup that typically consists of fish, shellfish, potatoes and milk or cream.
It is usually served with crackers or croutons. Seafood stew on the other hand is made with a tomato based broth and often contains vegetables like celery, onion, and bell peppers.
It also includes a variety of seafood like scallops, clams, shrimp, lobster or crab meat. Unlike chowder, seafood stew is not as creamy and is more like a soup than a stew.
Seafood Chowder Ideas
Slow cooker fish chowder ideas are endless!
I personally love to use halibut fish or any white fish in this recipe which will provide a more hearty fish alternative to shrimp or clams. I have added halibut to the chowder when I want more substance and a more filling chowder.
- Use fresh seafood for the best flavor
- Simmer the chowder on low heat to allow flavors meld or use a slow cooker to cook all day
- Add chopped celery, bay leaves, salt and pepper and onions for a flavorful base
- garnish chowder with a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of herbs
- Try different seasonings such as smoked paprika and thyme or red pepper flakes for added depth of flavor
Seafood Chowder Crockpot
Supply List
- 3 cans evaporated milk
- 24 oz chicken broth container or canned
- 1/2 stick butter or margarine
- 2 cups white cooking white
- 3 cans chopped clams drained
- 2 cans tiny shrimp drained
- 1 package frozen dethawed or fresh shrimp (about 25 count)
- 1 can corn drained
- 3-4 large potatoes diced
- 2 carrots shredded and chopped or buy already shredded carrots and chop into small pieces
- 1-2 celery stalk Chopped to small pieces optional
- 1 tbsp garlic
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Corn Starch optional / to thicken broth
Instructions : Step by Step
- Add all the liquids to the crockpot and stir
- Mix in garlic, salt, pepper and butter
- Add shrimp, clams, corn, potatoes, celery and carrots
- Cook on high for 4-5 hours (6-8 hours low) or until potatoes and celery are soft
- The last 30 minutes or once chowder is done, use corn starch and water to thicken the broth if desired. I didn't have corn starch so I mixed 1/2 cup flour with 1 cup warm water and thickened broth slightly buy slowly pouring flour mixture into crock pot. I prefer corn starch but flour will do the trick as well. Follow the directions on the corn starch box to get the thickness you desire.
More Seafood Chowder Recipes You will Love
- Easy Clam Chowder Crockpot Recipe that takes only 10 minutes to prepare using half and half
- Thick and creamy clam chowder with evaporated milk
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Yum! This looks delicious! I love adding wine to my stews, chowders and I always use wine in my tomato sauce. It’s a great way to add flavor or sweetness without using sugar. Love this recipe!
What are the sizes of the cans of evaporated milk? Thanks!
12 ounce!! 🙂
White cooking WINE, correct? And can sizes would be helpful as can sizes have changed throughout the years.
Thanks for this recipe, I can’t wait to try it! I Love anything yummy that I can put in a crock pot!
Debbie
That sounds great, have you ever tried adding any other seafood to it like crab, fish, etc. to give it more protein or just play with the flavor?
I added sauteed scallops and lobster. Amazing!
Looks amazing! I’ll have to make it!
I made this last night, but my husband and I added cod, crab and some scallops and it did turn out pretty tasty. But, for just 2 of us, this made a TON of chowder, and leftovers with fish don’t last too long in my experience, even if you freeze it. My only big complaints would be that first, I wasn’t sure if I had the right size can of evaporated milk (I see it in the comments, but it really should be updated in the ingredient list), and adding the cornstarch at the end did not go well. My box did not say how much to add (to anything, really) in order to thicken, like your instructions suggested it would. I added some about a 1/4 cup at a time, because I had no other instruction, and it didn’t really thicken that much. And unfortunately, the cornstarch just thickened in clumps, so every so often, you’d bite into a “nugget” of cornstarch. I would make this again, but I think I’d have to play around with the milk amount, and I’ve got to figure out a better way to thicken it… we like our seafood chowder very thick!
Is this kid friendly with the wine? Thanks, sounds yummy, looking for Christmas recipes.
Can I prepare everything in a bowl overnight in the refrigerator then cook in the morning?