Ultra-thick, creamy, and comforting, this New England clam chowder recipe is studded with clams, potatoes, and aromatic veggies. There’s no need to fuss with fresh clams here — canned or frozen work great, I swear!
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“Made this last night and LOVED it!” — Sherry, FoodieCrush reader
This is the Best Clam Chowder Outside of New England
Yep, I’m staking my claim.
Creamy, full of vegetables, and lush with clams, this hearty 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.
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.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Full-fat dairy products make for the richest, creamiest 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.
For the best flavor and texture, use real butter. Margarine or another butter alternative won’t work here. If you use salted butter, give the soup a taste before adding additional salt, just to be safe.
Canned, frozen, or fresh clams? Use whichever is easiest for you to find, and know that canned and frozen clams work amazing and taste just as good in this chowder. 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!).
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Potatoes — Yukon Golds are best for this recipe.
- Aromatics — Celery and onion create the flavor base of the chowder. I also add leeks, which provide a more nuanced flavor than onions alone can accomplish.
- Green pepper — This may not be a common ingredient in clam chowders, but I swear it’s delicious here!
- Clams — You can use canned clams (in their juices!) or frozen. If you wind up with leftovers, use them to make my favorite clam dip next.
- Herbs — Dried thyme and bay leaves add flavor without overwhelming the clams.
- Tabasco — 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 just have to use). You could also use a dry white wine in a pinch.
- Butter + flour — Makes the roux that will help thicken our soup and add a nice, rich flavor as well.
- Half and half — This is what makes the clam chowder so irresistibly creamy without being too thick. You could also sub in heavy cream, but I do NOT recommend using milk or else your chowder will taste watery.
How to Make Thick and Creamy Clam Chowder
- Simmer until soft. In a large pot or saucepan, combine the potatoes, veggies, clams, seasonings, Tabasco, and sherry. Simmer gently just until the potatoes are tender (not mushy!).
- Bake the roux. As the vegetables bubble away, mix the flour and butter in a baking dish. Then, bake for 30 minutes. This cooks off the raw flour flavor and makes for a richer-tasting chowder.
- Stir the roux into the chowder. Do this over medium heat, stirring all the while. The chowder will thicken up considerably.
Heidi’s Tip: After adding the roux, your clam chowder will be nearly as thick as cookie dough. Don’t panic! We’ll thin it out in the last step.
- Remove from heat and add the dairy. Slowly stir in the half-and-half until blended, then return the pot to the stove and heat it gently to serving temperature. (Adding the dairy off the heat prevents it from curdling.)
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
New England Clam Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced Yukon Gold potatoes , ½-inch dice
- 1 cup diced celery , ½-inch dice
- 1 cup diced yellow onion , ½-inch dice
- 1 cup diced green pepper , ½-inch dice
- 1 cup diced leeks , green parts and rooty ends removed – ½-inch dice
- ¾ cup chopped clams , in their juices (canned or frozen)
- 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco
- ¾ cup sherry wine
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup butter , melted (1 ½ sticks)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 quarts half-and-half
Instructions
- Cook the veg and aromatics. In a 12-quart large pot over medium-high, combine 1 cup diced potatoes, 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup diced onion, 1 cup diced green pepper, 1 cup diced leeks, ¾ cup clams with juice, 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 6 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon Tabasco, ¾ cup sherry, and 2 cups water. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Bake the thickening roux. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In an ovenproof baking dish, whisk ¾ cup melted butter and ¾ cup all-purpose flour until smooth and bake for 30 minutes to eliminate the raw flour flavor and stabilize the chowder.
- Combine all ingredients to thicken the soup. Add the roux (butter-flour mixture) to the pot with the chowder ingredients over medium heat. Stir the mixture well as it cooks and becomes thick (the mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough.) Remove chowder from the heat and stir in the half-and-half until well blended. Return to medium and cook until warmed through, stirring occasionally. Serve with crusty sourdough bread, oyster crackers or Saltines, and extra Tabasco.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
Use a waxy potato, which will hold its shape and become super tender and creamy after simmering. Yukon Golds are my favorite to use in New England-style chowders.
