Clam Chowder Recipe

by Heidi Updated: Sep 17, 2024

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This clam chowder recipe is so creamy and flavorful, made with clams, potatoes, and sherry for the best New England clam chowder recipe.

In This Post

Creamy, full of vegetables, and lush with clams, this New England clam chowder recipe is delicious in every respect, and I’m saying it loud and proud that it’s the best clam chowder recipe outside of New England. Yep, I’m staking my claim. The recipe comes from the restaurant where I met my husband when we were both servers, Salt Lake City’s acclaimed Market Street Grill. From San Francisco to New England, I’ve been to a whole lot of places and ordered a whole lot of chowder, and still to this day, this one is tops on my list.

Why You’ll Love It

This creamy clam chowder recipe is thick, velvety, and full of amazing savory flavor
It’s got all of the ingredients and flavors you could want in a classic New England-style clam chowder recipe
There’s no need to fuss with fresh clams here—canned or frozen work great, I swear!

What are the Ingredients for Clam Chowder?

I do not recommend substituting low-fat versions of any of the ingredients listed below because the chowder will be thinner and not as savory. Homemade clam chowder just doesn’t taste good when you try to make it healthier, so instead, just eat a little less and revel in its lush flavor.

Potatoes—Yukon Golds are best for this recipe
Onion—adds a nice savory flavor to the chowder
Celery—celery works with the onion to help make a flavorful base
Green pepper—green pepper may not be a common ingredient in clam chowders, but I swear it’s delicious here!
Leeks—some clam chowder recipes just have onion, but I love the addition of leeks here—don’t skip them!
Clams—you can use canned clams or frozen
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—always, for flavor
Dried thyme—you could use fresh if you like, but you will want to double the amount
Bay leaves—for aromatics
Tobasco—for a super subtle kick and zesty flavor
Sherry wine—to add another layer of flavor (sherry is one of those classic chowder ingredients). You could also use a dry white wine in a pinch.
Butter—mixes with flour to make a roux that will help thicken our soup and add a nice, rich flavor as well
Water—for simmering the potatoes (you could use chicken broth if you wanted)
Flour—to thicken the soup
Half and half—or heavy cream, but I do not recommend using milk!

Tip: Add some sprinkles of freshly chopped parsley when serving your soup, if you’d like a little more color.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Chowder

Simmer until soft. In a large pot or saucepan on the stove, combine the potatoes, celery, onion, green pepper, leeks, clams, salt and pepper, thyme, bay leaves, Tabasco, and sherry. Simmer together over medium-high heat until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked and everything is nice and soft (tender, not mushy)
Make the roux. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and flour to make a roux. Then stir into the chowder and cook and stir until thick (you want to be sure to cook out the raw flour flavor). The mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough.
Remove from heat and add the dairy. Remove chowder from heat. Slowly stir in the half-and-half until blended. Heat your chowder to your desired serving temperature, stirring occasionally. crusty sourdough bread and extra Tabasco. Once baked, stir the flour mixture into the chowder, then remove from the heat.

FAQ and Recipe Tips

What three ingredients must a chowder have? Every clam chowder should have clams, potatoes, and cream (or half-and-half).
What are the three types of clam chowder? The three types of clam chowder are Boston, New England, and Manhattan clam chowder. As a young chowderhead, I only knew of New England clam chowder, which is the same as Boston clam chowder with a white creamy broth made from a flour and butter roux. Manhattan clam chowder has a tomato base.
What is the best thickener for chowder? I like making a roux (by mixing melted butter and flour) to thicken my chowder.
For the best flavor and texture, use real butter, not margarine or another butter alternative. If you use salted butter, give the soup a taste before adding additional salt, just to be safe.
I don’t recommend using whole milk in place of the half and half. Half-and-half contains more fat, which makes this chowder super flavorful, creamy, and rich.
Use canned or frozen clams in this clam chowder recipe. Don’t stress over trying to bother with fresh clams. Just use whichever is easiest for you to find, and know that canned and frozen clams work amazing and taste amazing in this chowder. Just make sure to chop them up so they’re easier to eat (and don’t forget that delicious clam juice—it delivers mega flavor to this chowder!).

Storage Tips

This clam chowder will keep stored in an airtight container (or in a pot with a lid) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I don’t recommend doing so since this recipe contains a lot of butter and half and half. If you freeze and reheat this clam chowder soup, I think the dairy would split and your chowder would have an odd texture.

What to Serve with Clam Chowder

Oyster crackers
French fries
Cornbread
Warm, crusty bread (baguette or boule)
Corn on the Cob
The BEST Garlic Bread

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

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4.74 from 67 votes