Dive into the rich, creamy, and deeply savory flavors of this authentic New England Clam Chowder. Brimming with tender clams, smoky bacon, and soft potatoes in a velvety broth, this regional classic offers a uniquely comforting seafood experience that stands out in any soup collection.
Ingredients
- 4 slices Thick-cut bacon (chopped)
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 1 medium Yellow onion (finely diced)
- 2 stalks Celery (diced)
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup All-purpose flour (to thicken the chowder)
- 1 cup Chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 2 cans Chopped clams (6.5 oz each, undrained – reserve the juice!)
- 3 cups Russet potatoes (peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1 cup Heavy cream (for that signature richness)
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 1/2 tsp ried thyme
- 1/2 tsp Salt (or to taste, bacon and clams are already salty)
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper (freshly ground)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy (about 6-8 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the flavorful bacon grease in the pot.
- Melt the butter in the pot with the bacon grease. Add the diced onion and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the softened vegetables and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to create a roux (this cooks out the raw flour taste).
- Gradually pour in the chicken broth and the reserved clam juice from the cans (keep the actual clam meat aside for now). Whisk continuously until the liquid is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Add the diced potatoes and dried thyme to the pot. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely fork-tender.
- Stir in the heavy cream, milk, and the reserved chopped clams. Season with salt and black pepper. Let the soup simmer gently for 3-5 minutes until heated through. (Do not let it boil vigorously, or the clams will become tough and rubbery).
- Stir half of the crispy bacon back into the pot. Ladle the hot chowder into bowls and garnish with the remaining bacon. Serve immediately, preferably with oyster crackers!
Nutrition
Calories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 8gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 540mgPotassium: 543mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 840IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 1mg
A Regional Seafood Masterpiece
Known for its thick, velvety texture and distinct oceanic flavor, authentic New England Clam Chowder is a legendary dish with a massive regional identity. Its ability to combine smoky, savory, and briny notes into one incredibly comforting bowl firmly cements its place among the top 10 best soup recipes ever. If you love creamy, refreshing textures but want to explore something cold and vibrant, do not miss our beautiful Creamy Avocado and Cucumber Soup.
Why This Ranks Among the Top 10 Best Soup Recipes Ever
This unique dish stands out brilliantly in the seafood category. It is widely considered to be one of the top 10 best soup recipes ever because of its luxurious profile and unforgettable taste. Here is what makes it so iconic:
- Iconic Flavor Profile: The combination of salty bacon, briny clam juice, and sweet heavy cream creates a complex, savory balance that is completely unique to this style of chowder.
- Hearty Texture: Soft potatoes and chewy clams give this soup a satisfying, chunky bite that makes it a filling standalone meal.
- Rich and Velvety: Relying on a traditional roux and heavy cream gives the broth an unmatched thickness and luxurious mouthfeel.
Tips for Perfecting One of the Top 10 Best Soup Recipes Ever
- Do Not Overcook the Clams: Always add the actual clam meat at the very end of the cooking process. If boiled too long, clams quickly turn tough and rubbery.
- Use the Clam Juice: The secret to that authentic, deep seafood flavor is using the juice straight from the canned clams along with your broth. Do not drain it down the sink!
- Oyster Crackers are a Must: For a true New England experience, serve this thick chowder with a generous handful of crisp oyster crackers to soak up the creamy broth.
Why do you need 2 kinds of milk? Just use one, why complicate things?
So creamy and delicious! Definitely making again!
The bacon adds a nice touch but I thought it was too salty.
Bacon and clams? Doesn’t sound right to me. No thanks.
Took me forever to make, but it was totally worth it. Yum!
This chowder is as good as my grandma used to make! Love it!
My kids won’t eat clams but they loved this recipe! Sneaky mothering 😂
That’s awesome! Sneaky ways to get kids to eat healthier is a total win! 😄
Chowder = happiness. Thank you for sharing!
Wanted to try this, but it seems so hard. Can’t I just buy canned chowder?
Yum! I didn’t have bacon, so I used ham instead. It was pretty good!
Clam chowder is all about the balance, and this nailed the bacon/clam saltiness. Also, ‘don’t boil vigorously’—thank you, because I definitely used to overcook seafood. 10/10 warning kept me safe 😅
Hey, who even likes clams? I tried this and the clams were slimy. Not for me.
Not sure about using chicken broth with clam chowder. I feel like seafood should be cooked with seafood stock, but the flavor was still good. Texture was creamy though, can’t complain.
uh… i used dried thyme but maybe not enough? It tastes a little bland to me. Also i forgot to reserve the clam juice like the recipe says (RIP). Still edible though lol
Oof RIP clam juice 😭 That stuff really adds the ocean-y depth. Also 1/2 tsp dried thyme is pretty conservative—if your thyme was old/dry or you only used a pinch, it could taste flat. Next time taste and adjust salt/pepper before serving!
I added some hot sauce for a kick. It was the best decision ever! 🌶️
Hot sauce?! That’s a bold move for clam chowder! 🤔 I’ll have to try it, but it seems a bit off for a classic recipe.
I dunno, I usually keep my chowder traditional! I guess some people like it spicy, but bacon is already flavor overload.