Every clam chowder should have clams, potatoes, and cream (or half and half).
What is the best thickener for chowder?
I like making a roux (by mixing melted butter and flour) to thicken my chowder.
I don’t recommend doing so since this recipe contains a lot of butter and half and half. When you freeze and reheat dairy-rich soups, they tend to split and the texture becomes almost curdled.
I’ve not tried it myself, but readers who have made this recipe with a gluten-free all-purpose flour alternative have done it successfully.
What to Serve with Clam Chowder
- Oyster crackers
- Cornbread
- Warm, crusty bread (baguette or boule)
- Corn on the Cob
- Buttery Garlic Bread
- Arugula Salad with Apple and Parmesan
Storage Tips
Leftover clam chowder will keep stored in an airtight container (or in a pot with a lid) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
More Seafood Soups and Stews
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Jan R.
I grew up in Portland and there is a restaurant called Jake’s Famous Crawfish since 1892. This is exactly what their clam chowder used to taste like and they even sold it in a can in the grocery stores. I’m not sure when, but they changed they chowder to a more regular version that’s pretty much everywhere and quit selling it in the can. I often crave it and stumbled on this recipe my accident. I not familiar with Market Street clam chowder or anything about it, but since Jakes has been around since 1892, it makes me wonder if Market Street somehow got ahold of Jakes recipe …. just a thought. Absolutely delicious, I’m so very excited and pleasantly surprised to have my favorite chowder again!!
Happy to hear you enjoyed Jan!
Ken H
Was wondering if anyone has subbed in say a half cup of the clam juice that’s in the can and then used 1.5 cups of water. Looking to make this for New Years Day. Thanks in advance
Hayley
Hi Ken! We haven’t tried that but we think it should work fine. We hope you enjoy!
Michele King
First time I had this clam chowder at Market Street I thought I was going to die. It’s the only clam chowder recipe I have used for at least 20 years. They used to hand the recipe out at the restaurant. So yes, it does have green pepper in it. Making it tonight
Nicole
I make this gluten free all the time. I just sub the regular flour for a measure for measure gluten free flour blend. I just use what I have on hand which is either king Arthur brand(I like all of theirs) or bobs red mill 1:1. It tastes just like the soup I know and love. Thank you for posting the recipe!
Thanks for the gluten free suggestion Nicole!
Stacy Blanton
Any suggestions on a non-dairy substitution for the half and half?
Hey Stacy, to make this non-dairy try using plain almond milk or cashew milk (which is even a bit thicker than almond milk.) That should totally work!
Wendy Moore
One of my families favorite recipes. I made this gluten free for my daughter last time and it turned out great. I used Bobs Red Hill Gluten Free 1 to 1 baking flour. You have to bake the roux a bit longer.
So glad you enjoyed it Wendy!
Sandy S
Made this last night and LOVED it! The recipe makes a huge pot of soup..enough for at least a dozen people. So easy too. Read the recipe wrong and threw in carrot instead of green pepper. Still delicious. Next time I will probably double the amount of clams. Served with crushed crackers. Will definitely make this again.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I am so glad this was a win for you! Enjoy!
BRIAN
I made the clam chowder today and it was easy and delicious. I can eat soup every day and this makes so much (glad I didn’t try to reduce the recipe) that I brought some over to my next door neighbors. They loved it too, although everyone seems to be health conscious and is concerned about the fat content . I actually added more clams ( i used whole clams and minced clams) and the ratio with the vegetables came out perfect. I’m bringing a container to work tomorrow and I can’t wait to taste it on the 2nd day as many have commented here.
linda
Sounds great, but I would double the amount of clams. Otherwise this is cream chowder
Angelina
It’s NEVER made with green peppers, and you must add clam juice.
tracy
My Market Street recipe from 20 years ago calls for clam juice. I notice it is missing from this recipe.
You can add clam juice, it will make it thinner but give it even more clam flavor.
Leanna Lewis Huber
I’ve never had better clam chowder than Salt Lake City Market Street’s chowder. I was just there today for lunch! I’m definitely making this!!