Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder is a hearty cross between chowder and gumbo with New England flavors. Shellfish and seafood make for an unforgettable meal.
Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder
Is Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder a soup, stew, gumbo or chowder? Well, it is kind of a combination of all the above.I could eat them all year long, with a nice crusty Country Sourdough Bread. The Instant Pot, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker allows an all day tasting Chowder in just a few minutes.
In the Winter months when it is cool outside, I love to pare this seafood corn chowder with my super delicious Dutch Oven Crusty Bread. Soup and homemade bread and I am good to go!
Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, you are saying. Look at all those ingredients. Take a look at the recipe down below and I bet you have every single spice in your spice pantry.
Vegetables for Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder
- Whatever fresh vegetables you like is totally fine to use.
- Frozen vegetables work well too!
If you like the flavor of Old Bay, you will love this recipe, but, if you use my Homemade Old Bay Seasoning Recipe, you will like it even more.
Pro Tip: Mix up a batch of my homemade seasoning mix and then just use 2 Tablespoons in your chowder. This way you don’t have to measure out all those spices each time.
Sauté the Onions and Garlic
The potatoes give this Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder a natural thickness, so that at the end, you don’t need to worry about adding a thickener.
Have all your vegetables prepped prior to starting as this recipe goes fast.
Pro Tip: As potatoes will turn brownish green if left out, cut them into cubes and place them in a mixing bowl of water. This will keep the potatoes from discoloring.
To make your Instant Pot, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker non stick, be sure to fully heat the pot before adding in the oil (or fat). Your pot will essentially become non stick.
Allow Onions to Caramelize
See all those brown bits? After sautéing the onions, you will need to deglaze the pot and you will notice how easily they release from the bottom. Those stuck on brown bits, called fond are so delicious and add tons of flavor to the seafood chowder.
Another fantastic soup recipe, which eats like a meal is my Instant Pot Low Carb New Orleans Jambalaya. Loaded with andouille, shrimp and chicken, this authentic Cajun recipe will become a favorite addition to your dinner rotation.
Add Broth and Deglaze Pot
Whether you use fresh or frozen Homemade Bone Broth, Bouillon or a boxed Broth/Stock, pour some into the pot and deglaze your pot to remove any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom. You want to make sure the bottom of the pot is free from debris, so use a spatula to scrape it well.
Fresh Corn on the Cob or Frozen Corn?
- Either corn on the cob or frozen corn can be used. You can even use half ears of corn on the cob, rather than scraping the kernels off the corn cob!
Add in the rest of the Liquid, Vegetables, Sherry and Lemon
Add in the rest of the broth, all the vegetables.
Crustaceans are always delicious in Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder. I like to use a different combination each time.
Types of Shellfish for Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder
- Shrimp
- Scallops
- Oysters
- Clams
- Crab
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Squid
- Lobster Chunks
Any of the above options are wonderful to eat in a seafood chowder. We always have a bag of frozen shrimp and scallops on hand. One of our favorite meals is to make Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak with Blue Cheese Butter (or filet mignon) and add a couple of grilled scallops or shrimp cocktail to the meal.
Pro Tip: If you use mussels and oysters, toss them in with the shells and all, as the shells add a nice flavor and also look pretty.
Looking very delicious
I love the taste of the Sherry added to this Chowder. Just add a splash, or more if you like. I like to squeeze in half of the lemon now and the rest after serving the Chowder.
You will notice that the potatoes have broken down quite bit, which is good. Rather than using Potato Starch at the end to thicken up the Chowder added potatoes which act as the thickening agent and also, well POTATOES. Potatoes make everything better.
I considered calling this “Gumbo,” but was set straight by members of my This Old Gal Facebook Group. 😉
Add Seafood – Shellfish and/or Fish
The fish and shellfish cook super fast and will be added after pressure cooking.
What Type of Fish for Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder?
