Homemade clam chowder is an easy hearty soup that warms you up on a cold day, but it’s also so light and satisfying. This creamy clam chowder recipe is loaded with tender clams, silky potatoes, and crunchy bacon.
It’s so fun to recreate restaurant-quality dishes at home like our Zuppa Toscana Recipe, hearty Chicken Wild Rice Soup, and our wildly popular Chicken Tortilla Soup. If you’re a fan of hearty cozy soups that reheat well, you might just be adding this to your regular rotation. It’s that good.
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The Best Clam Chowder Recipe
Creamy soups are such a treat. I fell in love with them on our honeymoon in Mexico over 20 years ago where we enjoyed 5-star dining for the first time in our lives. Now we have all kinds of creamy soups from Creamy Carrot Soup to roasted Butternut Squash Soup. Nearly every bite of this New England-style Clam Chowder has clams in it which is awesome because what you get at seafood restaurants is very little clams and veggies but just a ton of cream. I find that our homemade clam chowder recipe is so much more enjoyable than dining out and it’s much easier to make than you think.
Clam Chowder Video
Watch the video tutorial to see how easy it is to make Creamy New England-style clam Chowder. Note that since filming this video, I’ve updated this recipe to increase the clams and also found that adding clams at the end ensures they are more tender. You’ll see these changes reflected in the recipe card below.
Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Ready in under an hour – a great weeknight meal, but fancy enough for company
- Tastes indulgent (but isn’t)– with only 1 cup of cream for the whole pot, it’s not as guilty as most clam chowder recipes, but it sure tastes like it is (WINNING!)
- Fresh or canned clams – we include tips for using fresh clams, but we always use canned clams for our clam chowder. It’s much easier, less expensive, and tastes just as delicious.
- Forgiving and foolproof – This soup has rustic roots, so it is not overcomplicated and can be modified easily to use what you have in the pantry
- Crowd-pleaser – my kids love this chowder, and it’s always a hit whenever we serve it to friends and family
- Make Ahead – The soup keeps well in the fridge, so you can make it now and reheat when ready to eat
Ingredients for Homemade Clam Chowder
This may seem like a lot of ingredients, but odds are you can make the best clam chowder recipe from what’s tucked away in your pantry then you can just add some canned clams to your grocery list.
- Bacon – chopped. Traditional New England clam chowder uses salt pork to make the base of the soup (the roux), but bacon is easier to find and just as delicious!
- Carrots, celery, and onions – sliced thin, this combination of veggies used at the base of many soups is called mirepoix. You can mince it thinly if you don’t prefer a flavor and it will disappear into the soup while adding tons of flavor.
- Flour – all-purpose, used to thicken the soup—for gluten-free, substitute GF flour
- Chicken broth – low sodium is best to control the amount of salt, can substitute chicken stock or use vegetable stock.
- Clams – 3 cans of clams – drain the clams, but keep the juice. If using fresh, see our tips below.
- Worcestershire sauce – adds great depth of flavor, you can substitute for soy sauce if needed, for gluten-free, check that your brand doesn’t contain gluten
- Tabasco sauce – adds a great kick, but can be omitted
- Bay Leaf, Thyme, and Salt and Pepper – Flavors the broth and add salt to taste since the sodium will change depending on your clams
- Potatoes – peeled and chopped, Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes hold up great to cooking, any waxy potato will work, or use russet potatoes for a softer texture
- Milk – you can use any kind, or substitute with Half and Half
- Whipping cream – also called heavy whipping cream, this makes the base of the soup creamy. You don’t want to skip this ingredient!
- Cilantro – optional for garnish, but —try it! It’s brilliant—an idea I picked up from my favorite restaurant clam chowder.
Substitutions
New England Clam chowder has rustic roots as a variation of fish stew, so it’s very forgiving depending on what you have on hand. Here are a few tips:
- For Gluten-Free – Substitute the flour with your favorite GF option, or replace it with a slurry of 2 Tbsp of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water stirred into the soup when adding the clams. Also, be sure the brand of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce are gluten-free.
- Seasonings – replace thyme with dill, fresh parsley, or Old Bay seasoning, or add minced garlic to the veggies before sautéing
- Potato – try using cauliflower, turnips, or parsnips
- Add Veggies – try adding chopped red peppers with the veggies, or add some frozen corn at the end
Pro Tip:
To use fresh clams, buy about 7 lbs of Quahog (littleneck or cherrystone) clams to get 1.5 generous cups for this recipe, and use about 8 oz of clam juice (to replace the juice from the can).
