Fish Chowder

Last updated: Feb 20, 2023 · Recipes developed by Vered DeLeeuw and nutritionally reviewed by Rachel Benight MS, RD · This website generates income via ads and uses cookies.

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Flavorful keto fish chowder is hearty and filling and makes a wonderful winter meal.

I make it with cod and flavor it with onions and bacon. Heavy cream makes it wonderfully creamy and paprika gives it a beautiful color.

Keto fish chowder served in a white bowl with spoons.

This delicious chowder is so hearty and filling! It's one of my favorite winter meals to make for my family and I love that it's indeed a full meal - you don't need to serve it with any side dishes (but you can definitely serve it with these keto cheese biscuits).

It has this wonderful combination of being flavorful, creamy, filling, and gorgeous - I add paprika and cayenne and these spices give the chowder a gorgeous golden hue.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Expert tip
Frequently asked questions
Variations
Serving suggestions
Storing leftovers
Related recipes
Recipe Card

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this keto fish chowder. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here are my comments and tips about some of the ingredients:

Cod fillets: Make sure they are skinless and that the pin bones have been removed. You can also use halibut in this recipe. I typically buy 2-lb. bags of frozen cod at Whole Foods or at Costco and simply defrost the amount I need, in the fridge, the day before.
Olive oil: I use it to cook onions, garlic, and spices, before adding the broth. Many chowder recipes use butter, but I really love the taste of olive oil.
Spices: Apart from salt and pepper, I use dried thyme, paprika, and cayenne pepper. I love the color that these spices add to the soup. And of course, I love the flavor! The cayenne does make it spicy, though not too spicy for my taste.
Clam juice: You can also use fish stock, though I do love the flavor of clam juice.
Bacon bits: Another departure from traditional recipes where you cook the bacon and crumble it. You can do that, of course, and then you can cook the onions in the bacon fat. It's just that I'm lazy so I simply sprinkle bacon bits on top of the finished soup.

Instructions

Making this keto fish chowder is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

You start by cooking chopped onions in olive oil, then you add minced fresh garlic and spices.

Next, add clam juice and bring the soup to a simmer.

A photo collage showing steps 1-4 for making a low-carb fish chowder.

Now, add chunks of cod. Make sure the liquid in the saucepan covers the cod. Bring back to a low simmer, then cover and cook until the fish is cooked through. This should take about 7 minutes.

Briefly heat the heavy cream in the microwave and stir it into the chowder. That's it! It's ready. Now pour it into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley and bacon bits, and serve.

A photo collage showing steps 5-8 for making a keto fish chowder.

Expert tip

Make sure not to overcook the fish. Start checking after 5 minutes. You want it cooked through, but you don't want it overcooked, or it will be dry and gummy instead of tender and flaky.

Frequently asked questions

What is chowder?

Chowder is a rich, hearty soup, made with seafood and thickened with potatoes and milk or cream. The word "chowder" comes from the French word chaudière (“cauldron”).

What's the difference between a soup and a chowder?

A chowder is creamier, chunkier and thicker. I would say that if a soup is at one extreme and a stew is at the other, then a chowder is somewhere in the middle in terms of its texture.

How do you thicken keto fish chowder?

That's indeed a challenge. Since it's made without potatoes (and the starch they add), this chowder is not thick - it has the consistency of a rich soup. It's excellent - creamy and flavorful - but it's not thick.

If you'd like to thicken it, you can use any keto thickener that you like. One example is glucomannan powder - try mixing ½ teaspoon in a tablespoon of cold water and stirring that into the finished soup.
However, keep in mind that authentic chowders are not necessarily thick.

Variations

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:

You can use butter instead of olive oil for cooking the onions.
Replace the paprika with smoked paprika - it adds a wonderfully smoky flavor.
Halibut works well in this chowder, though it's more expensive than cod.
If you don't like spicy foods, omit the cayenne.

Serving suggestions

While this is a very filling soup that doesn't really need any sides, it's nice to serve it with bread. I often serve it with one of the following:

Storing leftovers

Leftovers keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to three days. Reheat them gently, in a saucepan on the stove over low heat, stirring frequently. To prevent the heavy cream from curdling, don't allow the chowder to boil.