This Easy Fish Chowder recipe tastes better than longer it sits! Make a big pot over the weekend and enjoy for lunch or dinner all week!
Hi Friends!
Have you ever spent time looking for the best of all fish chowder recipes? This is it. Every summer while I was growing up, my mom, sister and I would head out to Maine to spend a couple of weeks with my aunt. Aside from fresh Maine lobster and hot dogs, both of which don’t involve a whole lot of cooking, the one thing we ate every year on this trip was this simple fish chowder.
Some years my aunt would have it made before we got there but other years I remember helping make it once we arrived. It’s made with simple ingredients, easy to make in large batches and tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge.
Easy Fish Chowder Recipe
One of my biggest contributions as a kid was always standing over the sink peeling the potatoes…but aside from that and chopping up potatoes, onion and bacon, that’s really all there is to it!
Every afternoon after a long day at the beach we would come home all sandy and reheat in a big pot on the stove to eat after our showers. I’ve recently starting making this simple fish chowder almost weekly because it’s so good. And I’ve started adding extra veggies. In the winter, soup is my favorite way to eat vegetables so I always dump a bag of frozen mixed veggies in, or add some chopped carrots and peppers along with the potatoes. I’ve also discovered that it tastes just as good with just broth as it does with milk. So if you’re looking to make it dairy-free, you can enjoy it as more of a fish and veggie soup vs a chowder. It’s the Old Bay that gives it that signature chowder flavor in my opinion!
Here’s how you make this super easy fish chowder:
PrintEasy Fish Chowder
This Easy Fish Chowder tastes better than longer it sits! Make a big pot over the weekend and enjoy for lunch or dinner all week!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- 2/3 cup diced onion
- 2 medium white potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 c chicken or vegetable broth
- 1.5 – 2 pounds Haddock (or cod) fillets, skin removed
- 1–2 tsp Old Bay
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups 2% milk, whole milk or half & half
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute bacon, onion and potatoes for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add broth and lay fish on top of potatoes in pot. (Don’t worry about cutting it up. It will flake apart when cooked)
- Add the Old Bay, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until fish and potatoes are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Use a spatula to break the fish into chunks.
- Reduce the heat and add the milk or half and half. Heat through but don’t boil.
We always used haddock when we made it but turns out that’s hard to find here in Ohio so I used cod and it turned out great. Really any thick, meaty white fish should work! And don’t forget about the oyster crackers! They’re the best part!
Also, note I garnished mine with extra bacon and some parsley for photos but that’s definitely not required. Turns out soup made with white fish, white potatoes and milk/cream really isn’t that visually appealing…but luckily it doesn’t impact the taste! Just for fun, check out the collage below which includes a pic I used when I first mentioned this soup back in 2011 🙂
What’s one of the first things you learned how to make in the kitchen?
Looking for other fish-based soups?
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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How gorgeous! I’ve never made a fish chowder before but as I read this I’m thinking it’s just perfect comfort food now the weather is cooling down a little.
Saw this on your snapchat! It looks gorgeous and delicious! I’ve never been to Maine but I bet I would love it seeing as I love anything to do with seafood!
Yum, this soup sounds so good. Chowder soups are often really rich I love that your recipe is healthy. Pinning this recipe to try later!
Lindsay — this looks PERFECT. So easy. I love fish chowder and have many fond memories of times in Maine. My dad is a true Mainer from South Portland and we go back to Willard Beach yearly for old times sake. If you’re not from Maine, they say you’re from “away”. Truth.
Yum! This looks absolutely delicious and I love that it was a staple of your childhood vacations.
I’ve not heard of “Old Bay”. Is it a brand name spice?
Yep, you should be able to find it in the spice aisle at most stores!
I love chowders of all types. (I just posted a corn chowder.) This one looks particularly easy and yummy. Can’t wait to try it – and I won’t forget the oyster crackers:)
Yum! This recipe looks and sounds delicious! Perfect for the cooler weather too!
Dynamite recipe i used cusk and some extra seasonings. Highly recommend this recipe
★★★★★
This was my first attempt at fish chowder….it is a keeper. Absolutely delicious. Wouldn’t change a thing!
Am so happy I discovered you and will look for other recipes of yours!
Thank you so much.
★★★★★
do you cook the bacon separately and then add it for sauteing? I love bacon but the fat is a must to avoid!
★★★★
sure you can do that
This is fabulous!~ Used Imagine Seafood Stock. Added a few sliced carrots. In addition to the stock, added 1 1/2 cups 2% milk and 1/2 cup half/half. Fresh fish – speckled trout. Soooo good!!!!
★★★★★