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This Alaskan Salmon Chowder is easy. It's cooked with fresh Salmon & lots of nutrient rich vegetables like celery, leek, onion, carrots & potatoes in a cream based sauce, tastes so good with crusty sour dough bread. Make this Instant Pot Salmon Chowder & get dinner ready under 30 mins. Stove top option also included.
Healthy Salmon Chowder Recipe Video
Salmon Chowder Recipe
We are a Chowder loving family be it a thick creamy Boston style Chowder or a comparatively lighter New England style Chowder, we love them all equally.
But my most favorite chowder is this Alaska Salmon Chowder right after Clam Chowder, wait I love Manhattan Salmon Chowder too which is tomato based & looks red instead of creamy white 😀
Such a comforting bowl of creamy soup that instantly warms up the soul.
If you are a seafood lover & especially have a little more love towards fish soup than do not miss today's super easy Alaskan Salmon Chowder cooked with fresh wild caught Salmon.
I promise anyone can make it & with an Instant Pot it's way easier & get's ready much faster.
You may add the raw fish directly to the soup or just brown it a bit with butter on a skillet or even use canned Salmon.
I used fresh wild caught Salmon & lightly skillet roasted it before adding it to the Chowder.
It's totally a personal preference. I feel that flash roasting the fish that's dusted in a bit of flour & crushed pepper locks the juices of the fish & keeps it tender & juicy.
You don't have to do that if you are in a hurry, your Salmon Chowder recipe will still be an instant hit.
Let's learn all the How tos, tips & tricks about this easy Salmon Chowder recipe made in an Instant Pot. Stove method is also included.
What is Chowder anyway?
Chowder in North American Cuisine is a Chunky soup that customarily contains onion, potatoes & seafood that is cooked in a white sauce made with milk or cream.
It's often made with seafood like clams, lobsters, shrimps, crabs & fishes or made with vegetables like Potato Chowder or Corn Chowder.
Variations are often found like Manhattan Chowder that contains no milk or cream but is made in a tomato based thin sauce.
Chowder variations also may include fried bacon bites & corn. Garnishes include fresh chives, dill or even parsley.
Chowder may be roux based or not contain any thickeners at all. It may be thick, creamy & heavy or slightly thin & soupy like today's recipe.
According to Food Network - This creamy soup or Chowder took it's name from a French cooking vessel known as Chaudiere.
It's believed that in the olden days this soup was made by the fishermen in this type of vessel.
What is Salmon Chowder?
Salmon Chowder is a hearty chunky & a very comforting soup that's cooked with nutrient rich veggies like onion, leek, potatoes & carrots in a milk or cream based white sauce with lots of juicy fresh or canned Salmon pieces.
It may or may not contain thickeners like roux. Today's Alaskan Salmon Chowder recipe is cooked in New England Style. It's not dense or thick but slightly on the thinner side as Rhode Islanders prefer.
Note: Salmon Chowder or any Chowder recipe does not have to have leek, but onions are mandatory. Leek is my personal preference. You may skip using it & replace the same amount with chopped white or yellow onion.
Salmon Chowder Recipe Ingredients
- Wild Caught Salmon with skin removed : Cut them into 1" chunks.
- Potato : You can use Russet, Yukon or Red potato. I used Russet. Use peeled & diced into large 1" chunks.
- Carrot: Cut into thin circles.
- Celery: Cut into half moons.
- Leek: Chopped finely.
- Onion: Use either yellow or white onion and chop it finely.
- Garlic: Minced or chopped finely.
- Chicken Stock: I use low sodium. You may sub it with seafood stock.
- Heavy Cream: You may use whole milk or half and half for a light & low calorie Chowder.
- Butter: I used unsalted.
- All Purpose flour.
- Herbs: Fresh Chives chopped and sprigs of fresh Thyme, Bay Leaf.
- Black Pepper: Crushed.
