The Best Clam Chowder
This classic, creamy homemade New England Clam Chowder recipe is the real deal! Packed with tender clams, crispy bacon, and perfectly cooked potatoes in a rich, creamy broth, it's the kind of comfort food that'll make you want to lick the bowl clean. It's a knock out recipe that's easy to make with either canned or fresh clams and tastes even better than a restaurant!
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"I made this chowder for myself, husband and brother this last week. We absolutely loved it so much that my husband requested it again! I made another batch two days later! The best and easiest New England Clam Chowder recipe!! I can say that I know how to make a really tasty chowder. Thank you so very much!!"
- Penny N.
I have strong roots in New England (shout out Gloucester, Mass!) and this 5 star restaurant-worthy clam chowder recipe has been in our family for decades.
Just like this Fish Chowder recipe, my recipe for clam chowder has been passed down through multiple generations of fisherman's wives, aka my mom and grandma! This warm and cozy comfort food always reminds me of home.
It's made in the traditional New England style, with tender clams and a creamy broth that’s rich and savory. I use bacon instead of the traditional salt pork since it's easier to find, but I also like the smoky flavor of bacon better.
Not only is this a great make-ahead meal (it's even better the next day!), it's a crowd pleaser that's just as good on a cold winter night as it is on a rainy summer day!
Manhattan vs New England Chowder
Manhattan clam chowder has a red tomato based broth, while New England style chowder is thicker and finished with heavy cream.
There's also the less commonly found Rhode Island clam chowder, which has a clear broth, and also a Long Island version, which has a creamy tomato broth.
Are fresh or canned clams better for chowder?
Both! The best part about this recipe is that it can be made with either fresh clams OR canned clams!
Tinned fish, like canned clams, are pantry powerhouses that I always have on hand to make recipes like this chowder or linguine alla vongole without having to run to the fishmonger.
We always have access to fresh clams where we live, but truthfully, sometimes I just used canned because it's easier, less expensive and it turns out just as good!
Love clams? Try these baked, stuffed Italian clams oreganata, or toss them in a rustic seafood stew like cioppino!
Why This Recipe Works
- Better than restaurant quality!
- Made with fresh or canned clams.
- Can be made ahead of time.
Clams - This recipe is great with both fresh clams and canned clams!
To use fresh clams, look for cherrystones, top necks or little neck clams. You can also use large chowder clams since they will be chopped into small pieces! You'll need about 6 lbs of whole fresh clams to get 1 ½ cups of clam meat.
To use canned clams, you will need three 6.5-ounce cans, but feel free to add more if you want! Don't forget to also use the flavorful juice from the cans!
Clam Juice - Use either bottled clam juice or the leftover clam broth if steaming fresh clams. Just be sure to strain out any sand or grit before using. You can also substitute chicken stock in a pinch!
Bacon - Salt pork is the more traditional pork fat used in an authentic New England clam chowder recipe, but bacon is easier to find and I actually like it better. Use whichever you prefer!
Flour - To thicken the soup. My version is not super thick and gloppy, but if you prefer an extra creamy soup, you can double the flour or thicken it further wither either a flour or cornstarch slurry.
Potatoes - The best potatoes for chowder are red skinned potatoes since they hold their shape the best in soups. Yukon Gold potatoes have a nice, creamy texture and also work well. Russet potatoes are starchier and more prone to disintegrating in the broth, but they can still work. I leave the skins on, but feel free to peel yours if you want!
Heavy cream - Heavy whipping cream is essential for this recipe! Don't substitute for a lighter cream or whole milk - it makes a difference.
Herbs - We'll use fresh thyme, fresh parsley, chives and bay leaves, but you can substitute dried herbs in a pinch.
*Find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
Helpful Equipment
- Large stock pot or Dutch oven
- Slotted spoon or Tongs (for fresh clams)
- Fine mesh strainer (for fresh clams)
- Ladle
How to make clam chowder with fresh or canned clams
- Add the bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until crispy.
- Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon and discard most of the fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
- Add the chopped onions and celery and cook for 8 minutes or until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in the flour for an additional minute.
Pro Tip: This chowder is creamy, but not super thick. If you prefer a thicker broth, double the amount of flour at this step!
- Add the clam juice, water, thyme, bay leaf, and potatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Season with black pepper, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the clams (see below for fresh clams), heavy cream, and chives or parsley. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
How to Prepare Fresh Clams For Chowder
- Choose cherrystone or littleneck clams that smell fresh (not fishy) and are tightly closed.
- Make sure to scrub them very well to remove as much sand as possible. You can also opt to purge the clams in water with a sprinkle of flour or corn starch.
- Bring 2 cups of water (or a combination of water and white wine) up to a boil in a large pot.
- Add the clams and cover. After about 5 minutes, carefully remove the lid and use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer any open clams to a bowl so they don't overcook. Continue cooking until all the clams have opened, and discard any that do not.
