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: Clams, Potatoes

Cuisine: American Recipes

Keyword: Potato Clam Chowder

Servings: people

Author: Bee Yinn Low

Ingredients

7 oz clams
5 cups water for boiling
2 strips bacon chopped
1 onion chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 lb 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

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a saucepan, add the clams and water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, or until the clams are cooked through. Turn off the heat, drain the clams, and remove the shells, reserving the cooking water. Set the clams aside.
Dry the saucepan with paper towels and heat it over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon from the saucepan and place it on paper towels to drain excess oil.
Add the onion to the saucepan and stir-fry until aromatic and nicely browned. Then, stir in the 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 the potatoes, garlic salt, dried thyme, and ground black pepper. Stir constantly 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 are tender and soft, stir in the milk and add the clams. Heat through.
Serve immediately, topped with crispy bacon and parsley.

Video

Notes

Recipe Source: Taste of Home

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