This rich and creamy keto seafood chowder recipe is a healthy comfort food meal. Make it with clams or with white fish. Either way, it’s an easy low carb dinner recipe that takes less than 40 minutes, start to finish.
I first wrote this keto seafood chowder recipe back in the early days of All Day I Dream About Food, all the way back in 2012. It’s rich and hearty, and can be made as clam chowder or fish chowder. It’s a staple in our house during the cold and rainy weather.
I lived in Boston for over 11 years and I like to think that makes me something of an expert on clam chowder. But maybe that just really makes me an expert on how to pronounce clam chowder with a Boston accent.
Repeat after me: Chowdah. Chowdaaaah. You mustn’t say “Chowderrr”, that’s too boring and it won’t taste as good. I don’t care where you are from…California, Canada, even France. Really play it up, roll it out over your tongue, enjoy it. It will make the clam chowder experience that much more delicious.
Giving clam chowder a keto makeover
I do love me some good chowdah. Hearty, full of cream, lightly flavored with fish or clams, it fills you up with goodness and warms you to your toes. But conventional seafood chowder is often so thick, your spoon can stand straight up in it. I’ve had the chowder from Union Oyster House and it’s more like eating porridge
All of that glorious thickness comes from copious amounts of potatoes and flour, and you can believe it packs a hefty carb punch. So how exactly does one go about reducing the carbs to make a keto friendly chowder?
Replacing the potatoes is easy and you’ve got some choices here. My favorite substitute for keto soups and stews is turnip, as I think it ends up most like potatoes in taste and texture. Daikon radish is also a great alternative. Simply cube these vegetables the same way you would a potato and add it in. Do keep in mind that because they aren’t as starchy, they cook through a little faster so you want only want to add them in for that last 15 to 20 minus of cooking.
To thicken the broth and make it thicker and richer, you can whisk in some glucomannan or xanthan gum toward the end of cooking.
Clams or fish, it’s up to you!
I deliberately called this seafood chowder so that you can decide for yourself whether you want fish chowder or clam chowder. The cooking method and time of addition are the same, either way.
For fish, I recommend a firm white fish like cod or halibut, cut into 1 inch pieces. For clams, you want to add 2 small (6 oz or so) cans of drained clams.
One thing to note is that clams do actually contain carbs. Strange but true! Most molluscs have some carbs in them, even though they seem like they should just be protein and fat. So using clams will add a few carbs to each serving.
How to make keto seafood chowder
This is an easy recipe that takes minimal prep time and cooks up in less than 30 minutes. Here are my best tips for getting it right.
Cook the bacon
Really make sure to get it nice and crisp, so that it doesn’t go soggy when you add it to the chowder. I like to chop my bacon before cooking so that it crisps and browns more evenly.
Add the onion and turnips
Remove the bacon to a plate but leave all the remaining grease in there, as it’s perfect for cooking the onion and turnips. Cook just until the onions are tender.
Add the chicken broth and simmer
Simmer the broth until the turnip is fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Then add some dried thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper.
The fish cooks quickly!
In a seafood chowder such as this, the fish or clams get added only at the very end of cooking, as they cook very quickly. They only need about 4 minutes to cook through.
Add cream and butter
These ingredients go in at the very end as they don’t really need to cook. And cream can curdle if it’s added to a chowder too early.
Thicken the broth
You can eat the chowder just as it is but if you prefer a thicker broth, I recommend glucomannan powder. It’s made from konjac root and thickens really nicely with only 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon. I also use it in my keto gravy recipe.
Can you make keto chowder ahead?
As with all fish based soups and stews, keto seafood chowder is best when it’s freshly made. However, if you have leftovers, you can heat them gently the next day and they are just as good. Store it in a covered container in the fridge.
I wouldn’t keep it around longer than two or three days and it’s not a recipe that freezes well.
This really is a wonderful chowder and you wouldn’t be able to tell the turnips from potatoes for a second unless I told you that’s what they were.
And I’ve made this recipe with both fish and clams – it’s delicious both ways. With the chilly weather upon us, it’s so comforting to whip up a pot of this delicious low carb chowder. You won’t miss the potatoes or the flour for a second.
More delicious keto fish recipes
- Crispy Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- Fish Saltimbocca with Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Pecan Crusted Salmon
- Easy Keto Tuna Patties
- Keto Lemon Garlic Tilapia
- Oven Baked Coconut Macadamia Fish
Hearty Keto Seafood Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 1/4 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium turnips cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 lb white fish, cut into 1 inch pieces (or 2 cans clams)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3/4 tsp glucomannan optional
Instructions
- In large saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper-towel lined plate.
- Add the onion and turnips to the bacon grease and cook until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer until the turnip is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.