Pro Tip: Some clams may be stubborn and need several more minutes to open - give them some time and they will usually open, but if they don't, throw them away.
- Remove the clams from their shells and finely chop.
- Strain the remaining liquid to remove any sediment and reserve. You will need four cups of clam juice. If there isn't enough, supplement with bottled clam juice or water.
Clam Chowder Tips
- To avoid rubbery clams, make sure they're finely chopped and don't add them until the very end of cooking.
- Clams are very salty, but they can vary. Give your soup a taste before adding any salt.
- Warm your bowls in a low oven or microwave before serving for a restaurant quality presentation!
What to Serve with Clam Chowder
A loaf of crusty bread is absolutely essential for soaking up all of that delicious broth!
Another great option is these homemade cheddar cheese biscuits - yum! You can also opt for oyster crackers, saltines or butter crackers instead.
Grab a round loaf of sourdough and make a bread bowl like they do in San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest!
On its own, this soup is rich and satisfying, so I like to serve it alongside a simple green salad, or something more robust like a kale Cesar salad, this warm spinach salad, or this grilled Romaine wedge salad.
How to store and reheat Clam Chowder
This soup makes great leftovers, as the flavors really meld together as it sits!
To store, cool completely, then pour into an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat or microwave for 60-90 seconds or until heated through, stirring halfway.
I don’t recommend freezing this soup because the cream will separate and the potatoes will fall apart.
FAQ'S for Clam Chowder
Quahog clams are ideal for chowder. Depending on their size, they can be called different names, such as cherrystone, top neck, middle neck or littleneck clams. If you can’t get fresh clams, canned clams and clam juice work just as well!
Overcooking clams makes them chewy. To avoid this, make sure they're finely minced and only add them at the very end of cooking after you’ve lowered or turned off the heat.
Store them in a colander or perforated bowl set over top of another bowl in the refrigerator with ice over top. Do not cover. Drain the water out of the bowl and replace the ice every day for optimal results.
If any clams are open, give them a firm tap - if they close, they are still alive, but if not, it means they are dead. Discard any dead clams before cooking.
Clams can keep in the refrigerator for several days (sometimes up to a week) if you store them properly.
I prefer my clam chowder on the lighter side of creamy, but it's easy to thicken up to your preference.
For a thicker chowder, whisk together 2 tablespoons of flour with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Then, whisk it into the soup until thoroughly incorporated and boil for an additional 3-4 minutes until the soup has thickened.
Repeat until you achieve your desired thickness.
Yes! Simply replace the all purpose flour with a gluten-free 1:1 replacement.
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Clam Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ounces bacon diced (use salt pork for more traditional flavor)
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 6 celery stalks finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups clam juice from 4 8-oz bottles or reserved from steaming clams (instructions below)
- 2 cups water
- 1 large sprig thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 pounds red skin potatoes diced
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups clams, finely chopped from 3 6.5 ounce cans or about 6 lbs of fresh clams in-shell
- 2 cups heavy cream
- fresh chives or parsley minced, optional
- kosher salt only as needed
- crusty bread optional, for serving
Instructions
Make the Chowder (with fresh or canned clams)
- Add the bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until done and crispy.
- Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon and discard most of the fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
- Add the chopped onions and celery and cook for 8 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in the flour for an additional minute. For a thicker chowder, double the amount of flour at this step.
- Add the clam juice, water, thyme, bay leaf, and potatoes.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Season with black pepper, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove from the heat, then stir in the clams, bacon (reserve a little on the side for garnish), heavy cream and chives or parsley.
- Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprig (if desired), then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved bacon and more fresh herbs if desired. Serve hot with crusty bread on the side!
How to Prepare Fresh Clams for Chowder
- Choose cherrystone or littleneck clams that smell fresh (not fishy) and are tightly closed.
- Make sure to scrub them very well to remove as much sand as possible. You can also opt to purge the clams in water with a sprinkle of flour or corn starch.
- Bring 2 cups of water (or a combination of water and white wine) up to a boil in a large pot.
- Add the clams and cover. After about 5 minutes, carefully remove the lid and use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer any open clams to a bowl so they don't overcook.
- Continue cooking until all the clams have opened, and discard any that do not. Some clams may be stubborn and need several more minutes to open - give them some time and they will usually open.
- Once cool, remove the clams from their shells and finely chop.
- Strain the remaining liquid to remove any sediment and reserve for the chowder. You will need four cups of clam juice. If there isn't enough, supplement with bottled clam juice, water or chicken stock.
Notes
- To avoid rubbery clams, make sure they're finely chopped and don't add them until the very end of cooking.
- Clams are very salty, but it can vary. Give your soup a taste before adding any salt. Too salty? Add more water or cream to balance it out.
- Warm your bowls in a low oven or microwave before serving for a restaurant quality presentation!
I am so excited to try this recipe! I want to add clams in the shell to the soup (in addition to canned clams), should I pre-cook them and then add them at the end? Or clean them and add them to the soup after step 6?
