This New England clam chowder is comforting, filling and amazingly delicious! And is perfect at any time of year.
This Thick and Creamy New England Clam Chowder is full of flavor and loaded with tender potatoes, sweet clams, and smoky bacon. So if you are a clam chowder lover like my family you definitely need this recipe in your life.
I have to admit I had never really had clam chowder before until a couple of years ago I guess I was afraid of the clams. This clam chowder is so delicious, it truly won me over from the first bite!
Tips for making New England Clam Chowder
- I like to use smoky thick-cut bacon.
- I peeled my red potatoes but you can leave the peels on if desired.
- This clam chowder is super creamy, but you can tone that down if you like by adding 1/2 cup milk at a time until desired creaminess.
You can usually find frozen clams in the fish/seafood section of your local grocery store. The clam juice is in the canned tuna section along with the canned clams if you're using those.
I've never realized clam chowder was so easy to make from home. Besides the clams and clam juice, everything else is simple pantry ingredients.
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Thick and Creamy New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 6 slices smoked bacon cut into pieces
- 3- 8 oz jars clam juice
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 lb red potatoes about 4-5 peeled and diced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1-10 ounce pkg frozen clams or 3 cans whole clams
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottom pot cook bacon and remove to a paper towel
- Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat and add celery and onions and cook until softened about 5-6 minutes, add garlic cook another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add flour to veggies and cook a couple of minutes using a whisk to stir.
- Pour in clam juice and water, whisk until smooth. Add potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme and bring to a low boil and cook 15 minutes until potatoes are just getting tender
- Add milk, cream, and clams simmer another 15 minutes until thickened
- Sat and pepper to taste
- Garnish with bacon pieces and fresh parsley.
- Serve with oyster crackers or crusty bread.
The second ingredient is 3 jars (8 oz ea) of clam juice. I see it.
Clam juice is the second ingredient. I use 3 jars of clam juice, you can always hold back on that last jar of clam juice or water to see if it's thick enough for you.
Planning to make this today but need some clarification...you indicated that clams don't have enough juice so you always add jarred clam juice, but I don't see clam juice in the ingredients list. Several commenters referenced 3 jars of juice, but I don't want the soup too thin. Can you clarify how much jarred clam juice to use for 3 cans of clams? TIA..can't wait to try this!
Woohoo Tom! So happy everybody loved it 🙂
If you use fresh clams how many should you use, 1 dozen small clams?