Easy Clam Chowder
by Chungah
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Clam chowder is easier (and much better) to make right at home! So unbelievably creamy, flavorful and chockfull of clams!
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Why you’ll love this easy clam chowder recipe
- Quick, weeknight super hero. Yes, homemade restaurant-quality clam chowder can be made in 30 min or less right at home, an absolute weeknight staple around here!
- Hug-in-a-bowl. This soup just hits right during soup season, perfect for fall and blustery winter nights, or any time you need a soul-warming soothing soup to warm you from the inside out.
- Pantry-friendly recipe. This is also a great budget-friendly recipe using pantry staples like canned clams, adding even more clam flavor goodness (and an abundance of clams!) to your chowder.
What is clam chowder?
Clam chowder is an American soup made with clams, potatoes, onions and broth, often times served with oyster crackers or saltines. There are two regional variations worth mentioning below.
New England Clam Chowder (white)
New England is a thick and creamy white soup, typically made with milk or cream.
Manhattan Clam Chowder (red)
Manhattan is a tomato-rich red soup without milk or cream, and typically includes more vegetables than New England.
How to make clam chowder
- Cook the bacon and aromatics. Cook a few slices of diced bacon in a stockpot or Dutch oven, sautéing the aromatics directly in the rendered bacon fat for all the smoky goodness. Reserve the cooked bacon for topping.
- Create the roux. Whisk in the flour for about 1 minute. This will help thicken the chowder, creating that favorited velvety-rich consistency.
- Stir in liquids and potatoes. Add in milk, vegetable stock, reserved clam juice (from the canned clams), bay leaf and potatoes, simmering until the potatoes are tender. The longer it simmers, the more it will thicken.
- Add half and half (or heavy cream) and clams. Stir in the half and half with the clams until heated through over low heat, working carefully not to boil the dairy (or else it will separate), seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve. Remove the bay leaf and serve warm with the reserved crispy bacon, oyster crackers and cornbread.
why use canned clams in clam chowder?
- Convenience
- Budget-friendly and economical
- Extra clam flavor, especially when using the canned 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, we opted for russet potatoes here – they are naturally very starchy, ideal for creating a thicker, chowder-like velvety, rich consistency.
what to serve with clam chowder
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Easy Clam Chowder: Frequently Asked Questions
The most popular chowder is New England (white) made with milk or heavy cream and associated with Boston. There is also the Manhattan (red) made with a tomato-based broth and commonly associated with Manhattan.
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.
Overcooking the clams can cause them to be rubbery. Always add the clams (fresh or canned) at the very end, cooking for just a few minutes so they stay tender.
Clam chowder is commonly paired with oyster crackers and cornbread.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Leftover clam chowder can be reheated on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through, adding a splash of milk or stock to thin it out as needed.
We do not recommend freezing this as cream-based soups tend to separate when frozen.
Easy Clam Chowder
Video
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 or heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
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.*
- Reduce heat to low. 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.
Equipment
Notes
- Start with a smoky base. A good clam chowder starts with a smoky base, beginning with the bacon and sautéing the aromatics (garlic and onion) right in the bacon fat.
- Use the reserved juices. The juices from the canned clams add all the extra, deep clam flavor.
- Russet potatoes serve as a natural thickener. The potatoes will release starch into the broth to create that velvety, restaurant-quality richness.
- Use half and half or heavy cream. Half and half will yield a thinner soup whereas heavy cream will result in more of a rich, velvety, indulgent clam chowder.
- Always add the dairy at the very end. Avoid boiling the half and half or heavy cream, adding it in at the end of cooking time (or else it will curdle).
- Avoid overcooking the clams. Similar to the half and half, add the clams during the last few minutes of cooking. Overcooked clams can be rubbery!
- 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 or cornbread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
- Reheat gently. Leftovers can be reheated gently over low heat, adding a splash of milk, half and half or stock as needed.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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.