- Heartier fish like Mahi Mahi, Orange Roughy and Cod are perfect for this recipe.
- Red Snapper is wonderful in stews as well.
- Flounder will break into pieces, so if you want to use it, just be delicate when mixing into the chowder.
Definitely do not use salmon. It would only over power the broth.
The tails of the shrimp will add some good flavor, so if you don’t mind removing them after cooking, then leave them on for the extra flavor.
Add in the Heavy Cream
In just a few minutes, everything is perfectly cooked. Here is another place where you can decide your own fate.
Adding Heavy Cream
- I am not a big creamy soup person. If you are, add more than I recommend in the recipe.
- I only used 1/2 cup in this whole pot of Chowder. To me, it was perfect. Others might like more.
I also loved it without any cream at all. Before adding the cream, taste and adjust seasonings. The base should taste a little too strong at this point. The cream will lessen and calm the heavy seasoning, so over season if you are going to add more cream than the 1/2 cup.
Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder
Here you can see a piece of cod peeking out. If you want to use all Shellfish, that is fine. That is how I like it best!
Grab some Homemade Yogurt Whey Crusty Bread and toast, or try this with my Parmesan Garlic Crostini.
More Instant Pot Seafood Recipes to Make:
- Instant Pot Dijon Shrimp Linguine + Video!
- Instant Pot Salmon with Rice Pilaf + Video!
- Instant Pot Bagels Lox and Cream Cheese Pasta + Video!
- Pressure Cooker Low Carb Manhattan Clam Chowder Soup
For another delicious soup recipe, check out my Pressure Cooker Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Culina Stackable (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Cilio Olivewood Spatula
- Alton Brown Salt Box
- Gravity Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder
- My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
- Small 1.5 Quart “Pot in Pot” Mixing Bowl
- Ball 4 oz Mason Jars
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 pound Potatoes peeled and cut into 1.5 inch chunks
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 cup Yellow/Brown Onion chopped
- 3 cloves Fresh Garlic minced
- 32 ounces Chicken Stock/Broth (divided)
- 2 cups Corn Kernels
- 2 cups Carrots chopped into 1.5 inch chunks
- 2 cups String Beans cut in half
- 8 ounces Cremini Mushrooms cut in half
- 1/2 pound Shrimp (tails on) and/or Scallops, Fish, Crab
- 1/2 pound Scallops and/or shrimp, Fish, Crab (or other shellfish)
- 1/4 cup Dry Sherry Wine (NOT cooking wine) or use Shaoxing Wine
- 1 Fresh Lemon or 1/4 teaspoon of True Lemon Crystallized
- 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Seasonings/Spices
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Ground Celery Seed
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Dry/Ground Mustard Seed
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon Ground Allspice
- 2 teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes
- 1/8 +1/16 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- 1/8 +1/16 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon Paprika
- 3/8 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt
- 1/8 teaspoon Ground White Pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes or to taste
- 2 whole Bay Leaves
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Peel and cut potatoes into 1.5 inch chunks and place cut potatoes into a bowl of cool water with a touch of lemon juice.
- Peel carrots and cut into 1.5 inch chunks.
- Select Sauté or Browning on your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker cooking pot and allow to fully heat (or use meat setting if your pot does not have a Select Sauté or Browning button).
- Toss in butter, onions and garlic.
- Sauté for 3 minutes, or until onions begin to slightly brown.
- Turn off Instant Pot.
- Add corn, carrots, mushrooms, green beans and mix through.
- Add all the individual seasonings or if using my Homemade Old Bay Seafood Seasoning, add in 2 Tablespoons instead of all the individual spices.
- And the Sherry or Shaoxing Wine.
- Mix in the rest of the broth.
- Drain water from bowl of potatoes and add potatoes to the pot.
- Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure (most machines default to high pressure) for 5 minutes.
- When Beep sounds, wait 15 minutes and then turn the pressure valve to vent and release the rest of the pressure.
