This creamy gluten free fish chowder recipe is special because it is roux-free! It isn’t often you can have a gluten free New England-style chowder. As a special bonus, this soup is also lactose-free!

Two sage colored bowls of fish chowder stacked on top of each other.

(*This post was sponsored by Clover Sonoma. All opinions and happiness about their Lactose-Free milk are my own.)

Grab a spoon and appetite because you are going to want seconds of this delicious fish chowder. If you love hot soup as much as we do, you may want to check out all of my delicious gluten free soup recipes.

Most New England-style chowders are made with a roux. Roux is a flour paste made out of wheat flour. This paste is used to thicken the chowder. My family also loves this homemade Gluten Free Clam Chowder recipe!

AWESOME! Made this twice now. My Nova Scotia in-laws raved about how tasty it is. Both times I had to sub whole milk with a mixture of half n half cream and water. I also used the bacon grease as it is full of flavour. This is a keeper recipe 👍.”

Amy S., Pinterest comment
A bowl of chowder next to Clover lactose free milk.

I have been buying Clover milk for years. Those who have been reading my blog for a while know how much I love companies that give back to their community and the environment.

  • Clover has remained conscious and careful about what goes into its products (and what doesn’t) for three generations. This means you can feel good about serving Clover Sonoma’s milk to your family!
  • Clover has sustained a commitment to natural dairy products, including non-GMO and organic lines sourced from small, local farms.
  • Their community giveback program, Clover Cares, gives at least 5% of their annual profits to support what’s dear to them: Elevating Dairy, Empowering Future Generations, and Supporting their Community. (Coming from a non-profit background, this is huge for me!)
Photos of the chowder ingredients.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Cod Fish – Use thawed raw cod.
  • Bacon – Any bacon or turkey bacon works well.
  • Milk – Use lactose-free or regular whole milk.
  • Onions – I prefer using yellow onions.
  • Potatoes – Use russet potatoes.
  • Garlic – Whole cloves minced or jarred minced garlic.
  • Olive Oil
  • Cornstarch – Potato starch will also work well.
  • Seasonings – Sage, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Substitutions:

  • Change the seafood from Cod to clams, shrimp, or any of your favorite fish.
  • Mix it up by using sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. This will add more sweetness, which would taste great with the fresh sage!

Step-By-Step Directions:

Onion and garlic cooking in a pot.

Step 1: In a soup pot, add your oil, onion, and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.

Step 2: Wash and dice the potatoes. I like to keep the skin on, but you can remove it if you prefer peeled potatoes. Chop the raw bacon into small pieces.

Onion and bacon cooking in a pot.

Step 3: Add the potatoes and bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Add the seasonings and cook for 10 minutes on medium-low until the potatoes are slightly softened.

Step 4: Mix the cornstarch with the potato and bacon mixture.

Step 5: Add the cod fillets and milk. Turn the heat up to medium, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.

Step 6: Reduce the heat and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!!

If you love New England Chowder, try this easy Oyster Chowder recipe.

Serve With:

Storage:

This chowder will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or for up to 4 months in the freezer.

Recipe FAQ:

Can you use low-fat milk?

You can use low-fat milk, but your soup may not be as creamy.

Can you freeze chowder?

You can easily freeze this fish chowder recipe. Use a freezer-safe container and make sure it is sealed completely. To defrost the fish chowder, put it into a soup pot, cover it, and warm it to medium-low. Stir every few minutes until the soup is defrosted.

Can you use this recipe to make New England Clam Chowder?

You can easily make this soup into a clam chowder by adding clams and clam juice, or you can check out my gluten free clam chowder recipe linked above.

Top view of a bowl of New England fish chowder in a bowl.

Reader Rave:

Very yummy, takes a little while to put together . Make when you have time & patience 😅”

Joye H., Pinterest user

More Gluten Free Soup Recipes:

Love This Recipe?

If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This helps others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!

New England Style Fish Chowder

Sandi Gaertner
A simple, creamy lactose free and gluten free New England style fish chowder recipe.
4.92 from 35 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Gluten Free Soup Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 234 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups Clover Lactose Free Whole Milk
  • 3 cod filets
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup onion diced
  • 2 cups potatoes diced
  • 5 slices bacon cooked, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage (use 1 teaspoon if using dried sage)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme ( use 1 teaspoon if using dried)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • In a skillet, add oil and onion. Sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent.
  • Add potatoes and cooked bacon. Mix well.
  • Add seasonings and cornstarch and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Next, add the milk and cod filets. (You can add the cod filets whole because they will break up when they are cooked. You can also put the fish in frozen if your fish is not defrosted.)
  • Cover and bring to a boil, on medium heat and allow to gently boil for 10 minutes.
  • Turn temperature to simmer and allow to cook another 20 minutes until done.

Video

Notes

Feel free to use clams, shrimp, or any seafood you like in this recipe.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 20gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 418mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9g
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

This recipe was updated from an older February 2018 post with more recipe details.

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Recipe Rating




22 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Very quick, easy, and great tasting recipe! This was my first attempt at gluten and lactose free cooking and it worked great. I used striped bass that I had caught as the fish, and it was delicious.

  2. My son does a lot of fishing and we have quite a bit of frozen pike. Do you think that would work well in this recipe?

  3. Made this tonight with tilapia and it turned out GREAT!! We added a bit more salt and pepper. I will definitely make it again! Thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    I love this! It’s so important to create classics that people with dietary restrictions can enjoy. I avoided clam chowder for a long time after going pescetarian because of the bacon, but recently came up with a pescetarian-friendly recipe that uses smoked kipper fillets instead. Same smokey and salty flavor, and still just as scrumptious! This looks fabulous. I’m sure people who can’t have gluten or lactose are singing your praises right now.

  5. 5 stars
    Big chowder fans and I can’t wait to try this. It sounds fantatic. We try to avoid gluten as much as possible and this sounds perfect!

  6. 5 stars
    This is genius! So many people have a sensitivity to gluten and/or lactose, and now they can enjoy clam chowder too. I never would have noticed anything different if you didn’t mention it.

  7. 5 stars
    This is fantastic as I am also lactose intolerant too but love my creamy soups. I had no idea that lactose free milk even came in whole, I usually find it only in 1% or 2% so this makes me a very happy girl. 🙂