I'm excited for you to try it, too! It's best to pre-cook them and then add them at the end. This way they won't overcook in the soup and won't release any sand or grit into the soup. Hope this helps. Please let us know how it turns out!
Can this recipe be made in a crock pot/slow cooker ? Then put the clams in after it is almost done?
That should work, Mollie. I would do steps 1-5 as listed, then add everything to your slow cooker. Make sure to add the clams at the end. 🙂
I made this tonight and my son, who does not care for soups, ate all but the 2 small bowls I had. Delicious!
I didn't have celery nor a bay leaf. I added chicken stock instead of water, which gave it a nice heartyiness. I think I'll use water next time hoping for a brighter taste. The only other changes were adding more flour and a tsp of salt. Oh, I only had 3 bottles of clam juice. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing your substitutions and for leaving such a nice review. 🙂
Didn't use all spices/celery but was great. Want recipe sent please so I can print out, easier than reading off phone. Thanks!
Thank you for leaving such a nice comment! I will email you the recipe so you have it for the future. So happy you enjoyed it!
I made this for my wife and me for lunch on a cold March day. It was delicious (patting myself on my back).
I used canned baby clams (would like them larger), 1 cup chicken broth and one cup of water, dried seasonings (all I had), thickened with a little corn starch slurry, and added some sherry.
My wife loved it and I’ve had several bowls since I made it. I’m gonna try to freeze it, but I’m not expecting great results. There’s only two of us, so next time the recipe will be be cut in half.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Here's a tip for freezing in the future. You can make the full recipe, but remove half of the soup to be frozen BEFORE adding the cream. The cream is what causes it to break upon thawing. Then, simply add the cream when you reheat. I hope this helps!
Made your NE Clam Chowder. Was delicious. Used fresh clams and additional clam juice. Excellent recipe Coley. Will definitely make again! Is there no way to post a picture here??
So glad you loved the recipe! Thanks so much for leaving a review! Unfortunately there isn't a way to post a picture here, but I would love to see it! Please post on either Facebook or Instagram and tag me @ColeyCooks! 🙂
Hello. I want to make this but also want to double the amount of servings. Do I double the ingredients? I know this not to be true with all recipes so thought I would ask. Thanks in advance.
Yes! Just go ahead and double all of the ingredients. Let us know how it turns out!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am from Rhode Island and will be having this with clamcakes tonight for dinner delicious chowder😋!!
So glad you love the recipe! Thanks for leaving a review!
I'm from New England and I know my chowder. I give this recipe a 5 star rating!
That's such a huge compliment! Thank you!! 😀
Excellent! Made it last night. Added smoked salmon and prawns. Subbed chives for garnish. Hope it's still good tonight!
So glad you loved the recipe! Smoked salmon and prawns sound like a lovely addition! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
So easy to make and it turned out wonderfully!
So glad you loved the recipe! Thank you so much for leaving a review!:)
Very good! however, I used half and half and chicken broth to make up total liquid as I prefer a little lighter base. gave a bowl to a known chowder maker and he wants the recipe. Speaks for itself.
Thanks for leaving a review and sharing your modifications to help others! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This recipe is so fantastic that I hand wrote it in my leather bound book of favorite recipes.. This book started with my Italian grandma and then to my mother and now it’s mine. I’m adding my favorites along the way and then it’ll go to my daughter. Thank you for the recipe!
Wow! What a lovely comment. I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for leaving such a nice a review!
I would really love if a recipe that calls for fresh clams would also include how to cook the clams. Thanks.
Hey there. There is a section in the body of the post that says "How To Prepare Fresh Clams To Make Clam Chowder" which provides that information. Hope that helps!
Excellent recipe!. Just made a 5X batch. (Passing some on to neighbors and friends). Much appreciated. Bravo 👏
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for leaving a review!
I found this chowder too thin. The flavor wasgood, it just wasn't thick enough.
Thanks for your feedback Casey! I do mention in the post that this chowder is on the thinner side, which is my preference, and give instructions for making it thicker. I hope you try it again with a little extra flour, it should be perfect!
Great recipe. I appreciate that this isn't super thick and gloppy like a lot of chowders can be. It tastes rich but still light. I served it to friends last weekend during college football and everyone was raving!
I'm so glad this was a hit for you and your group! Thanks for leaving a review!
Absolutely delicious recipe!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
A “flour slurry” is called a rue. 😝😝
They're actually different! A slurry is mixed with water, while a roux is mixed with fat, like oil or butter. Hope this helps!
I made this chowder for myself, husband and brother this last week. We absolutely loved it so much that my husband requested it again! I made another batch two days later! The best and easiest New England Clam Chowder recipe!! I can say that I know how to make a really tasty chowder. Thank you so very much!!
Penny N.
Southwestern Oregon
(On the coast)
I'm so glad you loved the recipe! Thanks for leaving such a nice review!