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!
Featured Comment
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
Did you make this recipe?
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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!