New England Clam Chowder Recipe

Clam Chowder is the ultimate comfort food with tender clams, creamy potatoes and of course salty, smoky bacon!

Wonderfully creamy New England Clam Chowder is way easier than you think to make at home and about to become a new family favorite!

While I love the summer months of sandals and jacket-free bike rides, I love the winter because SOUP!

Soup season is my favorite because soups are my favorite. I love how you don’t have to create any extra sides but instead get to curl up with your meal-in-one bowl of warm slurpilicious comfort just like this creamy clam chowder recipe.

If someone is intimidated by cooking, I always tell them to start with soup recipes like Slow Cooker Corn Chowder, Slow Cooker Potato Soup, Cheesy Taco Soup and now this New England Clam Chowder!

This cravilicious white creamy clam chowder is bursting with delectable clams, tender potatoes, and salty bacon.

Seeing as San Diego is on the opposite side of the United States from New England and fresh clams can be hard to come by or very expensive, I’ve chosen to make this clam chowder recipe with minced canned clams – and I couldn’t taste a difference!

In fact, many reputable restaurants use canned clams with the addition of clam juice. You will be shocked how restaurant-quality delicious this version tastes and canned clams make it that much easier!

A few notes about this recipe to make it the best ever homemade New England Clam Chowder.

Sliced bacon wilts as its simmered whereas thick bacon holds up to the heat so you are left with a wonderful meaty texture that complements the clams.

Their soft, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture is ideal for chowders. They taste the most “potato-y” as opposed to waxy as you want them practically falling apart in your mouth.

For this clam chowder recipe, we use a roux to thicken the chowder then stir in 1 cup heavy cream at the end of cooking.

If you would like a thicker chowder, simmer the soup longer, or for a thinner chowder, stir in additional chicken broth.

To finish the chowder, we pile it with some of the reserved crispy bacon, fresh parsley (optional) and oyster crackers.

New England Clam Chowder

Wonderfully creamy New England Clam Chowder is way easier than you think to make at home and about to become a new family favorite!

Prep: 10min

Total: 40min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 380 kcal, Carbohydrate 26 g, Protein 11 g, Fat 26 g, Saturated Fat 13 g, Cholesterol 78 mg, Sodium 452 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 2 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 3 6.5 oz. cans chopped/minced clams in clam juice
• 8 ounces clam juice
• 6 thick center-cut bacon strips (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 stalks celery (finely chopped)
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 1 ¼ pounds russet potatoes (peeled and diced into ¼-½” cubes, approx. 3 ½ cups )
• 3-5 garlic cloves (minced)
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon each dried parsley (dried oregano, salt)
• ¼ teaspoon each dried thyme (pepper)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Oyster crackers
• Fresh parsley

Instruction:

1. Drain clam juice from cans into a measuring cup. Add enough bottled clam juice to equal 2 ½ cups. Set aside.
2. In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered and slightly brown. Remove half of the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. To the remaining bacon and drippings, melt in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.
3. Increase heat to medium high and add celery and onion. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until onions are soft. Add potatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using) and sauté 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour and cook an additional 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, reserved 2 ½ cups clam juice, chicken bouillon, bay leaves and all seasonings. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
4. Stir in heavy cream and bring to a simmer to heat through. Discard bay leaves. Remove from heat and stir in clams. Taste and add salt/pepper to taste. (You may or may not need additional salt depending on how salty your clams and bacon are.) For a thinner or less chunky soup stir in additional heavy cream/milk or chicken broth.
5. Top individual servings with reserved bacon and oyster crackers and fresh parsley if desired.

Contest-Winning New England Clam Chowder

This is the best New England clam chowder recipe, ever! In the Pacific Northwest, we dig our own razor clams and I grind them for the chowder. Since these aren’t readily available, the canned clams are perfectly acceptable. —Sandy Larson, Port Angeles, Washington

Prep: 20min

Total: 55min

Yield: 5 servings.

Nutrition Facts: calories 260 calories, Fat 4g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 22mg cholesterol, Sodium 788mg sodium, Carbohydrate 39g carbohydrate (9g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 13g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch

Ingredients:

• 4 center-cut bacon strips
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup water
• 1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice
• 3 teaspoons reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups fat-free half-and-half, divided
• 2 cans (6-1/2 ounces each) chopped clams, undrained

Instruction:

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Saute celery and onion in the drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, water, clam juice, bouillon, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes., In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes., Stir in clams and remaining half-and-half; heat through (do not boil). Crumble the cooked bacon; sprinkle over each serving.

New England Clam Chowder

For a bowl of creamy comfort, try Dave Lieberman’s New England Clam Chowder recipe from Food Network, perfect with homemade baguette croutons.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Serving Size: 1 of 8 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 8 servings, calories 400, Fat 20g, Saturated Fat 12g, Carbohydrate 32g, Fiber 3g, Sugar 4g, Protein 23g, Cholesterol 95mg, Sodium 637mg

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks (reserve tender leaves) trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams in juice
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound Idaho potatoes, cut into 1/2- inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instruction:

1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, mixing often. Stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add the stock, juice from 2 cans of chopped clams (reserve clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Then add clams and season to taste with salt and pepper, cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes.;
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet and toss the bread cubes in the butter until browned and toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.;

New England Clam Chowder

You don’t have to live on a coast to have best New England Clam Chowder in the world. This authentic, stick-to-your-ribs recipe has all the right stuff: bacon, potatoes, cream, and (of course) lots of chopped clams.

Prep: 20min

Total: 50min

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 354 kcal, Carbohydrate 40 g, Protein 11 g, Fat 17 g, Saturated Fat 10 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 53 mg, Sodium 515 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 3 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 2 celery ribs (chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
• 3 small potatoes (peeled and cubed (see note 1))
• 1 cup water
• 1 (8 ounce) bottle clam juice ((see note 2))
• 1 tablespoon chicken base ((see note 3))
• 2 cups half and half (divided)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans chopped clams (undrained (see note 4))
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Oyster crackers (for serving)

Instruction:

1. In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon from pot, drain on paper towels, and crumble. Set aside.
2. To the bacon fat, add onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in potatoes, water, clam juice, and chicken base. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup half-and-half and flour until smooth. Gradually stir into soup, return to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper).
5. Add clams and their juice and remaining 1 cup half-and-half and stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Garnish each serving with bacon and oyster crackers.

New England Clam Chowder Recipe | Chef Tips

FAQ

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