New England Clam Chowder Recipe (2024)

55 minutes

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4.85 from 89 votes

by Lisa Longley

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posted: 02/06/19

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New England Clam Chowder Recipe (1)

by Lisa Longley

|

posted: 02/06/19

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

Jump to Recipe

This New England Clam Chowder is the absolute best! This easy chowder recipe is perfect comfort food for a cold night.

Made with bacon, plenty of potatoes, and with just the right amount of cream, you will be a chowder master with my instructions for how to make clam chowder.

New England Clam Chowder Recipe (2)

THE BEST NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

This recipe has been a favorite in our house for ages! It is far and away Nathan’s favorite dinner recipe.

What makes this the best clam chowder recipe you ask? Simple. The roux starts out with bacon! A roux is the mixture of fat and flour to create a thickening agent.

That fat is often butter, like in my Chicken Noodle Casserole, but in this amazing clam chowder, it is bacon fat. The bacon fat works perfectly to make a nice creamy base for this soup while adding tons of flavor.

New England Clam Chowder Recipe (3)

HOW TO MAKE NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

It was actually my husband who first started making this soup. I had never been a big fan because the broth was so liquidy and thin. New England Clam Chowder should have a nice and thick creamy broth.

And then one day I watched Nathan make it. After combining the bacon fat and the flour, he just poured in the clam juice in one big fell swoop. (Cue the horror face emoji.)

The key to this recipe working well is to add the clam juice really slowly. I’m talking like two tablespoons at a time when you first start adding it. You want it to be a nice gummy mess with the little bit of clam juice being absorbed each time before you add in more.

Do you see how creamy it is in the photos? That’s what you are going for.

MAKING THE BEST NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

  1. Add the diced thick cut bacon to the preheated stock pot.
  2. Cook until crisp. Add in the onions and celery, cooking until they are tender. Add in the garlic, cooking for 30 seconds making sure not to burn it.
  3. Mix in the flour.
  4. Very slowly stir in the clam juice. Start with about two tablespoons at a time, whisking it in until the liquid is absorbed and then adding more. At the end you can add more at a time and more quickly.
  5. Add the thyme, potatoes, and two bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
  6. Stir in the clams and heavy cream and enjoy!

Once you have made it a few times, you’ll be able to make it in your sleep!

New England Clam Chowder Recipe (4)

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER SUBSTITUTIONS

  • My husband hates onions and isn’t a huge fan of celery or parsley, so when I’m making it for just him, I leave all of that out.
  • He loves potatoes, so I add a few more of those than this recipe calls for.
  • You can substitute chicken stock for the clam juice. It lessens the clam taste a little, but saves a bundle as clam juice can be expensive. On the other hand, I’ve had people tell me I’m a heathen for this. It’s your call.

DO I HAVE TO USE BACON?

I guess that you can do this without bacon. (But WHY?!?)

Start your recipe by melting 3 tablespoons of butter, and then start sautéing your vegetables. Carry on from there as normal. It is very likely that you will need to season your final soup with a bit of salt.

CAN I USE REGULAR MILK INSTEAD OF HEAVY CREAM?

Please don’t. Without heavy cream, you just aren’t going to get that final creamy soup that I know you want.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CLAM CHOWDER

This recipe is great with bread for dipping. These one hour dinner rolls or my homemade beer bread would both be perfect.

I also love having a salad with my soup. Either this spinach salad or my winter salad would be delicious on the side.

If you make this soup or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear from you!

New England Clam Chowder Recipe (5)

New England Clam Chowder Recipe (6)

4.85 from 89 votes

New England Clam Chowder

Serves: 6 bowls

(tap # to scale)

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 40 minutes minutes

Total: 55 minutes minutes

This New England Clam Chowder is the absolute best! This easy clam chowder recipe makes perfect comfort food for a cold night. Made with bacon, plenty of potatoes, and with just the right amount of cream, you will be a chowder master with my instructions for how to make clam chowder.

