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.
“I just made the chowder, my first attempt with any seafood chowder recipe. My fella is from Newfoundland and quite picky when it comes to chowder. His review “Restaurant Worthy”! No need to try any other recipes. I did swap the water for no-sodium chicken broth.” — Kim
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.
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A Note From Kelly
This was my father-in-law’s favourite dish, and I cooked it for him often, sometimes with only shrimp or just haddock, depending on what we could get in Inverness, Cape Breton during the winter. He passed away in February 2025, but I made this chowder so many times for him over the years that the recipe has become second nature to me.
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.
How To Make Lobster Stock for Seafood Chowder
If you have cooked lobster shells on hand, making lobster stock is an optional step that can be used in place of the 4 cups of water in this recipe.
- Remove all of the meat from one cooked lobster and set it aside for another use.
- Arrange the empty shells and body on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast at 450ºF (230ºC) for about 15 minutes, or until the shells are lightly toasted and fragrant.
- Transfer the roasted shells to a medium-large pot and add 5 cups of water (I added an extra cup of water here to account for evaporation). Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.
- Strain out the shells, and reserve 4 cups of the liquid to use as your chowder base instead of water. Proceed with the recipe as written.
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.
Kelly’s Top Tips
- I often buy seafood when it’s on sale and freeze it.
- If you have the shell of a cooked lobster and a bit of time, try making lobster stock. Use it in place of the water for an easy upgrade.
- Let the scallops sit undisturbed in the bacon fat until they release easily, which is usually the sign they are ready to flip.
Recipe Notes
- For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements.
- To switch to gram measurements, click “Metric grams” in the ingredients section of the recipe card.
- If using frozen seafood, thaw it completely in the fridge and pat it dry before cooking to avoid excess water in the pot.
- Cook only as many scallops as you plan to serve, since they are best enjoyed fresh from the pan. I prefer the look and taste of pan-seared scallops, but you can add them directly to the pot when you add the other seafood if you want.
- After adding the seafood, stir gently, especially since white fish like haddock tends to flake apart easily.
- Seafood chowder tastes better on the second day. I’d even argue it tastes best on the third day.
Storage
- Store leftover seafood chowder in a plastic or glass container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat gently in a small pot over medium-low heat or in the microwave at half power until hot and steamy, stirring once or twice.
- I do not recommend freezing seafood chowder.
Try These Recipes With Seafood Chowder
Printable Recipe Card
Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder
Equipment
- Paper towel
- Slotted spoon optional
- Tongs
- 6 quart (6L) pot cast iron or other heavy bottomed pot
- Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
- Liquid measuring cup
- Sturdy spoon or spatula
Ingredients US cups or click for Metric grams
- 12 large sea scallops (fresh or thawed from frozen)
- 3 strips thick-cut bacon (or 6 regular strips, chopped)
- 4 cups water
- 2 large potatoes (washed and unpeeled, chopped into ½ inch (1.5 cm) pieces)
- 2 large carrots (washed and unpeeled, sliced into ¼ inch (6 mm) coins)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups 35% cream (also called whipping cream)
- 1 cup cooked lobster (chopped)
- 1 cup raw haddock (fresh or thawed from frozen, cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 18 large raw shrimp (fresh or thawed from frozen, peeled, deveined, chopped)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives (chopped )
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill (finely chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (freshly cracked)
Instructions
- Dry the scallops well by sandwiching them gently between sheets of paper towel, then set aside. The drier the surface of the scallops, the more golden the sear should be.
- Cook the bacon in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until almost crisp, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a plate lined with paper towel and set aside.
- Keep the bacon grease hot over medium-high heat. Use tongs to gently place the scallops in the hot fat, and cook until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the scallops from the pot and set aside.
- Add the water, potatoes, carrots, and salt to the pot, then use a wooden spoon to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover with the lid, and gently simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Pour the cream into the pot, bring the chowder back to a simmer, and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
- Gently stir the cooked lobster, raw haddock, and raw shrimp into the pot. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until the seafood is just cooked through.
- Add the cooked bacon, chives, dill, and pepper, then adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. Ladle the chowder into bowls, making sure each serving gets a fair share of seafood, then top with pan-seared scallops and a sprinkle of fresh chopped dill. Serve hot with fresh rolls or biscuits.
Notes
- For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements.
- To switch to gram measurements, click “Metric grams” in the ingredients section of the recipe card.
- If using frozen seafood, thaw it completely in the fridge and pat it dry before cooking to avoid excess water in the pot.
