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Why You’ll Love My Recipe

Clam chowder instantly transports you to the cozy seaside restaurants along the New England coast. Packed with savory clams, hearty ingredients, and a rich, creamy broth, this soup is satisfying any time of year. One spoonful feels like sitting by the ocean with salty sea air all around you – except this chowder tastes even better because you made it yourself!

For the full seaside experience, try serving this chowder in homemade Bread Bowls. And if you’re a chowder lover, be sure to check out my Manhattan Clam Chowder recipe too!

Reader Review

Yummy

– Annette M

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes

Skill Level: This recipe is surprisingly easy to make – just get your hands on canned minced and whole clams!
Total Time: You’ll have a warm bowl of chowder ready in 1 hour from start to finish.
Variations: You can easily switch up the style of chowder by replacing the creamy base with a tomato-based or clear broth version instead. And for extra depth of flavor, try adding a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a splash of fish sauce, or a few drops of hot sauce. Serve your chowder with my Classic Tuna Melt Sandwich, Homemade Coleslaw Recipe, or a tangy Shrimp Salad for a full meal!
Tools For This Recipe: You will need a large stockpot or Dutch oven, tongs for cooking bacon, measuring spoons, a knife, a spoon or spatula for sautéing and stirring, a small bowl, a whisk, and a ladle for serving.

A creamy soup garnished with bacon bits and chopped green onions, served inside a round bread bowl with the top resting to the side, on a white plate.

What You’ll Need for Ingredients

Clams: This New England clam chowder uses both minced and whole clams for the best texture and flavor. You’ll also need clam juice to help create the signature briny taste of the soup. Karlynn’s Tip: Since fresh clams can be difficult to find unless you live near the coast, canned clams are usually the easiest and most dependable choice, providing reliable freshness year-round!

Bacon: Bacon adds a rich, smoky flavor to the chowder and makes a delicious crispy topping when you serve it.

Vegetables: Diced onion, celery, minced garlic, and cubed russet potatoes form the hearty base of the soup, while chives or green onions are the fresh garnish.

An overhead view of various ingredients arranged neatly on a white surface, including chopped potatoes, bacon, celery, onions, clams, broth, cream, seasonings, and a red checkered kitchen towel.

Chicken Broth: Paired with heavy cream, chicken broth helps create a rich, flavorful soup base without making it overly heavy. Karlynn’s Tip: If you want to experiment with the flavor, you could try my Pork Broth or Vegetable Broth, but it will change the classic chowder taste!

Seasonings: Simple seasonings like salt, pepper, dried thyme, and bay leaf help build the traditional savory flavor.

Bread Bowls: Bread bowls and oyster crackers are the best pairings for this clam chowder. You can bake your bread bowls from scratch or quickly make them with round bakery-style loaves if you’re in a pinch! Karlynn’s Tip: If you want the full homemade experience, follow my Bread Bowl recipe for the perfect serving “dish” for this soup.

How To Make New England Clam Chowder

This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

A pot with sautéed onions, celery, and bacon sits on a white surface. Surrounding it are a bowl of diced potatoes, a cup of broth, a bowl of spices, a bay leaf, and a dish of olive oil. A red plaid towel is nearby.

A pot of hearty potato soup with herbs and vegetables sits on a white wooden table. Nearby are a wooden spoon, a red-and-white checkered cloth, a small bowl of flour, and a glass of milk.

Fry the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until tender-crisp.
Drain the bacon on paper towels and reserve some of the fat in the Dutch oven.
Sauté the onions in the Dutch oven for 5 minutes.
Add the celery and cook until the onions are translucent and the celery has softened.
Add the garlic and sauté until browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Reserve some bacon on the side, and add the rest to the pot.
Add in the potatoes, and pour in the clam juice, chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaf.
Bring to a low simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender and falling apart.
Remove the bay leaf, then whisk the cornstarch into the heavy cream.
Add the cornstarch mixture to the soup to thicken, simmering for 2 minutes while whisking.
Stir in the minced and whole clams and heat them through.
Season to taste, prepare your bread bowls, and fill them with chowder.
Garnish with the reserved bacon, green onion, and oyster crackers, then serve!

A bread bowl filled with creamy soup, topped with chopped green onions, bacon bits, and herbs, sits on a white plate next to a piece of crusty bread. A spoon and napkin are nearby on a white wooden surface.

Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect New England Clam Chowder

Use Both Minced and Whole Clams: Using both types of clams gives your soup the best texture! Whole clams add those hearty bites throughout the soup, while minced clams help distribute clam flavor evenly throughout the broth. You could mince whole clams yourself, but it can be a slippery, messy job – using canned minced clams is much easier and saves a lot of prep time.
Know Your Chowders: This recipe is for a classic New England clam chowder, known for its rich, creamy base. If you want to experiment, there are other regional styles too! Manhattan clam chowder swaps the cream for a tomato-based broth, Rhode Island clam chowder uses a clear broth with a stronger clam flavor, and Long Island clam chowder combines both the creamy and tomato styles together.
Serving Ideas: Bread bowls and oyster crackers are the perfect pairings for chowder, but if you don’t want to make bread bowls, just serve the chowder in large soup bowls with crusty bread or buttery crackers on the side. Or, if you’d rather skip the bread altogether, pair the soup with a crisp green salad or roasted vegetables for a lighter meal!

A ladle holds a creamy soup with bacon bits and green onions above a pot. Surrounding the pot are bread rolls, chopped green onions, croutons, and a red-and-white towel on a white table.

Storage Instructions

Clam chowder makes fantastic leftovers, and the flavors get even richer after sitting for a day!

Refrigerator: Let the chowder cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often so the creamy broth stays smooth.

Freezer: Cream-based soups can sometimes separate after freezing, and the potatoes may become a little soft or mushy once thawed. If you plan to freeze the chowder, you can leave the potatoes out and add freshly cooked ones later when reheating. Store the chowder in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months following USDA food safety guidelines, leaving a little room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently while stirring to help bring the texture back together.

More Delicious Soup Recipes

Nothing warms the soul quite like a comforting bowl of soup on a cold or rainy day. Soup season is easily one of my favorite times of year, so here are a few more cozy Soup Recipes to try next:

My Cabbage Soup Recipe is not only delicious, but it’s hearty, nutritious, and a great way to work more veggies into your meals.
You might not think of celery as the star of a dish, but after trying my Cream of Celery Soup topped with bacon and cheddar, you’ll be craving it again and again.
French Onion Soup is a classic for good reason! Sweet caramelized onions, crusty bread, and gooey melted cheese are hard to beat.

And there you have it, folks! This rich, creamy New England chowder brings all the cozy charm of a seaside restaurant right into your own kitchen.

Serve it up with bread bowls and oyster crackers, gather everyone around the table, and enjoy a little taste of the coast from home. Don’t forget to leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out, too!

Happy Cooking!

Karlynn