8 Tips to make the Best Alaskan Salmon Chowder
- Economical Tip: Swap fresh Wild Caught Salmon with canned Salmon. You may use wild caught canned Salmon. The whole recipe remains the same except that you need to skip skillet roasting the canned Salmon. Drain the water & add the Salmon from the can, you may slightly break it into chunks with the help of a fork.
- For Best taste: Use wild caught fresh Salmon. You may add them directly to the Chowder skin removed & just cook through. Or you may flash roast them on a skillet first until lightly golden. Choice is yours 🙂
- For a creamier Chowder add heavy whipping cream: And for lighter version you may swap it with equal amount of half & half or even whole milk.
- For Thick Salmon Chowder: Add a light roux or follow the steps mentioned below in the "How to thicken Salmon Chowder" section.
- Prefer a super light runny Chowder? Skip adding any thickeners at all & swap the cream with whole milk.
- For the BEST fish Chowder experience swap the chicken stock with seafood stock. Prepare your own or buy it from your local store.
- If you are a Bacon lover add fried bacon to this Salmon Chowder Soup. In that case fry the cubed bacon pieces in butter first. Fish them out & than add the veggies to the pot. We love bacon too, but it's little too overpowering for us in this recipe. And we want the wild caught salmon to shine through.
- We skipped adding corn. You may add frozen or fresh corn along with the cream & fish and just cook through. Add ¼ cup corn for todays recipe.
What kind of potatoes are best for Chowder?
For today's Alaskan Salmon Chowder recipe I used Russet Potatoes and they gave this chunky soup the perfect body, depth & thickness.
Here are a few more potatoes choices that we often use to make any kind of Chowder, be it veggie Chowder or Seafood Chowder.
- Yukon Gold: I love calling these all-purpose potatoes. Perfect for soup recipes and all kinds.
- Russet Potatoes: These are my favorite for cooking seafood chowder and I really don't know why 😛 Maybe because I love the taste that pairs so well with seafoods.
- Red Potatoes: Whenever I cook Boston style Chowder that's more thick & creamy I prefer using Red potatoes because they are less starchy & do not mess up with the other thickeners used.
Salmon varieties that works best for Alaskan Salmon Chowder Recipe?
We prefer using wild caught fresh Salmon always. You may use any variety you prefer.
This recipe suits perfectly for canned Salmon too.
We also love making Smoked Salmon Chowder but than that recipe is different, do not use smoked salmon to cook todays recipe.
Pro Tip: If using fresh Salmon remove the skin completely.
What goes with Salmon Chowder?
For a light meal we prefer to eat it with crackers.
And for filling meal choices we love:
- Lightly toasted Sour Dough bread.
- Garlic Bread.
- Lightly toasted Brown Bread.
Can Salmon Chowder be frozen?
I do not prefer freezing milk or cream based soup like cooked Bisques or Chowders.
Milk & cream always has a tendency to curdle up when thawed & re-heated.
Though you may try to freeze the cooked veggies in the stock before adding the cream or milk & fish.
Add the milk or cream & fish later while reheating the frozen stock veggie based soup base.
I have never tried doing it but you may try experimenting.
How to thicken Salmon Chowder?
Salmon Chowder can be thickened by following 4 simple methods:
- Prepare a light Roux: Cook all purpose flour in butter over medium heat stirring continously & until the raw smell from the flour completely disappears. You'll notice that the roux will puff of slightly. It should take you about 3-5 mins. Allow the roux to cool down slightly than add some milk or cream or water & whisk to prepare a slurry. Add this to the Chowder gently stirring continously. Here's a fantastic guide of How to make Roux by Food Network
- Mash a few cooked potatoes with the back of a ladle: This works as quick fix to thicken your Salmon Chowder.
- Blend a few cooked veggies in a blender: Fish out a few cooked potatoes along with carrots, celery, onion & leek & blend them to a paste. Mix this paste into the Chowder.