- Cook only as many scallops as you plan to serve, since they are best enjoyed fresh from the pan. I prefer the look and taste of pan-seared scallops, but you can add them directly to the pot when you add the other seafood if you want.
- After adding the seafood, stir gently, especially since white fish like haddock tends to flake apart easily.
- Seafood chowder tastes better on the second day. I’d even argue it tastes best on the third day.
Storage
- Store leftover seafood chowder in a plastic or glass container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat gently in a small pot over medium-low heat or in the microwave at half power until hot and steamy, stirring once or twice.
- I do not recommend freezing seafood chowder.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
More Nova Scotia Recipes
Kelly Neil is a recipe developer, food photographer, and lifelong Nova Scotian building a sense of home and identity through recipes. She lives in her hometown of Dartmouth with her partner, Chris, their daughter, Elodie, and their little dog, Skipper.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission if you buy something through one of them at no extra cost to you. I only share products I use myself and genuinely recommend.
This recipe looks fabulous, but I have no idea how much of anything to put in the chowder. It looks like you put it out here for seasoned cooks.
Meredith, come in from left field. The recipe has it all spelled out like it should. Let’s look at the seafood, for example. It calls for a cup each of lobster meat, scallops, shrimp and haddock. All the measurements are there for the other ingredients. Just scroll back up, honey. Hope you enjoy the chowder!
This chowder is a taste explosion!! Absolutely delicious!!!
This sounds delicious.
I plan to leave out the bacon but add two or three handfuls of samphire which is easily available here in uk. Perhaps it’s available in Canada as well. Natural salt and a lovely bright green, takes 2 or 3 mins to cook and will add a load of colour to the dish.
Hi Anne.
Marsh Samphire, Sea Beans or hear in BC Sea Asparagus is common in the mid to northern hemisphere the world over. Anywhere an abundance of fresh water meets and mingles with the sea. That could be a marsh or where a river ends into the ocean. I have noticed it grows close to shore in gravel or dirt but always on the water side thats saltier. The closer you get to fresh water inlet, the less likely you are to find it. So its in a sweet spot… briny rather than straight seawater but always on the sea faring edge of banks and shores.
Its fairly abundant along many coastal walking trails near fresh water run off or blending.
But beware picking those under constant pressure of Dog Pee opportunities😁 you’ll know, if your dog is sniffing a patch like he hit the doggy grapvine jackpot… its probably a well established pee/phone booth for them. So just walk off the beaten path a little to aquire this lovely gem of a briny snap bean flavour and texture. Wash well and enjoy in soups, casserols, stirfries and salads. Yum!!!
Loved it turned out amazing! Question though, is there a way to make this using my crockpot?
Oh yay! I’m so glad you loved it Caitlin! I’m sure you *could* make this in your crockpot, but you’d have to cook the bacon and scallops in a separate pan. I’m also not sure if the cream would curdle in the slow cooker if it was left on for hours.🧐 Sorry I’m not more help than that!
If you add 1 package of cream cheese softened to the crock pot or add the heavy cream and cream cheese together on a medium heat in a skillet stir and melt the cream cheese to blend before adding to the crock pot the cream won’t separate aka curdle. You may have to add more seasoning as cream cheese requires more. But I do this trick all the time for alfredo sauce and heavy cream sauces for all soups etc. If the recipe called for 1 cup heavy cream I use 1/2 to 1 package of cream cheese if it calls for two cups heavy cream I use 1 full package. It makes the soups super creamy and so good.
This is a delicious sounding tip and I am definitely trying it! Thank you for sharing!
Simply amazing!! I’ve made this chowder 3 times now and will continue to. I’ve never left a review on a recipe before but this one definitely deserves one. This chowder is so rich and full of flavor. At first I was a little apprehensive about using the dill weed. I’ve never cooked with it before and wasn’t sure how it would taste. I tell you what, it puts this recipe over the top. It brings all the flavors together and compliments it so well. I did make a minor modification based on what was available to me. First I used seafood stock instead of water. For the seafood I used fresh scallops, halibut , crab (couldn’t find lobster), shrimp, and clams. Up here in the PNW, this chowder is perfect those cold and rainy days. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!!
Great tips for PNW Chowder additions. I will try this suggestion next time. Thanks for the original recipe and the advice on other versions of the original recipe
Can’t wait to try this. As a “Bluenoser” far from home, this will be good for the soul.
I hope you love it Mark! It’s definitely a family favourite for us. xo!
