Easy Clam Chowder
Clam chowder is easier to make than you think – and the homemade version is unbelievably creamy, flavorful and chockfull of clams!
Soup season has come and gone, but a bowl of clam chowder can really be eaten in any kind of weather, especially when it comes to the homemade version.
If you didn’t know, clam chowder is actually a very simple soup to prepare with a few pantry ingredients. Now some recipes call for fresh clams but I actually prefer to use canned clams for several different reasons.
1. It’s certainly easier – all you have to do is open up the can. Done.
2. It’s budget-friendly at $2.99 per can versus $9.99 per pound.
3. Last but not least, it brings in a lot more flavor when you use both the canned clams and juices, not to mention the abundance of clams as well, something you don’t really get when you order out.
Now what I love about this recipe is that you have absolute complete control over the creaminess of the soup. You can make it as thick as you’d like, or a little bit runny if that’s how you prefer your soup. Just be sure to have those oyster crackers ready to go because this soup is guaranteed to disappear from your dinner table!
Clam chowder is easier to make than you think – and the homemade version is unbelievably creamy, flavorful and chockfull of clams! *Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream. *Cooking time may need to be adjusted depending on the thickness of the potatoes. Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious.
Easy Clam Chowder
Ingredients:
Directions:
Notes:
Did you Make This Recipe?
I have made this recipe a few times now – I added a can of corn and a little celery and replaced the half n half with heavy cream for a creamier texture. The 2nd time I made this I also added a can of crab meat. The family loves this recipe. I agree with someone else’s comment on here that this is a good base recipe to build on and I look forward to trying other variations in the future.
I made this last night and it was amazing – the family loved it too! I added a can of corn and replaced the milk with more half and half but otherwise followed the recipe. It’s so good and easy I know I’ll be making it again and trying some of the other suggestions in the comments such as adding shrimp.
Good!
Turned out awesome.
Made this recipe and was very delicious. My husband had been calling restaurants and could not find one that sold it. I decided to give it a try, thank God I had all the ingredients. 5*****. Will keep this recipe and do it again. Soo Good!
Added some cream corn, celery stick, smoked Lake Superior Trout and red pepper, green bell pepper.
I love this recipe as a foundation. Never use measuring cups or anything. Can’t believe never made chowder before. I love chowder! It’s way easier to make then gumbo or home made chicken soup. Clams from Bar Harbor Maine in a can for $3!
I dont know if answered yet. But, use the bacon pcs to top your bowls of chowder. Also, you saute onoins n celery in the butter. Then I personally use the bacon grease in the pot , then add your flour. It is like gravy. Stir. Then start adding the liquids. Whisk in milk. Stir gently after.
I’ve made this several times now, so easy and delicious, big hit in our family. Added shredded carrot for color, and also some shrimp too. I usually double the recipe, so we have some leftovers for next day, but never lasts long. Reheats great
Excellent clam chowder but I was wondering can you make this ahead of time?
I added a bit more thyme and garlic…but that’s cause I’m French….perfect chowder…
This is easy and devious. I add a third can of clams and sometimes add chopped carrots as mentioned by another reviewer
Amazing recipe! When do I do with the tblsp. Of bacon grease? And just to note, the bay leaf has to come out before eating…
Just made your recipe for clam chowder…. Unbelievably good .. Thanks so much, will be making this often … Yum !
We love it. As it is written its great. I add more potatoes. I like them. It’s open to free-styling with other ingredient based on what’s in the pantry too
This was very good. The techniques in this recipe make is the most similar to restaurant Clam Chowder that I have tried. We would drive all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf for good clam chowder from our home but this is quite similar to that. Buy yourself a couple of sourdough bread bowls and a bottle of wine and this will take you to Fisherman’s Wharf S.F.! Have that extra glass and you won’t have to worry about driving!!
The recipe doesn’t say what to do with the 1 tbls. reserved bacon fat?
I it sure if this is right but I remove all but a tbsp of the bacon grease and use it to cook the onions and garlic
This is just like my grandmother’s recipe from the Canadian East Coast minus the flour, she uses the potatos to thicken it instead and so do we as we are gluten free. Yummmm! Thanks again for deliciousness.
I’m a engineer, I follow instructions and guidelines, I’m also a cooking want to be (I hate DISHES) and follow instructions in the recipes (mostly). At what point are you supposed to add the BACON back in?
FYI, I did this to the T and added one pound of freshly caught Prince William Sound Shrimp (Alaska) with the Clams. NO One wanted to leave without the recipe.
Thank You.
It says to use it as a garnish.
Awesome chowder! Used at least a pound of fresh razor clams we dug up yesterday on the Oregon coast…added carrot and celery to the onion..omitted the bay leaf and had to add another cup of broth and milk because it was getting too thick.
This was fantastic. I did add diced celery with the garlic and onion. I also added Old Sack Sherry. A keeper! Thank you!
How much sherry and when did you add it? I’m certain a chowder I tasted recently had sherry and I loved the flavor it adds.
Wow. This chowder is SO good! My 15 year old son loves seafood and is starting to like to cook a bit since it means more food for him to eat :). He wanted to try to make a clam chowder so I searched and this recipe came up first. I’m so glad we tried it. It is delicious that it is even a hit with my daughter who does NOT like seafood. He has made it for us 3 or 4 times now and it comes out perfectly every time. Two times ago he forgot to add the flour and it was still amazing. Last time he left the flour out on purpose for a lighter chowder. Either way, though, amazingly delicious. I would be happy to receive this at a restaurant.
Fairly easy to make. DELICIOUS. I’m a PNW’er and my husband and I just went to the Oregon Coast again and some great clam chowder. This totally rivals all the coastal chowder AND we had make it at home. Wins all around.
Delicious! I doubled the recipe and added one extra can of clams and extra clam juice to taste.
I’ve never been a big fan of this soup and decided to give it a try, it came out really good! Would definitely make it again. Thank you for sharing
Last week, my brother posted about the coming Field of Dreams baseball game between the Yankees vs. White Sox in the Fantasy Baseball league that we’re both in with 18 other team owners. After seeing the ending to the Field of Dreams game, I enthusiastically replied how incredible it was to see since all three of our players hit home runs in the 9th inning of the game! I also indicated that I had dreams of my late Uncle and Dad in the two weekends leading up, so I kind of knew beforehand that I should probably see that game based on that alone. I let him know that I received an invite to get a fried seafood lunch at work the same day and how much that reminded me of my Uncle’s out of the blue trips to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to get the same meal many years ago. My brother replied that he had a dream with another Uncle that week at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and remarked how they had the best Clam Chowder.
I’m the family cook on Saturdays, so I decide to get the ingredients to make your Easy Clam Chowder recipe on Friday. I also pick up a player making his debut as a starter on Saturday named Tyler Gilbert to help with my fantasy baseball team’s pitching stats, namely the strikeout category. I followed your instructions to the T and your Clam Chowder recipe was a big hit the following day, my first time making Clam Chowder that was not already pre-made from a can. We had leftovers, so we had Clam Chowder again for dinner and watched Tyler Gilbert pitch the Diamondbacks vs. Padres game on TV that night. Lo and behold, we find out Tyler is 4th generation electrician from Santa Cruz and his grandfather, watching the game at Chase Field in Phoenix, is a Vietnam War veteran, just like my Uncle who took us to Santa Cruz as kids. It was a magical night as Tyler pitched the first no-hitter by a pitcher making his debut start since Bobo Holloman did it in 1953. Tyler does so well that night, I end up winning 4 more pitching categories that I had no business winning. I find out the following morning that the recipe was written by you, a Korean American, and that the Korean War also ended in 1953! Thank you for your delicious Clam Chowder recipe and for being such a fun part of family (and baseball) history.
Made it and my whole family loved it, even my kids!
Let me tell you the flavor is on point!! It’s so good. I prefer more clams and clam taste so if you are like me, add a few more cans ans juice. It’s more like a potatoe chowder to be honest. But overall one of the best I’ve made!
