The Best Creamy Clam Chowder

Two white bowls of clam chowder topped with oyster crackers. A small bowl of bacon and oyster crackers are next to it.

The Best Creamy Clam Chowder

Authentic New England Clam Chowder Recipe - This thick and creamy New England Clam Chowder is full of flavor and loaded with juicy clams, tender potatoes and crispy bacon.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword Bacon, Clam, Soup Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings Bowls

Calories 572kcal

Author Darcey Olson

Cost $17

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Ingredients

1-2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock, Divided (*Note 1)
24 Fresh Quahog Clams, 2 (6.5 oz) cans of chopped canned clams or .5 lb frozen clams (*Note 2)
2 tbsp Butter (*Note 3)
4 Slices Bacon
1 Stalk Celery, Sliced into 1/4" Slices
1 Yellow or White Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
½ tsp Dried Thyme (*Note 4)
3 tbsp All-purpose Flour
1 Cup Whole Milk
¼ - ½ Cup Clam Juice (*Note 5)
2 Dried Bay Leaves
3-4 Yukon Gold Potatoes, Peeled and Diced
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Salt and Black Ground Pepper, To Taste
Optional: Parsley, Oyster Crackers

Instructions

Prepare Fresh Clams (Skip If Using Canned or Frozen):

Add 1 cup of broth and the fresh clams to a large pot. Cover and turn to high heat for 6-7 minutes. Uncover and remove the open clams. Cover and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and discard any un-opened clams.
Strain the remaining liquid from the pot through a cheese cloth (or coffee filter) and set aside. Coarsely chop the clams and set aside.

Prepare The Chowder:

Add the butter to a large pot and turn the heat to medium. Add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy, approx. 6-8 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
Keep 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pot (remove the rest) and add the celery and onions until they're soft and translucent, approx. 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and stir until fragrant, approx. 1 minute.
Whisk in the flour until lightly browned, approx. 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, 1 cup of stock and 1/4 cup of clam juice (*Note 5). Add the bay leaves, and cook approx. 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened.
Add the potatoes and bring the chowder to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes. (*Note 6)
Stir in the heavy cream and chopped clams until heated through, approx. 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
If the soup is too thick, add more heavy cream or broth, as needed, until desired consistency is reached. (*Note 7)
Garnish with the bacon (and parsley) and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Note 1 - Don’t cut corners. Make sure to use high quality chicken broth, such as our Instant Pot Bone broth, or the end result will suffer. Same goes for bottled clam juice.

Note 2 - You can use fresh, canned or frozen clams. Read the post for the full information on each type. You can use 24 Fresh Quahog Clams or 2 (6.5 oz) cans of chopped canned clams or .5 lb frozen clams.

Note 3 - You can use salted or unsalted butter. We always use unsalted as to control the final sodium level. Use what you have on-hand.

Note 4 - You can use 1 tsp fresh thyme in place of dried thyme.

Note 5 - Start with 1/4 cup of clam juice if you're not sure how much seafood flavor you like. Add an extra 1/4 cup at the end if you prefer more "seafood forward" flavor.

Note 6 - Cooking time may need to be increased depending on the thickness of the diced potatoes.

Note 7 - 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.

Note 8 - Nutritional information is calculated using 24 fresh clams and zero toppings or salt/pepper.

Nutrition