Recipe

Decadent Cioppino Recipe

A cozy, restaurant-style seafood stew with a rich tomato-wine broth and buttery garlic toast for dunking. Big flavor, clear steps, and plenty of room to riff.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A steaming bowl of cioppino filled with shrimp, mussels, clams, and chunks of fish in a rich tomato broth on a rustic table

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Cioppino is the kind of bowl that makes everyone in the kitchen suddenly very available. It is briny and tomato-sweet, bold with garlic, and just luxurious enough to feel like you ordered it at your favorite spot, but cozy enough to eat in sweatpants. My version is decadent in the best way: a glossy tomato broth with white wine, a little butter to round the edges, and a seafood mix that cooks fast and stays tender.

The best part is the whole situation: tender seafood, a silky broth, and garlic toast that stays soft in the center with crisp edges, ready for serious dunking.

A wooden cutting board with chopped onions, fennel, garlic, and fresh parsley next to a pot on the stove

Why It Works

Layered flavor without drama: sautéed aromatics, tomato paste, wine, and seafood stock build a broth that tastes simmered all day, even if it is a weeknight.
Seafood that stays tender: everything goes in stages, so shrimp are snappy, fish is flaky, and shellfish are just opened, not overcooked.
Decadent finish: a little butter at the end gives the broth a silky, restaurant feel.
Bright balance: lemon and fresh herbs wake up the whole pot so it is rich but not heavy.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

Cioppino is best the day you make it, but leftovers can still be great if you store them smart.

Fridge

Cool quickly, then refrigerate in an airtight container. For best quality, aim to finish within 2 days (many guidelines allow 3 to 4 days, but seafood texture is happiest sooner).
If possible, pick shellfish out of the shells before storing. It saves space and makes reheating easier.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a pot over low heat until just hot. Boiling can toughen shrimp and fish.
If it looks a little thick, splash in a bit of stock or water to loosen.

Freezing

I do not recommend freezing the finished stew. The seafood texture can go rubbery.
If you want a freezer win, freeze the broth base (before seafood) for up to 2 months, then thaw and add fresh seafood when you are ready.

Common Questions

What is cioppino, exactly?

Cioppino is a San Francisco-style seafood stew, traditionally made by Italian American fishermen. It usually has a tomato base plus wine, garlic, and a mix of whatever seafood is fresh.

Do I have to use fennel?

No, but it is a quiet MVP. It adds a gentle sweetness that makes the broth taste more complex. If you do not have it, swap in extra onion plus a pinch of dried oregano.

What seafood works best?

Use a mix of: a firm fish (cod, halibut, sea bass), shrimp, and shellfish (mussels and clams). Crab or lobster is incredible if you want to go full decadent.

Can I make it less spicy?

Absolutely. Keep the red pepper flakes to a pinch, or skip them. You can always add heat at the table with chili oil.

How do I know the shellfish are cooked?

Mussels and clams are done when they open. Discard any that stay tightly closed after cooking.

Can I make it ahead for guests?

Yes. Make the broth base up to 1 day ahead, chill, then reheat and cook the seafood right before serving. That is the best way to keep everything tender.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Large heavy pot or Dutch oven (6 to 8 quart)
Cutting board and sharp knife
Wooden spoon
Ladle
Sheet pan or skillet for garlic toast
Optional: fish spatula or slotted spoon for lifting seafood

I love recipes that feel like a team sport, and cioppino is exactly that. Everyone can help. Someone chops, someone toasts bread, someone taste tests the broth every two minutes like it is their job. The first time I made it, I was chasing that restaurant bowl feeling without restaurant prices, and I realized the trick is not fancy technique. It is timing, a good stock, and letting the pot smell like garlic and wine for a few minutes before the seafood hits the party. Also, I am not above using whatever looks best at the seafood counter that day. Cioppino is flexible like that, and honestly, so am I.

Decadent Cioppino Recipe

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the cioppino

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped (fronds reserved for garnish if you have them)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
3 cups seafood stock (or clam juice plus chicken stock, see note)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional but delicious)
1 lb firm white fish (cod, halibut, or sea bass), cut into 2-inch chunks
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 lb clams, scrubbed
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

For the soft-centered, crisp-edged garlic toast

1 baguette or crusty Italian loaf, sliced
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
Pinch of salt
Optional: 2 tbsp grated Parmesan

Stock note

If you cannot find seafood stock, use 2 cups chicken stock plus 1 cup clam juice. It still tastes like the ocean in a good way.

Instructions

Build the broth

In a large pot over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add onion and fennel. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
Add garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 to 2 minutes to caramelize it slightly.
Pour in white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot. Simmer 2 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes, seafood stock, smoked paprika, bay leaf, and Worcestershire (if using). Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.

Make the garlic toast

Do this while the broth simmers.

Heat oven to 425°F. Mix butter, olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Spread on bread slices. Add Parmesan if using.
Toast on a sheet pan for 6 to 10 minutes until fragrant, golden at the edges, and still a little soft in the middle. Serve warm.

Garlic bread slices toasting on a sheet pan in a hot oven

Cook the seafood

Before you start: toss any mussels or clams with cracked shells or shells that are already open and do not close when tapped. If your clams are gritty, soak them in cold salted water for 20 minutes, then rinse.
Keep the broth at a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil). Add fish chunks and clams. Simmer gently for about 3 minutes.
Add mussels and shrimp. Cover and cook 3 to 6 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until shells open and shrimp are pink.
Timing note: start checking shellfish at 3 minutes and keep cooking just until the clams and mussels open. Some clams simply take a little longer depending on size. Discard any that stay tightly closed.
Turn off heat. Stir in butter, lemon juice, and parsley. Taste again and adjust with more lemon or salt if needed.
Optional riff: if you are adding cooked crab (or cooked lobster), stir it in at the end and let it sit 1 to 2 minutes to warm through.

A ladle lifting shrimp and mussels from a pot of cioppino with rich red broth

Serve

Ladle into bowls, making sure everyone gets a good mix of seafood.
Top with extra parsley and fennel fronds if you have them. Serve with garlic toast for dunking.

Nutrition information is estimated.

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