- Sprinkle all purpose flour on the sautéed veggies & Sautee for just 1 min: Than add the stock. This too will act as a very light thickener. This is exactly what I did. It certainly saves time & thickens the soup slightly without much effort at all.
What does Chowder taste like?
It depends what kind of Chowder you are making.
For instance a Boston Chowder with seafood is rich, creamy & thick. Whereas a New England style Seafood Chowder is slightly light, still very creamy & not thick.
Seafood Chowder has a prominent seafood taste that's well balanced with a creamy taste.
It tastes creamy that 's infused with mild fragrance of thyme, bay leaf & fresh chives (or the herb that you choose to use like parsley or dill).
Manhattan Chowder tastes slightly sweet & tangy and is minus the creamy taste as there's no dairy involved.
How to make Salmon Chowder?
Steps in words below picture
Time needed: 25 minutes.
How to make Salmon Chowder? Step by Step
- Prep the Salmon
Sprinkle all purpose flour, crushed black pepper & salt on the fresh Salmon pieces & toss to coat the pieces well with the rub. Skillet roast them with butter until lightly golden. Set aside.
- Sauté the veggies until limp
Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE & keep it on NORMAL. Add butter & dump the veggies like onion, leek, celery, garlic & carrots & sauté until just limp. Add salt while sautéing.
- Sprinkle flour on top of the veggies
Use all purpose flour & sprinkle uniformly on top of the sautéed veggies and sauté more for 1-2 mins.
- Add stock & water
Pour in the stock & water. Scrape the bottom of the pot for any bits & pieces. Give everything a good stir.
- Throw in the potatoes, thyme & bay leaf
Add the potatoes, thyme & bay leaf to the pot. Mix well.
- Pressure Cook
Cancel the SAUTE mode, close the lip of the IP & seal the valve. Press the PRESSURE COOK button & keep it on HIGH for 3 mins. When the cooking time is over do a quick pressure release & open the lid of the pot.
- Add Cream, Salmon & cook through
Cancel the pressure cook mode & press the SAUTE & set it on LOW. Add the cream, mix well & add the salmon pieces. Just cook through for about 2-3 mins. Check for seasoning & serve garnished with chopped chives.
Hungry for more? Don't miss these Easy Recipes from Foodies Terminal. And you can browse our whole INSTANT POT section with s simple click.
Alaskan Salmon Chowder
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Wild Caught Salmon skin removed
- 1+2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- ½ cup leek chopped finely
- ⅓ cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
- ⅓ cup carrot cut into thin circles
- ⅓ cup celery chopped into thin half moons
- 1 cup potato peeled & diced into 1" chunks (Russet, Yukon or Red potatoes)
- 1+½ tsp All-Purpose Flour
- ½+1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- Chopped Chives for garnish
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt (to taste)
Liquids
- 1.5 cups low sodium organic chicken stock
- ⅓ cup Heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup Water
Instructions
Prepping the fresh wild caught Salmon
- Remove the skin from fresh wild caught Salmon fillet with the help of a sharp kitchen knife. Wash the fillet well, pat dry with the help of a kitchen towel and dice chunly pieces about 1" long.
- Sprinkle ½ tsp all-purpose flour, crushed black pepper & a pinch of salt. Toss the fishes and than skillet roast them unitl lightly golden. Roast them over medium heat & use 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Set them aside. This step is optional, if you wish you may add raw salmon directly to the Chowder.
How to make Salmon Chowder in Instant Pot?
- Set the Instant pot on SAUTE & keep it on NORMAL. Add 2 tbsp butter & when the butter becomes moderately hot dump the onion, leek, celery & carrots and satue until them become limp & soggy. You can add salt now.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp all purpose flour evenly on top of the sauteed veggies. Saute for 1-2 mins more.
- Now pour the chicken stock + water. Give everything a good stir and scrap any crumbs or bits stuck at the bottom of the pot.
- Add the diced potatoes, thyme & bay leaf. Mix well.