Delicious chowder! I also tweaked the recipe by sauteing 3/4 cup of chopped celery in one tablespoon of butter until crisp-tender. I added this along with the other vegetables. I substituted one cup of frozen corn and one half cup of water for the canned corn. No calamari for us. The next time I make this I will steam the carrots and potatoes before adding to the pot. Twenty five minutes was not enough cooking time for them.
Thank you for the best clam chowder recipe!! My dad and I made & loved Snows clam chowder as a kid. You can no longer find it and I have searched & searched trying to find a similar recipe. I wish he was still here to enjoy it.
This is definitely it!!! You truly are the best.
I need to make chowder for 18 people. Can I just triple this recipe? any modifications to spices?
Very quick and easy recipe. Also very delicious. I followed the recipe as written but added a dash Worcestershire sauce and a little extra broth. Thanks for the great recipe.
Absolutely delicious.. I used pork salts and bacon fat. Very rich and creamy.
Good but one onion is wayyyy to much. Otherwise texture is spot on.
Absolutely delicious! I’ve tried other recipes but this one hits the spot! The only thing I changed was I used chicken stock instead of vegetable, and I cooked the bacon with the soup rather than using it as a garnish
Best clam chowder recipe! Better then a certain restaurant here in the great PNW. It’s a keeper.
Forgot to mention, my daughter substituted Better Than Garlic roasted garlic base for the veggie broth. So good!
Very good!
So good. I also added scallops, shrimp, and crab to make it a seafood chowder. And then deliciously top it off with Frank’s :p
I made this recipe. Added fresh chucked shrimp, corn, extra bacon
This is a very delicious recipe, but I have a suggestion to make it much easier. Don’t add the flour until after the potatoes are cooked, and then just add a simple roux. I dissolved 2 tablespoons of Wondra flour in a little water and then added that to the soup at the very end. It turned out just as delicious as always. I didn’t like standing over a hot stove stirring it constantly until the potatoes were cooked to prevent sticking. It’s hot here in southern AZ!
Don’t you want the flour to be cooked, or not?
Wondra is pre cooked
Your tone seemed a bit snippy there, so try to be sure we post in as friendly of a manner as possible, as I’m sure you were trying only to be helpful, eh? 🙂
This is a good tip flour will be cooked as long as it’s bubbling for a couple of minutes
This was really good and very easy to make. I ended up using some additional broth because it was creamier than I like. The flavor was outstanding. Both of my young children loved it.
I made the clam chowder tonight.(my first time) it came out good. Thanks for the recipe.
This was delicious. I would recommend doubling if you have a large family or want leftovers. I did substitute clam juice for the vegetable broth.
Came out amazing! Substituted chicken stock for veggie stock and used twice as much. This is my new go to clam chowder recipe.
I made this last night, exactly as it is written and it was fantastic! Can’t wait to make it again, thanks!
This was my second time ever making chowder and it was delicious! It was so easy to make, even for a novice, and still one of the best chowders I’ve ever had. I substituted bacon grease in for the vegetable stock because I’m a glutton. Also, I really love that it had crispy bacon bits as a garnish instead of adding it directly to the chowder. This gives it an added element of texture and a more intense flavour. Thanks for sharing your amazing recipe!
Thank you. This was a real good and easy to make.
Lovely taste to this! I made one addition at the very end- a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to offset the sweetness of the onions. Completely gave it depth and we ate the entire batch of soup in a day!!
Oh, this was so easy and so delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as written. My family loved it!!
I just made this recipe and it is everything I wanted and more. I was craving my Grandmother’s clam chowder, but nothing I found could compare, until I made your recipe! I love this soup and it is such a crowd pleaser; everyone loves it! Thank you for sharing this and helping me get over my fear of making chowder! I did add some corn, but otherwise, it was all you!
Great reference fir build your own chowder
Fantastic, easy lil recipe. Delicious! Thanks!
Made this for lunch today and it was delicious! I did add celery and had to use chicken stock since I didn’t have any veggie stock. So smooth and warming on a cold rainy day!
Made the soup just as the recipe called for except the bacon. I did use a tablespoon of bacon drippings though. Hubby loves it! Will be saving this one!
I made it, so delicious and so easy! I love that you can take control of the creaminess, the amount of vegetable and clam. I didn’t have bacon so I skipped, and I only have frozen clam meat, still so good but I’m sure using bacon and canned clam would be even better! I also added carrot for the vegetable, maybe I’d also include celery next time.
The recipe
Very good, just not sure why the recipe says to reserve 1 tablespoon excess fat from the bacon ?
This turned out AMAZING. For those of you looking for a good clam chowder that you can convert to dairy-free, this is a winner. We used Ripple Milk (made from peas), Original Unsweetened flavor, and I used Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk instead of half and half, and it was delicious. We couldn’t taste the coconut milk at all, and everyone raved about it. I made this in an Instant Pot, and after sauteeing onions and celery, I added in the thyme (plus some red pepper flakes), salt and pepper, and flour… stirred for one minute… then added broth and Ripple milk, then the potatoes, and set it to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Then I released the pressure and added in the clams and coconut milk (and Hormel’s Real Bacon Pieces) and stirred. Then served. It was PERFECT. Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Amazing! I ended up with adding smoked trout and scallops instead of potatoes and clams, my potatos had gone bad and due to enlglish not being my first language I thought I was supposed to use scallops. Anyway, the recipe is really good, thankyou! Even tho it didnt turn out like it was supposed to, the soup taste amazing and can’t wait to try it again with the right ingredients
Easy to make, heavenly to eat, Thank You
What am I doing with that 1 tbsp reserved bacon fat???
Just a note, leave the table spoon of bacon grease in the pot and add the butter
Almost the same as one I make. I use corn starch instead of flour, I find flour makes cream soup taste chalky. I add it with the half and half. I also add a cup of kernel corn, sweeter the better.
Very good recipe.
This is my go to recipe! It’s really delicious, thank you so much for sharing it! (Sometimes if I have a bottle of clam juice or seafood stock, I use that instead of the veggie broth.)
Shhhhh….I also add 1/4 cup sherry.
I added celery and carrots to the onions and it was delicious! My spouse said I should sell bowls of it. Will definitely make again.
This is so quick to make but really flavorful. My granddaughter loved it!
So good! I added carrots and celery to the garlic and onions for extra texture and flavor. I doubled the recipe anf it was the right amount for my family of six.
It was quite tasty. I added celery and carrots. One suggestion I would make for this posting: Rinse your claims after draining the juice to remove sand. Mine was full of sand and made things quite crunchy, and not in a good way. I didn’t know to rinse them. 🙁
Otherwise, great flavor!
I made this today, with just a couple of embellishments.
I added a small amount of wasabi, maybe half a teaspoon, and also a couple of slops of Clamato juice just for the hell of it.
I will definitely bookmark this recipe!
This receipt was great! . I added more potatoes and more liquid , I think maybe next time more garlic less thyme and maybe heavy cream.
It really was so easy to make 🙂
First time I’ve tried to make clam chowder, couldn’t believe how easy and yummy it was. I added celery after the onion browned and added some cayenne after the stock simmered. Total hit with the fam, and will def make again. Thank you for the recipe!.
Thanks so much for this recipe. My family has been enjoying it for a few years now!
So tasty! Elevated flavors yet homey and comforting! And easy to make! Will definitely stay in my recipe stack, thanks! Used smoked ham, added a little sliced celery and used baby clams.
Fabulous! Rich and thick
Outstanding and easy. Made as written. My family loves clam chowder and this disappeared faster than most things I make for dinner. Double the recipe. Trust me 🙂
Thank you!
This soup was delicious! The first time I made it I didn’t have vegetable stock so I used chicken. The second time I used bottled clam juice. Both times I doubled the recipe and I also used fat free half and half instead of the milk and half and half. Didn’t miss the fat because the flavor was excellent! Thanks!