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of thick cut bacon diced into small pieces
  • 3 cups clam juice or chicken stock see note
  • 4 6.5 oz cans of chopped clams, liquid reserved (see step 2)
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 3 stalks celery diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes about five medium diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 8 oz heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 TBSPs well minced parsley
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • In a large stew pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring often.

  • While the bacon is cooking, drain the clam juice from the canned clams into a measuring cup. You will need approximately 3 cups more of clam juice or chicken stock to get a total of 4 1/2 cups of liquid.

  • Add the diced celery and onions, cooking until they are translucent and very soft.

  • Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, being careful that the garlic doesn't burn.

  • Stir in the flour, coating all of the veggies and the bacon. Continue cooking about a minute until the flour begins to brown.

  • EXTREMELY gradually, pour in the clam juice (or clam juice/chicken stock mixture). Pour about two tablespoons at a time (no need to measure, this is just an estimate), whisking it into the flour veggie mixture. There should be no visible liquid between each pour. The veggies should look like a gummy mess. Continue this way until you use all the liquid, pouring more quickly at the end.

  • Add the potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves and increase the heat to high and bring to a boil (you are looking for big bubbles at the surface). Then reduce to a simmer (the lowest you can go heat wise and still see bubbles) and continue cooking for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

  • Stir in the cream and chopped clams, and let heat through for a minute. Remove from the heat stir in the fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

As mentioned in the post, if you are looking for a budget friendly version of this recipe you can use the clam juice from the clams and get the rest of your liquid from chicken stock.

Calories: 359kcal (18%) Carbohydrates: 34.2g (11%) Protein: 13.2g (26%) Fat: 16.1g (25%) Saturated Fat: 8g (50%) Monounsaturated Fat: 4.7g Cholesterol: 50.8mg (17%) Sodium: 1207.4mg (52%) Potassium: 487mg (14%) Fiber: 2.8g (12%) Sugar: 2.1g (2%) Vitamin A: 113IU (2%) Vitamin C: 34mg (41%) Calcium: 31.6mg (3%) Iron: 2.8mg (16%)

Author: Lisa Longley

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

New England Clam Chowder Recipe (7)

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New England Clam Chowder

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New England Clam Chowder Recipe (8)

New England Clam Chowder Recipe (9)

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New England Clam Chowder Recipe (10)

Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

Reader Interactions

    LEAVE A COMMENT

  1. Amy, says

    Will russets do instead of red potatoes? Or yellow?

    Reply

    • New England Clam Chowder Recipe (11)Lisa Longley says

      It will be a bit of a different flavor and texture, but it will work.

      Reply

  2. Melissa Sanchez says

    New England Clam Chowder Recipe (12)
    First time making New England clam chowder. I did not use bacon, since I didn’t have it in the house. I fried the veggies in 2 tbsp of butter. I used Bobs 1:1 all purpose gluten free flour. It was still a bit liquidy (my fault, I added 5 cups of clam juice) I used cento clam juice (24 ounces) and juice from 4 canned clams.I also used yellow potatoes. Very flavorful and delicious.

    Reply

    • New England Clam Chowder Recipe (13)Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad you liked it, Melissa!

      Reply

New England Clam Chowder Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make canned New England clam chowder better? ›

directions
  1. Pour soup into 2 quart sauce pan.
  2. Add chopped clams and 2 tablespoons of juice from clams.
  3. Add thyme, salt and pepper.
  4. Stir all together and heat over medium heat until bubbly then let simmer on low for 20 minutes.
  5. Place in individual bowls and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and serve.

What makes New England clam chowder different? ›

Also referred to as “Boston-style” clam chowder, New England chowder is milk or cream-based, making it significantly thicker than other regional styles. It's often made with milk, butter, potatoes, pork, onion, and clams and accompanied by oyster crackers.

