Irish Seafood Chowder
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Irish Seafood Chowder is delicious and filling comfort food… and is common fare in Irish pubs and restaurants. Serve with Irish Soda Bread for an authentic and delicious meal in 30 minutes or less!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email, and we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get delicious new recipes from us every Friday!
If you’re longing for simple, fresh, delicious Irish Pub food, or a cozy bowl of Irish comfort food, you’ve found one of my favorites!
Deliciously simple to make, and packed with seafood the Emerald Isle is known for, this Irish Seafood Chowder highlights everything delicious about this beautiful country.
Tips for Making Irish Fish Chowder
Used smoked fish whenever possible. It’s what gives this chowder it’s amazing flavor.
I also love to use seafood stock. While vegetable stocks works fine in a pinch, the seafood stock takes it to the next level!
Irish Seafood Chowder Ingredients
Specific ingredient measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Butter for sauteing
- Aromatics: onion, potatoes, celery, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper
- Flour for thickening for the chowder
- Cooking liquid: seafood stock or vegetable stock, plus milk, cream, or half and half
- Seafood: use smoked fish if you can for the best flavor imaginable. I’m using a combination of cod (or any white fish), smoked salmon, frozen prawns and musscels but bay scallops, clams or crab meat is delicious too!
- Fresh parsley for serving
How to Make Irish Fish Chowder
As with most soups, this seafood chowder is exceptionally easy to make. While step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, here’s a brief overview with photos.
In a large soup pot, melt the butter and cook onion and celery over medium heat until softened; about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add the flour and stir until the aroma is nutty; 1 to 2 minutes.
Add stock, potato, bay leaf, milk and smoked fish to the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium high and simmer until potato is soft, about 10 min.
Then add the remaining seafood and bring the chowder back to a simmer. Cook until the shrimp is pink and the shellfish (if using) have opened, and the fish flakes easily. Stir gently to prevent scorching.
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with Irish Soda Bread. I baked a fresh batch of Mini Irish Soda Bread for individual servings!
More Recipes You May Also Love
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube for new updates.
Irish Seafood Chowder
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 celery rib chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups seafood stock or vegetable stock
- 1 russet potato peeled and diced small
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups milk
- 1 ½ lbs fish use smoked if you can. I like a combination of white fish and salmon cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 ounces prawns peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 1/4 lb. bay scallops or clams or crab meat
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, melt the butter and cook onion and celery over medium heat until softened; about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the flour and stir until the aroma is nutty; 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add stock, potato, bay leaf, milk and smoked fish to the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium high and simmer until potato is soft, about 10 min.
- Then add the remaining seafood and bring the chowder back to a simmer. Cook until the shrimp is pink and the clams have opened if using, and the fish flakes easily, stirring gently to prevent scorching.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with Irish Soda Bread.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.