- CANCEL the SAUTE. Cover the Pot & SEAL the valve. Press the PRESSURE COOK button & set it on HIGH for 3 mins.
- After 3 mins when you hear the beep of the Instant Pot do a quick pressure release and open the lid.
- Add the heavy cream and the Salmon. Mi well and simmer for about 2-3 mins or until the Salmon is just cooked through. Read the notes for more options.
Notes
- Measuring Units used, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.
- Instant Pot used = 3 quart Luxe
- You can add corn if you want. In that case add about ⅓ cup frozen or fresh corns while adding the cream. Adding corn will slightly make the Chowder dense.
- Add more cream if you want to and adjust the other liquids accordingly. We love the chowder with little cream and we love it light not thick or dense.
- You cut short on the butter quantity. We love a little more butter.
- Today's recipe is not a thick & heavy Boston Style Chowder but a New England style light Chowder that's creamy. If you want to make it Boston Style, prepare a light roux and add it to the Chowder. Read the post for more details.
- If you prefer a light Chowder you may replace the cream in today's recipe with whole milk.
- If you do not have leek handy sub it with equal parts white or yellow onion.
- You may add raw Salmon chunks directly to the Chowder and simmer the soup to just cook through the fish.
- Flash roasting the fresh Salmon Chunks locks the juices in the fish & makes it tender.
- You may use Canned Salmon for todays Salmon Chowder Recipe. In that case drain the water from the can and break the canned salmon into chunks with the help of a fork. For better taste use wild caught canned Salmon.
- If you prefer crispy fried bacon you may add it as garnish. In that case slice the bacon into small squares and fry them first in butter & add them as a garnish.
Nutrition
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Sam says
Had some leftover roasted salmon so made this soup, it was delicious! I will make this often moving forward since it was easy and one of the best quick meals Ive made in a long time.
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Sam so glad you enjoyed this recipe so much 🙂 Thanks a lot for the wonderful feedback, totally appreciate it. - Meghna,
Virginia says
I love this recipe for salmon chowder. I cooked it on the stove top. It improved in flavor the next day! I used probably two cups of salmon because I love salmon!
My family doesn't like any kind of fish! How sad!!!
Foodies Terminal says
So glad you loved this recipe Virginia 🙂 Thanks so much for the amazing feedback, appreciate it. - Meghna.
Kerri says
Thank you for the recipe. I followed it almost exactly using the instant pot. The exception was that I baked the salmon on a sheet at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes to partially cooked to more easily remove the skin. The chowder turned out great. This is going to be my go to salmon chowder recipe.
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Kerri so glad you enjoyed the recipe so much 🙂 Thanks a lot for sharing your wonderful feedback with us 🙂 Appreciate it - Meghna.
Michele Maddox says
How do you simmer in an Instapot?
Foodies Terminal says
Use the sauté function set on high or normal heat to simmer in the instant pot. Let me know if you have any questions regarding this recipe. Thank you. - Meghna.
Jaime says
So I'm wondering how I could make this as low-carb as possible? Replace the potatoes with....something, and probably the flour isn't enough carbs to be of much consequence.
Also wondering, could one use frozen salmon for this? It's ever so much more affordable these days.
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Jamie..... to make this chowder recipe low carb replace the white potatoes with cauliflower florets. You can even replace the flour with corn starch. In that case add the corn starch mixed with equal amounts of water and add that cornstarch slurry at the end. Simmer for a few mins stirring frequently to thicken the soup a bit. Yes, you can definitely use frozen salmon. Thaw the salmon and follow the recipe steps. Let me know if you have any other questions regarding the recipe 🙂 Hope you enjoy this salmon chowder recipe 🙂 Thank you! - Meghna xoxo
Kristin says
This was amazingly delicious. I made it on the stove top without a hitch. I used half and half instead of heavy cream and thought it was plenty rich enough. It's definitely a keeper!