This soup was very easy to make and super delicious. Thank you very much for this recipe.
Bomb.com I must say. I am not the best cook but this soup made it seem like so lol thank you!
It’s cold and snowy in IL this weekend, so I doubled this recipe and served it with a hard crust bread. It’s perfect. Thank you! All of the recipes that I have tried from your site are simply wonderful. I just signed up for your email list.
I don’t eat clams but the hubby loves clam chowder, so I made it for him. I tasted it, it was sooooo good that I now can say, I’ve had clams. This soup was so filling and utterly delicious. Made exactly to recipe.
Delicious! Even my 4 year old, who has never eaten any kind of soup for me, ate some! Simple and will make again!
I had a craving for clam chowder and have never tried to make it. I followed this recipe substituting bottled clam juice for veggie stock, and doubled the amount of clams…I really like clams. I was afraid I may have overdone it, but it was perfect, not too clammy at all. Delicious and easy! Thanks for the recipe.
This recipe is easy and has a nice taste. I used bacon pieces and would suggest you use 4 teaspoons per one slice of bacon. I had run out of bay leaves so added 1/2 tsp of oregano and used real cream instead of half and half. Other than that I followed the recipe as it is.
Why are you going to review a recipe that you’ve changed? Seem unfair to give anything but 5 stars when you make your own modifications. Oregano is an okay sub for bay leaves in tomato or meat heavy dishes. Not in this soup. Also, ditch the bacon pieces for Pete’s sake.
Karenolyn? Geez louise, she’s offering her opinion on the substitutions she made because that’s probably what she had on hand. Simmer down.
Carolyn I totally agree, if you change the recipe in any way you shouldn’t even rate it at all. She rated it by how she made it and not how the recipe was written. Double no on the bacon bits.
This was amazing. Never made clam soup before and suggest everyone try it follow as recipe goes it was great.
Made this last night and it was divine. I used just one 10oz can of baby clams and that was plenty enough for me. Per what was in my pantry, I used chicken stock instead of vegetable. Thank you very much for the helpful conversion of half and half with milk + heavy cream. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Did you chop the baby clams?
Great tasting and easy to make. It crave this clam chowder and make it a couple times a month. I use more bacon then it calls for and after I cook the bacon it goes in the soup to cook with everything else.
Used 3 cans of Snows clams, two bottles of clam juice, only heavy cream, no milk, no stock. Tasted like potato soup. So disappointed. I guess if it sounds too easy, don’t do it. Back to the drawing board.
So sorry to hear this didn’t work out for you! Unfortunately when making substitutions like omitting the milk and stock, results can be subpar. We hope you get to try this again! 🙂
So in other words you didn’t follow the recipe? Maybe that’s the reason for the disappointment? Follow the recipe then comment back to let us know if it was good or bad.
I agree. No real clam flavor. Think this is the first Damn Delicious recipe I haven’t been happy with.
You didn’t follow the recipe and missed ingredients and or added your own so why give this recipe 2 stars??? Give yourself 2 stars…..you made something totally different,
no wonder it tasted like potato soup. Perhaps make it as the recipe calls for and you will be giving it a higher review.
You should be ashamed of yourself given only two stars when you left out half of the ingredients and important ingredients no less. You couldn’t go to the store and pick up a little bit of milk and the other things you were missing. You bring down her average because you can’t follow instructions. Please let me know if you ever post your own recipe I’d love to review it
Try following the recipe exactly as written before giving 2 stars for your own creation, probably why it turned out the way it did.
You switched up the the recipe because YOU chose to yet you’re saying the recipe isn’t good? Lol okay.
I made this but added carrots and celery. I used turkey bacon and chicken broth. So delicious! My family loved it.
Best damn clam chowder EVER. A favorite of mine I’ve never made before now, this recipe seemed super easy and it was.
Made for NYE and the whole family loved it!
*I added thinly sliced celery
** and the part where you reserve the bacon grease-I couldn’t see what the direction for it was later in recipe. Am I missing something? I ended up mixing in toward end of cook time.
Thanks for such a great and tasty recipe!
The bacon grease was already there. It was reserved and then you start adding everything to it when you remove the bacon pieces.
This was the best clam chowder I ever had!
Yummy perfection! Lost my recipe I used for years, but this is much better. Love the canned clams!
Can this soup be frozen? Love every recipe I have tried from your site, but your soups are my absolute favorite!!! Thank you for all the tips and tricks!
I found this recipe easy to follow and very tasty. I had no idea making clam chowder was so easy! (AFTER making it the way it’s presented, I’ve tried a few substitutions and embellishments: I made it with fish and shrimp instead of clams because I needed to get rid of them; I’ve added celery and red pepper flakes with success; really versatile and delicious!
(JBRAY– it’s usually a bad idea to freeze cream soups… you could freeze it, perhaps, without the dairy and then just add cream/half-n-half/whatever when you got ready to serve it later?)
Fantastic flavor! The recipe is easy to follow and has come out great every time. I did change slightly after first two times. The chowder is a bit thinner than I am accustom to, so I used half & half for the milk. My clams had a lot of juice so, I only used half of the reserved juice and the texture and viscosity was wonderful. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. As written it is still FIVE STARS!
This is perfect clam chowder, I truly appreciate this recipe! There was one change, I didn’t have any bay leaves, so added just a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning. (Gluten free flour was used, which makes no difference in the taste) Then, per serving, along with the bacon & parsley, we add hot sauce to taste. It’s a meal in itself for a cozy evening in!
This recipe was delicious! I used more bacon and more clams. My boyfriend couldn’t stop eating it. I served it with some buttery, toasty French bread. Definitely a keeper recipe!
That was AMAZING! I lost my usual clam chowder recipe, and when I did a search Damn Delicious came up, and I KNEW it would be good because we are addicted to your Red Beans and Rice recipe! So, if I find my old recipe, I am going to throw it away because this is THE ONE from now on. Brava!
I am looking forward to making this — how long will this last refrigerated or frozen? I am a young lady living alone and I want to make sure I can eat it all or share with a friend/neighbor before it spoils, or reserve some to freeze and enjoy later. Thank you!
I did it!
I made sour dough bread loafs with Herbs de Provence, then scooped them out into bowls, made this clam chowder and then filled the bread bowls.
They were delicious!
Quick and easy. Didn’t use bacon as my dad is a pescatarian. Made just as listed. Very good and rich. Will make again
Great recipe. Super easy. I used it as a starting point to vary ratio of heavy cream and seasoning for preference. My dinner guest raved about it.
We loved this recipe but to be honest I tweeted it by adding minced celery and extra half and half.
Great clam chowder recipe, we all loved it! Can I substitute fennel for onions next time?
My first attempt at making clam chowder. Super easy. I did increase the thyme and garlic a bit. It came out damndelicious!
I really like this recipe. I’ve made it twice now and this time I’m leaving the bacon in with the mix. Great instructions. Great story. Easier than one would think to make. Thank you!
5 stars for the actual recipe. 1 star for having to read through a bunch of bullshit to get to the recipe
We are glad you liked the recipe. The “bullshit” actually keeps our recipes free of charge to readers like yourself and our team of 4 women employed during a year where many have lost their jobs and healthcare.
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I appreciate the recipe, and the description and the time you put into it as well! Love so many recipes from this website
Love your clap back! I’m buying the book now! And can’t wait to try this recipe. I make the Korean Beef all the time and love it!
Awesome explanation
All the right ingredients, but only 2 cups liquid and one cup cream?
My first attempt at making clam chowder. Super easy. I did increase the thyme and garlic a bit. I also added celery with the onion. It came out damndelicious!
I added more potatoes, gold potatoes, and extra butter. It’s a a recipe that delivers BIG TASTE. A keeper. Now, have to find some fresh caught clams …Newman’s in Eugene!! Maybe I’ll put a fried crust on the on taters before adding them next time!
