California Cioppino Recipe — San Francisco’s Iconic Fisherman’s Stew

Dive into the heart of San Francisco’s seafood tradition with this authentic California Cioppino recipe!
This legendary Fisherman’s Stew was born on the docks of North Beach — a hearty mix of fresh mussels, clams, shrimp, scallops, white fish, and Dungeness crab, all simmered in a rich tomato and wine broth bursting with coastal flavor.
In this video, I’ll show you step-by-step how to make Cioppino at home — from building that flavorful broth to perfectly timing your seafood. It’s surprisingly simple, comforting, and perfect for special dinners or cozy weekends by the sea.
Serve it with: toasted sourdough or garlic bread
Pro tip: a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon before serving makes it shine!
Origin: San Francisco, California
Cook Time: ~45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy to Medium
Tell me in the comments — have you ever tried Cioppino before?
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0:00 Teaser
0:22 Overview
0:43 Seafood
1:36 Base for Soup
3:44 Prepare the flavour base
4:15 Deglaze and simmer
5:26 Finish and serve

Here’s a pro recipe for the iconic California chapino. A rich tomatobased seafood stew that originated in San Francisco. This version balances fresh Pacific seafood, a deep, flavorful stock, and a touch of West Coast elegance. California Chapino, San Francisco’s iconic fisherman stew. Overview: Origin: San Francisco, California. Serves 6. Prep time 30 minutes. Cook time 1 hour. Difficulty medium. Style coastal California Italian American fusion. Ingredients: Seafood. Use the freshest seafood available, ideally from your local fish monger or coastal market. For 50 g muscles, cleaned and devained. For 50 gram clams, cleaned. For 50 g large shrimp, shelled or peeled, de vained. For 50 g firm white fish, such as flounder, cod, or muscles, cut into 2-in pieces. Two 25 g scallops, havl large. 225 g half a pound dungeonous crab meat or legs. Optional but traditional. Base for soup. 60 ml/4 cup olive oil divided. One yellow onion finely chopped. One head of fennel seated and finely chopped. One red pepper, finely chopped. Three stalks of celery, finely chopped. Five cloves of garlic, minced. One teaspoon chili flakes to taste. Two teaspoons fresh thyme leaves. Two bay leaves. One teaspoon dried oregano. One teaspoon smoked paprika. 180 ml 3/4 cup dry white wine. Sabanyon blanc or pino grigio. One can 800 g crushed San Marzano tomatoes. 480 ml, 2 cups, seafood stock or smoked fish. 240 ml, 1 cup, bottled clam juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. One tbsp red wine vinegar for balance. One small bunch parsley chopped for garnish to serve. Rustic sourdough bread sliced and toasted. Garlic ioli or bread butter optional. Instructions. Prepare the flavor base. In a large heavybottomed pot like a Dutch oven, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat, add the onion, fennel, celery, and red pepper. Sauté until softened and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, chili flakes, thyme, oregano, paprika, and bay leaf. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to allow the spices to bubble. Delaze and simmer. Pour in the white wine to delaze, scraping up any aromatic bits from the bottom. Allow the wine to reduce by half, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, seafood stock, and clam juice. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until slightly thickened and aromatic. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and vinegar to balance the acidity. Add the seafood. Increase heat to medium high and bring soup to a simmer. Add the clams and muscles first. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until the clams begin to open. Add the shrimp, fish, scallops, and crab, stirring gently to coat. Cover again and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until shrimp are pink, fish is opaque, and all clams are open. Discard any clams that don’t open. Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil for a silky finish. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice for shine. Ladle generously into warm bowls, making sure each serving gets some seafood mixture. Serve immediately with toasted sourdough on the side to soak up the broth. Chef’s pairing tips. wine. Pair with a crisp California Chardonnay or Svenon Blanc. Garnish, add a dash of chili or a bowl of fennel frrons for a restaurant style finish. Serving. Serve in shallow white bowls for a vibrant coastal look. Chef’s note. Chapino originated on the docks of San Francisco by Italian fishermen who made a communal stew out of the day’s unsold catch. The beauty lies in the flexibility. Use what’s fresh and keep the soup lively and balanced between sourness, sweetness, and sea brininess.