Irish Seafood Chowder

When we're visiting Ireland, one of our all-time favorite things to order is Irish Seafood Chowder. We can't help it – we have to have it at almost every meal!

This chowder is light but filling, creamy, rich, and incredibly easy to make. We hope you love it as much as we do! This is the solid cozy soup because it fills you up, but you don't feel too heavy, even though it is creamy and packed with flavor.

To read more about our recent trip to Ireland, read about it here.

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How To Make Irish Seafood Chowder

Like lohikeitto – Finnish Salmon Soupthis chowder comes together quickly, making for a comforting and easy dinner.

Irish Seafood Chowder Ingredients

To make this recipe, we will need the following ingredients:

• 1 onion – Adds sweetness and depth to the base of the chowder, building rich flavor.
• 5 cloves garlic – Brings warmth and aromatic depth that enhances the seafood and vegetables.
• 2 tablespoons flour – Helps thicken the chowder, giving it that classic creamy, hearty texture.
• 2 leeks – Add a mild, onion-like sweetness that complements the richness of the seafood.
• 2 carrots – Bring subtle sweetness, color, and earthy flavor to balance the creamy broth.
• 3 small potatoes – Give the chowder body and heartiness, making it filling and comforting.
• 24 oz seafood chowder base – The flavorful, creamy foundation that ties everything together — use a pre-made seafood chowder mix or broth to save time while keeping rich flavor.
• 1 pound salmon – Adds buttery richness and meaty texture; it's the star of the chowder.
• 1 pound shrimp – Brings sweetness and a delicate seafood flavor that pairs perfectly with the salmon.
• Chopped dill – A fresh, herby note that brightens the creamy base and complements the fish beautifully.
• 1 cup milk – Adds creaminess and smoothness without being too heavy.
• Salt and pepper – Essential for seasoning and balancing all the flavors in the chowder.

Steps to Make Irish Seafood Chowder

Once you've gathered your ingredients, we will use the following steps:

Soften Onions & Garlic

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5–6 minutesstirring often, until softened and fragrant.

Add Flour

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well to coat. Cook for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste — this will help thicken your chowder later.

Add Carrots & Leeks

Add the chopped carrots and leeks. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 5 minutesor until the vegetables are softened.

Add Potatoes

Add potaoes and cook another 5 minutes, until they start to soften.

Add Stock

Add in seafood stock and cook, simmering on low, until potatoes are fork-tender.

Add Seafood

Stir in the salmon and shrimpmaking sure they're submerged in the broth.

Add Dill

Stir in freshly chopped dill, optional.

Add Cream

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the milk and chopped dill.

Cook Until Shrimp is Opaque

Let it warm through for another 2–3 minutes — do not boil after adding milk, or it may curdle.

Serve & Enjoy!

Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Kitchen notes

Sweat, don't brown. Soften vegetables in butter over medium heat with a pinch of salt. No color = a cleaner, sweeter base.

Get a light roux. Stir flour into the veg 1–2 min (no browning) before adding liquid. Add a little stock gradually while whisking to keep it silky.

Add salt at the end. Seafood (especially shrimp!) release salty brine as they cook – so add extra salt towards the end of cooking.

Temperature is everything. Keep the chowder below a simmer (around 160–175°F / 71–79°C). Rolling boils = tough fish, rubbery shrimp, split dairy.

Turn heat off for milk. Remove pot from heat when stirring in milk to prevent curdling.

Gluten-free: If you'd like a gluten free chowder, thicken with a little cornstarch slurry or stir in a small spoon of mashed potato instead of making a roux.

Smoked fish. A few ounces of smoked salmon or smoked haddock flaked in at the end adds depth without overpowering.

Irish Seafood Chowder FAQs

Why is our chowder thin?

Simmer the base a few minutes uncovered to reduce, or add a small cornstarch slurry. If using flour, cook the roux 1–2 minutes before adding liquid.

What other seafood can we add?

Aim for a combo for texture + flavor: firm white fish (haddock/cod/pollock), oily fish (salmon), and quick-cooking shellfish (shrimp/mussels). Aim for 1½–2 lbs total per 6 servings.

How do we avoid overcooking seafood?

Poach gently. Add fish first (5–7 min), then shrimp/mussels last (2–3 min). Turn off heat and let carryover finish.

How can we think Chowder if it's too thick?

Whisk in warm stock or milk a little at a time; bring back to a bare simmer.

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Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 leeks
• 2 carrots
• 3 small potatoes
• 24 oz seafood chowder base, mix or broth
• 1 pound salmon
• 1 pound shrimp
• 1 cup milk
• Chopped dill
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5–6 minutes, stirring often, until softened and fragrant.
2. Chopped onions are sautéing in a white pot with oil or butter, turning translucent and beginning to caramelize—the solid base for a hearty Irish Seafood Chowder.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well to coat. Cook for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste — this will help thicken your chowder later.
4. Chopped onions, carrots, and leeks are in a white pot, partially cooked and ready to become the savory base for a classic Irish Seafood Chowder.
5. Add the chopped carrots and leeks. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened.
6. A white pot filled with chopped potatoes, carrots, and cabbage, some of the vegetables appear to be sautéed, evokes the comforting base of a traditional Irish Chowder.
7. Add potaoes and cook another 5 minutes, until they start to soften.
8. A pot of Irish Seafood Chowder with visible chunks of potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions in a light, flavorful broth.
9. Add in seafood stock and cook, simmering on low, until potatoes are fork-tender.
10. A pot of Irish Seafood Chowder with raw salmon fillets and shrimp in a light broth, shown simmering on the stovetop.
11. Stir in the salmon and shrimp, making sure they're submerged in the broth.
12. A pot of Irish Seafood Chowder with shrimp, salmon, fresh dill, and a light broth, photographed from above.
13. Stir in freshly chopped dill, optional.
14. A pot of creamy Irish Seafood Chowder with chunks of salmon, potatoes, carrots, fresh dill, and other vegetables simmering together.
15. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the milk and chopped dill.
16. A pot of creamy Irish Seafood Chowder with salmon pieces, shrimp, diced potatoes, carrots, herbs, and a bay leaf, being stirred with a wooden spoon.
17. Let it warm through for another 2–3 minutes — do not boil after adding milk, or it may curdle.
18. A close-up of a bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder featuring shrimp, salmon, diced potatoes, onions, and fresh dill in a creamy broth.
19. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.