Best Clam Chowder Recipe (VIDEO)
Best Clam Chowder is easy to make “from scratch,” with creamy soup flavors that mingle together with bacon, clams–for the very best chowder!
I love the magic of soup season—-the comfort and ease of gathering ’round the table with family and friends! And BEST Clam Chowder always brings a little magic to the table! You’ve got to try my similar Best Seafood Chowder recipe, or a “tomato” spin, my Manhattan Clam Chowder soup.
Best Clam Chowder
Chowder is easy to make – a “by scratch” version that is creamy, flavorful with bacon, and chockfull of clams! Watch the video!
What do you add to clam chowder to make it better?
If it’s the condensed kind, add heavy cream and whole milk in equal parts. And then of course we say bacon and butter! But grab the printable recipe below!
Simple ingredients for chowder soup:
- Bacon + butter
- Celery + leeks + onions + garlic
- Red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes
- Broth (or stock)
- Salt, white pepper, thyme
- Flour
- Half-and-half
- Chopped clams
- Bay leaf
- Chopped fresh chives
- OPTIONAL to add clam juice (for a more clam flavor)
What do you serve with Clam Chowder?
Planning a soup meal is quite simple, especially serving my yummy chowder as the main dish, with a side of hot bread and a basic green salad with Best Thousand Island Dressing! Here’s a list of what to serve with a hot bowl of chowder.
- Bacon
- Oyster Crackers
- Salad
- Shrimp cocktail
- Bread
- Corn on the cob
- French fries
Make chowder from scratch
In the past, I’ve been intimidated to make this homemade soup, because I was afraid it wouldn’t be as tasty as a bowl that might be served at the beach, or at a really good restaurant. But this recipe is one of my favorites, and is one of the top easy recipes on my RE! Yay! :)
Oh, and we did make a few changes to the recipe, but don’t worry. Add more clam juice (optional) for a more intense clam flavor if you choose to.
How do you serve clam chowder?
You can also serve it on a big board, like below! Here’s the link to Epic Clam Chowder Dinner Board! Or, grab the link below to buy THE BIG BOARD (at the bottom). We love to set out the pot of soup in a braiser pan (low-line big pot).
What is the difference between Boston and New England clam chowder?
Well, New England and Boston Clam Chowder are really the same dish. What makes a chowder “different” is the broth that is used. For example, Rhode Island broth is clear, and Manhattan Style Clam Chowder has a red tomato broth. Boston is thick and creamy!
Is chowder better the next day?
Yes, it’s just as good the next day, if not better. So YES, you can make ahead of time for easy entertaining.
The flavors of this soup mingle together to make the tastiest leftovers. It will thicken as it stands overnight in the refrigerator so just whisk in a little milk or half-and-half before reheating.
How do you make Homemade Clam Chowder
Whatever the flavors, I say homemade is the best!
- In a Dutch oven, you cook bacon (for amazing flavor!) over medium heat until crisp.
- Then you saute celery, leek, and onion until tender, adding garlic. Eventually stirring in potatoes, broth, clam juice, salt, pepper and thyme.
- Boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.
- Make the creamy sauce (soooo good).
- Stir in the clams and crispy bacon!
- Optional to add in more clam juice (a couple bottles) if you choose to.
It’s comforting, filling, and delicious, and it’s also the perfect “light” holiday meal.
The Big Board®
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More Chowder recipes to try:
Manhattan Clam Chowder (Simply Recipes) Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder (Baked by Rachel). And friends, have you bought my new cookbook? Buy Big Boards for Families today! It’s “editor’s pick” on Amazon this month!
Get the Recipe:
Best Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 8 bacon strips, divided
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 leek, finely chopped (or 1 shallot)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3-4 small unpeeled potatoes (red potatoes or Yukon gold), cubed into 1/2-inch pieces (optional to peel)
- 2 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half-and-half, divided
- 3 cans 6-1/2 ounces each of chopped clams, undrained
- Bay leaf
- clam juice, optional, for more intense flavor
- Chopped fresh chives or green onions, for garnish
Equipment
- Dutch Oven (I like this enameled version from Lodge)
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Add butter to the drippings (you can spoon out some of the drippings if you don’t want to ues that much); saute celery, leek, and onion until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, broth, salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into the soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
- Stir in clams and juice and remaining half-and-half; heat through (do not boil). Turn down to low heat; add the bay leaf. Cook for additional 2-3 minutes on low heat. Add in 4 strips of crumbled bacon.TIP: Optional to add in more clam juice in this step, if you choose a more clam flavor.
- Crumble the reserved 4 strips of bacon. Garnish chowder with crumbled bacon and fresh chopped chives or green onions thinly sliced.
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
For some reason the clams I use have absolutely NO clam taste. Everything was great but no clam flavor. Anyone else have this problem. Thanks, need advice……
Mmmm, not sure why. Read the comments here, no complaints of no taste (I’m stumped!)
Ok, so I left out the celery simply because I hate celery, and the store was out of green onions for the chives, but I did everything else exact. This is by far the BEST clam chowder I have ever had, and I order clam chowder at restaurants if they have it. The only down side is now I won’t want to order clam chowder from restaurants because I can make better at home! The whole family LOVED it! Thank you for the amazing recipe! It’s a favorite!
Agree, it’s better at home! Thanks for sharing!
I’m making this tomorrow, super excited because I’ve never made clam chowder before! Stupid question – do you take the bay leaf out at any point?? Or just leave it in?
Remove the bay leaf before serving! Enjoy!
Can I use seafood broth?
