Last Updated on July 6, 2025 by Sabrina Currie
This seafood chowder is the best creamy prawn chowder with leeks, corn, and bacon. Juicy prawns, sweet corn, and tender leeks simmer into a creamy soup with diced potatoes and heavy cream, and perfect served up with your favorite crusty bread. It is quick and easy to make in under an hour. Once you make it, you'll know why it's my family's favorite recipe! (Naturally gluten-free)
Why I Made This Recipe
Sweet corn and cream are the perfect compliment to juicy prawns and a little bacon adds a pop of salty contrasting texture. Growing up on the West Coast in a commercial fishing family, I got a little spoiled with great fresh seafood. We fished spot prawns but you can use king prawns or any other large shrimp for this delicious soup. In fact, you can use almost any type of seafood you want!
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If you also love prawns, try them on these delicious (and easy) prawn tostadas or yummy prawn bruschetta appetizer.
For a great side, check out the top 50 sandwiches to pair with seafood chowder and if you like this recipe, you'll probably also love my potato, leek and ham soup and this corn chowder recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
It doesn't take many ingredients to whip up this luxurious, creamy shrimp chowder and it won't take you much time either.
- Prawns - I've used West Coast spot prawns which are a delicacy in the spring but you can use whatever good shrimp, large or small, that you like. Other great options are king shrimp, side striped shrimp, bay shrimp and gulf shrimp. (If you have extra prawns, make this prawn bruschetta.)
- Potatoes - The next most important ingredient, potatoes add thickness and body. I use russet potatoes and like them well cooked. Avoid waxy potatoes unless you like a thinner consistency in your soup.
- Bacon - Smoked or not smoked is up to you. Fry it until crisp, then set aside and add back in at the end so it keeps a nice firm texture.
- Cream - Just a little whipping cream or heavy cream gives this soup it's luxurious mouthfeel and adds subtle sweetness.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions + Variations
- Lobster or other Seafood - Lobster is the closest substitute for prawns and sooo yummy, this recipe makes a great lobster chowder if you live on the East Coast. Clams (of course), mussels, salmon or cod are also tasty choices to add to this seafood chowder.
- Creamy Prawn Pasta - With just a few small changes, this soup makes a delicious creamy sauce for pasta. Reduce the broth to just a ½ cup and boil 1 pound of pasta. Once the pasta is al dente, drain it and toss it with the creamy prawn sauce and serve, topped with grated parmesan cheese, a little chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
- Chicken Chowder - To make this bacon, chicken and corn chowder, just swap out the prawns for chopped cooked chicken.
- Bacon - If you like smoky flavors, buy smoked bacon. If not, choose cured bacon that has not been smoked. Or make it without bacon by increasing the amount of olive oil to 3 tbsp.
How To Make Easy Seafood Broth
I learned my favorite (and easiest) seafood broth recipe from one of my favorite restaurants and here is my simplified but equally delicious version. Add 6 cups of water to a large saucepan. Add 2 cups of aromatics (any combination you have of onion, leek trimmings, carrot and/or celery, parsley, chervil, chives, etc), 2 teaspoons of sea salt and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white wine. Bring it to a boil over hight heat for 10 minutes, then pour in 1-2 lbs of mussels, stir and cover with a lid for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and give it a good stir, the mussels should be open at this point. Remove the mussels to a bowl to eat or use in any other recipe, then strain the remaining liquid through a fine mesh strainer to catch any grit and all the aromatics. (Clams, prawns, lobster or crayfish can sub in for the mussels if you prefer.)
Step-by-Step Instructions
This easy seafood chowder recipe is very straightforward and only needs one pot. Bacon adds lots of savory flavor while corn and leeks add natural sweetness and potatoes thicken the chowder without the need for any flour.
Step 1. Fry the bacon, then remove it from the pot, leaving the fat in the pot. While it's frying, chop up the leeks, potatoes and red pepper.
Step 2. Add the sliced leeks, garlic and cayenne to the pot and fry until the leeks are translucent.
Step 3. Pour in the potatoes and broth and simmer until the potatoes are soft.
Step 4. Add in the corn and red pepper and cook until hot.
Step 5. Add the bacon back in.
Step 6. Stir in the raw prawns or shrimp and cook briefly until they are just opaque.
Step 7. Add in green onions, leaving some out to garnish the prawn chowder with after.
Step 8. Stir in the whipping cream (heavy cream), adding more or less to taste. Season with extra salt and pepper if needed.
Serve up creamy prawn chowder with leeks, corn and bacon topped with extra slivered green onions and a side of your favorite crusty bread. Yum!
Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
This soup is easy but 2 things will help you get the very best results. The first is don't overcook the prawns if you want them to stay tender and juicy. The second is to use heavy cream. For the sweetest, most restaurant-worthy chowder, the cream makes a delicious difference.
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Save this yummy, creamy prawn chowder recipe to Pinterest for next time or share it with your friend on Facebook!
More Great Seafood Recipes
As a former fisherman, I love seafood and have tons of great seafood recipes. Check them out or save this page for next time.
- Easy Imitation Crab Ceviche Appetizer (Ceviche de Jaiba)
- Classic Easy Oyster Vinaigrette Recipe (Mignonette)
- Easy Grilled Spot Prawns With Garlic Butter
- Pasta Alla Salmone
If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.
Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.
Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina
📖 Recipe
Best Creamy Prawn Chowder With Leeks, Corn and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ lb bacon, sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 2 cups sliced leeks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups diced potatoes
- 6 c seafood stock (or chicken stock)
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 1 cup diced red pepper
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1 lb shelled prawns
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ¾ cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
Instructions
- Place a Dutch oven or other large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and then the bacon. Fry, stirring occasionally until the bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes, then remove it with a spatula and set aside.
- Add the leeks, garlic and cayenne pepper to the same pot and fry, stirring frequently until the leeks are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and the broth, stir together and increase the heat to medium. Simmer without the lid until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15- 20 minutes.
- Add the corn and red pepper, stir and cook until the corn is hot, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the cooked bacon.
- Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the prawns and let them cook just until opaque, about 2 minutes. Pour in the cream, salt, pepper and ½ cup of the green onions. Stir and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve while hot, garnishing the top of each soup with the remaining sliced green onions.
Chris Dunne says
Looks delicious .. will try it without the corn!
Sabrina Currie says
Let me know what you think. It should still be delish without corn.