Easy Clam Chowder
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Clam chowder is easier (and much better) to make right at home! So unbelievably creamy, flavorful and chockfull of clams!
Featured Comment
why i love homemade clam chowder
- Cozy soup season vibes, perfect for fall and blustery 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 typically 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
Did you make this recipe?
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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.