Cioppino
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This classic cioppino recipe is a rich, tomato-based seafood stew loaded with crab, shrimp, mussels, and white fish simmered in a garlicky broth flavored with white wine and herbs. Originally created by Italian-American fishermen in San Francisco, cioppino is beloved for its bold seafood flavor and impressive presentation, yet it’s surprisingly easy to make at home. While it took some experimenting on my end to strike the perfect balance of tomato, herbs, and fish, my version of cioppino will impress anyone who fancies themselves a fish connoisseur. Serve it with plenty of crusty bread for soaking up every last spoonful of broth. If you love all things seafood, try my New England style lobster roll (who doesn’t love this regional favorite?) or my super-easy pan-seared white fish next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big celebration energy – With its mix of crab, shrimp, mussels, and fish in a rich tomato-wine broth, this cioppino feels made for holidays, dinner parties, and special occasions where you want something impressive without being fussy.
- Loaded with seafood – Every bowl is packed with tender shrimp, sweet crab, briny shellfish, and flaky fish.
- Flavor-packed broth – White wine, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs create a rich broth you’ll want to soak up with bread.
What is Cioppino?
Cioppino is a seafood stew that originated in San Francisco, specifically from the immigrant workers at the docks known as Fisherman’s Wharf and contains a variety of seafood cooked in a tomato and white wine based broth.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Seafood stock – Fish stock, also called seafood stock is made from simmering the shells of lobster, shrimp, crab shells or other fish bones with white wine and other aromatics. I often buy seafood stock though you can easily make your own.Be sure to use both high quality seafood as well as seafood stock in the recipe.
- Scallops – When cooking with scallops look for “dry packed” as they won’t contain any preservatives or additives.
- Mussels – Mussels have a long shaggy beard, which must be removed before cooking. Do this by pulling the beard away from the shell. Removing the beard kills the mussel, so perform this right before cooking the mussels. When steaming the mussels, toss any mussels that do not open when steamed. This means they have most likely gone bad and are not suitable to be eaten.
- Clams – I use smaller, more tender littleneck or steamer clams rather than tougher big clams in this recipe.
- Fish – I use a combination of two different fish in this recipe halibut and swordfish. Pacific halibut is a versatile, flakey, mild-flavored white fish that is also a sustainable choice. Most of the Pacific halibut comes from Alaska and is in season from March through November. Swordfish has a mildly sweet flavor with a meatier texture.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
Add the seafood in stages based on cooking time rather than all at once. Delicate seafood like shrimp and fish cook quickly, while shellfish need slightly longer to open, helping everything finish perfectly tender instead of overcooked.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Seafood: Use any combination of shrimp, crab, clams, mussels, scallops, lobster, or firm white fish.
- White fish: Halibut, cod, sea bass, snapper, or monkfish all work well.
- White wine: Substitute with seafood stock or chicken stock if preferred.
- Shellfish: If you don’t have clams or mussels, simply add more shrimp or fish.
- Fresh herbs: Dried oregano or Italian seasoning can be used in place of fresh herbs.
How to Make Cioppino (Step-by-Step)
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat through. First, add the butter and allow to melt then add the onion, celery, carrot, leek and fennel to the pot and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Next, add the garlic and continue to sauté an additional 30 seconds.
- Add the liquid. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine then add the wine and deglaze the pan. Then, add the tomatoes, seafood stock, oregano and bay leaves then lower the heat and simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Season the broth with salt and pepper.
- Melt butter. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat through. Add a tablespoon of butter and allow to melt.
- Cook the shrimp. Season the shrimp and scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan and sauté until no longer pink and translucent, about a minute on each side. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Cook the scallops. Add the remaining oil and butter to the pan, then add the scallops and cook until lightly browned on each side and just barely cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side.
- Deglaze the pan and add to the broth. Remove the scallops from the pan and place on a plate, covered. Return the pan to the heat and add ½ cup of water to deglaze the pan, then add the deglazed bits to the cooking pot of broth (this will add additional flavor).
- Cook the fish. Add the halibut and swordfish to the broth and cook until the fish flakes easily, about 10 minutes.
- Add the shellfish. Next, add the clams and mussels to the broth then cover and cook until both open, about an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shrimp, scallops and snow crab claws to the broth and cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Assemble and serve. Discard the bay leaves then ladle the cioppino into soup bowls and garnish with fennel fronds.
How to Serve This Recipe
- Bread: Serve with crusty sourdough or toasted garlic bread for dipping into the broth.
- Pasta: Spoon the cioppino over cooked linguine for a heartier meal.
- Garnishes: Finish with fresh parsley, basil, red pepper flakes, or a drizzle of olive oil.
- Pairings: Serve with a crisp white wine, simple green salad, or roasted vegetables.
How to Store This Recipe
- Refrigerator: Store leftover cioppino in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Seafood: Remove shellfish from shells before storing if desired for easier reheating.
- Reheating: Warm gently over low heat until heated through to avoid overcooking the seafood.
- Freezing: The broth freezes well for up to 3 months, though seafood texture may change after freezing.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Since the recipe originated in the bay area I chose to serve mine with sourdough – the bread that automatically comes to mind when I think of San Francisco. If you’re unfamiliar with the area – it’s famous for Boudin, a bakery known for it’s sourdough bread. While the main store is on the touristy side it’s still a must stop for me.
I add the seafood at various times to keep the fish and shellfish from becoming tough and chewy – nothing ruins the stew faster than tough fish. Serve with extra bowls for discarding shells.
The best seafood for cioppino includes a mix of shellfish and firm fish such as shrimp, crab, clams, mussels, halibut, cod, or sea bass.
Yes. You can prepare the cioppino broth 1 to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it. Add the seafood just before serving for the best texture.
Yes, but the broth freezes better than fully cooked seafood. For best results, freeze the broth separately and add fresh seafood when reheating.
Other Recipes to Try
If you loved this beloved regional seafood dish, take a look at some of my other favorite recipes below for more inspiration:
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Cioppino
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Ingredients:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- ½ cup chopped leek whites only
- ¼ cup chopped fennel bulb
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups seafood stock
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- ½ pound scallops, side-muscle removed
- ¾ pound jumbo 21/25 shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound halibut, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ pound swordfish, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ pound littleneck clams, scrubbed
- ½ pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 4 snow crab claws, cooked
- 1 tablespoon fennel fronds
- Sourdough bread, warmed and sliced for serving
Instructions:
- Heat a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat through. Add the butter and allow to melt then add the onion, celery, carrot, leek and fennel to the pot and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté an additional 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and stir to combine then add the wine and deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes, seafood stock, oregano and bay leaves then lower the heat and simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Season the broth with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat through. Add a tablespoon of butter and allow to melt.
- Season the shrimp and scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan and sauté until no longer pink and translucent, about a minute on each side. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Add the remaining oil and butter to the pan, then add the scallops and cook until lightly browned on each side and just barely cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side.
- Remove the scallops from the pan and place on a plate, covered. Return the pan to the heat and add ½ cup of water to deglaze the pan, then add the deglazed bits to the cooking pot of broth (this will add additional flavor).
- Add the halibut and swordfish to the broth and cook until the fish flakes easily, about 10 minutes. Add the clams and mussels to the broth then cover and cook until both open, about an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shrimp, scallops and snow crab claws to the broth and cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaves then ladle the stew into soup bowls and garnish with fennel fronds.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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Wow. Do I love this recipe. I make it a lot for guests or when my husband is craving it. It’s super easy to make and I like that if you don’t have certain fish or seafood ingredients you can still substitute lots of other things and it still comes out really great. I still need to make this with the snow crab legs but I will very soon!