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Creamy Potato Clam Chowder with crispy bacon sprinkled on top. This easy chowder recipe brings a cozy and delicious meal to the table in less than 30 minutes.
Potato Clam Chowder Recipe
Potato Clam Chowder serves as a delightful soup that combines the irresistible flavors of tender clams, hearty potatoes, and aromatic seasonings. It creates a symphony of tastes that will warm your soul and satisfy your cravings.
The chowder’s velvety texture is a delight to the senses. As you savor each spoonful, the creamy base coats your tongue, enveloping it in a luxurious embrace. The consistency is thick enough to cling to the back of your spoon, yet smooth enough to glide effortlessly across your palate.
Why This Recipe Works
It’s a simple recipe to make at home with a few fresh ingredients that are accessible from local groceries. With a little time and effort, you can achieve a restaurant-quality dish right in your own kitchen.
It’s also a freezer-friendly recipe that can be made in advance. It brings a warm and hearty meal to the table in minutes, enjoy it with bread slices or crackers for a quick and simple meal on weekday nights.
This recipe utilizes affordable ingredients, making it an excellent choice for those looking to enjoy a delicious meal while being mindful of their budget.
Recipe Ingredients
This ultimate potato clam chowder recipe only requires a few ingredients listed below.
- Clams
- Water
- Bacon
- Onion
- All-Purpose Flour
- Potatoes
- Salt
- Dried thyme
- Ground black pepper
- Milk
- Fresh parsley
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Potato Clam Chowder
If you’re a seafood lover or simply crave a warm and hearty meal, this recipe is sure to delight your taste buds.
First, boil the clams in the water for a few minutes until cooked through. Drain and shelled. Reserve the water for later use.
Then, cook the bacon until crispy for a crunchy topping.
Next, stir fry the onion until aroma, then add flour. Stir in reserved boiled clam water, and bring it to a boil. Add potato and seasoning, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and cooked through.
Finish the chowder by stirring in the milk. Add the cooked clams, gently stirring to incorporate them into the chowder. Serve with crispy bacon and freshly chopped parsley on top.
Cooking Tips
For the best result, please follow my tips below.
- You can use canned clams instead of fresh clams also works for this recipe. Drain two cans of clams and reserve the clam juice. In this recipe, cook the soup with one cup of water and reserved clam juice instead of two cups of boiled clam water. This will still provide a flavourful soup base for clam chowder.
- If desired, you can enrich the texture and enhance the flavor by adding two tablespoons of heavy cream.
- If the chowder is still watery, continue cooking the soup for a few minutes more to reach a silky and smooth consistency.
- To avoid a chewy texture, add the clams in the last step of the recipe. This ensures they are not overcooked and remain tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your chowder is too thick, you can add more liquid such as water, clam juice, or even milk to thin it out. Start with small increments and gradually add more until you reach your desired consistency. On the other hand, if the chowder is too thin, you can allow it to simmer uncovered for a bit longer to help reduce and thicken the liquid.
Allow the chowder to cool down to room temperature before refrigerating. Transfer the leftover chowder to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
If you can’t consume the chowder within the recommended storage period, you can consider freezing it. Properly store the chowder in an airtight bag and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
This recipe has 165 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Potato Clam Chowder
For an easy and wholesome weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
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Potato Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 grams) clams
- 5 cups water, for boiling
- 2 strips bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 lb (800 grams) potatoes , peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add clams and water. Bring them to a boil and cook for 5 minutes until the clams are cooked through. Turn off the heat, drain out the clams, and remove the shell. Reserving water. Set the clams aside.
- Dry the saucepan with paper towels and heat it over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon from the saucepan and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Add onion to the saucepan, stir fry until aroma and nicley browned. Then, stir in all-purpose flour, and cook until well blended. Add 2 cups of the clam-boiled water, stir, and bring the soup to a boil.
- Next, add potatoes, garlic salt, dried thyme, and ground black pepper. Constantly stirring to avoid the potatoes sticking to the bottom. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the potatoes become tender and soft, stir in milk, and add clams, heat through.
- Serve immediately with crispy bacon and parsley on top.
Video
Notes
- You can use canned clams instead of fresh clams also works for this recipe. Drain two cans of clams and reserve the clam juice. In this recipe, cook the soup with one cup of water and reserved clam juice instead of two cups of boiled clam water. This will still provide a flavourful soup base for clam chowder.
- If desired, you can enrich the texture and enhance the flavor by adding two tablespoons of heavy cream.
- If the chowder is still watery, continue cooking the soup for a few minutes more to reach a silky and smooth consistency.
- To avoid a chewy texture, add the clams in the last step of the recipe. This ensures they are not overcooked and remain tender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I would like to suggest straining the clam broth the a fine mesh strainer before adding it back into the soup. Nobody likes to eat sand.
Wow! Very alike a favorite dish! I use a cup of cream instead of milk and chili instead of garlic salt and a a bit more bacon but the results should be very close :)
can I use oat milk and tapioca starch instead of flour and milk to make it gluten and diary free. Is there any other type of milk you can recommend that is not soy.
Yes, you may use oat milk and tapioca starch or cornstarch instead of flour. Good milk substitution can be almond milk or coconut milk.
Would this work with mussels instead of clams.
Yes, you can use mussels instead of clams.
The recipe calls for “1 3/4 potatoes”. I assume this means 1-3/4 “pounds” of potatoes and not just a bit less than 2 potatoes. Is that correct?
Yes.