I made this tonight. It was fantastic! I was generous with the bacon, because everything is better with lots of bacon!
Great recipe, but I decide to change a few things. It was my first time making a clam chowder and turned out awesome. My guy said it was awesome. I changed the process and added a few things. It was more of a reference. I used 4 red potatoes instead of russet, they tend to have more starch.
Why rate a recipe that you didn’t make? And maybe you don’t know that starchy potatoes are supposed to be used in creamy soups. The starch adds to the texture and deliciousness.
Just like you say ” Damndelecious ” !! Have made it 3-4 times !!!
can add canned chicken instead? I want to make this for the family, but my mom is allergic to shellfish.
My husband is also allergic, I made it with diced dark meat chicken. I cooked it in the pan before the bacon and poured it (with juices) into a bowl, then used it exactly as the recipe says. Turned out delicious. I’ve made it again since, but adding carrots, frozen corn, and celery with the potatoes. Also swapped in chicken broth, makes a fantastic chicken corn chowder.
This soup is delicious! This is the second time that I have made this in the last two weeks! It has so much flavor and makes the whole house smell wonderful. It is easy to make…even a beginner like me can do it. Thanks for sharing.
I made it! It was great! I added more bacon and used half in the soup and the remainder on top when I served it. You never said where to use the reserved bacon renderings? I guessed that’s it was added to the butter to cook the onion and garlic.
I’m trying to adjust this recipe for twenty. Help
Just multiply each ingredient by 3 to be easy .. or by 3.3 to be more exact !!
Ex 1 cup = 3 cups + 1/3 cup
I could not find when to add the reserved grease so I put it in before the flour. will make it thicker next time
The reserved grease simply stays in the Dutch oven to cook the remaining ingredients. Hope that answers your question, Susan. 🙂
Thank for answering where the bacon grease is to go. Looked like you added it later. Delicious!!
Very good!
A bit different than the thick and creamy clam chowders I’ve eaten in San Francisco and Oregon but quite good. Next time I think I’ll puree the potatoes with an immersion blender, use more half-half and less milk, and add more clams.
I served it with Olive Garden copycat breadsticks and salad.
Excellent. I substituted salt pork for the bacon. Broth was deliciously rich.
Just made this for the family for the first time and it won’t be the last! It was a hit with my husband and three kids. Next time I may add more clams and throw in some celery. But the flavor is amazing. Thank you!
This is the second time I’ve made this receipe because it is soooo delicious. Just like I love it to taste. Thank you for posting this!!!
So good! Whole family were super excited that I was making clam chowder and were 100% satisfied with your recipe. Thank you!
Super duper easy to make 10/10 I even used vanilla almond milk instead of normal milk as well has the heavy cream. Also if u don’t have fresh parsley use the dried kind but only about a third of what the recipe calls for. YUMMY!
No, no, no don’t use almond milk in clam chowder! If you can’t use half and half, use reduced fat milk to keep calories down. Also, not a fan of dried parsley — use the real deal.
Not everyone can have dairy, so using reduced fat milk won’t work for some. And plenty of people like dried herbs. Not sure why you feel the need to criticize the way someone else is choosing to cook.
Nancy’s recipe is as good as it comes and it is HER recipe. I do not see a criticism, she is reinforcing what she has already said about HER recipe.
I personally freaked out when i read VANILLA. That would completely change the taste of the original recipe; perhaps using plain almond milk if the person is lactose intolerant may be ok, but I am making mine Nancy’s style.
This was amazing clam chowder and so easy! I did add a little more spice to it, added celery, used red potatoes, and reduced the milk by half for thicker soup, but the base recipe is awesome and I will definitely make it again!
This clam chowder is delicious! I had left over steamed grouper with the juices I added to the pot at the end. Mouthwatering!
Fantastic and easy soup!! Yummy
I found this recipe very rich so I definitely recommend cutting it with some acidity. We added some vinegar. We also added some paprika and red pepper flakes (if we had old bay seasoning in the house, we would have used that). I enjoyed it after making those changes.
Yummy and super fast! Two thumbs up from this lifelong New Englander.
Love this! So easy and DELICIOUS.
Followed recipe to a “T” and my family enjoyed it.
We love our clam chowder and this is a very good and quick recipe. I tried to follow the recipe as written, but due to trying to do it quickly and with what I had, some things were missed/forgotten or substituted. So it is hard to mess up the final product and I suspect the original recipe is just as good! I used canned clams because I had them and lots of broth left over sitting in the refrigerator from an earlier doctoring of some commercial clam chowder. I used half & half for all of the milk requested…so a total of 3 cups. I mixed up the fact that I was supposed to use thyme and instead used fresh dried rosemary…yummy! I will continue doing that. I had only frozen bacon…so I used real bacon bits (purchased) and sautéed them in some bacon grease I had. I had an opened container of chicken broth, but not quite a full cup…so I added more clam juice and used that rather than vegetable broth. The soup was a little thinner than what we like so I added a tablespoon of cornstarch to the last cup of half & half before adding. I forgot the bay leaf…of well, not missed. I used 1 yellow potato chopped into small pieces. Out of fresh garlic so used about 2 + teas. of garlic powder. I didn’t want to run to the porch and snip parsley…so I left that out. I did use white paper and about teaspoon of sea salt. The end result could only have been improved on by using fresh clams….but then I won’t have had the amount of clam juice that I had. I was told not to change from adding rosemary. It was a very yummy, quick clam chowder and a recipe I will definitely make again with or wothout the changes!!! Thanks
Turned out REALLY Good. Great recipe and Very Easy to make.
I’m Originally from Chicago and have lived in the New England area for the past 17 years.
New Englanders have their own preference/taste for what they think Clam Chowder is supposed to taste like.
I LOVE it. It’s like Having New Englanders make a Pizza that Chicagoans would like. LOL
AND YES…. MY wife who has lived in New England all her life and LOVES “Snow’s” Clam Chowder Likes it. LOL
Great recipe. I substituted coconut milk for both milk and cream. Nice and thick and fewer calories
Awesome idea! I’m going to give that a try. I LOVE clam chowder and was worried I would have to give it up with my new eating-healthy regime.
Can you taste coconut when you add coconut milk? I have a child with a dairy allergy. I love the idea of using coconut milk but not if it changes the taste of the recipe
Use cashew cream, it works perfectly!
This was absolutely excellent. I added a little more half-and-half because I didn’t want it as thick and I used fresh thyme it was perfect. Will definitely make it again and again. Loved the bacon! This is real clam chowder
Delicious receipe! was very easy. it’s a hit with the family. I will make it again.
It is awesome
Great recipe! The first time I made it it came out too thin but I fixed that the second time by making sure to add the milk/stock/clam juice a little bit at a time and whisking well in between each addition.
Question for the author – can this recipe be doubled (or tripled!) by simply doubling all the ingredients? Or should some be adjusted
First clam chowder, turned out quite tasty, but the recipe needs a little tuning.
Recommend some light oiling of pan before bacon. Reserved bacon fat is never used. Allow 45 minutes for potatoes, not 12-15, or better parboil first in water for 30 mins. 2 russets should be medium, not large.
it wouldn’t take that log if you use yellow potatoes or smaller ones
Yes, my biggest complaint was my 2 potatoes (cut in 1/2” cubes) were nowhere near done after 15 minutes, 45 minutes was much more accurate. When cooked longer it was delicious!
I have been making this recipe for two years- I love it.
There is only me, so haOf of the recipe is great for dinner and then lunch in a few days.
I use heavy cream, as I freeze it in muffin tin (exactly 1/2 cup!) for recipes like this, it makes it thicker, too.
I use fresh bay leaves and thyme, as I have them year round.
I also add a bit of shrimp or a bit of fish fillet. But the basic recipe is awesome!
This was my first time making clam chowder. The reviews I had from my family, you would have thought I had made it over the years. Everyone loved it. I am making it again. I might add a little more flour to make it a little thicker but otherwise, the recipe to me is great the way it is!
