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 made this dairy free with extra creamy oat milk, oat and coconut half and half. It was amazing!
Absolutely love this recipe, easy to make and delicious!
I made it twice. It is fabulous.
Very easy to make but tasty.
I’ll make it often. Thanks for the recipe.
Love this recipe. Tasty. You need to pay attention. Don’t wander off and get distracted.
I absolutely love clam chowder, and I have often toyed with the idea of making at home because it would be so much healthier! This recipe was simple and the chowder tastes absolutely amazing! This is going in my recipe book! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Made this last week! Had to make it again today, it’s delicious
I thought this was a great recipe. Very tasty and easy to make. I used tapioca starch instead of flour and heavy cream instead of half and half. It was very rich and creamy, yum!
This is absolutely delicious, my family loved it. I added a chopped stalk of celery that I sautéed with the onion and a large carrot that I added with the potatoes. Instead of 1/2 and 1/2, I used 2/3 cup of whole milk with 1/3 cup of heavy cream. Also, I did not use any butter, I sautéed in the bacon grease – yum
The best. took a little longer to make. But Well worth it.
This chowder turned out amazing! It was fun to make and fun to eat. My family loved it!
Wonderful. Wonderful.
Thanks so much for an awesome chowder recipe.
Turns out great, every single time I fix it. Big, big… bowls for dinner !
My husband made linguini with clam sauce and we had some fresh clams leftover that I needed to use up. I found this recipe, had all the ingredients needed and thought I’d give it a try. Turned out to be one of the BEST bowls of clam chowder I’ve ever had. Other than adding one stalk of diced celery as others suggested, I followed the recipe as written (okay, I used fresh chopped clams rather than ones bought in a grocery store). Easy to make, didn’t take a long time, and the results were fantastic. My husband and I were licking our bowls clean. This will become a regular at house. YUMMO!
DAMN Right Delicious!
a little cayenne powder….
Did not hurt it…
this was the first time making clam chowder & this recipe was seriously very simple. to my shock there weren’t any potatoes in the supermarket i went to so, i decided to sub for frozen french fries instead. it cuts the cooking time 15 mins lesser & also added in more frozen clams & corn. my mom had seconds & i was so happy she enjoyed it too!
Delicious! Made it as it, except didn’t have bacon but did have a crock of bacon fat, so still got the smoky flavor.
I made this recipe tonight and it was absolutely delicious. Although I didn’t have vegetable stock, I used chicken broth and I added 3 cans of clams and juice. I wanted it a little more seafood tasting so I found a can of crab in my pantry so I added it and got my seafood taste. I didn’t have tyme so I added basil but other than those few tweaks I made it just the way the recipe said. To my Dismay I am out of oyster crackers but regular crackers were just fine. My puppy really loves oyster crackers. LoL dinner was delicious. Thank you for a great recipe.
Great chowder! I used leftover clams, shrimp, scallops and lobster (from our homemade Valentine’s Day dinner) and seafood stock instead of chicken broth (also as a substitute for the clam juice), and it turned out delicious. It was just about perfect tonight, and I can’t wait to see how good the leftovers are tomorrow night after settling and marinating in its own flavors all night.
Less thyme and more bay leaf. Otherwise delicious
Very simple and delicious! Being that I live in New Mexico, I “had” to pull 3 whole frozen mild green chiles out of my freezer, chop ’em up and throw them in with the potatoes. Served with some toasted locally made whole wheat bread. I will definitely keep this in the recipes bookmarks!
Great recipe! Just what I was looking for.