The BEST New England Clam Chowder Recipe
New England Clam Chowder Recipe is one of those dishes that has you dreaming of watching the ocean waves crash upon the rocks with the salty breeze blowing back your hair. Fresh clams, potatoes, cream, and a little butter add up to one of the most famous soups in the world. I love chowders, add a little seafood, and you’ve got heaven in a bowl.
If you’re looking for more yummy soup and chowder recipes, Smoked Salmon Chowder and Amazing Frogmore Chowder will make your taste buds happy.
There’s something magical about finding a seafood restaurant that sells authentic clam chowder. Add some oyster crackers to the top, and you’re diving into a bowl of something divine.
This recipe for New England clam chowder with fresh clams is so easy to make. Make a side salad with this recipe, and you have a complete meal that everyone will love.
Most people don’t know how easy it is to make seafood stews at home. Now, I would prefer to take a trip to coastal New England, but that is only sometimes possible.
One year my parents took our family on vacation to Vermont to see our aunt, uncle, and cousins. Since we were in the area, we took a day trip to Maine.
I was young, but I remember being in awe of everything about the state. While at the beach, I found several starfish that had washed ashore.
Those starfish were promptly hidden in the beach bag because I knew my mom wouldn’t let me take them with me. When I got into my aunt’s car to go back to her house, I stored them under the front seat for safekeeping.
I think at this point you can figure out I wasn’t an easy kid to raise. The next day my aunt’s car smelled something awful, and my relatives got a story to talk about for the rest of my life.
I surmised from the event that even at a very young age, I instinctively wanted to take a little piece of Maine back home with me. Those starfish were my tokens of the East Coast.
Now that I’m older and wiser, I’ve realized that a yummy hot bowl of clam chowder does the same trick as those starfish. “Maine in a bread bowl” is what I like to call this delicious New England clam chowder recipe.
New England clam chowder is a creamy soup that is beloved by many. Made with canned clams, clam broth, and other ingredients like potatoes and onions, this chowder has a rich and savory flavor that is hard to resist.
The use of minced clams and clam broth is key to making authentic New England Clam Chowder, as it brings out the unique taste of the sea. This classic dish is a staple in the Northeast region of the United States and is enjoyed by seafood lovers all over the world.
Recipe for New England Clam Chowder Trivia
Did you know that the Union Oyster House in Boston is the longest continuously running restaurant in the United States? They’ve been open since 1836, and New England clam chowder recipe has been on the menu since the beginning.
The first mention of creamy clam chowder was from the west coast of France.
I found this recipe for New England Clam Chowder in a vintage cookbook called Cooking for Comfort. You can find a copy of it here on Amazon.
What’s the difference between Boston Clam Chowder and New England Clam Chowder?
There’s no difference. Boston Clam Chowder and New England Clam Chowder are the same thing.
What is New England Clam Chowder?
The New England clam chowder recipe has heavy cream broth. Manhattan clam chowder in the one with the red tomato broth.
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Here’s the New England Style Clam Chowder Recipe
Simple Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped finely
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups bottled clam juice
2 medium-sized new potatoes, cleaned and diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 pints shucked clams, chop the tender clams into bite-sized pieces
Chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
Directions for Making Creamy Clam Chowder
1) Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large pot. Add the chopped onions and sauté until translucent.
2) Add the clam juice, diced potatoes, bay leaf and thyme to the onions. Bring the mixture to a boil.
3) Simmer 10-15 minutes the mixture until the potatoes are tender.
4) Add the cream and bring mixture to a simmer.
5) In a separate bowl, mix a little of the milk into the flour until you have a paste. Add in the remaining milk and stir.
6) Add flour and milk mixture to the soup and stir.
7) Reduce the heat as low as possible. Add the chopped clams for a few minutes on low heat, until the fresh clam meat is cooked.
8) Discard the bay leaf.
9) Season the creamy soup with salt and black pepper.
10) Garnish the New England Clam Chowder recipe with chopped fresh parsley.
This will be one of the best bowls of clam chowder you’ll have. The whole family will love it!
Tips for making New England Clam Chowder recipe
- Don’t discard using the flour. If you do, the soup will curdle.
- Oyster crackers or saltines are usually served with the creamy New England clam chowder recipe.
- If you’re looking for creative ways to top your soups, check out this post Best Soup Topping Ideas to wow your guests. You can top this clam chowder recipe with chopped parsley, hot sauce, chopped red bell peppers, chives, or chili oil.
- You can substitute new potatoes with Yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes, or russet potatoes.
- Canned clams can be used in this delicious chowder. Small cans of clams can be found the canned good aisle of the grocery store. Just make sure you drain the clam meat before using.
