This classic New England Clam Chowder Recipe is the ultimate creamy comfort food! Filled with tender potatoes, bacon, and delicious clams, it’s so flavorful and delicious that it rivals even the best seafood restaurants.

White soup bowl filled with homemade New England Clam Chowder garnished with oyster crackers, green onion, and bacon bits.

Homemade Clam Chowder

New England clam chowder is a personal favorite. It’s comforting, creamy, rich, and a guaranteed way to fill up a hungry tummy (and make you regret that main course you ordered). Regardless, if clam chowder is on the menu, I’m ordering it.

Unlike Manhattan clam chowder, which has a tangy tomato-based broth, New England clam chowder (as we know it today) has a thickened base consisting of heavy cream and simple flour and butter roux. It includes salty pork and slowly cooked mirepoix of onion, carrots, and celery for ultimate flavor. Simple seasonings, potatoes, and clams (with their juice) add the finishing touches.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

Manhattan Clam Chowder in a light and flavorful tomato-based broth filled with onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and bacon.

As a whole, this creamy clam chowder is very easy to make. In this post, I’ll share everything you need to know to make perfectly creamy clam chowder. Let’s go!

Origins

New England clam chowder originated in the coastal regions of New England, United States. It is believed that it was introduced by French, Nova Scotian, or British settlers, with the earliest recorded record of clam chowder dating back to the early 18th century.

The earliest recipes were made primarily of clams, potatoes, onions, and water or fish stock. The use of milk or cream, a hallmark of “modern” New England clam chowder, as well as pork or bacon, was introduced later.

“Chowder” comes from the French word “chaudière,” which means a large pot or cauldron fishermen use to cook stews and soups.

All of the ingredients needed to make New England clam chowder in individual bowls, measuring cups, and ramekins.

Key Ingredients

Salted Pork: This recipe uses sliced bacon, which is convenient and readily available. Other options include slab bacon or salt pork (salted and cured unsmoked pork fat and meat). With any option, cook your pork low and slow. This allows the fat to render completely without burning.
Fat: Remember to reserve one tablespoon of rendered pork fat after the bacon has finished cooking. You’ll also need a little butter (in addition to the pork fat) to cook the aromatics.
Mirepoix: This recipe includes the classic French combination of diced onion, carrot, and celery. Carrots are not traditional to classic clam chowder, but I enjoy them here. They are cooked low and slow in the rendered bacon fat and butter.
Aromatics and Seasoning: The key additions are fresh garlic, dried thyme, black pepper, salt, and a bay leaf. Optional additions include chicken bouillon powder and Worcestershire sauce.
All-purpose flour: Flour is sprinkled over the softened veggies to create a type of roux. It will help to thicken the broth and create a creamy texture in the final dish.
Broth: The broth consists of a mixture of water and clam juice. You can find bottled clam juice at most major grocery stores.
Potatoes: Yukon golds, baby potatoes, or red potatoes are your best bet for clam chowder. Peeling is optional.
Milk, Cream, or Half-and-Half: My personal option is that clam chowder should be made with either half-and-half or heavy cream. If you do choose to use milk, it should be whole milk. Anything lower in fat and your broth is more likely to split or curdle.
Clams: This recipe uses canned clams. You can purchase chopped clams, whole baby clams, or a combination of each. If you love clams, I recommend adding an extra can (or two).

*Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

How to Make New England Clam Chowder: Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Cook the bacon. Transfer the chopped bacon to a cold Dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium-low heat and allow the bacon to cook slowly. Stir occasionally so that the bacon cooks evenly. Cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp.

Raw pieces of chopped bacon in a large white Dutch oven.

Chopped bacon cooking in a large white Dutch oven.

2. Remove the bacon. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and place it on a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve one tablespoon of rendered bacon grease in the pot. Discard the rest.

3. Cook the mirepoix. Set the heat to medium-low and add the butter, onions, celery, and carrots. Cook low and slow until softened, about 10 minutes. Then, stir in the minced garlic, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Continue to cook for an additional 30 seconds, stirring continuously.

Butter melting in a large white Dutch oven filled with two tablespoons of rendered pork fat.

Chopped onion, celery, and carrots added to a large white Dutch oven.

Garlic, thyme, pepper, and salt added to onion, celery, and carrots cooking slowly in butter and rendered bacon fat in a large white Dutch oven.

4. Add the flour. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the softened veggies. Cook, stirring continuously, for two minutes.

All-purpose flour sprinkled over softened diced onion, carrot, and celery.

Large white dutch oven over medium heat filled with diced pieces of onion, carrot, and celery coated in flour, garlic, thyme, pepper, and salt.

5. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the water, clam juice (plus reserved clam juice), bouillon powder (optional), Worcestershire sauce (optional), and bay leaf. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.

Water, clam juice, bouillon powder, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf added to a large pot filled with softened onion, carrots, and celery coated in roux.

6. Add the potatoes: Stir in the potatoes, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the potatoes are softened, about 20 minutes.

Chopped red potatoes added to a Dutch oven filled with a simmering broth containing diced onion, carrots, and celery.

7. Add the half-and-half and clams. Remove the pot from heat and slowly stir in the half-and-half. Return to heat and bring the soup to a gentle simmer – do not boil. Add the clams and gently simmer for 5 minutes.

Half-and-half added to a large Dutch oven filled with simmering potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery.

Chopped clams added to cream-based clam chowder.

Simmering cream-based clam chowder filled with potatoes, clams, and diced vegetables.

8. Season and serve. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with oyster crackers, cooked bacon, sliced green onion or chives, and Tabasco sauce, if desired.

How to Steam Fresh Clams to Make Clam Chowder

Purchase fresh clams: Look for clams that are tightly closed, avoiding those with broken shells. This indicates they are fresh.
Clean the clams: Rinse the clams under cold water to remove any loose sand and grit from the shells. You can also soak the clams in a mixture of cold water and salt (roughly 1/3 cup of salt per gallon of water) for about 20-30 minutes. The clams will naturally expel sand and grit. Carefully remove the clams from the water and rinse them again under cold water.
Steam the clams: Place the clams in a large pot filled with about 1-2 inches of water. Cover and boil for about 10 minutes until their shells open. As the clams open, remove them from the pot to prevent them from overcooking.
Cool and shuck. Allow the clams to cool, and then remove the clam meat from the shells. If any clams remain closed after steaming, discard them, as they might not be safe to eat.

Spoon and bowl filled with homemade New England Clam Chowder garnished with oyster crackers, green onion, and bacon bits.

What to Serve with Clam Chowder

Enjoy this creamy New England clam chowder as a stand-alone meal with oyster crackers, crusty homemade bread or sourdough bread bowls, and a light green salad.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover clam chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, stirring often. Freezing is not recommended, as the half-and-half will likely separate upon thawing.

Love clams? You’ll love my Clams with Italian Sausage and Polenta, Cioppino, and Bouillabaisse.