I’ve been making this Keto Seafood Chowder the exact same way for over a decade. Rich, creamy, and flavored with tender white fish or clams, it fills you up with goodness and warms you to your toes. It’s a staple in our house during the cold and rainy weather.
I find myself relying heavily on soups to feed my family during the winter. They’re easy to pull together and I can usually sneak some veggies in there too. My kids will devour big bowls of Keto Taco Soup or Buffalo Chicken Soup without complaint. This low carb fish chowder is no different!
This recipe delivers everything you love about classic New England–style chowder: tender chunks of white fish, smoky bacon, fragrant thyme, and a luscious cream broth. A little butter and cream bring it all together for a soup that feels indulgent, satisfying, and deeply warming.
Turnips are one of my favorite potato swaps, and in a chowder like this, you won’t notice the difference. I use them in the same way in Keto Beef Stew – they add that classic comforting bite with only a fraction of the carbs.
If you’ve been missing hearty chowder on a keto diet, this recipe really delivers. It’s simple enough for a weeknight dinner but special enough to serve to guests. Everyone will love it!
What readers are saying…
“I’ve made this a few times and it is delicious! Sometimes I add shrimp or scallops with the fish. Another great recipe from Carolyn. If you haven’t tried this recipe yet then you’re missing out….yum!!” — Tillie
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Classic chowder flavor: Smoky bacon and thyme add that familiar, comforting flavor.
- No flour or potatoes: Turnips or daikon take the place of starchy potatoes.
- Quick and easy: Perfect for a busy weeknight or a leisurely weekend.
- Customizable: Use firm white fish or add clams, the choice is yours!
- Low carb comfort: Naturally gluten-free, with only 6 grams of carbs per serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Seafood: I recommend a firm white fish like cod or halibut. If you use clams, you will need two standard-sized cans (about 6.5 ounces each). Please note that clams do contain some carbs so you will want to factor that in.
- Bacon: I recommend chopping it first, so it crisps up more evenly.
- Onion: Onions add flavor but they also contain carbs, so I keep them at a minimum in this recipe.
- Turnips: Use white or purple-top turnips and stick with small to medium, as the large ones can be bitter. Some of my readers use daikon radish or rutabaga.
- Chicken broth: For a more seafood flavor, you can also add some fish broth or clam juice.
- Heavy cream: It isn’t chowder without some heavy cream!
- Glucomannan: For a thicker broth, you can whisk in a little glucomannan or xanthan gum.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, dried thyme, salt and pepper.
How to Make Keto Seafood Chowder
- Cook the bacon: Make sure to get it nice and crisp, so that it doesn’t go soggy when you add it to the chowder. Remove the bacon to a plate using a slotted spoon
- Add the veggies: Cook the onion and turnip in the drippings until tender.
- Simmer: Add the broth and simmer until the turnip is fork tender. Then add some dried thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the fish: The fish cooks quickly so it only needs a few moments of simmering.
- Add the cream: Stir in the heavy cream and the butter. For a thicker broth, whisk in the glucomannan at the end of cooking.
- Garnish: Sprinkle each serving with some of the cooked bacon.
Tips for Success
Choose the right fish: Use a firm white fish like cod or halibut. Delicate fish like sole will fall apart in the soup. Cut the fish into 1-inch pieces for easy cooking and eating. And remember that fish cooks quickly so you only want to simmer it for 3 to 5 minutes, until opaque.
Cube the turnips: You don’t want them too small, or they will overcook and fall apart. I find that half inch chunks works well.
Adding thickeners: Thickeners can clump up when added directly to the soup. I recommend removing some of the broth to a glass measuring cup and quickly whisking in the glucomannan or xanthan gum before returning it to the pot.
Use the clam juice: If you decide to make clam chowder, add the clam juice in as well as it adds wonderful depth of flavor.
Season to taste: Both broth and bacon can add a fair bit of salt. If you are sensitive to it, I recommend only adding salt at the very end, after tasting the chowder.
More Delicious Keto Fish Recipes
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, (or xanthan gum) 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, remove about 1/2 cup of the broth to a glass measuring cup. Whisk the glucomannan or xanthan gum in vigorously and then stir this back into the pot.
- Let sit for a few minutes to thicken before serving. Sprinkle each serving with the cooked bacon.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
As with all fish-based soups, 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 for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
For a dairy free version, try using coconut cream in place of the heavy cream. You can simply skip the butter.
This keto seafood chowder recipe has 6.3g of carbs and 1.0g of fiber per serving. That comes to 5.3g net carbs per bowl.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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It was a hit! We loved it!
I did substitute poultry seasoning for the thyme and added some parsley. I didn’t remember to buy thyme at the grocery. Even though, it was wonderful. My husband could hardly believe the potatoes were turnips. Ha!
Thank you,
Lucinda
This soup is sooooo good! Of all the recipes I have made of yours, and I have made a lot, this one ranks in the top 10 for me. <3
Excellent recipe. I substituted red radishes for turnips and threw a sliced celery stalk in (needed to use it) and it was perfect. I used cod and it was really tasty and very filling—I will give clam chowder a try in the future using this recipe.
I wish I had thought of celery! We would have liked that too.
Two comments: I’m a little jittery on trying xanthan gum as a thickener but will follow the directions exactly and cross my fingers! Secondly, my go-to swap for potatoes is kohlrabi, which takes on the flavors around it better than turnip would IMO.
Have you tried glucomannan? I prefer it to xanthan gum!
OH MY GOODNESS!! This is so delicious!! My only mistake was not buying enough turnips!! I’m heading to the store to buy more and add them to the leftovers!!
I shared it with a friend who made it last night and she said it’s a “keeper” in her recipe file!!
I LOVE YOUR RECIPES!
Thank you so much!