Clean the clams well, and then steam them until they just open up. Remove the meat and chop finely so they don’t become rubbery. Here’s a tutorial on how to Steam fresh clams.
How to Make Clam Chowder
It’s quick and easy to make New England Clam Chowder following these few simple steps.
- Brown the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven until browned and crisp. Then transfer to a power towel-lined plate.
- Sauté the vegetables (carrots, onion, and celery) in the same pot with the bacon drippings. Stir occasionally until soft and golden, and then sprinkle with flour. Sauté another minute while stirring constantly until you can’t smell the raw flour.
- Add the chicken broth, clam juice, 1 bay leaf, Worcestershire, Tabasco sauce, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and pepper. Bring to a light boil.
- Add the chopped potatoes to the pot, and then stir in the milk and whipping cream. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped clams, and return the pot to a light boil. Then remove from the heat so the clams don’t get overcooked and tough. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with the cilantro if desired, and cooked bacon.
Pro Tip:
The soup with thicken as it cools. If needed, you can thin it out by adding more milk or chicken broth and bringing it to a boil once more.
Common Questions
This filling stew is a staple American soup made with clams. There are three different types of clam chowder, named after the region where they were popularized.
It all comes down to the soup base or broth. New England Clam Chowder contains cream for a white, cream-based broth. Manhattan Clam Chowder has a tomato base, giving the broth a red color. The lesser-known Rhode Island Clam Chowder has a clear broth without tomato or cream.
We find that using flour to make a roux makes the perfect thickness for clam chowder, but you can also use a slurry of cornstarch and water/broth added along with the clams in the last step.
What to Serve with Clam Chowder?
This soup is hearty enough to serve as a full meal, but pairs well with these sides:
- Oyster crackers or saltines for dipping
- Crusty bread like in our No-Knead Bread, Crusty French Bread, or sourdough bread bowls (boules).
- Side salad like our Caesar Salad, Wedge Salad, Beet Salad, or Broccoli Corn Salad
- Sandwiches like our BLT, Grilled Cheese, or Open-faced Eggplant and Tomato Sandwich
Make-Ahead
Clam Chowder keeps nicely in the refrigerator but changes texture when frozen due to the potatoes, flour, and heavy cream. It’s still safe to freeze and reheat as long as you’re ok with a slightly different texture and look.
- To Refrigerate: once cool, store in an airtight container for 3-5 days
- Freezing: separate single portions into zip-top bags and freeze for up to three months
- To Reheat: heat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. Add a dash more milk if it gets too thick
Homemade clam chowder is creamy, hearty and so satisfying. Our recipe is full of clams in every bite and topped with crunchy bacon. Don’t wait to try this recipe during soup season and all year long.
More Classic Soup Recipes
If you love this Clam Chowder Recipe, then you won’t want to miss these other classic soup recipes.
- Vegetable Soup
- Potato Soup
- Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Corn Chowder
- Classic Borscht
- Beef Stew or Lamb Stew
Clam Chowder Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 6 slices lean bacon, cut into 1/2" strips
- 2 medium carrots, sliced into thin rings or half rings
- 2 celery ribs, finely diced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour, or GF flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or stock
- 1 1/2 cups canned chopped clams, drained with juices reserved, from 3 (6.5 oz) cans
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1 1/2 lbs 6 medium potatoes (Yukon gold or russet), peeled
- 2 cups milk, any kind
- 1 cup whipping cream or heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over med/high heat and add the chopped bacon. Sauté, stirring occasionally until browned and crisp then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep 3 Tbsp of bacon grease in the pot (discard excess if desired).
- Add prepared carrots, onion, and celery and continue cooking over med/high heat, stirring occasionally until soft and golden (7-8 min). Sprinkle in 4 Tbsp flour, and saute another minute, stirring constantly.
- Add 2 cups chicken broth, reserved clam juice, 1 bay leaf, 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Bring soup to a light boil.
- While the soup is heating up, chop potatoes into bite-sized pieces about 1/4" thick. Add potatoes to pot then stir in 2 cups milk and 1 cup whipping cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and lightly boil until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork (about 20 min).
- When potatoes are tender, add chopped clams, return to a light boil, and remove from heat. Don't overcook clams or they will get tough*. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, garnish with cooked bacon and fresh cilantro if desired.
