Potato Clam Chowder

4.34 from 3 votes

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chowder, Potato Clam Chowder

Servings: people

Calories: 333kcal

Author: Bee Yinn Low

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

Recipe Source: Taste of Home

Tips:

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.

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