Make this Cioppino Seafood Stew in your Instant Pot for a simple stew that is BURSTING with flavor! This seafood stew is rich and loaded with seafood and veggies. It's very filling with a small serving, while still being light.
Instant Pot Seafood Stew Recipe
You've probably searched for seafood recipes you can make in your pressure cooker. You will find so many people tell you that you can't, or shouldn't cook seafood in your Instant Pot. I disagree wholeheartedly. Once you make this Cioppino Recipe, you'll agree with me.
Seafood can be tricky, but once you know how to cook it in your Instant Pot, you're going to LOVE how easy it is, how quick it cooks, and how much flavor it infuses.
To be honest, though, the thing I love most about cooking seafood in the Instant Pot is that my whole house doesn't smell of fish when I'm done. This is very important to me. So if I can find some way to get the fish smell out of my house, while also making something delicious, you can bet I'm going to do it.
Enter this Instant Pot Cioppino Seafood Stew. It will be sure to be one of your new favorite Instant Pot Recipes. And the fact that it's low carb is an added bonus for me.
If you're reading this, I'm going to assume you're either a big fan of seafood, or you're planning to make this for someone who is. This Instant Pot Cioppino recipe is going to make any seafood lover very happy.
What Is The Difference Between Cioppino and Bouillabaisse?
There aren't a ton of differences in these two dishes, but there are a few things that separate the two.
First off, you will notice a difference in the broth. In Cioppino you will notice the liquid in the stew is a smooth tomato sauce made from tomato paste and broth. In Bouillabaisse you will have a broth with chopped tomatoes added for a similar flavor, but different texture.
There is also a difference in the spices added to the dish, as they originated in different countries. Bouillabaisse has the addition of saffron whereas Cioppino does not.
What's in this Instant Pot Ciopinno Seafood Stew?
This Cioppino or Seafood Stew recipe is LOADED with so many types of seafood. It includes:
- Shrimp
- Calamari
- Mussels
- Fish
- Scallops
Traditionally, Cioppino is made with whatever fresh catch a fisherman has left over from his/her day of fishing. For me, it's whatever I can find at the grocery store.
It's great if you have leftover little bits of here and there. Realistically, you don't have to use every single one of these if you don't have them, or if you don't want to. Customize the seafood stew with what you want to use, and try it that way.
Some grocery stores also sell a bag of mixed seafood, which is what I ended up using for this Instant Pot Seafood Stew recipe.
How Do You Make Instant Pot Cioppino Seafood Stew?
- Make the stew base. Place oil, tomato, onions, carrots or bell pepper, water, wine, bay leaves, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, ground fennel seeds, salt and pepper into the inner liner of the Instant Pot. Stir well.
- Cook. Set Instant Pot at High pressure for 15 minutes. When cook time is complete, let the pot sit undisturbed for 10 minutes, and then release any remaining pressure. You can complete these steps and put the soup away in the refrigerator, to finish later. This really helps the flavors in the soup develop, but if you're ready to eat, it's not necessary.
- Finish. Turn the pot to sauté and add fish, mussels, bay scallops, and calamari rings to the pot. Once the pot boils, add in the shrimp and cook until all the seafood is cooked through. Add lemon juice right before serving.
- Serve. Plate with crusty bread to mop up all the delicious, savory broth you've just created.
Does This Seafood Stew Need Refrigerated Before I Eat It?
In the recipe, I tell you that after this Ciopinno Seafood Stew recipe cooks, that you need to leave it in the fridge so the flavors in the stew can meld.
However, if you're starving, and you don't want to wait, or don't have the time to wait, then you can certainly eat it right away. The flavors won't be as yummy as if you've left it in the fridge, but it will absolutely still be delicious!
How Do I Reheat Seafood Stew?
The way to reheat this seafood stew is to do it over low heat and let it come to a gentle simmer. Once it's warm, you may need to remove the seafood from the broth and let the broth keep heating on its own. Nothing is worse than overcooked, rubbery seafood.
