New England Clam Chowder
New England clam chowder made in one pot with crisp bacon, tender Yukon Gold potatoes, and chopped clams in a creamy half-and-half broth.
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Clam chowder is easier than its reputation, and this New England version comes together in one pot with three cans of chopped clams from the regular grocery aisle. Bacon crisps first, the onion and celery soften in the fat, flour and clam juice build the base, and the potatoes simmer until a fork slides right through. The half-and-half and the clams go in last.
Do not pour the juice from those cans down the drain. That liquid, plus a bottle of clam juice, is the entire seafood backbone of the soup. Drain the cans over a measuring cup and you’ll have most of what you need before you open anything else.
The clams themselves are already cooked in the can, so they need two or three minutes at the end and nothing more. Boiled clams turn to little rubber erasers, and once that happens there’s no undoing it. Same goes for the half-and-half: keep it below a simmer or it can break.
Why You’ll Love This Clam Chowder Recipe
- One pot, start to finish. Bacon, vegetables, roux, potatoes, and clams all happen in the same Dutch oven, so there’s one thing to wash.
- Thick and creamy without being gluey. A third of a cup of flour and two cups of half-and-half give you a chowder that coats the spoon and still tastes like clams.
- Pantry seafood, no fish counter. Canned chopped clams and a bottle of clam juice are shelf-stable and cost a fraction of fresh.
- Better the next day. The potatoes keep releasing starch overnight, so leftovers come back thicker and more seasoned.
Clam Chowder Ingredients
Yukon Gold potatoes are the right pick here. They hold their cubes through the simmer instead of falling apart, and they still release enough starch to thicken the broth. Russets work if that’s what you have, but cut them slightly larger and check them at 15 minutes since they soften faster.
- 3 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams, juice reserved
- 1 (8 oz) bottle clam juice
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Oyster crackers, for serving
Recipe Variations
- Use 1 cup of heavy cream plus 1 cup of whole milk in place of the half-and-half. The chowder comes out a little richer and thickens the same way.
- Leave the bacon out and start with 3 tablespoons of butter for a cleaner, more old-fashioned pot. Add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika with the thyme so you don’t lose the smoke entirely.
- Stir in 1 cup of frozen corn along with the half-and-half for clam and corn chowder. It only needs 3-4 minutes to heat through.
How to Make Clam Chowder
- Drain the clams and save the juice: Set a strainer over a measuring cup and drain all three cans, keeping the clams in the fridge until the end. Add the bottled clam juice to the same cup. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of liquid.
- Crisp the bacon: Cook the chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring, until browned and most of the fat has rendered. Lift half of it out onto a paper towel for garnish and leave the rest in the pot with the drippings.
- Soften the vegetables: Add the butter, onion, and celery and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Make the roux: Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes, until the vegetables are coated in a thick paste and the raw flour smell is gone.
- Add the liquid and potatoes: Pour in the clam juice a splash at a time, whisking after each addition so no lumps form, then whisk in the chicken broth. Add the potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper and bring it up to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer until the potatoes are tender: Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring now and then, until a fork slides into a potato cube with no resistance. The broth will thicken noticeably in this stretch.
- Stir in the half-and-half: Turn the heat to low, pour in the half-and-half, and warm for 3-4 minutes. Keep it below a simmer, because boiling dairy can separate and turn the chowder grainy.
- Add the clams and serve: Stir in the drained clams and heat for 2-3 minutes, just until the pot is steaming and reads 165°F. Canned clams come fully cooked, so this is reheating, not cooking, and any longer turns them rubbery. Fish out the bay leaf, then top each bowl with the reserved bacon, parsley, and oyster crackers.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Use Fresh Clams Instead of Canned?
Yes. Steam 4 pounds of scrubbed littlenecks in 1 cup of water in a covered pot for 6-8 minutes, until the shells open. Discard any that stay shut, chop the meat, and strain the steaming liquid through a coffee filter to use in place of the canned juice.
Why Is My Clam Chowder Thin?
