Shrimp Chowder
This creamy shrimp chowder comes together in just 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight comfort meal that's impressive enough for entertaining. Built on a smoky bacon-and-butter base with tender Yukon Gold potatoes, aromatic vegetables, and a luxurious cream broth, this New England-inspired recipe delivers restaurant-quality flavor with minimal effort. Perfectly cooked shrimp are added at the very end to ensure they stay tender and sweet in every spoonful.
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven - 6-8 quart capacity recommended
- Cutting board - Use separate boards for vegetables and seafood
- Ladle - For serving
- Small bowl - For mixing flour slurry if needed
- Slotted spoon - For transferring bacon
- Microplane grater - (optional) For finely grating garlic
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs large shrimp - 680g, peeled and deveined; fresh or fully thawed frozen, patted dry
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon - chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp butter - 30g; plus bacon fat from cooking
- 1 large yellow onion - diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 celery stalks - diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 medium carrots - diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves - minced or finely grated
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes - about 1.5 lbs / 680g, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
- 0.25 cup all-purpose flour - 30g; for thickening the chowder
- 3 cups seafood stock - 720ml; or substitute chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk - 240ml; cold from the refrigerator
- 1 cup heavy cream - 240ml; cold from the refrigerator; do not substitute with half-and-half
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt - plus more to taste
- 0.5 tsp black pepper - plus more to taste
For Garnish
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley - chopped
- reserved crispy bacon - from cooking; crumbled over each bowl
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry, season lightly with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until needed. Dice onion, celery, and carrots into ¼-inch pieces; cube potatoes into ½-inch pieces and place in cold water to prevent browning. Mince garlic and chop bacon.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon for 6–8 minutes until crispy and fat is rendered. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate; leave fat in the pot (pour off excess if more than 2 tablespoons).
- Add butter to the bacon fat and melt over medium heat, then add onion, celery, and carrots; cook 5–6 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, and cayenne for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 2–3 minutes until all vegetables are coated and the raw flour smell is gone.
- Drain the potatoes and add to the pot; slowly pour in the seafood stock while stirring constantly to prevent lumps, then add bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer 12–15 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Reduce heat to low, then slowly stir in the cold milk followed by the heavy cream; heat for 3–4 minutes until steaming but not boiling. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add seasoned shrimp and stir gently; cook 3–4 minutes until shrimp are pink, opaque, and curled into a loose C-shape. Remove and discard bay leaves.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, then ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved crispy bacon and fresh parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread.
Notes
- Don't overcook the shrimp: Shrimp cook in just 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat as soon as they turn completely pink and curl into a C-shape to avoid a rubbery texture.
- Use cold dairy: Adding cold milk and cream to the hot soup helps prevent curdling and a grainy texture.
- Choose Yukon Gold potatoes: They hold their shape well and add a buttery quality. Russets can get too starchy and fall apart.
- Adjust thickness: Too thick? Add a splash of stock or milk. Too thin? Stir in a slurry of 1 tbsp flour + 2 tbsp cold water and simmer 3–4 minutes.
- Bacon substitute: Skip bacon and use 3 tbsp butter instead, or swap in diced ham or turkey bacon for a different flavor profile.
- Make-ahead tip: Prepare the chowder base through the dairy step up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate. Reheat gently and add shrimp just before serving.
- Storage: Cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. Reheat over medium-low heat; do not boil. Freezing is not recommended as the cream base may separate.
- Variations: Add 2 cups corn kernels with the potatoes for corn-shrimp chowder, or substitute 1 cup coconut milk for the heavy cream and add 1 tsp curry powder for a Thai-inspired twist.
- Seafood stock tip: If seafood stock isn't available, use chicken broth or dissolve a lobster or seafood bouillon concentrate in water for deeper flavor.
- Season in stages: Add salt gradually throughout cooking rather than all at once at the end to build layered flavor and prevent over-salting.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 24gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 680mgPotassium: 620mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 15mg
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