Seafood Cioppino
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Dec 20, 2024 
My Seafood Cioppino Recipe is a rustic Italian seafood stew loaded with shrimp, fish, and shellfish simmered in a rich tomato and wine broth. I cook everything together in one pot for a bold, comforting dish that’s full of flavor. This easy recipe is perfect for a cozy dinner that feels both hearty and impressive.
Seafood Cioppino
It was luring me. Making its beguiling qualities present at every turn. Cioppino.
First I watched a celebrity chef make it on TV. Next, a friend of mine found a seafood cioppino recipe and emailed it to me. A few weeks later, I came across yet another version of seafood cioppino in a beloved cookbook, previously undiscovered. And again, fish soup, printed in the next edition of my favorite magazine.
Seafood Cioppino. I couldn’t escape it.
American-Italian Tradition
Pronounced “Chip-een-o.” An American creation from San Francisco.
Fishermen and fishmongers, mostly Italian immigrants, invented this at the market. As the story goes, one said to another, “Can you chip-in-o some fish?” “Si!” “And you, chip-in-o some clams?” “Si, si.” This continued until every necessary item was “chipped in” for a fantastic communal meal.
Who knows if this is truly how cioppino came to be, but I love the thought of it.
The Perfect Casual or Show-Off Meal
Regardless of its humble and formally unknown origin, this is the most lovely seafood stew I have ever had the honor of tasting. This is no Tuesday night, throw-together dinner. A good Seafood Cioppino Recipe is an event in a bowl!
The broth alone is a wonderfully complex fusion of robust and delicate flavors. And the seafood—anything you add clams or lobster to can’t be bad. Like my Lobster Bisque Soup, this is a perfect show-off meal. But it can certainly be served in a casual setting, like my Manhattan Clam Chowder Recipe.
Seafood Selection
Ingredients that must be “chipped in” include: white fish (cod, halibut, pollock), shellfish (lobster, crab, shrimp) and mollusks (oysters, clams, mussels) Some recipes I’ve seen included 5-6 different types of seafood. But, I’m a less is more kind of girl, so 1 item from each group for me.
Any variety is acceptable. Just buy the freshest seafood you can find.
Wine Selection
The wine you select is important.
Use a light red like a Rioja or Pinot Noir. The wine produces brilliant color and intense depth of flavor. Choose a wine you would drink. You don’t want to ruin your high-quality seafood with lousy wine.
The lesson learned here: When an opportunity presents itself over and over, take it as a sign from above! Something delicious is bound to come out of it.
My Seafood Cioppino Recipe, is a culmination of what I considered the highlights in several different recipes I found. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Cioppino Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Large Fennel Bulb
- Large Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Tomato Paste
- Dried Tarragon, or fresh tarragon
- Fresh Thyme
- Saffron, large
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Bay leaf
- Salt
- Wine – Pick a light red or a white.
- Diced Tomatoes
- Seafood Stock
- Little Neck Clams or mussels
- Firm White Fish
- Large Raw Shrimp – peeled
- Flour
- Lemon Wedges
Get the Full (Printable) Seafood Cioppino Recipe with Ingredient Proportions and Detailed Instructions in the Recipe Card Below. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Cioppino is not technically Italian. It is a fish stew that is originally based out of San Francisco. It is a classic Italian-American dish.
This seafood stew is traditionally made with the fisherman’s catch of the day, and since it started in San Francisco that catch of the day was generally crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, and fish.
You can keep this in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 4 days. A note to consider is that seafood warmed up for the second time can sometimes have a rubbery texture.
You can freeze cioppino for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature and gently rewarm.
Other Fabulous Seafood Recipes
- Shrimp Scampi Greek Pasta
- Aguachile Verde
- Cajun Hot Shrimp Dip (with Cream Cheese)
- Mussels Recipe with Blue Cheese
- Garlic Lime Roasted Shrimp Salad
- Easy Jambalaya
- Lemon Pepper Grilled Cod
- Tom Yum Soup (Hot and Sour Soup)
- Instant Pot Shrimp Pasta in Vodka Sauce
- Salmon Burgers with Sweet Potato Slaw
- One Pot Shrimp Black Bean Rice Skillet
- Cooking Fish 101 (How to Cook Fish Perfectly)
Seafood Cioppino Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried tarragon or 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 pinch saffron, large
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups wine (a fruity red or dry white)
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 32 ounces seafood stock
- 1 1/2 pounds little neck clams or mussels
- 1 pound firm white fish
- 1 pound large raw shrimp peeled
- 1-2 tablespoons flour
- Lemon wedges and chopped parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- Prepare the fennel: Cut off the stalks. You can use the fronds later in the week. (Think salads, sauces, mixed with goat cheese, sprinkled over fruit…) Then halve the bulb and remove the core. Slice the bulb thin. You may want to quarter the bulb for smaller slices.
- Place a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoon oil to the pot. Sauté the fennel and onions for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and tomato paste.
- Sauté one more minute. Then add the tarragon, thyme, saffron, red pepper, bay, salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well. Pour in the wine, stock, and tomatoes. Bring the stew to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the fish into 1-inch cubes and toss the fish and shrimp in flour. Rinse and check all mollusks for freshness. They should all be completely closed. If they are open, squeeze them shut. If they don’t instantly close up again, THROW THEM OUT. Any open or cracked mollusk should not go in the cioppino.
- Once the stew has simmered for 30+ minutes, add the mollusks. Stir and allow them to cook for 3-5 minutes until they are mostly opened. Next add the fish and shrimp. Stir well and simmer another 3-5 minutes. The broth should thicken and all the mollusks should open wide.
- Remove the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and any unopened mollusks. Garnish the cioppino with parsley and lemon wedges. Then serve with lots of warm crusty sourdough bread or parmesan toast.
Your cioppino looks amazing! I really love those clicks…esp. the 2nd one with garlic bread aside. Mouthwatering!
You’re right, this is not a weeknight dinner, but a labor of love for a relaxing weekend! You added an interesting ingredient with the fennel and your photos just make we want to prepare of pot this weekend!
I could live with the less is more approach…I think it’s often seemed overwhelming when I’ve read the more is more recipes! Beautiful photos; beautiful dish.
This cioppino looks fantastic! I haven’t made it in a while, but my kids love it. The last time I made this, we were vacationing on Virginia Beach and I visited the local seafood market and picked up a variety of fish and shellfish. I looked at different recipes and took the best of each to come up with a pot of cioppino. Served with some crusty bread, we had a memorable dinner.
I’m DYING. I love seafood. Dear heavens why can’t we be friends?
Sommer I love love love cioppino and I adore your story about how the name came about! Too cute! I would love a bowl of this on a summer evening.
Splendid recipe! And I loved the story about the name. In Italy this type of fish soup is really popular.
Sommer, this looks FANTASTIC and I love the theory behind the name.
My family divides into those who are alergic to seafood, and those who absolutely love it. I’m making this for those lucky few who can happily eat all the ingredients in this feast from the sea!
mmmm I LOVE fennel! Also, I love a good Cioppino, so this is such a great recipe!
I like the detailed and step by step instructions on how to prepare your recipes. Great pictures too! What kind of camera do you use ?
I had dinner with one of my husband’s co-workers last night and being the foodie that she is, she actually described this very same dish to me! She said it was fantastic and looking at your creation, I would say so! I think she got her version from the Food TV show. Love the photos, love the step by step, and love your blog!!! Have a great week Sommer.
We love cioppino, but don’t care for fennel. When we were visiting San Fran my husband tried cioppino at several restaurants and they were all different! Beautiful pictures!