Yes you can, Jennifer!
Hi Sandy.. this will be my first attempt at clam chowder for my guy. Could you please explain what I am looking for as far as “clam juice”. Is it an actual jar of clam juice or do you mean Clamato Juice? Thank you in advance for your help.
Look in the seafood section, next to clams, tuna, etc. You’ll find jars of clam juice! :)
I’m allergic to shellfish so using haddock instead of clams. Living on the seacoast of New Hampshire, this is about as close to home as it gets! Great recipe. Thank you!
Awesome Deanna! That is good to know!
My granddaughter is allergic to shellfish and I would like to make this soup with the haddock. Do you add it at the end just like the clams & do you add it cooked or raw?
I made this today for a football game. It was delicious. I just about tripled the recipe and it worked great. The only thing I added was some Better Then Bouillon Lobster Base bc I’ve recently become obsessed with the better then bouillons and are using them a lot, and I used lite cream. So flavorful, so creamy so yummy. Thank you for the great recipe.
I have made this twice in the last 3 weeks and doubled it both times, I love it! I forgot to get bacon the second time and I didn’t even notice. It is just perfect on a cold day. I will be keeping this recipe for life, thank you!!
Good to know, it’s not just the bacon that makes the recipe DELISH! LOL Thanks for sharing Reanna!
If I wanted to add corn and carrots to this how much would you adjust the liquid/cream?
Courtney, I don’t think you’ll have to adjust the liquid. And yes, add corn and carrots, that will be delicious!
Can this be made ahead, a few days?
YES!
I’ve been searching for a good clam chowder recipe and think I’ve found it! It doesn’t seem too complicated. Plus I like the addition of the veggies (leek, celery) in there. Can’t wait to try this one. Thanks for sharing.
The leeks make it really yummy! Enjoy!
I have never used leek, do you use the whole bunch or just a part of it? This recipe is on my menu looks delish!!
Tammy, use the white part and a tiny bit of the green! Slice thinly! :)
Thanks Sandy!
I want to make this but not a big fan of celery. Will it taste completely different if I take that out? Does normal clam cowder have celery?? I feel like I never saw celery in it before, so I am wondering how that can alter the taste. But then again I only had real clam chower once and it was so amazing I didnt even look at the bowl since I was scarfing it down so fast ?????
Sarrang, you do NOT have to use celery! ENJOY!
How much of each ingredients do u use….a cup? Half of cup? I really want to try but need more information…thank you
Click on the recipe – PRINT, Mary Ann :)
I’ve yet to find the actual recipe.
And that seems like an awful lot of bacon grease–could we use just a couple tablespoons?
The recipe is in the post, click PRINT RECIPE, Karen :) Yes, as recipe states, you can adjust the bacon grease or use a leaner bacon! ENJOY!
This recipe looks absolutely delicious, Sandy. I just have one question. Do you think I could substitute crab for the clams? I have two huge cans of lump crab sitting in my refrigerator that I would like to and need to be used. Many thanks.
LaWanda, yes! Give it a try! I’ve never done that, but I think it would be very tasty! ENJOY!
Lawanda,
What a great idea! This chowda is so yummy and seems it would be terrific with crab! With a splash of Old bay…maybe
Do you add the liquid from the canned clams also to the pot?
I usually drain the clams!
I always add the liquid, as it is basically just clam juice.
I used to use the juice from the cans but there is usually sand in the bottom, mot appetizing
Exactly. Thanks for sharing Jill.
If you are using fresh clams, do you cook them first or toss them in raw to cook in the soup?
I would cook the fresh clams first, before adding to the soup, Hollie! :)
I love clam chowder, but not bacon. Wondering if anyone has tried this without the bacon.
I just made this tonight, absolutely delicious but the clam chowder I get on the coast does not usually have bacon so to me this is more of a bacon clam chowder than regular clam chowder. My plan for next time is to still fry up a couple pieces of bacon so I can cook the veggies in the grease but to leave out the bacon strips altogether. The soup before putting the crumbled bacon in didn’t have a strong bacon flavor (to me at least) until I put the crumbled strips in and then certain bites would be overpowering with bacon flavor.
I don’t eat pork. Can beef bacon be substituted?
Hi and thanks for this recipe!!! This is my husbands favorite and i have never tried to make it becasue i thought it was to difficult, but this looks simple and tasty!!! Just one question, at the end after you stir in the clams and the half and half how long to you let it cook? I assume the clams cook very fast so once its mixed is it basically done?
Thanks,
Randy
Yes, that is right. Cook on low for a few minutes, until completely heated! ENJOY!
Thanks!!
Oh my God….must, must, must make. I’ve never made clam chowder because I always thought you HAD TO use fresh clams and I’m sort of intimidated by them and would be afraid the final dish would be full of sand… This looks amaaaaazing and with canned clams, easy peasy!
Can this be frozen?
Lily, I have never frozen this because of the cream. Let me know if you try it though!
I froze a batch and it works fine. Tastes so yummy!
Thanks for letting us know, Dan!
I always double clam chowder when I make it because I love to freeze the left overs for another day! It freezes perfectly.
I made this for father’s day, coupled with fish and chips. My family raved about the chowder 11yrs to 82yrs of age. I’m originally from the Boston area and this recipe far exceeded my expectations. I’m keeping this recipe to pass down to generations. Well done!
Thanks for sharing, Michelle. SO glad you loved it!
Do you think this could be made in the slow cooker (after sautéing everything)?
I do, but only on LOW heat because of the milk. Enjoy!