Notes
- The soup will thicken more as it cools. If needed, you can thin it out by adding more milk or chicken broth and bringing it to a boil once more.
- Add the clams at the end and be sure you just bring to a boil then remove the soup from the heat. Overcooking the clams will make them chewy and rubbery.
- Don’t skip the bacon. That little bit of bacon adds so much flavor, both in the soup and as a topping, and makes every bite completely irresistible.
- To Make this Gluten-free, make sure the Tabasco and Worcestershire are FG, then replace the flour with GF flour or create a cornstarch slurry with 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 1/4 cup broth. Add slurry with the clams.
- To use fresh clams, you’ll need 7 pounds of clams. Be sure to clean them very well and steam them until they open. Then chop the meat. See more tips in the post above.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Freezing is not recommended, because the texture changes when frozen.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
So delicious! It was my first time making clam chowder soup and we loved!!! Thank you for sharing your awesome recipes!!!
You’re welcome Yana! I’m glad you love the recipe! Thank you for sharing your great review!
To Mary,
There is a percentage of people that cilantro has a soapy taste , I am one of them. Personally I find it most dominating in it’s chopped up raw state such as added to wraps We make a chicken tequila pasta with cream sauce and once the cilantro is cooked I don’t notice any soapy taste at all. Also cilantro is a form of Parsly and you can substitute as a solution
Hope this helps
Charles
Mmmmm. Seafood chowders are so satisfying, especially on a chilly day. I like a tablespoon or so of dry sherry stirred into the pot right before serving, it’s an east coast thing. That and a piece of garlic bread… Yum
Yum! That sounds delicious Greg! 🙂
This was my first time making clam chowder soup but I enjoyed it, creamy comfort soup😋
Thank you for ur wonderful recipes, and I like to try out new soups cuz I cook liquid food often:)
You’re welcome Tatyana! I’m glad to hear you are enjoy the recipes! Thanks for following and sharing your great review! 🙂
Hi Natasha, can shrimp or crab meat be substituted for clams
Hi Pamela, I haven’t tried that but one of my readers reported great results using shrimp and crab meat.
cilantro makes food taste soapy, what can be used instead?
Hi Mary, there are some people for whom cilantro tastes soapy, but good news with this recipe – you can omit the cilantro and garnish with fresh dill or very finely chopped fresh parsley or even chives 🙂
Natasha & Family
If you are looking for fresh New England Lobster and don’t live close to supply check out Clearwater Fine Foods , Bedford , Nova Scotia, Canada. They are one of the largest seafood companies in North America and you are guarenteed the lobster
is taken fresh out of the water when you order . They ship all over the world.
We used to send 10 or 15 ibs to our parents in Florida , fresh lobster delivered to their door in less than 24 hours . The price for delivery was a little over a $1.00 per pound for the delivery charge, the lobster price varies with the market. You need about 4 or 5 pounds of lobster to get 1 lb of meat. They also ship other seafood as well. You can check online for details if needed.
All the Best
Charles
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
I love making soups, but have never tried making chowder. This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Thank you Natasha!! It goes to the front of my soup recipes!
You’re welcome Diane! I’m glad you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review! 🙂
Natasha ,
I also use homemade chicken stock rather than water& with the heavy cream
We use bacon in our corn chowder recipe but haven’t tried it in our lobster chowder , thanks for the idea sounds like a great flavour enhancer. We omit the flour as this is a personal preference as to the broth consistency
Charles
My pleasure Charles! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
I made the clam chowder for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I used the Bumblebee brand of clams.
I’m glad to hear that Linda! Thanks for sharing your great review!
This chowder looks amazing Natasha!
It’s so GOOD! Please let me know what you think if you decide to try it!
Is there a specific brand of clams that you buy to use?
Hi Linda, I think most brands should work. I have made it with bumblebee clams and the large can sold at Costco.
Natasha
Great recipe . If you want to expand this recipe to a Lobster chowder let me know and I will send you my chowder recipe . We live in Lunenburg Nova Scotia , Canada and have grown up on seafood.
