Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder

Updated January 2026 with expanded notes and clearer instructions.

This Nova Scotia seafood chowder recipe is rich, creamy, and loaded with seafood. With smoky bacon, fresh dill, and 35% cream, it has a deeply balanced, savoury flavour that tastes even better the second day.

My parents have said that this is not a traditional Nova Scotia seafood chowder recipe because I use 35% cream instead of canned evaporated milk, and because I like to add bacon and fresh dill. To that I say, “Yes, but it’s delicious, and everyone who makes it or tries it loves it. So there.” Ha!

Once you prep the ingredients, the chowder is actually really quick to come together, about 35 minutes, and all in one pot. You don’t have to stick to the seafood listed in the recipe card. You can use any seafood you like or have on hand, fresh or frozen, but I don’t recommend adding salmon, because its flavour can overpower the other fish. Once you make this Maritime classic, I think it will be hard for you to go back to any other version.

Ingredients for Seafood Chowder

Ingredient Notes

• Bacon: Use good-quality bacon with more visible meat than fat, as it forms the flavour base for the chowder. I love the double-smoked bacon from 2 Boy’s in Cole Harbour (not-sponsored).
• Black Pepper (Ground): Freshly ground is nice, but pre-ground is fine if that’s what you have.
• Carrots: Choose firm carrots with bright colour and no soft spots. I only peel carrots if they’re hairy.
• Chives: Fresh chives are best here.
• Cream (35%): Use full-fat 35% whipping cream for richness, flavour, and to reduce the risk of curdling.
• Dill (Fresh): Look for bright green fronds with no wilting or yellowing.
• Haddock: You want raw, uncooked haddock, fresh, or thawed from frozen.
• Lobster: Use cooked lobster meat, either freshly cracked or thawed from frozen.
• Potatoes: I like yellow potatoes because they hold their shape when simmered. Red potatoes also look nice.
• Salt: I use table salt for all of my recipes.
• Scallops: Choose scallops that are plump and firm with a pale peachy colour and a clean, mild scent. Avoid any that look dull, mushy, or smell strongly fishy.
• Shrimp: Use raw shrimp, either fresh or thawed from frozen. Make sure to peel and devein them before chopping.
• Water: I use plain tap water to keep the seafood flavour clean and balanced.

It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavour may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Bacon: Substitute with an equal amount of diced salt pork or pancetta.
• Black Pepper (Ground): Replace with an equal amount of white pepper.
• Chives: Use an equal amount of finely sliced leeks or green onions.
• Cream (35%): Substitute with an equal amount of canned evaporated milk.
• Dill (Fresh): Use an equal amount of fresh parsley or add dried dill by the teaspoon until you like the taste.
• Haddock: Replace with any flaky white fish you like.
• Lobster: Substitute with an equal amount of cooked crab or raw shrimp.
• Potatoes: You can use any potatoes you like, just be sure not to boil them hard, or they might disintegrate into the water.
• Salt: Replace with an equal amount of fine sea salt. You can also use Kosher or flaky sea salt, but add to taste.
• Scallops: There isn’t really a substitute for scallops, but you can replace them with 3 to 5 steamed mussels per serving, added on top just before serving.
• Shrimp: Replace with lobster or haddock.
• Water: Substitute with an equal amount of regular or low-sodium chicken broth or try making lobster stock before you begin.

Recipe Variations

Try any of the following for a twist on this seafood chowder recipe:

• Bay Leaf: 1 leaf, added with the water or stock and removed before adding the cream.
• Cayenne Pepper: ¼ teaspoon or more, added at the end to taste
• Celery: ½ cup, finely diced, added with the carrots during the sauté stage.
• Clams (Canned): 1 cup with juices, added at the same time as the other seafood.
• Corn (Canned, Fresh, or Frozen): 1 cup, added during the final 5 minutes of simmering.
• Lemon Zest: Zest of ½ lemon, finely grated, stirred in at the very end.
• MSG: Stir in ½ teaspoon and up to 2 teaspoons of MSG at the end, tasting as you go. I use MSG often in my cooking because it enhances savoury flavour in a way salt alone cannot.
• Old Bay Seasoning: ½ teaspoon at a time to taste, stirred in with the salt and pepper.
• Thyme (Fresh): 1 teaspoon, leaves only, added with the liquid.
• White Wine (Dry): ¼ cup, added after cooking the bacon and before the liquid.
• Worcestershire Sauce: 1 teaspoon, added just before the seafood.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

How To Make Seafood Chowder

STEP 1: Dry the scallops between sheets of paper towel. Cook the bacon in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until almost crisp.

STEP 2: Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pot. Cook the dried scallops in the hot bacon grease until golden on both sides. Remove the scallops from the pot and set aside.

STEP 3: Add the water, potatoes, carrots, and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender.

STEP 4: Pour the cream into the pot. Bring the chowder back to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

STEP 5: Add the raw haddock, raw shrimp, and cooked lobster to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the seafood is just cooked through.

STEP 6: Stir in the cooked bacon, chopped chives, fresh dill, and pepper. Serve hot, topped with the pan-seared scallops and a sprinkle of fresh dill.