This creamy gluten free fish chowder recipe is special because it is roux-free! It isn’t often that you can have a gluten-free New England-style chowder. As a special bonus, this soup is also lactose-free!
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Grab a spoon and appetite because you will 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!
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.”
Pete. blog comment
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!)
Allergen Information:
This homemade fish chowder is gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, sugar-free, and oat-free.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- 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.
- 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 Photos and Directions:
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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.
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 these crackers or gluten free rolls:
- Gluten Free Breadsticks – These breadsticks are crusty on the outside and perfect for this gluten free seafood chowder.
- Easy Gluten Free Garlic Knots – The flavors in these garlic knots go perfectly with this chowder.
- Gluten Free Biscuits – These flaky biscuits hold the chowder and are great for dipping.
- Gluten Free Crackers
- Float these Gluten Free Goldfish Crackers in the soup!
How to store gluten free fish chowder:
This chowder will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or for up to 4 months in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can use low-fat milk, but your soup may not be as creamy.
This fish chowder recipe can be easily frozen. Use a freezer-safe container. I love to freeze my soup in single-serving portions using these Souper Cubes and ensure 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.
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.
More Gluten Free Soup Recipes:
- Unstuffed Pepper Soup – This delicious soup is a readers’ favorite.
- Gluten Free Corn Chowder – Thick and creamy with a hint of spice from green chiles.
- Creamy Chicken Potato Bacon Soup – This is similar to a potato chowder recipe I loved.
- Chili Mac Soup – This gluten free soup is a family favorite.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
New England Style Fish Chowder
Ingredients
- 6 cups whole milk
- 3 raw cod filets
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cups diced potatoes
- 5 slices cooked and chopped bacon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground 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
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Instructions
- In a skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 cup diced onion. Sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent.
- Add 2 cups diced potatoes and 5 slices cooked and chopped bacon.
- Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground paprika, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, and 1 tablespoon fresh sage Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Next, add 6 cups whole milk and 3 raw 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.
- Make a slurry out of the cornstarch. Add a little of the hot liquid in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch and whisk. Pour the mixture into the soup and stir to mix it all in. This will help thicken the soup without leaving lumps.
- Turn temperature to simmer and allow to cook another 20 minutes until done.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to add clams, shrimp, or any seafood you like to this recipe.
- You can use low-fat milk, but the soup may not be as creamy.
- If you can’t use cornstarch, I recommend using potato starch.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep fresh for up to 4 days.
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, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
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.
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.
I am so glad you loved the recipe, Pete. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know. I love you used striped bass. I haven’t had that fish in ages.
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?
Hi Janet, I haven’t tried pike, but I am sure it would be fine.
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!
I am so glad you liked the recipe Lea! I would love it if you have time to star rate the recipe. Thank you so much.
In the recipe, it says “5 slices cooked, chopped”. What is it?
Hi Dawn, you would chop up 5 slices of cooked bacon. I hope that clarifies.