I find that microwaves are terrible for heating seafood since the likelihood that it will overcook is high. The difference of 1 extra minute of heating in the microwave is the difference between tasty, bouncy shrimp and overcooked rubbery shrimp.
The good thing about this recipe is that it only makes 4 servings, and it cooks very quickly. So there shouldn't be many leftovers. It's also easy to make up another batch quickly in the Instant Pot.
Tips And Tricks For Making Ciopinno Stew
- You CAN cook seafood in the Instant Pot!
- Yes, this can be reheated the next day. Heat over low heat on the stovetop.
- IF you have the time, make it ahead the day you want to serve this dish for an intense marrying of flavor.
- You can use stock or water instead of the wine.
- For Macros, I used bell pepper instead of carrots, and shrimp for the seafood. Please calculate your own depending on what you put in.
What Goes With Seafood Cioppino?
This Instant Pot seafood stew is so hearty, you would likely be satisfied without plating anything else with it. Sometimes to make a dish feel like a full meal, you might want to serve something else with it. If that's the case, here are a few things that will accompany your seafood stew well:
- Crusty bread
- Salad
- Add in pasta
- Steamed vegetables
Want To Make Some More Seafood In Your Instant Pot?
- Instant Pot Clam Chowder with Shrimp - This is a lovely chowder recipe that is so quick to make in your Instant Pot!
- Nigerian Fried Rice - I love how easy the Instant Pot makes this traditional Nigerian Dish!
- Fish Saag - This is a house favorite for us, and turns out beautifully in the Instant Pot!
If you think this seafood stew recipe was as delicious as I do, make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can make it too.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below! Just click on the stars in the recipe card to rate. Don't forget to pin this recipe for later!
Ingredients
For the Stew Base
- 1/4 cup (54.5 ml) Vegetable Oil
- 14.5 ounces (1 ) Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 cup (160 g) Onion, diced
- 1 cup (128 g) Carrots, chopped, or 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup (250 ml) Water
- 1 cup (240 ml) white wine, or broth
- 2 (2 ) Bay Leaves
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Minced Garlic
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) fennel seeds, toasted and ground
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Red Pepper Flakes
For Finishing
- 4 cups (946.35 g) mixed seafood such as fish chunks, shrimp, bay scallops, mussels and calamari rings
- 1-2 tablespoons (1 tablespoons) Lemon Juice
For serving
- toasted, crusty bread
Instructions
- For the stew base: Place oil, tomato, onions, carrots or bell pepper, water, wine, bay leaves, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, ground fennel seeds, salt and pepper into the inner liner of the Instant pot. Stir well.
- Set Instant Pot at High pressure for 15 minutes. When cook time is complete, let pot sit undisturbed for 10 minutes, and then release any remaining pressure. You can complete these steps and put the soup away in the refrigerator, to finish later. This really helps the flavors in the soup develop, but if you're ready to eat, it's not necessary.
- Turn the pot to sauté and add fish, mussels, bay scallops, and calamari rings to the pot. Once the pot boils, add in the shrimp and cook until all the seafood is cooked through. Add lemon juice right before serving.
- Serve with crusty bread to mop up all the delicious, savory broth you've just created.
- You can use stock or water instead of the wine
- For Macros, I used bell pepper instead of carrots, and shrimp for the seafood. Please calculate your own depending on what you put in
- You CAN cook seafood in the Instant Pot!
- Yes, this can be reheated the next day. Heat over low heat on the stovetop.
- IF you have the time, make it ahead the day you want to serve this dish for an intense marrying of flavor.
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Indian Instant Pot, Keto Instant Pot, Instant Pot Fast and Easy, Healthy Instant Pot & Vegetarian Instant Pot.
Lynda Myrick
Love this recipe. It’s delicious and so easy. The toasted fennel seeds are a game changer. It’s a Family Favorite!