Not sure what I did wrong but mine turned out quite bland and quite thin. However I added more thyme, oregano and some other spices I had along with some cornstarch + extra clam juice mixture and it turned out great in the end! Good base recipe for sure! I think i needs some more flavour though. I didn’t read the comments below first but I do see lots of people adding different things to theirs and some substitutions. I will read them and try tweaking it a bit next time.
thanks for the recipe!
Can you make this the day before?
Made this tonight. It was excellent. Am I missing something? Was I supposed to add the saved bacon grease? As others said I added some Old Bay seasoning. Will definitely make again. Also my first time making chowder.
Easy. Yummy…delicious!!
I had started with another recipe (for Corn & Potato chowder) and realized I have a can of chopped clams and some clam juice, so I thankfully found your recipe. Since I already chopped some sweet orange and yellow peppers I added them with the onion and garlic. Since I only had 1 can of clams I cooked another 4 slices of bacon and added them at the end with the clams. I added the corn towards the end too. It is thick and creamy. Since it is still a Saturday Morning (I got the urge to cook early today!) I’m letting it sit (off the heat, covered) in the dutch oven on the stove until lunchtime, for the flavors to meld together. My samplings have been delicious… I can’t wait to dig in! 🙂
This is an excellent recipe. I have made it twice, both times using leftover steamers and lobster meat, the first time using a 6.5 oz can of clams along with what I had leftover, and the second time with a total of about 10 oz of leftover lobster and clams combined, and using an additional 1/2 cup of clam juice to make up for not using the reserved juice from two cans of canned clams. BUT, the one big difference for the two times I have made it (so far, because I LOVE this recipe!) is that I use clam broth left over from making steamers instead of vegetable stock. And, I will use bottled clam juice instead of vegetable stock if I make this with no fresh broth on hand. FYI, 12 oz potato, and 4 oz of bacon works well. Thank you for a great basic recipe! It tastes like my Mom’s.
The recipe tasted good, but I agree with a PP about it being too thin.
Usually, I like my dairy-based soups (cream of mushroom, broccoli cheddar, potato, etc.) to have a thicker consistency. This had more of the consistency of a broth-based soup, unfortunately.
Anyways, I plan on making it again, but I will probably leave out some of the milk.
I ran into that problem the first time I made it but I fixed it the second time – make sure to add the milk/stock/clam juice a pour at a time, then whisk and let it thicken for 30-45 seconds. Using the original ingredient amounts I poured/whisked/repeated around 6 times and it got much thicker!
I doubled it and I did add a little Bay seasoning. The flavor was really good but it got a little thin. I should have only added 1 cup of half and half I think. Next time I will add it slower and try to get it thicker. Or possibly add more flour. I have to experiment a bit.
Made this for the first time tonight and it is perfect! Highly recommend serving with sourdough toast. We are transplants to the Seattle area and this is going to be our new Clam Chowder recipe to serve to visitors. Do note that, this recipe didn’t make a huge amount – served my husband and I, with maybe 1.5 bowls leftover. Will want to double or triple for a crowd.
Very good , everyone in my family liked it.
Wonderful! I used coconut cream instead of half and half.
also, to thicken – stead of flour (because I am gluten-free) I have used cooked rice tor potatoes blended with some of the soup then added back to the pot. Works well to thicken instead of flour
.
very yummy!! made for dinner tonight and it got rave reviews, thanks for the recipe !!
Very simple recipe to make and over all it was good. I added some more seasonings as I found it a little bland with just salt and pepper. This recipe is the perfect base recipe to then stand adding different ingredients to make it perfect for your taste.
My first time making Clam Chowder. I worked at a seafood restaurant in my early adult years. We all loved the clam chowder there, even my young daughters at the time. With time off from work, I find myself having more time to try new recipes. This Clam Chowder was “Damn Delicious!” my now grown daughters, husband and I loved the taste! The only complaint was, I wish I would of doubled the batch : )
Delicious. Made this for dinner tonight. Only thing I did different was sub clam juice for the vegetable stock because I had bought it already. Turned out great.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I made it this afternoon and my husband loved it. We are having it tonight for dinner. I am going to make another batch tomorrow. I am in CA and we are currently on lock down over this COVID crisis. I can’t WAIT to make this for our future family dinner.
This was awesome. One modification, as per some earlier readers’ comments: Before doing anything, I browned six strips of bacon in the large skillet, removed them and let them drain. Then, I added the veggies to the bacon fat and proceeded as described (with clam juice, water, etc.) Crumbled the bacon into the soup after it was all combined. Adds fat, but a huge flavor too. Simply outstanding recipe here — I love the red wine vinegar idea. Thank you!!
I made this recipe two nights ago. I used fresh horse and butter clams that I caught myself. I also used smoked bacon from my local butcher. I didn’t drain off the fat as the recipe said to and instead opted to add all of it to the dish (I like the flavor it adds). Anyhow, it turned out amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this gem of a recipe.
Josh S: What did you mean by “fresh horse”??
Fresh refers to the clams. They mean “horse and butter clams.” What kind of horse and butter clams? Fresh horse and butter clams.
This was delicious. My first time making clam chowder because I have a husband who is very picky about this dish. I bought seafood stock based on comments here and used instead of vegetable stock as well as someone’s suggestion of adding a couple of TBS of Old Bay Seasoning and this was fabulous. Husband LOVED it.
Clam chowder is my absolute favourite and this was so quick and easy ! It tastes so good too (my boyfriend doesnt like seafood so i made the whole thing for myself lol) the canned clams were just okay as the ones i bought were a little fishy/sandy type of taste but honestly i dont mind it really. Other than that great flavour, i added lots of freshy grounded black pepper and tomorrow im going to make some brioche croutons to go with it ! How long can i store it in the fridge? Saw a comment saying it freezes well but i thought dairy doesnt freeze very well?
I doubled the recipe, added :4 doz frozen cooked clams in the shell, i shelled them. Added 2 stalks of diced celery, 1 cup clam sauce, teas. Crushed celery seed , 1/4 teas garlic powder, 1/2 teas thyme crushed 3 bsy leaves, 1 # of thin sliced cooked crisp bacon , with grease,s handful of chopped flat leaf parsley. 2 cups heavy creme, 3 cups milk 2 cups organic veg. Stock, Very good.
Delicious and easy directions to make no left overs
The only thing I changed on this was I added some old bay seasoning for a bit more flavor. Other than that it was perfect!
Wow that was delicious, i omitted the salt and bacon and just used a tablespoon of canola oil with the butter. Next time i will probably also add dill and double the recipe.
I had never made clam chowder but made several of Chungah’s recipes. This is easy and so tasty. Next time I might add more clams and some fresh thyme, too. Way to go Damn Delicious!
I made a big pot of this chowder to serve at my coffee shop today. In full disclosure, I have never ventured to make clam chowder. But, my customers keep asking for it on Friday. THIS*IS*THE*BOMB!
I WILL BE SERVING THIS EVERY WEEK FROM NOW ON!
Thank you for your talent and contributions to the culinary community.
Raylyn Idella
I had a co-worker bring back a can of chopped clams when she went home for the holidays in the New England area. Every year we have a gathering with family and friends and I decided to make clam chowder and followed this recipe. Yes it was my first time ever making clam chowder. The can of clams I had was a 32 oz can so I added a few more potatoes and all the clam juice from the can. It was a huge hit!! I received compliments left and right. Will definitely keep this recipe.
Wow! How lucky were you? I can’t imagine a 32 oz. can of clams. All I can find are the little tuna-sized cans.
This was easy and so delicious! I’d never made Clam Chowder before and now? I will never buy it again!
Rxcellent !!!!!
Really like this soup and it was easy and fast to make. Next time I will omit the bay leave.
Being from New England, I was not a fan of this. I did not have a nice clam flavor like at home. I typically make with real clams and this could be why, also typically use chicken stock not vegetable. I likely won’t use this recipe again.