We have my Grandmother’s secrets and love to share and pass on. Our local lobster is New England style
Charles
Hi Charles, yes absolutely!! I would love to try your recipe! Thank you so much for offering 🙂
Natasha & Family,
The secret in lobster chowder is sautéing
the lobster meat in sauté pan in butter , lot’s of butter 1/2 lb until the butter turns a red colour, then add cream and add to your chowder, you will have a beautiful red colour to your chowder. This would add depth to your clam chowder as well you can add haddock or scallops . My chowder has 2 onions , 2 carrots , 2 celery,2 potatoes, 6 lbs lobster meat , 8 lbs fresh scallops, 5 lbs haddock, homemade chicken stock from organic chickens. At this point I separate the amount I anticipate using and add organic heavy cream.The balance can be frozen and the cream added later. you can add the cream now and freeze ,just add a little fresh cream when thawing.
Also when freezing I use straight sided mason jars as when you submerge them in luke warm water within 5 minutes, you can slip them in a pot to reheat. If you use mason jars with the rounded top it takes longer to get the contents out as the opening is smaller than contents.
When cooking the veg I barely cover with water, after 15 – 20 minutes of cooking start adding fish scallops haddock on top sauted lobster last. If you want to guess your ratio of veg to seafood try 1/3 veg to 2/3 seafood .Add cream at the end , serve
note for presentation lobster in larger pieces looks better
Natasha you can easily incoparate this to your clam chowder, you can try mussels, salmon , smoked salmon,(try the smoked salmon in a small batch and a seperate pot as I personally did not think the smoked salmon was a good addition. Any questions please contact
Hope you enjoy
Charles
I am printing this to try! Thank you so much for sharing this!! 🙂
WOW! That is a lot of seafood! Sounds wonderful! Please clarify; you are sauteing the lobster shells, right, because I don’t thing the lobster meat would turn it red.
Patricia
The shells turn red when the lobster is cooked , not related to the red colour of the sautéed lobster meat
You can make a stock from the shells that will enhance the flavour but not the red colour , that comes from the sautéed lobster meat.
You can also sautée the lobster meat in butter until it turns red , add cream , reduce until thicken , pour over fresh butter toast viola , creamed lobster on toast , a winner every time
Since my original post , I have reduced the Halibut and increased the scallops , seems better
You can make the chowder any size you want .
You can order fresh New England lobster from Clearwater Seafoods delivered to your door anywhere in the states , live or cooked , check them online
Feel free to call or email me at
902-527-7608
902-527-7608 Text
charlesrcook@hotmail.com
You certainly know how to enhance an appetite! Guessing you are pretty handy in a kitchen!
Two thumbs up!,
I am new here .
Lucky me
Hello John, Welcome!! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for following 🙂
Hi Natasha. I also like your recipes for their simple ingredients. Your photo shows red veggies in the chowder. Is that simply red peppers? I don’t see them listed in your recipe, but I love the punch of colour they add. I can’t rate it yet because I still have to make it, which I definitely will!
Hi France, the red is just crunch bits of bacon :).
This was my first time making Clam chowder and your recipe did not disappoint. It was creamy and very filling. My husband and I loved it. The kids not so much 😛 It was a little spicy for their taste.
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!! It isn’t normally spicy but you can scale back he hot sauce (or omit it) and still have a great soup 🙂
Hi Natasha. I’m from the netherlands. I was wondering if i can make this clam chowder with other seafood? Maybe shrimps and crab? Love your website. Chantalle.
Hi Chantalle, one of my readers actually reported great results using this recipe with shrimp and crab. I haven’t tried it myself but it sounds delicious! 🙂
This looks so good. Will be making it for lunch on Sunday.
Quick question: Can i skip or substitute with something Worchestershire sauce? Thanks
Hi Yuliya, maybe oyster sauce or soy sauce to taste, although I have always used Worcestershire sauce in this chowder so I can’t say for sure how it would affect the overall flavor.
Natasha this chowder looks soo good! I have a quick question, what brand of canned clams would you recommend?
Hi Olya, I have tried bumblebee and the big cans at Costco and both worked well.
Natasha I came back to rate this recipe! It turned out so yummy! I wasn’t sure about adding Worcestershire sauce, so I decided to add it at the very end when I get a chance to try it without it first, and let me tell you I’m so glad I added it! It brings out all the flavors! Please don’t skip this sauce ppl! It tastes very different without it! Well at least to me!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! 🙂 Yes, I agree the Worcestershire sauce is very good here.
This is why I love your blog! Your recipes always have normal well known ingredients and so easy to follow your steps! I’ve looked up clam chowder recipes in the passed and just f
Got disappointed. This recipes defiantly trying and I know it will be good! Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much for that amazing feedback! I hope you love this recipe! 🙂