- Remove lid and Select the Sauté or Browning button (or use meat setting if your pot does not have a Select Sauté or Browning button).
- Add shrimp, scallops and fish to hot broth in the Instant Pot and stir.
- Broth will simmer and shellfish and fish will be cooked within 5 minutes.
- Squeeze in 1/2 of a fresh lemon (or use 1/2 teaspoon of True Lemon Crystallized. The True Lemon tastes like freshly squeezed lemon.
- Slowly add in heavy cream (or skip) a little at a time and taste. Some people prefer no cream and others like a lot of cream.
- Taste the chowder and if needed, add in more seasonings. For those adding a lot of cream, you may need another 1/4 teaspoon of my homemade Old Bay seasoning mix.
Notes
Best Shellfish for Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder
- Shrimp (tails on)
- Scallops
- Oysters
- Clams
- Crab
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Squid
- Lobster Chunks
Nutrition
PIN this Instant Pot Seafood Corn Chowder {Shrimp Stew, Soup, Gumbo}!
Great recipe! I looked and the recipe didn’t say when to add the potatoes.
Thank you, Antonietta. So sorry and thanks for telling me. I added it in. Jill
made it with 1/2 lb shrimp and 1/2 lb scallop ate a bowl and added more seafood
next time I will try 3 lbs of seafood
Can you just use store bought old bay seasoning?
This sounds really good! I was wondering, can I use canned corn and beans? Trying to free up some space in the pantry.
Yes, not a problem. Jill
This is in the pot now! Unfortunately, the directions don’t say to add the butter. I thought it odd to saute without oil (or butter in this case) and proceeded along without it (silly me). It wasn’t until the ingredients were all in there that my husband asked when to add the butter. I do see, upon further review, that you mention when to add the butter under the picture. You may want to add that step to the recipe card.
We love all of your recipes and can’t wait for this to finish!
It was a big hit with my family, even without the butter!
Hi Jill. I used this recipe but o shelled and tailed my shrimp and boiled them with old bay and added the broth. In my opinion, you can never add to much heavy whipping cream (or half and half for the meek)!
I am glad you enjoyed this recipe. Jill
Do I need to pots to complete this? Looks like I cook the veggies and broth then cook the shrimp and add the broth.
Katherine, the recipe is done in one pot, all at the same time. Jill
Cannot wait to try this.
ALL your recipes are extremely tasty and well adapted to the instant pot.
Thank you!
do you use a total of 1 lb of shrimp, crab or 1 lb each?
Upon reading the instructions to your recipe, I noticed that you left out when to add the rest of the broth. Number 3. “Turn off heat. Add 1/2 cup of broth to pot and deglaze. Add vegetables and all seasonings.” Thankfully I read your picture instructions above and caught this. But I’d hate for someone else to miss this part and not add enough liquid.
So .5 C of stock for deglazing but what about the other 28 oz? Along with the Sherry?
If you read the picture instructions it says when to add the rest. I too noticed that it was left out of the printable recipe. But you add it right after you reglaze with the 1/2 cup.
Deglaze* apparently auto correct wants me to reglaze.. not deglaze lol
We will have this again soon! Have lots of fish and shrimp left over! Bought about 3 lbs. all together! Didn’t realize it was supposed to be 1 lb. total until I read someone asking you that question. So, something to look forward too again soon! Wanted to tell you that I actually forgot the cream, but we just loved it so now I am not sure if I even want to add it next time! Used dry sherry, was that the right thing? Thanks again for the super recipe!
I was wondering the same and have 3 lbs so I can make this 3 times…. LOL
Jill, it looks like you hit it out of the park with this recipe. I can’t wait to make this. I had all the fixings for tonight’s dinner but I may just put that aside and hit up my local grocery store for the ingredients.
Can’t wait to try this. Chowder/Gumbo = chumbo!!
Cindy, hehehehe, Chumbo! Enjoy.
Jill