My first time making clam chowder and these came out awesome! I subbed more clam juice for veg stock. Easy, and damn delicious indeed! Thank you!
I love to cook, I am glad I found this site
Excellent dish, but what is the easiest way to thicken?
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit. Hubby requested “about a gallon more” and the kids gobbled it down, rated it 5 stars, and asked if I could make it again tomorrow. I added some diced carrots and celery to the onions since I had them in the fridge and seasoned with a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of pink salt and soy sauce.
This is an easy recipe, flavor was average but just not quite there with the clam flavor we love. Couldn’t find where to add the 1 tablespoon of excess fat from bacon, but that’s okay! It’s definitely a comfort soup for cold nights with some garlic toast on the side. I’d probably make it again using actual clam juice sold in a jar (adjusting the liquids to make up for less vegetable stock) and the juices from the canned clams to add more richness. Also, I always use fat-free half and half to keep the calories down.
This recipe was excellent. The changes I made was to almost double it for my large family and I used heavy whipping cream instead of half and half and extra vegetable broth to balance it out. I also used spicy smoked sea salt for a little kick.
Best clam chowder ever! The entire family loved it!
Delicious! Served this with my Christmas Eve buffet. It is restaurant quality chowder. I’ll be making this frequently.
I really liked this-it was easy! I used 3 cans of clams and 1/2 heavy cream in place of milk-so it’s super rich!
I would take 3 tbls of the bacon grease, the 3 tbls of flour and make a roux with it. Add’s flavor and thickens the soup.
Very tasty recipe. It was a little thinner than I expected
but I would make it the same again.
Love it! Added summer savory and used seafood stock instead of vegetable stock. Plus added an extra 2 cups…. came out delicious! Thank you!
Using seafood stock sounds good. Did you add an extra 2 cups of it? That seems like a lot of broth, am I understanding you correctly?
Using seafood stock, great idea, but not sure where to find it or do you make your own? Also, the summer savory sounds good. Mine just needed a little more of some type of seasoning, so I will try that.
Look forward to trying this. Thanks.
If I were to focus on making a chowder as my main dish – what would you recommend as an appropriate starter?
John.
This recipe was delicious, I got a lot of compliments. I also added celery, and I think next time I’ll add more clams.
Excellent recipe! My husband and I loved it. We tweaked a bit due to not having all ingredients in-house. Had only half an onion so added chopped up celery in place of the other half. I also used dried thyme and parsley instead of fresh, and added a bit of Old Bay and onion powder. Next time I’ll try it with fresh herbs. I’ll also try adding extra clam juice, as others have done. I think I’ll make Damn Delicious one of my favorite recipe sites!
Damn Delicious is absolutely my favorite recipe site! Everything I make from her is a huge hit in my house. I have a feeling it will be the same for you. 🙂
Great recipe, it was delicious but you don’t mention what to do with the reserved fat that you put aside after cooking the bacon.
This soup was easy to make and tasted great. I am not a cook, but the directions were easy to follow and the prep was quick.
I have a quick question. I would really like to make this tonight but I would need to double it … is there any special instructions for doing so?
Hi Alissa! I used this method to increase the recipe for 18 people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uyxpBmqmrE. Hope this helps. 🙂
This was the best Clam Chowder I ever ate,loved it,and shared the receipt with my Daughter and they also loved it.
I made this clam chowder for the first and just cook said it was indeed very easy and damn delicious, I did add few more seasonings which made this recipe damn good. I’ll definitely be make this soup more often. Trecia Williams from Philadelphia
I’ve been making this for about a year or so now. It’s delicious, but it never thickens for me. 🙁
Excellent recipe, however, I wish that it had a tip on how to make the chowder thicker.
You can make a roux to thicken the soup. Take 2 Tbsp butter & melt over med heat. Add 1 heaping Tbsp of flour and stir constantly as it thickens. I add some of the milk from ingredient list as it thickens. Then stir into your chowder. Works every time!
I added more flour in a separate bowl with cold milk and mixed til smooth then pour mixture into soup. Also, I didn’t use any fresh vegetables just the dried powder ones and dried parsley. Delicious clam chowder which is my favorite of all soups.
Judy Babcock
Think I let it get too brown {after adding the flour}, because it’s beige lol. Not exactly what I’m used to with clam chowder, but the flavor is wonderful, and the recipe is a lot simpler than my usual recipe.
This recipe is the best. I do sauté 2 celery stalks finely diced along with the onion.
Didn’t have russet potatoes so quartered baby new potatoes. Really great!
we love this recipe. Quick and delicious.
Best clam chowder I’ve ever made! 4 stars!
This is fabulous! Chock full of clams and such a rich flavor!
Best clam chowder recipe I have ever found! We triple the recipe for my family of 6!
Made this tonight, great recipe!
I used 5 slices of bacon, powdered thyme, 3 (5 ounce cans) of clams (with all juice, since I couldn’t find any 6.5 ounce cans), 2% milk, generic yellow potatoes, and skipped on the bay leaf and parsley. I noticed that on step 3 a layer of my flour ended stuck to the bottom of the stock pot I was using even though I was careful to add and stir in very little at a time, but it didn’t end up changing the final product. The only problem I had with my chowder was that the clams themselves seemed to lack flavour, I’m wondering if brining my canned clams after draining them from the clam juice would improve them, or whether I should just look for fresh clams. Here’s a picture: https://imgur.com/a/CSF6LUB
do you add in the clams along with the clam juice? just double checking 🙂 Thanks!
The clam juice is added in step 3 and the clams are added in step 5. 🙂
3. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, vegetable stock, clam juice and bay leaf, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in potatoes.
4. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes.*
5. Stir in half and half and clams until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.
The absolute best I’ve ever made. Everyone loved it!
Made this tonight. Rich and hearty, coupled with a sourdough bread ~ muah!
I used a can of whole baby clams and 6 finely chopped razor clams (which I have a surplus of)! Added a tablespoon of old bay seasoning and lemon pepper!
Great recipe & lends itself well to customizing.
I did not need the flour; I used my hand immersion blender to break up most of the spuds and left some chunks. I used some paprika at the end. Very easy recipe. Don’t skimp with the butter!
Can you please tell us the brand of clams you use? I am a newbie at making clam chowder. Thank you!
Hi Carol! Any store-bought brand should work just fine here. 🙂
I made this early for dinner tonight. I added Umami seasoning and a couple splashes of dry sherry. Excellent!
I love clam chowder, This recipe sounds exceptionally yummy!! You state serves 6. My concern is I am making for myself only. Can the prepared leftover soup be frozen? Of course that would be the easiest way to do it, as I believe trying to cut the recipe in half would possibly deviate from the desired taste. Any suggestions. Thanks.
Unfortunately, soups that contain milk or cream, like chowders and bisques, do not hold up well in the freezer as they tend to take on a grainy texture and separate when defrosted and rewarmed. 🙁
I love clam chowder. Could you help me keto size this recipe please. To taste just as good.
When I search for a recipe, you are one of my 5 favorite sites. Dependably delicious every time. I appreciate you and your work so much. I wanted to make clam chowder on this frosty day, and you were the only one among my favorites, who specified russet potatoes. I was thinking I probably needed to go get red, but I think the russets will help thicken the soup much better.
I am a huge fan of clam chowder and feel like a lot of restaurants don’t offer it where I live. If they do offer it, it’s only on Fridays(which is dumb). So I came across this recipe and made it today….OMG..it is soooooooo yummy!!! It was super easy and I will be making this again, especially during the colder months!
I made this tonight for supper and LOVED it! It tasted like something from a gourmet restaurant! I substituted water for the vegetable broth and evaporated milk for the half and half. It will be added to my very favorite recipes for sure!
Amazing!! I changed it a touch and added fresh clams.
I will be making this again!
Fantastic
Just wondering why my clam chowder is more of a brown color rather than white?