Either the roux never got a chance to cook and thicken, or there was too much liquid for the flour. Let it simmer uncovered the full 15-20 minutes before you judge it. It thickens more as it sits, and mashing a few potato cubes against the side of the pot thickens it further.
Can I Freeze Clam Chowder?
It doesn’t freeze well. The half-and-half separates on thawing and the potatoes go mealy and grainy. Make it fresh. To get ahead, freeze the base after you whisk in the clam juice and chicken broth, before the potatoes go in. Thaw it, simmer fresh potatoes in that base, then finish with the half-and-half and clams.
What Potatoes Are Best for Clam Chowder?
Yukon Golds. They hold their shape through the simmer and give up just enough starch to help thicken the pot. Red potatoes also hold well. Russets break down fastest, which some people actually prefer.
Why Did My Clams Turn Rubbery?
They cooked too long. Canned clams are fully cooked before they ever reach you, so they go in at the very end and need only 2-3 minutes to warm through. Adding them with the potatoes is what makes them tough.
Cooking Tips
- Cut the potato cubes the same size, about 1/2 inch. Uneven cubes mean the small ones dissolve into the broth while the big ones are still firm in the middle.
- Add the clam juice in splashes, not all at once. A roux takes liquid gradually or it seizes into lumps you’ll be chasing with a whisk for five minutes.
- Hold half the bacon back for the top. Bacon left in the pot goes soft in the broth, and the crunch is half of why people love the bowl.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It thickens overnight, so thin it with a splash of broth or milk when you reheat.
To freeze: Freezing isn’t recommended. The dairy separates and the potatoes turn grainy. To get ahead, stop after you whisk in the clam juice and chicken broth, before the potatoes, and freeze that base for up to 2 months. Thaw it, simmer the potatoes in it, then finish with the half-and-half and clams.
To reheat: Warm gently over medium-low, stirring often, until it reaches 165°F and steams, about 8-10 minutes. Don’t let it boil or the dairy will break and the clams will toughen.
How to Serve Clam Chowder
Clam Chowder wants crusty bread and plenty of it, so a sourdough boule or a bag of oyster crackers is standard. A simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette cuts the richness if you’re serving it as dinner instead of a starter. For a party, ladle it into small mugs and let people carry them around.
Loved This Recipe?
Clam Chowder made this way takes 55 minutes in one pot and tastes like a bowl you’d pay fifteen dollars for on a wharf somewhere.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
New England Clam Chowder
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams juice reserved
- 1 (8 oz) bottle clam juice
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- oyster crackers for serving
Instructions
- Drain the clams and save the juice: Set a strainer over a measuring cup and drain all three cans, keeping the clams in the fridge until the end. Add the bottled clam juice to the same cup. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of liquid.
- Crisp the bacon: Cook the chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring, until browned and most of the fat has rendered. Lift half of it out onto a paper towel for garnish and leave the rest in the pot with the drippings.
- Soften the vegetables: Add the butter, onion, and celery and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Make the roux: Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes, until the vegetables are coated in a thick paste and the raw flour smell is gone.
- Add the liquid and potatoes: Pour in the clam juice a splash at a time, whisking after each addition so no lumps form, then whisk in the chicken broth. Add the potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper and bring it up to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer until the potatoes are tender: Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring now and then, until a fork slides into a potato cube with no resistance. The broth will thicken noticeably in this stretch.
- Stir in the half-and-half: Turn the heat to low, pour in the half-and-half, and warm for 3-4 minutes. Keep it below a simmer, because boiling dairy can separate and turn the chowder grainy.
- Add the clams and serve: Stir in the drained clams and heat for 2-3 minutes, just until the pot is steaming and reads 165°F. Canned clams come fully cooked, so this is reheating, not cooking, and any longer turns them rubbery. Fish out the bay leaf, then top each bowl with the reserved bacon, parsley, and oyster crackers.
Notes
If you made this, leave a star rating down in the comments. It takes about ten seconds, and it’s how other cooks decide whether a recipe is worth trying.