- You can add crispy bacon or salt pork to the recipe. Add the cooked bacon or salt pork at the end of the recipe for best results.
- The amount of clams used isn’t set in stone, if you want more feel free to add some!
- For more flavor, add a Worcestershire sauce or a little white wine to taste.
- You can serve this New England Clam Chowder recipe in a large bowl, individual bread bowls, or individual soup bowls.
- If you want to thin out this clam chowder, you can add chicken broth to the chowder.
- You can also add minced garlic to the onions for more flavor.
Can New England Clam Chowder Recipe be frozen?
You can freeze this New England clam chowder soup recipe, but it won’t taste the same after you reheat it. Freezing food with dairy changes the structure of the recipe. I would advise you not to.
Making this New England clam chowder recipe is way easier than you thought, right? Sometimes we believe something that tastes good is difficult to recreate. This creamy chowder is simple to cook.
We’ve reached the end of this yummy New England Clam Chowder recipe. I hope you enjoyed it.
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Printable Recipe Card for New England Clam Chowder with Nutrition Facts
New England Clam Chowder
Authentic New England Clam Chowder is one of those recipes that has you dreaming of watching the ocean waves crash upon the rocks with the salty breeze blowing back your hair. You may not be able to get to the ocean anytime soon, but you can bring a little taste of it to your home with this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped finely
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups clam juice
- 2 medium-sized new potatoes, cleaned and diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 1/2 pints shucked clams, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
- Chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until translucent.
- Add the clam juice, diced potatoes, bay leaf and thyme to the onions. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer 10-15 minutes the mixture until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the cream and bring mixture to a simmer.
- In a separate bowl, mix a little of the milk into the flour until you have a paste. Add in the remaining milk and stir.
- Add flour and milk mixture to the soup and stir.
- Reduce the heat as low as possible. Add the clams for a few minutes, until they are cooked.
- Discard the bay leaf.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with chopped parsley.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 569Total Fat 37gSaturated Fat 22gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 184mgSodium 1673mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 34g
Is there something I can use other than thyme my husband doesn’t like the taste of thyme?
Hello Kate. Yes, feel free to use any herb you like – sage, rosemary, etc. Kelly
Do you chop the fresh clams up? I’ve only used canned clams in recipes. Stupid question?? Hope not! Looking forward to trying recipe!
Hello Beverly! Yes, go ahead and chop your clams into bite-sized pieces. Kelly
How many servings does this recipe serve?
It yields 8 cups – so if you do two cups per person, it would serve four.
I have a shell fish allergy so can I substitute for Haddock instead?
I’ve never made it that way – but I think you should be able to!
@Carmen, yes you can. This recipe is exactly the same for either. In fact I use the same for seafood chowder.
Does is taste as good with canned clams?
Hello Clara! I’m sure it would. Kelly
Mine doesn’t seem so thick , it’s creamy but not as thick and hearty as I remember clam chowder to be . What can I do ? Add more flour ?
Hello Irma! Yes, add more flour and see how that works. Kelly
@Kelly, I used about another Tbsp of flour and it was perfect!
I will try the extra tablespoon of flour. Thanks for the suggestion. Kelly
You didn’t mention peeling the potatoes, only cleaning and dicing.
Is the skin left on the potatoes?
Hello Stephanie! I leave the skin on – but you can peel them if you prefer. Kelly
My husband is on a non-dairy diet, can I use almond milk and skip the cream?
I think that would change the taste quite a bit. Is there something non-dairy that is similar to cream? That would work better.
Wonderful hearty chowder and easy to make. I used 1/2 of tsp of thyme and more parsley. Delicious. Thank you. I usually use salt pork for mine, but being lent I opted out. Enjoy!
Thank you for letting me know Elzbieta! I appreciate it. Kelly
Hello, this sounds so good, my question is what amount will this make and what is a serving size per person on average. I would like to server this as a dish for 8 adults? I don’t want to run out. Thanks.
Hi Dave! The recipe is 8 cups – so that would yield 1 cup per person. I would definitely double for a side dish or triple the recipe for a main course with a side salad. Let me know how it turns out! Kelly
Hi, Kelly! I live on the plains of southeastern Colorado. Nowhere close to an ocean or sea that would provide fresh clams! Our Walmart doesn’t offer any fresh fish!!
Would canned clams be okay?
Hello Donna! Yes, I think canned clams would work. Enjoy! Kelly
Sounds good, but all chowders have three basic ingredients, a pork product ie salt pork or bacon, potatoes, and a dairy product. This recipe is missing a pork product. Try it using rendered salt pork. Should be perfect!
