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?
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Made this tonight and it was delicious. Will certainly make it again and recommend anybody give it a try! Lowered the carbs and gluten by using cauliflower instead of potatoes and instead of using a flour thickener, I used an immersion blender to whip up half the cauliflower once cooked (before putting the clams in to heat up).
Thanks so much for sharing!
This WAS damn delicious! And super easy to make. It’s a keeper.
Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks for the idea about subbing cauliflower for potato. I’m going to try that the next time I make this.
I have made this a few times and it’s always a hit with my family.
This is the best!
It was easy and it was delicious. Thank you
My Husband & I loved it! Added Carrots, Celery and an extra can of clams with the juice. Perfect for our Rainey days here on the Central Coast of California. Trying your broccoli cheddar soup tomorrow. Thank you!
This was great! My husband loved it and he considers himself a chowder connoisseur. I found it difficult to cook the potatoes in the broth after thickening it. I think next time I will nuke them a bit before I throw them in.
Loved it!
Now, one of my favorites! My husband too!
What is your serving size? You say the recipe serves 6, but are we talking a cup of soup or more?
First, I love this blog! I’ve been a follower for many years and my family and I have enjoyed many delicious meals made from Damn Delicious recipes.
I’m a native New Englander and have been cooking for decades — this recipe is a good starter for folks who don’t have a lot of experience enjoying clam chowder. It’s a bit on the bland side. Add another can of clams, substitute 2 cups of clam juice for the milk and vegetable broth and you’ll achieve a more authentic and, in my opinion, tastier bowl of New England clam ‘chowdah”. Oh, and ditch the bay leaf.
Thank you, Chungah for so many wonderful recipes!
Looks Delicious! Can I switch out cooked shrimp for clams?
I don’t typically cook by recipe. As i tiptoe into trying new meals by following recipes, this is my first. Cheap. Easy. Filling. Delicious!!!!!!
I loved this recipe! I used 1 can of milk, old bay 2 tablespoons, canned potatoes, 2 cups small pan seared shrimp (seasoned to my liking), didn’t have bacon, but had some bacon grease and butter, added diced celery, three cans of clams, 1 bottle of clam juice, and juice of the cooked shrimp. MY GOODNESS!!!
So you made an entirely different recipe…
I’ve made this several times – it is ‘filed’ in my Pinterest folders under “Tried recipes to make again”. It is so good! I usually use 3 cans of clams, and tonight I’m adding 2 celery stalks and a medium carrot. Because I’m adding more liquid, I’ll use a little more flour. Excellent recipe, and thank you for such an easy dinner!!
I like that recipe twist. Will have to try it.
I made this last nigh for the first time. It was easy to follow the recipe I added thin sliced baby Bella mushroom and some broccoli florets. It turned out delicious. My husband loved it! Thank you so much for sharing.
I can’t seem to find the nutritional values for this recipe. Am I missing them somewhere?
I make this vegetarian for my son so I omit the bacon and just use a little olive oil instead. I also add some celery and carrots for a little more vegetables. It is such a great and easy recipe for those cold nights.
I’d like to make ahead. Can I refrigerate after step 5 then when reheating add the half and half and clams?
I normally do not like clam chowder. I make it for my husband and friends and usually make a different soup for me. I loved this soup so much that I ate a large bowl. I highly recommend this soup. So easy to make and very tasty.
This *was* easier than I thought it would be! (Even though she mentions how easy it is, lol). I had left over steamed potatoes on hand and just cubed them and threw them in for the 12 minute boil step, and all was well. We topped it with saltines and paired it with a white wine. Yum. Thanks for such a great recipe website!
This was delicious! I doubled the recipe, used 1 cup seafood stock & 1 cup veggie stock, and 6 cans of clams with the juice. At the very end I melted in one package of Garlic Herb Borsin cheese.
I will absolutely make this again.
Now, here comes the food coma.