Maybe u browned flour too long
Mine was also brown. It was white until I added the vegetable stock. I used the Kitchen Basics brand which is very dark. Tasted ok but the color was off putting.
Thank you for this recipe! Made tonight and was absolutely delicious! Used 1less can of clams and bit more milk but turned out wonderful! Will be making again and adding different seafood as other reviews mentioned!
Have made this for a several times already! Loved it every time!
Have tried adding scallops, mussels, or salmon. They all turned out great!
This is my go-to clam chowder recipe!
This recipe is AMAZING!!!! Thank you for sharing. My husband Loved It! He said Dukes Chowder house should watch out…lol… I used heavy cream instead of half and half. I tripled the recipe and added more clams. I’ll definitely make it again.
I made this for my family of 7 and it was delightful and delicious. Even my five children ate it all up! Definitely putting in my recipe box for another cloudy and chilly evening for dinner!
Great soup! I added crab meat, shrimp and crab boil (maybe half a Tsp), old bay and some cheese and soup crackers on top! DELICIOUS!!
Such great homemade soup on a cold wet spring day! So easy to make! I put in an etxra can of clams and more potatoes to make it even thicker and more delicious! Will definitely make this again!
We made this and it was so good.
Thank you for the easy recipe.
We made this and it was so good. thank
you for this easy recipe❤️
We have cholesterol issues in the family.. so I substited milk and cream with no fat canned milk and coconut milk. Turned out great!
It tells you to reserve a tablespoon of fat, then never mentions it again. Other than that, a great, easy recipe that produces a delicious soup.
The reserved 1 tablespoon excess fat remains in the large stockpot or Dutch oven, combining with the butter, garlic and onion in step 2. 🙂
We love clam chowder and the recipe I have takes so much time that I hate to make it. This clam chowder took me so little time and the flavor was superb! This soup is thick and so yummy! Thank you Chungah!
Very tasty!! And easy to make!
What a great basic recipe! I tweaked it a little bit to make it mine. I added the bacon back into it and I used 2 bottles of clam juice and no vegetable broth. Thank you for the directions!
Made it tonight. Doubled the recipe subbed clam juice for broth,half n half for milk.
It is divine!, thank you,! !
Perfect after the nor-Cal snow storm!
Thank you and thank you again. Perfect the absolutely Best I’ve ever and thanks to you really simple!
Wonderful recipe! I found out too late that I didnt have enough milk so I put 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 of half and half in with the veggie stock and clam juice and it came out wonderfully thick, just like I like it! Thank you so much!
Have I already reviewed this? I make it all the time. It is my one and only chowdah recipe. I do a bit of miraproix instead of just onions, and I do more potatoes and use a bottle of clam juice instead of veggie stock. I often use bacon grease that I have in the freezer if I don’t have bacon on hand. But this is one of those great recipes that you can do more of this, less of that, and still get great results!
Delicious! We made the Clam Chowder (with a few substitutes due to allergies) for a a family meal over a bread bowl. We all enjoyed it enormously. Thank you for sharing.
I just made this and its FABULOUS!!!! Family Loves It!!!!! Thank you! This recipe Rocks!
Oh my gosh! This is soooooo good thank you for posting it
Can this soup be frozen?
Unfortunately, we cannot answer this with certainty as we have never tried freezing this ourselves. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I saved the TBL of bacon grease, but never saw what to do with it! What do you do with the TBL of reserved bacon grease? It’s a wonderful soup recipe – have made it twice now.
The excess fat is combined with the butter in step #2. Hope that helps, Caroline.
Love this recipe! I’ve used it 3 times now and it’s always yielded damn delicious results! 😉
I have also altered it by adding 1/2 cup of frozen corn, cause I thought it would taste great in chowder.
I made this for my two oldest sons who came home for lunch during their lunch break the other day. They loved It! They both spent time in Oregon and got to eat clam chowder at the coast, but they declared this was the best they had ever eaten. I didn’t have any bacon, but had bacon grease that I used for frying the onion, etc. Also, I partially cooked the potatoes before adding to the chowder, and I used a combination of milk and sour cream instead of half and half, since I didn’t have any. Delicious!
This is THE best clam chowder recipe! It is now our go-to and has even impressed family members who are VERY picky about their clam chowder! Thanks so much! Have you ever tried to make this recipe in the instant pot? I just got one and wondered if you have tried it to save some time…
I actually haven’t – sorry!
The part about cooking the potatoes in the milk for 12-15 minutes. Wouldn’t the milk stick to the pan and burn?
Not at all!
This is our favourite clam chowder recipe! I just got an instant pot and am wondering if you know how to adjust the cooking times to make it in an instant pot? Thanks!
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications. Sorry, Julie!
How easy is this to double? Or increase by 50%? How much would that affect cooking time? Also, what size stock pot would you recommend for his recipe? I’m curious if my stock pot is even big enough to hold everything if I double it. Thanks.
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications. Sorry, Michelle!
I love your site, but have never commented before now. I’m from New England, love chowder, and almost never follow recipes. I followed this recipe almost exactly (I skipped the half and half and added corn), for a late weeknight dinner and it was AMAZING! Thank you for a new favorite!
I made this with a few minor changes… First of all I fried my potatoes and set them to the side… then I cooked the bacon in the pot and removed to cool/dry… Added onions, butter, garlic to bacon fat and cooked thoroughly… I used the clam juice and added corn starch to make a run and added that to the mix in the pot… Added bacon pieces, clams and half and half and let that simmer for about 30 minutes then added potatoes and let it cook another 10 minutes…. Rave reviews all around and everyone was wondering how I got the texture of the potatoes so wonderful! Thanks for the guidance…
Have you tried making a Manhattan clam chowder (this one for reference https://www.recipestroupe.com/recipe-traditional-manhattan-clam-chowder-50950.html)? I was talking to a colleague at work and we were trying to work out the difference between a chowder and a soup. I thought chowders were creamy, but the Manhattan style isn’t. Do you know the difference?
I actually haven’t made a Manhattan clam chowder just yet but it’s on my bucket list!
It’s delicious, I highly recommend it (although I do often prefer creamy kind for full on flavor)
This is the best! I’ve made it a couple of times including today and my family loves it. I add extra like red & green peppers and corn & peas but still stick to the original way of making it. Delicious!
I made this soup today. It was absolutely delicious. The only change I made was I an extra cup of vegetable stock. My kids loved it and asked for seconds. Thank you for another spectacular recipe.
I absolutely loved this recipe! I highly recommend it!
I’ve made this numerous times and we love it the best clam chowder I’ve ever had. Might be weird but we eat this with grilled hot dogs. Other chowders I’ve had are to thick and gloppy, this is perfect!
Not weird at all! 🙂
I will be making this tonight wish me luck!
Made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! Next time I’ll add another can of clams, but other than that, the flavors were perfect. As a New Englander currently residing in the Midwest, this recipe satisfied my cravings for a warm bowl of Maine clam chowder. Thank you!!
I did it today, oh, very yummy; but next time I’ll add flour at the end since too theack for boiling potato in it
not into dairy can this be made manhattan syle with a red sauce. Thank [email protected].
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Yes! Just omit everything except the clams 🙂
Kidding aside, I’ve been surfing for a clam chowder recipe that isn’t a fish-flavored white sauce and this looks like the winner. **May add some canned clam juice with the broth. Will be back with a review.
This was fabulous! I skipped the cream and bacon, since I didn’t have any. It still had my entire family licking their bowl clean! Even my picky eater ate the entire bowl. So delicious…. damn delicious 😉 Thank you!!
If I add some chucks of white fish, when should I do that and how long should I leave them cook? Had a fabulous clam chowder in Ireland that had them. We tried 3 places. The first was tops but they won’t share the recipe..
I recommend adding the fish with the potatoes, letting it simmer until it’s fully cooked through and opaque. But as always, please use your best judgment.