@Lorraine, I love bacon, but I don’t need it in my chowder… too much texture in what I feel should be soft and creamy. I like this recipe because it does not list meat.
Silly question but what kind of bread would you suggest for individual servings?
Hello Kate! They sell sourdough small rounds where I live. I think using any bread (except for strong flavored breads like rye) would work. Kelly
@Kate Tunca, I’m from New England…nothing but Oyster crackers go in my chowdah!
My first attempt at clam chowder. This was easy, quick and very tasty. I used can clams. Next time I would make it slightly thicker and add more clams. The secret ingredient for me was the addition of the Italian parsley. It made the whole soup taste restaurant made. I will definitely make this again!
Hello Deb! I’m so glad it worked out well for you. Isn’t it funny how long it takes us to try something – only to find out how easy it really is? Thank you for letting me know. I really appreciate it! Kelly
This recipe combines a variety of textures and tastes. I substituted scallops for the clamps and oregano instead of bay leaves, but followed everything else accordingly. The result was fantastic. I’ll keep an eye out for more of your creations. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it. Kelly
Hi Kelly, thanks for this fabulous recipe! I’m from New England, currently living in Texas and you can’t get anything close to great seafood here. I’ll definitely be making this chowdah again!
Hello Laura! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you so much for letting me know. Kelly
Approximately how many cans of clams should I use in place of the 1.5 pints.
Hello Mary! That would be six cans. Thanks, Kelly
Born & Raised in South Eastern MA where I am certainly spoiled by the access to fresh seafood, and the best chowder in such a short drive. I have to say this recipe hits the staple flavors of a classic New England clam chowder right on the head! Simple, flavorful and thoughtful to enhancing the star of the recipe- the clams, which is what a true chowder is about! I added garlic to the onions, and replaced the tyme with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. *Chefs Kiss*
Thank you so much for the feedback Tiffany! You’re so lucky to have such an easy access to seafood. Adding garlic is always a good thing! – Kelly
Do you think I could make this in the morning, keep it on warm in the crockpot for 3 hours or so and then serve it?
Hello Kiersten! I would not do that because of the dairy in the clam chowder. You can make it and leave out the dairy and then add it at the end before serving. – Kelly
This is the real clam chowder. Celery does not belong in a chowder. Nor does garlic. It’s very simple.bI do however ad bacon as it gives a subtle rich smokey flavor. If you want real NE clam chowder this is it.
Thank you so much Jim! I appreciate the feedback. – Kelly
❤️☘️❤️ The best realistic recipe for clam chowder. Being of the older crowd due to our religion we could not have meat on Friday. The only thing I occasionally add is a couple of tablespoons of Sherry. *****+ to you
The best and most authentic recipe for New England clam chowder. Back in the day when “no meat on Friday” religious rule in effect this is what was served. The only thing we occasionally add is a few tablespoons of Sherry. Congratulations a great job 👏
Thank you so much Becky! I appreciate the feedback. Great idea on the sherry! – Thanks, Kelly
Made this tonight with canned clams but otherwise made it to the exact recipe and it was really good, trying to get the right amount of salt though as my hubby and I both added quite a bit to our individual servings. Any suggestions on exact measurements of salt? Also curious if doubling the butter would make it a bit more rich tasting. Like I said it was really good, I just can’t put my finger on what’s missing 🤔
I think adding a little butter won’t hurt! It’s hard to say because everyone’s tastes are so different. I have a banana bread recipe that most people love, but some people say it’s not sweet enough and others say it’s too sweet! Thank you for letting me know you liked the recipe. – Kelly
If I want to add salt pork to chowder what would be the steps for that
Prepare the Salt Pork:
Start by dicing the salt pork into small cubes, around 1/4-inch in size. This will help it render evenly and distribute the flavor throughout the chowder.
If your salt pork has a thick rind, you may want to remove it before dicing.
Render the Salt Pork:
In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the diced salt pork over medium heat. This process, known as rendering, will release the fat from the pork and crisp up the meat.
Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning. The salt pork should turn golden brown and crispy.
Once rendered, use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy bits and set them aside for later.
Sauté the Aromatics:
In the same pot, with the rendered fat, the add chopped onions. Sauté these ingredients until they become soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
The rendered fat from the salt pork will add a delicious flavor to these aromatics.
I hope this helps!
Kelly
This is the best clam chowder I’ve ever made! I followed exactly except I only had canned clams and it was delicious!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe. I appreciate you letting me know. – Kelly
Very rich. Easy to make! Big hit in my house! I added some dry Sherry to it.
I’m so glad you loved the recipe Monica! Thank you for letting me know. – Kelly