Foodies Terminal says
So glad you loved the chowder Kristin 🙂 Thanks much for the amazing feedback, appreciate it 🙂 - Meghna xoxo.
Jan says
PLEASE GIVE STOVE TOP METHODS AS WELL !!! I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE THIS !
Foodies Terminal says
I'll update the recipe soon and share the stove-top method 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts, much appreciated 🙂 - Meghna xoxo
Donna says
I just finished your Salmon Chowder recipe, in my Instant Pot. Your recipe was very easy to follow! After reading all of the reviews…I decided to make a triple batch! Came out perfect! I decided to “thicken” the chowder, by adding “a little” Instant Mashed Potatoes-and it worked perfectly! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Foodies Terminal says
So glad you loved the recipe Donna 🙂 Thanks much for the wonderful feedback, appreciate it 🙂 Hope you'll try our other recipes from the blog and enjoy each one of them 🙂 - Meghna xoxo.
Wanda says
I loved it! But, next time I make it I’m going to double the recipe so there are leftovers.
Foodies Terminal says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Wanda 🙂 The recipe can be doubled without any issues, I would not change the cook time 🙂 - Meghna xoxo
Marc says
Why do you all feel the need to post a novel before each recipe? Just show me what's in it. Ridiculous.
Foodies Terminal says
Please Use the "Jump to Recipe" button Marc, you'll cruise past the novel and land directly on the recipe. Hope you enjoy the flavors 🙂 - Meghna.
Liam says
This is the best ever Salmon Chowder recipe I've ever tried from the internet. Spot on flavors, very helpful and clear instructions and the cook time is absolutely perfect. I am a salmon snob and this recipe stole my heart away...lol! Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
Foodies Terminal says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe so much Liam 🙂 Thanks a lot for such an amazing feedback, appreciate it 🙂 - Meghna xoxo
Allen Peterson says
It would be nice if the recipe was NOT made for an instapot, as there are a few of us who do not have such a modern luxury as an instapot and prefer to cook the old fashioned way, such as with a Dutch oven or stew pot. It really sounds good. Too bad.
Tammy says
I’m sure you could easily convert this to a stove top recipe.... cooking it under pressure just speeds up the cook, really. You could simmer the veggies and broth on the stove for a longer cooking time. Many people theses days do have instant pots. However, a simple google search could probably find you a similar recipe written for another method of cooking.
Nola says
I make almost the same recipe and have for years but always on the stove top. Cook veges first then slowly and the remaining ingredients and simmer until ready takes less than 30 minutes but can easily go for an hour if needed.
Jen says
Wow, this was a big hit with my family! My 8 year old asked for thirds and my 10 year old (my little food critic) said it was the best chowder he’d ever had. Thanks for the great recipe! ❤️
Foodies Terminal says
So glad that you and your sons enjoyed the chowder so much 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your amazing feedback with us Jen! Hope you give our other recipes a try as well. Take care Jen! - Meghna.
Eve says
This was lovely! thank you for the recipe! I have to admit, I didn't measure carefully, used two small salmon fillets and half and half, and likely made a larger portion overall, but the taste was wonderful.
While I have often made fish chowder on the stovetop, I have never done so in an Instant Pot, so this was a first for me. The only issue I found (with this recipe) was that the potatoes became very mushy (I used Yukon Gold). But the overall flavor was so good that I didn't mind.
Foodies Terminal says
We are so glad that you enjoyed the recipe so much Eve 🙂 Thanks a lot for such a lovely feedback and for giving our recipe a try. I would recommend that next time you make the chowder dice the potatoes into 2 inch or 2.5 inch chunks. Take care Eve. - Meghna.
Jo says
Yum!! We had to go back for seconds!
Foodies Terminal says
So glad to know that you loved the chowder Jo 🙂 Thank you for giving the recipe a try and we hope that you'll try our other recipes as well and enjoy them 🙂 Take care Jo. - Meghna.