A lot of people went on vacation during Memorial Day Weekend, but I didn’t. So, I decided to explore the culinary world a bit. I eventually got tired of eating all the foods like Cup Noodle and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. And in addition, I needed to start trying out a bunch of new recipes that I could then use at college. I came across your site last week, and I’ve got to say: all these different recipes look amazing! Anyway, (I decided to make this soup yesterday…) thank you for sharing such a delicious, easy recipe! The soup tasted so good, and it was all gone by the end of the day. I’ll definitely be making this again very soon. <3
I made this with 1 # cod loins cut in bite size, instead of clams. I also used clam juice instead of vegetable broth. This chowder was easy and tasted amazing.
Can’t have dairy, any advice on making this with almond,rice or coconut milk? Thanks
Almond milk or any other milk alternative like rice or soy milk should work!
Nice recipe, the thyme really provides the overall flavor profile. I followed your recipe exactly, yet I’m looking for a bit more clam flavor. I taste vegetable, thyme, light bay leaf and overall creaminess but the clam flavor it lacking.
Will make again with the addition of extra clam juice.
Thank you
Thank you for this easy recipe! I have been looking for one since I my vacation in Oceano, CA ended. I have to watch my sodium intake so I omitted the bacon. Then, I substituted the vegetable stock with clam juice. Other than that, I kept it the same. It was damn delicious. 😉 My father, who is hard to please, said if he hadn’t know I made it, he would think it was from San Francisco. Kudos to you for a great recipe! Thanks.
this clam chowder recipe is excellent if you are a first time cooker. i added some pancetta instead of bacon, and corn for texture, doubled the recipe and two containers of clam juice was still enough, and used mushroom stock.
it will come out tasty if you season correctly with thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, and italian spices!
^ my version may not be authentic to new england but sure was delcious!
I use to buy my husband clam chowder in the can. I decided to use this recipe. I did chop one stalk of celery very finely. I had a bottle of clam juice on hand, and used about half of it. I used a little dried parsley in the end. He bragged on it. It was awesome. Next time I will use three cans of clams. Also, to speed the cooking time, I put the potatoes in the microwave for six minutes, drained the water off, then added them to the pot.
I am serving 12 for a luncheon this month and looking for a chowder recipe that I think will appeal to all. Sounds like this is the one, and I like Belinda’s suggestions as well. My soup bowls will be red, so needed a white soup to go in them. I fix chowder from a can every Thursday, but this sounds almost as easy.
I, too, am completely “hooked” on your recipes! Have tried many and have always been very pleasantly surprised how wonderful they always turn out…..thank you, thank you and keep ’em coming!!
Made this last night and it was truly excellent! Better than excellent even. Didn’t have bacon. Nor vegetable broth (used chicken broth). Only had 1 can of clams but it was enough. This is now my go-to clam chowder and I live in clam chowder land – Nova Scotia, Canada.
I loved this receipt it was so tasty just beautiful, it will forever be a favorite of mine and my husband loved it also.
Excellent soup, follows recipe exactly except used heavy cream instead of half-half
I was looking for a new Clam Chowder recipe and I’ve found it! This was very easy to make and turned out delicious. Might double the next time for more leftovers. This is my 3rd recipe from your site, made the Zuppa Toscana a few weeks ago, and they’ve all turned out great!
I made this last night (followed the directions exactly – (actually, I used non fat milk instead of whole, but that’s it) and it came out super delicious! I will definitely make it again! Very easy, rich, creamy, almost buttery, sweet and savory. It can probably also stand alone without the bacon if for whatever reason you don’t want it (it was that good). I served with a salad and oyster crackers. Thanks so much for this recipe! And for the nutritional value! Very helpful.
This is the best clam chowder ever! Easy and very tasty. Even the grandkids loved it. A Win,Win!
This was my first attempt at clam chowder and it was delicious. My husband “helped” me and accidentally put in the cream with all the other liquids, but it was still perfect! I used tarragon since I didn’t have any thyme, and turkey bacon so it did’t really give off any fat, but this was still loaded with flavor. Thank you so much for this quick and easy recipe, I will definitely be making it again.
You said to set aside a tablespoon of the excess fat from the bacon – but never said what to do with it! So I’ve had a spoon of excess fat sitting on my table for a wk since making this recipe.
TJ, the tablespoon of excess fat is set aside in the stockpot/Dutch oven and cooked with the butter, garlic and onion.
This looks fantastic! Have you tried freezing it, and reheating it later? I’m on the prowl for good freezer meals.
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
This freezes very well.
Is it alright to substitute soy milk in place of dairy? I am lactose intolerant but I just love clam chowder, and this looks divine!
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise an appropriate substitute that will not alter the overall taste/texture of the dish. Please use your best judgment to suit your dietary restrictions.
This sounds very good!
I concer with Katherine, you have the best website. Everything tastes as good as it looks. If I’m deciding between recipes/websites, I will always choose yours. Thank you, thank you, from someone who has a very busy schedule, a family, works and loves to cook homemade.
Some good 35 years ago, at a young age and on my own, I found myself scraping the bottom of the barrel to eat. How it came about that I had clams, I don’t know. But I did. That, and some potatoes and milk, with seasoning gave me the most simple clam chowder. I’d never had it before, but my simple, bare bones recipe was mighty tasty (or I was just that hungry). This brings more to the table, but the basics are where it is at. Been a fan of clam chowder from that point on.
This sounds sooooo good!! Can’t wait to make it!
Can you use almond or coconut milk. Allergic to all dairy.
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I replaced it with almond milk and gleten free all purpose flour, everyone loved it!!
I’ve been on the hunt for a clam chowder thatsbquick and easy to make that doesn’t involve opening up a can… My fiancé is from Massachusetts and is constantly asking me to find a recipe. I love to cook… Hate the tedious process that most clam chowder recipes ask for. So I’m super excited to try this one! I use your website for almost every meal I make, I love the simplicity and my son has loved everything. So you at my trustworthy go to. Plus everything tastes better than most websites, and its half the time.
I’ve always wondered about 1/2 and 1/2. If it’s Equal parts milk & cream, why is the substitution not 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream?
It becomes a little bit complex when you factor in percentages of fat – you can read more about it here.
The article says half and half “is a simple blend of equal parts whole milk and light cream” which still doesn’t explain the substitution of 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream…
Sarah, again, you must consider the fat content. You can certainly substitute equal parts milk and cream but I’ve found that it’s best with 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream for a richer, creamier taste. You can read more about it here. There are also many available resources online for additional information.
Don’t over-think things. Just add dairy to your liking.
Debra, I agree with you…… where I might use “heavy” whipping cream in mine….. just saying…. Steve
Totally agree, such a simple thing and there is always 1 or 2 making a simple situation complicated.
It explains it perfectly. “Light cream” is not the same thing as “heavy cream”.
Maybe I missed it, but why is 1T of the bacon fat reserved?
1T of bacon fat is reserved in the Dutch oven to bring in a little bacon flavor into the soup when cooking the garlic and onion.
Yes. That step was left out. I always put it in with the butter.
Well why is the recipe not adjusted?? Don’t put out recipes that are wrong!!!!
Wow really?!
So funny. It’s soup!!! Just glad I don’t work with these people. Pretty sure the bacon must go in the soup.
P L E A S E ! Hey over it, she said she forgot!
While the comment was given a bit rudely, she does have a point. I almost didn’t notice the missed step, had to go looking in the comments to find it. Is this something the OP could adjust, editing her recipe so that others don’t miss it? Sooo looking forward to dinner tonight!
shut up lol
“Chill”…or eat some soup.
Everything is so much better when you can make it yourself! This soup sounds just perfect!
Is there a particular reason you chose russet potatoes? Recipe sounds and looks delicious. Thank you.
Elizabeth, please feel free to use any kind of potatoes, but it is best to dice them small to ensure a short cooking time.
This is such a great meal – everyone loves it!
There’s nothing bacon can’t make better! This looks so so tasty!