A large pot of creamy shrimp chowder is a welcome sight on frigid days and nights. Learn how to make this staple seafood chowder your own.

Shrimp Chowder Recipe: Making Shrimp Chowder From Scratch

Shrimp chowder is a thick, hearty soup featuring bites of shrimp and tender potatoes in a creamy mixture of stock, milk, and cream. Traditional chowder recipes feature seafood ingredients—like shrimp (featured in this recipe), clams, or fish—while others forgo seafood in favor of vegetables or starches, like corn. Common chowders include [New England clam chowder](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/new-england-clam-chowder-recipe), [potato chowder](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/potato-chowder-recipe), fish chowder, and [corn chowder](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/corn-chowder-recipe).
Here’s how to make a dynamic shrimp chowder that’s even better on day two.

1. __Prepare the shrimp__. You can make shrimp chowder with fresh, frozen, raw, or precooked shrimp. Thaw frozen shrimp in the refrigerator the night before you plan to make the chowder. Add precooked shrimp as the very last step, just allowing shrimp to warm through and absorb the flavors (cooking any longer can yield a rubbery texture). If you have smaller shrimp, you can roughly chop or leave them whole, as you prefer; cut any particularly large shrimp into one-inch pieces before adding to chowder.
2. __Choose the right potato__. Much of a seafood chowder’s indelible creaminess comes from potatoes, and for that, you’ll want Russets. These fluffy, starchy potatoes thicken the stock better than Yukon Golds or red potatoes as they cook and leave behind enough of a bite to complement the shrimp.
3. __Add spices__. Add spice and heat to shrimp chowder with blends like Old Bay seasoning, [Cajun seasoning](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cajun-vs-creole-seasoning-explained), or curry powder.  
4. __Make shrimp stock__. For extra shrimp flavor, use shrimp shells to make a simple shrimp stock. Simply simmer the shells in a large pot of boiling water for thirty minutes, then strain out the shells.
Store shrimp chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding water if needed to loosen up the consistency.
A large pot of creamy shrimp chowder is a welcome sight on frigid days and nights. Learn how to make this staple seafood chowder your own.

Shrimp chowder is a thick, hearty soup featuring bites of shrimp and tender potatoes in a creamy mixture of stock, milk, and cream. Traditional chowder recipes feature seafood ingredients—like shrimp (featured in this recipe), clams, or fish—while others forgo seafood in favor of vegetables or starches, like corn. Common chowders include <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/new-england-clam-chowder-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/new-england-clam-chowder-recipe","linkCopy":"New England clam chowder","category":null}'>New England clam chowder</a>, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/potato-chowder-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/potato-chowder-recipe","linkCopy":"potato chowder","category":null}'>potato chowder</a>, fish chowder, and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/corn-chowder-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/corn-chowder-recipe","linkCopy":"corn chowder","category":null}'>corn chowder</a>.

What Is Shrimp Chowder?

Here’s how to make a dynamic shrimp chowder that’s even better on day two.<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Prepare the shrimp. You can make shrimp chowder with fresh, frozen, raw, or precooked shrimp. Thaw frozen shrimp in the refrigerator the night before you plan to make the chowder. Add precooked shrimp as the very last step, just allowing shrimp to warm through and absorb the flavors (cooking any longer can yield a rubbery texture). If you have smaller shrimp, you can roughly chop or leave them whole, as you prefer; cut any particularly large shrimp into one-inch pieces before adding to chowder. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Choose the right potato. Much of a seafood chowder’s indelible creaminess comes from potatoes, and for that, you’ll want Russets. These fluffy, starchy potatoes thicken the stock better than Yukon Golds or red potatoes as they cook and leave behind enough of a bite to complement the shrimp. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Add spices. Add spice and heat to shrimp chowder with blends like Old Bay seasoning, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cajun-vs-creole-seasoning-explained' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cajun-vs-creole-seasoning-explained","linkCopy":"Cajun seasoning","category":null}'>Cajun seasoning</a>, or curry powder. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Make shrimp stock. For extra shrimp flavor, use shrimp shells to make a simple shrimp stock. Simply simmer the shells in a large pot of boiling water for thirty minutes, then strain out the shells. </li></ol>

4 Tips for Making Shrimp Chowder

Store shrimp chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding water if needed to loosen up the consistency.

How to Store Shrimp Chowder

Shrimp Chowder Recipe

A large pot of creamy shrimp chowder is a welcome sight on frigid days and nights. Learn how to make this staple seafood chowder your own.

A large pot of creamy shrimp chowder is a welcome sight on frigid days and nights. Learn how to make this staple seafood chowder your own.