How to thicken New England clam chowder? ›

This clam chowder recipe should produce perfectly rich soup. If you'd like your chowder a little thicker, though, you can thicken it with a cornstarch slurry. Simply stir cornstarch into a small amount of cold water (or another liquid, such as wine or stock), then stir the mixture into the simmering chowder.

Which is better Manhattan or New England clam chowder? ›

Manhattan Clam Chowder is healthier than New England Clam Chowder. Manhattan Clam Chowder is lower in calories and fat. It is more nutritious thanks to its vitamin-rich tomato-based broth and abundance of veggies. New England clam chowder is higher in calories and fat because of its heavy cream-based broth.

What two ingredients must be present for the soup to be called a chowder? ›

Chowder is a soup with cream or milk mixed with ingredients such as potatoes, sweet corn, smoked haddock, clams and prawns, etc. Some cream-style chowders do not use cream, and are instead prepared using milk and a roux to thicken them.

What is the most popular clam chowder? ›

New England clam chowder became popular in Boston during the early 1800s, where it was served at Union Oyster House, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the country. Bacon, clams, and heavy cream make this soup rich, hearty, and satisfying.

How unhealthy is New England Clam Chowder? ›

New England Clam Chowder: (230g): calories 230, calories from fat 120, total fat 13g, saturated fat 9g, trans fat 0g, cholesterol 70mg, sodium 820mg, total carbohydrate 13g, dietary fiber 1g, sugars 3g, protein 11g, vitamin a 8%, vitamin c 6%, calcium 10%, iron 8%.

Why do they call it Manhattan clam chowder? ›

Introduction of the Tomato – Tomato-based clam chowders came about with the new-found popularity of the tomato in the mid-1800s and the large population of Italians in New York and the Portuguese fishing communities of Rhode Island. By the 1930s, this tomato version had come to be called Manhattan clam chowder.

What's the best potato to use for clam chowder? ›

Potatoes: I use Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe because I love their creamy consistency, but red potatoes are always a great candidate for soups and chowders because they hold up the best. Russet potatoes may also be used, but they're also the starchiest, which makes them more prone to falling apart.

What is the correct way to cool 5 gallons of clam chowder? ›

Use ice water bath

An ice water bath is effective for cooling soups. This method helps decrease the food temperature quickly and safely. Fill a large container or clean sink with ice and a small amount of water. Place the kettle of soup into the ice bath.

What state eats the most clam chowder? ›

Maine and Massachusetts may be the two states most associated with the cream-based clam chowder. In fact, it is known as one of Maine's most iconic dishes and is considered a classic in Boston's historic neighborhoods.

What are the three types of clam chowder? ›

Many regional variations exist, but the three most prevalent are New England or "white" clam chowder, which includes milk or cream, Manhattan or "red" clam chowder, which includes tomatoes, and Rhode Island or "clear" clam chowder, which omits both.

Why do they call it chowder? ›

The word chowder is a corruption of the French chaudière (“cauldron”), and chowder may have originated among Breton fishermen who brought the custom to Newfoundland, whence it spread to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and New England.

How to spice up Campbell's clam chowder? ›

Kirshtein tells Insider the key to his favorite Campbell's New England clam chowder: "I usually like to season it up with a splash of Worcestershire sauce, a bit of hot sauce, and a couple grinds of black pepper," he said.

Can you use milk instead of heavy cream in chowder? ›

You really only have three choices when it comes to dairy for your chowder. You can use whole milk (hom*o milk), you can use heavy cream, or you can use a combination of the two.

Can you add water to condensed clam chowder? ›

Just add the appropriate amount of water, then simmer and serve for a deliciously filling soup in an instant. VERSATILE STAPLE: It's excellent as is, you can add your favorite ingredients to make this soup your own or you can use as a base to one of your signature creations.

How do you make clam chowder taste less fishy? ›

Absorb/reduce fishiness: you can always try something like soaking it in milk (which you can then save to use for a fishy bechamel when your sister isn't dining with you). You could then rinse it off and cook it however you want. This should help "absorb" some of the fishiness and make it milder.

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