Wow! Good for the soul indeed! Used cod as the fish and also added clams into the mix. Bumped seafood and bacon quantities up by 50% and went with 18% cream and shrimp/lobster stock instead. The Old Bay and dill addition is a must. What great flavour. Best chowder I have ever made and super hearty. Will stick to the recommended seafood amounts next time though to keep costs in check, was a terrific treat! Better than Mom’s or Grandma’s, but you didn’t hear that from me, haha.
Thank you Kelly for another superb recipe.
Mark Kelly
I made it ,but tweeked it instead of water ,I used turkey broth that I made after Christmas turkey eating.
Added mushrooms, corn,and onions instead of carrots
Holy yummy
Thank you for this recipe
Could you substitute half & half for the whipping cream?
Hi Jen, yes you sure can! You can also use whole milk. Just be sure to simmer and not boil so it doesn’t curdle!
Thank you!
Do you pre-cook the shrimp, or dump it in raw? If I use canned frozen lobster, should I add the liquid?
Hi Marie! You can do wither with the shrimp as they cook very quickly if raw. I can’t see why adding the liquid from the canned lobster wouldn’t be good as it would add extra lobster flavor! You may just have to add a bit of extra seasoning to account for the extra liquid but just do that to taste to suit your preference.🥰
This was delicious, and as a Maritimer, I’m quite particular about my chowder! Old Bay is perfect seasoning, as well as the dill. I added some scallions to give it a bit of flavour as well. I do find its thin, was wondering how to thicken it without ruining the taste. Cornstarch maybe?
I’m sorry, I’m very disappointed with this chowder. Too much water that ruins the taste of the wonderful seafoods I had put in there.
Thank you for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback Luc. I’m sorry to hear that the chowder did not meet your expectations. This recipe has been a favorite for many, but I understand that tastes can vary. Your input is valuable, and I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. Thank you, Kelly.
Made this a few months ago and I love it! I substituted a lot of the ingredients since I didn’t have some on hand and added a ton of veggies to it. I froze my batch in multiple mason jars (my husband doesn’t eat anything that contains milk, cheese or cream) and so I was left with a lot. I just unscrew the top, half unfreeze it in the microwave and heat the rest on the stove top. Since I’m not a big fan of it being liquid I do add a bit of cornstarch to thicken (makes kind of a stew). It’s still the best recipe I’ve tried so far!
Oh my Lordy! I am from the Maritimes (New Brunswick) and was looking for a good old fashioned type of chowder (one of our towns restaurant here boasts the world best famous chowder) as I’m sure many places do 😉 However, this was hands down the best chowder we have ever eaten! I believe your option if the lobster stock substitute for water really made the difference! Also, I added a good amount of butter and more seafood, it is an easy recipe to play around with. I didn’t have dill so substituted for parsley, next time I will try the dill to see the difference, but it turned out amazing as it was!
Hubby said it’s the best chowder he has ever had, gave some to our neighbours and they said better than their mother’s recipe, taking some to my brother’s family to try tomorrow. Will absolutely make this again! Thank you for this incredible recipe, as a lot of chowders can be bland.
Tried this recipe and it was delicious!! I did add some Old Bay seasoning and left out the dill as I didn’t have any, but will try it next time. Thank you, I am sure I will be coming back to this recipe lots!
Out here in Van BC, happy to see more CANADIAN recipes!
YumYum
Looking forward to trying this chowder. I learned to make a similar chowder back in the 90’s when I lived in Nova Scotia, my husband is from there. I like the fact you add dill, I think that’ll bring all the flavours together. My daughter and I make this annually. I will leave another comment after we make it.
Making this tomorrow! I’ve got everything out to thaw and I’ve boiled the lobster shell to make some delicious broth. I think I’ll add a small can of clams too with the juice and add that to the “broth” measurement. Can’t wait!
Could you use one or two bottles of clam juice as a substitute some of the water? I don’t have lobster, will use scallops and prawns instead.
Yes, 100%!
Made this recipe with cod, shrimp, lobster and added the baby clams and old bay seasoning. Followed the recipe pretty closely and it was perfect! Seasonings were amazing and everyone enjoyed served with a Chardonnay and biscuits! So so good!
Hello from sunny NB! Wondering if I could omit the fish and use only the seafood?
Hi Kim! Yes, absolutely, you can totally skip the fish and just use seafood. In the winter when I visit my in-laws in Cape Breton, options are limited, so I often make it with just thawed shrimp and it’s still delicious. Hope you enjoy!
WOW! I am making this for guests. Token your advice and let it “mingle” over night…had a taste this morning…best I’ve had… the bacon and dill…”chef’s kiss”