- Add the fish and continue to simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and the butter. For a thicker broth, whisk in the glucomannan at the end of cooking.
- Sprinkle each serving with the cooked bacon.
Fienx says
How many cups of turnip? My garden turnips are quite large so having a measurement would be helpful 🙂
Carolyn says
I didn’t measure them that way but try googling the size of turnips and it will give you a weight in grams from the USDA.
Christin says
Ha ha, as a speech therapist, people in Boston and area typically don’t pronounce the /r/ in any word. “I’m going to the bah and get some chowdah”. It’s part of an east coast dialect. When I work with kids who have trouble with their /r/‘s, it is an extremely difficult sound with many variations, I tell them they could always move to Boston 😀 Making this chowdah today!
Christin says
PS…it turned out amazing!
Carolyn says
Haha! I am not from Boston but I lived there so long, I can use the dialect with ease. I had a good friend with the name Mark. But he called himself “Mahk”. 😉
Natasha says
It is such a delicious and healthy recipe. We had some leftovers since it wad just me and my husband, froze it and it was still so awesome the next dat. Thank you!
Jen says
Today is such a dreary day….perfect to cozy up with a bowl of this chowder. Nice to enjoy and stay on the keto track. Thanks!
wilhelmina says
This is such a creamy and hearty bowl of soup! My family thought it was awesome!
Betsy says
I often make a salmon chowder that my whole family absolutely adores. I love your version using white fish & optional clams. The turnips are a lovely touch, they add such depth of flavor that potatoes just absolutely cannot match! I’ll be visiting this recipe again often!
Beth says
This looks so delicious and full of flavor! I can’t wait to give this a try! So excited!
Michael Sopchak says
Bravo Carolyn! You hit a long-ball “homah” over the “Green Mohnstah” at Fenway “Pahk”!!
I couldn’t score any turnips but was so anxious to try the recipe that I used frozen riced cauliflower instead, inserting them at the same place in your recipe as the turnips. I also was out of thyme so I used about 3/4 tsp of ground cumin, and added one clove of finely chopped “gahlic” to the onions. Immediately before cooking the haddock, I used an immersion “blendah” to give the cooked cauliflower some thickening “powah”. “Buttah” and bacon finished it perfectly.
I too have had Union Oyster House’s fare, having lived in Boston for four years. I can say in all candor that I can’t recall their chowdah, or Legal’s, or Atlantic’s, or any of the Fanueil Hall dispensaries’ as being any better than this one. Thanks for a culinary triumph!
Carolyn says
Well that is certainly a glowing review on my chowdah! I will never ever say it any other way. You just can’t, once you’ve been immersed in the Boston accent. 🙂
Dora Adamopoulos says
Absolutely delicious! Added red pepper flakes to increase heat to our family liking.
Vhm says
Made this tonight. Cold and rainy here, so a perfect soup day. Used 3/4# cod and 1/4# mixed seafood (mussels, clams, squid). Absolutely freaking fabulous! I will be making this again, for sure. Thanks for the recipe.
Barbara says
You gave me my laugh for the day. I live in Ma. in Carva (Carver) right next to Plymouth so of course Chowdah cracked me up. I don’t really notice how we sound until someone makes fun of it. I will surely made this chowdah. You always have great recipes. Thank you so much. Barbara
Carolyn says
Please know I am not making fun… well I am, but in an appreciative kind of way. I get such a kick out of the Boston accent. I had some really good friends there and one friend joked that he always had trouble with giving his name (Mark) at Starbucks, because his accent was so strong, they always thought he was saying Mac. Mahhhhk.
Pam says
I just wanted to say , after seeing glucomannan listed in a recipe .I decided to try it in a soup. I have found that I like results much better than xanthan gum. I take some of the liquid out and let it cool , then add the glucomannan and pour into the hot liquid. Works well. Thank you for your recipes.
Joel Langenfeld says
Interesting. I was trying to find a recipe that would satisfy both the pescatarian and the keto-dieter in the family and started looking for seafood empanada recipes. I wound up here, because… internet. Nevertheless, dial back the liquids add a low-carb crust and this might just work.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Sarah says
I love your recipes! Thank you 😊
Edith says
Delicious. Never go wrong with an All Day I Dream About Food recipe!
Thanks, Carolyn.
Steve Grabinski says
Wonderful chowder. She didn’t lie about the daikon, no way to tell they aren’t potatoes once their cooked and soft. I doubled the simmer time to 20 minutes to make sure they were soft.
Nutrition info with BOTH 12oz haddock and 1 can Bumblebee clams, serving size 1 cup, per serving:
Net carbs 8g
Fat. 25g
Protein 14g
Calories 309