New England Clam Chowder is a true classic for a reason. It’s beyond delicious, super simple to make, and is the perfect bowl of comfort when you need something to warm your belly! I love to dish up a big bowl, garnish with some extra bacon, and then dip with a big piece of crusty sourdough bread. This is seriously one of my favorite dishes on the planet. Once you make this recipe, it’ll be yours, too!
Let’s get started!
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Clam Chowder Ingredients
- Bacon
- Butter
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrot
- Red New Potatoes
- Clam Juice
- Chicken Broth
- Clams
- Dried Thyme
- Bay Leaves
- Heavy Cream
- AP Flour
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
let’s make some chowder!
This New England clam chowder recipe is truly one of my favorite comfort meals. It’s creamy, hearty, and has loads of tender clams. As a seafood lover, this is a dream in a bowl for me. What’s almost as good is that this recipe is so easy and comes together so quick.
To start the clam chowder, sauté some diced bacon and butter until the bacon is almost cooked through. Add in the celery, onion, carrot, and diced potato. Cook these for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Next, add in the clam juice, chicken broth, dried thyme, and bay leaves. Bring this mixture to a simmer, cooking until all the vegetables are fork tender.
Once the vegetables are cooked through, it’s time to make a slurry for our clam chowder with a little flour and heavy cream. This will help to thicken the chowder just slightly. Just add the flour to the cream and whisk until there are no more lumps.
Pour the slurry into the clam chowder mixture and stir it through. Bring the chowder to a simmer – this will activate the flour and make the chowder a little thicker. Now, just add in the drained and rinsed clams. Cook these for just a few minutes or until they are warmed through. Season with a little kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Grab a piece of crusty sourdough, dip, and enjoy!
clam chowder frequently asked questions
My New England Clam Chowder can absolutely be made gluten-free. Simply use cornstarch instead of flour to make your slurry. The result will be fantastic!
To make this clam chowder recipe dairy-free, simply swap out the butter for avocado oil. For the heavy cream, I would recommend using coconut milk/cream. However, you could use any dairy-free milk/cream substitute you like.
I get it. Clam juice doesn’t necessarily sound that appetizing, but all it is, is clam broth. When clams are cooked, they release a liquid and it becomes clam juice. It’s what give this clam chowder recipe so much flavor. I highly recommend getting some, however, chicken or veggie broth would be fine.
Clam Chowder doesn’t need much to improve it. I like to simply finished mine with a sprinkle of extra bacon and some red chili flakes. However, I think it’s almost mandatory to serve it with crusty sourdough.
And, if you can find a sourdough bread bowl, even better!!!
Don’t worry, boo! I got you. If you’re not a clam lover, shrimp would be my first suggestion. In my opinion, it’s one of the least seafoody tasting of the seafoods. I also think, poaching salmon in the chowder until its perfectly cooked would be amazing. Halibut would also be a lovely fish to use.
If seafood is still not your jam, throw in some shredded rotisserie chicken! That would make a phenomenal chowder that will appeal to even the pickiest of palates!
Fresh Clams vs. Canned Clams
I use canned clams for this chowder recipe because I do not live an area with good quality fresh seafood. Canned clams are widely available, affordable, and are super delicious.
However, if you are lucky enough to have access to good quality fresh clams, then I would 100% use those!
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For a fun twist on clam chowder, try my Manhattan Clam Chowder Recipe!
New England Clam Chowder
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, diced
- 3 tbsp salted butter
- 1 med onion, sliced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup new red potatoes, diced
- 16 oz clam juice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp AP flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 10 oz cans whole baby clams, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, over med-high heat, sauté the diced bacon with the butter.
- Add in the onion, carrot, celery, and potato. Continue to sauté for just a few minutes, until the veggies begin to soften.
- Add the clam juice, chicken broth, bay leaves, dried thyme. Simmer until the veggies are tender.
- Make a slurry with the flour and heavy cream. Add this to the chowder mixture and bring it back to a simmer.
- Add in the drained and rinsed clams. Cook until the clams are warmed through.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Classic New England Clam Chowder recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or review. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
–Rufus
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