Easy Clam Chowder
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Clam chowder is easier to make than you think – and the homemade version is unbelievably creamy, flavorful and chockfull of clams!
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why i love homemade clam chowder
- Cozy soup season vibes, perfect for fall and blistery winter nights
- Restaurant-quality, if not even better
- Pantry-friendly recipe using canned clams (more on that below)
- Quick, weeknight hero made in 30 min or less
new england clam chowder vs. manhattan clam chowder
New England Clam Chowder
New England is a thick and creamy white soup, typically made with milk or cream.
Manhattan Clam Chowder
Manhattan is a tomato-rich red soup without milk or cream, and includes more vegetables than New England.
why use canned clams in clam chowder
- Convenience
- Budget-friendly and economical
- Extra flavor, especially when using the juices
- Abundance of clams
which potatoes are best for clam chowder
A lot of recipes recommend waxy potatoes such as Yukon gold or baby red potatoes because they will hold up well in soups. Instead, I opted for russet potatoes here – they are naturally very starchy, ideal for creating a thicker, chowder-like consistency.
tips and tricks for success
- Use the reserved juices. The juices from the canned clams add all the extra, deep clam flavor.
- Simmer, simmer, simmer. The longer it simmers, the more it thickens, making it perfect to cook until the desired consistency is reached.
- Make it clammier. For those wanting extra clam flavor, add an additional can of chopped clams.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
what to serve with clam chowder
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Easy Clam Chowder: Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Substitute 1 – 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh clams along with bottled clam juice to replace the juice from the can. Chopped fresh clams will need additional cook time to cook through.
Yes! Always thaw properly, adding at the end of cooking as they are already precooked.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
We do not recommend freezing this as cream-based soups tend to separate when frozen.
Easy Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 2 (6.5-ounce) cans chopped clams, juices reserved
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 cup half and half*
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon excess fat in the stockpot.
- Melt butter in the stockpot. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 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.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes.*
- 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.
- Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.
Video
Notes
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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.
Thx for that gluten-free tip!!
I was thinking I’d omit the flour or use arrowroot instead to thicken.
But your idea of just using potato to thicken is much better than all that flour!
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.
In the Royal Canadian Navy version, the bacon is sauteed with onions and celery and left in the broth to cook with the potatoes.
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.
Thanks for your very lovely story. I am making the clam chowder later on today–my first, also. Hugs, Gayle Rush
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.