Russ says
Delicious. Will do again for sure. August is not very good timing for something like this, but my wife loves salmon, so there we go. I doubled the ingredients and still almost ran out because the kids loved it too. Served with some French bread for dipping, wife was super happy.
Foodies Terminal says
I am so glad Russ that your whole family loved it so much Russ 🙂 Nothing beats those recipes that the whole family loves and appreciates. Thank you so much for giving it a try and sharing your wonderful feedback with all of us here. Hope you give our other recipes a try too and take care Russ. - Meghna.
Jean says
This looks delicious! Can you suggest a substitute for the flour? I have very recently stopped eating foods with gluten. Thanks.
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Jean apologies for getting back to you this late! We would recommend a cornstarch slurry as a thickener, i.e. 1:1 cornstarch:water ration to form a slurry. Add this to the soup to make it gluten free and help it thicken up. Hope you like the recipe Jean and take care 🙂 - Meghna.
Stacy says
This was a very delicious chowder and really great with toasted bread. Followed the directions, which were very simple and easy to follow, without modification and it definitely needed more salt. Added a splash of soy sauce and it was perfect.
Foodies Terminal says
Hello Stacy, thank you so much for your wonderful feedback 🙂 So glad that you loved the recipe and gave it a try. The taste for salt is totally subjective, so I always make it a point to mention in my every recipes - "salt according to taste" or "Salt to taste" and I always avoid mentioning an exact amount of salt, it's always ideal to adjust the amount according to ones own preference 🙂 Hope you try my other recipes and keep coming back. Take care Stacy. - Meghna.
Melissa says
I am looking forward to making this but I want to add shrimp as well… it that an option? How would I adjust my cooking time if I added shrimp?
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Melissa if you plan to add already cooked shrimp (the pink ones that you get in store) add the shrimp at the end, simmer for 1 min and serve. If you plan to add raw shrimp (thawed) you can either sauté them first until they turn pink and than add them back at the end or else you can skip the sautéing part and add the raw thawed shrimp directly into the chowder at the end, simmer for 2-3 mins and than serve. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂 - Meghna xoxo
Karen says
This was THE BEST chowder ... love it!
Foodies Terminal says
That's so awesome Karen 🙂 I am so happy that you loved it so much. Keep visiting us and happy cooking 🙂 - Meghna.
Jen says
I never follow a recipe exactly, but I must give credit where credit is due, and I used this recipe as a guideline for getting my chowder started and it came out so good, my family called it “restaurant good.”
Since I was new to the IP thing I was nervous making this as my first soup, but someone had just gifted us some salmon they caught themselves and I wanted to do it justice. There is still some salmon left and since it was such a big hit I am going to make chowder again today!
Many thanks for sharing your recipe!
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Jen I am so so glad that you tried the recipe and loved it so much. There's no joy more than when family loves the food and appreciates it so much and now the wild caught Salmon that you received as a gift is making me drool...Lol! Thank you so very much for sharing your feedback and joy with us, it made my effort so worth. Keep coming back Jen for more deliciousness 🙂 - Meghna.
Sharon Jensen says
Can this be made without instant pot?
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Sharon the Salmon Chowder can be easily made in any deep bottomed open pot on the stove top like a dutch pot or a stock pot. You can even make it in a saucepan for a single serving. This is what I do when I decide to cook it on the stove top. I do all the sautéing and stirring over medium heat. Than, I cover and cook the potatoes and the rest of the veggies over medium low heat until the potatoes are just done. There after I add the cream, and the shallow skillet fried salmon pieces and simmer it for just a few mins say 2-3 mins. Voila it's ready in an open pot on the stove top. The recipe remains exactly the same you just need to swap the Instant Pot with a deep bottomed pot or saucepan of your choice. There is no change in taste or texture. Do let me know if you have any more questions regarding the recipe. Thanks much for stopping by Sharon and have a wonderful weekend. - Meghna.