I’m skeptical about making chowder with chicken broth + heavy cream—feels kinda “cheaty”—but honestly the flavor was balanced and comforting. Would make again.
Pretty solid recipe, but I’m confused about the thyme line—“ried thyme” lol. I used dried thyme anyway and it came out nice. Next time I’ll probably add a bay leaf too.
I made it in less than an hour! So easy! Love the creaminess!
That sounds amazing! I love clam chowder, and it’s great that it was so quick to make. I’ll have to try it out soon!
I was skeptical about using bacon in chowder, but it was surprisingly good. Might try it without the cream next time.
This tastes super close to the chowder I grew up on. The reserved clam juice makes a huge difference—didn’t expect that. I used russets like you said and everything came out creamy without being too thick.
Turned out *so* creamy—exactly that New England vibe. I kept the clam juice like the recipe says and it really made a difference.
I’m skeptical about the flour amount (1/4 cup) thickening—mine turned out more like stew than chowder. Flavor was decent, but I think it needed more liquid or less simmer time. Anyone else experience this?
I used 1/4 cup flour exactly and mine was thick too. Maybe I shoulda used more clams juice? I like it thicker tho lol. But yeah, didn’t really taste like chowder until I loosened it with extra milk.
Yep—1/4 cup flour can definitely go either way. If your potatoes were starchier or your broth was more reduced, it can turn thick like stew. Next time try adding liquid slowly, or simmer less and let it thicken at the end after the cream/milk go in.
This is pretty spot-on for New England vibes. I love that you reserved the clam juice—makes a huge difference. I did add extra pepper at the end and it tasted restaurant-level.
Is this really how clam chowder is made? I thought it was just clams and milk. 🤔
This recipe makes TOO much! Am I supposed to eat all this? LOL
This chowder is fantastic! Just like my grandma used to make. A real comfort food!
Ughhh… my clams got rubbery. I definitely let it boil “a little” while multi-tasking. Lesson learned: simmer only. Taste still okay, but texture ruined it.
This slaps. Also the warning about boiling—real. I usually rush and boil everything, but this time I listened and it stayed creamy and not rubbery.
Too much bacon for my taste, I almost felt sick after. I prefer a lighter version.
The garlic amount felt like a lot for me (3 cloves). I’ll do 1-2 next time. Still tasted good, just more punch than classic for my palate.
Cheap cuts of bacon make it worse—trust me. I used regular bacon and it was fine, but thick-cut was way better when I tried it later.
Hmm I think bacon is bacon? 😅 I did regular sliced bacon and it still tasted legit New England to me. Maybe I just got lucky… but I didn’t notice a huge difference.
Totally agree—thick-cut bacon has more chew and doesn’t disappear. I used cheap thin bacon once and it turned the whole thing kind of watery. Thick-cut = better texture every time.
Made this for friends and it was a hit. The bacon grease + roux combo really makes it taste “restaurant.” I did simmer it gently like you said—clams stayed tender.
Made it tonight and followed everything pretty closely. The texture was great—thick but not paste-y. Only tweak: I used less salt since my clams were already super salty.
I followed it exactly and my chowder turned out kinda thick and pasty. Maybe I whisked too long or used too much flour? Still edible, but I wouldn’t serve it to my clam-chowder snobby uncle.
Not bad, but mine was thicker than I expected. I think I whisked the roux too long? Next time I’ll scale back the flour or simmer a little less.
“1/2 tsp ried thyme” … did they mean dried thyme? I used dried thyme but had to guess. Minor typo aside, it came out nice and thick.
I think “ried” is just a typo—should be dried thyme. But honestly, even guessing seems to work, because you mentioned it turned out thick. Nice!
I’m skeptical about using chicken broth instead of seafood stock. Also, I read ‘ried thyme’ and was like… is that a typo? Still tasted fine though, just not super authentic to my taste.
Made it tonight and it was okay, but I think my roux got a little clumpy because I wasn’t whisking hard enough. Still good flavor though. Next time I’ll go slower with the flour and broth.
Okay but I don’t get it… if you simmer 15 min, shouldn’t it sort the clumps out? Also I used canned cream of mushroom once and it was way better 😅
Totally makes sense—roux clumps are usually just not enough whisking or the flour hitting too hot/cold. I’ve had that happen too. Slower whisking and a steadier pour definitely helps!
My family ate it in like 10 minutes lol. Bacon flavor is on point. I did add extra pepper though because why not.
Pretty solid instructions. I used vegetable broth and it still tasted great. Only thing is I simmered a bit too hard and the clams got a little rubbery, so yeah, gentle boil matters.
Not gonna lie, the thyme amount seems small, but it actually worked for me. The roux step is key; once I didn’t cook the flour long enough and it tasted off. This time was perfect.
Mine turned out a little too thick, like chowder that wanted to be mashed potatoes. I think my flour might have been heaped. Easy fix though—next time I’ll add more broth/milk.
It was good, but I felt like it needed more clams/meat. 2 cans felt kinda stingy to me. Next time I’ll probably add a third can or bump the diced potatoes down a bit.
Totally get that—2 cans can feel a little light. Adding a third can makes it way more “New England” IMO, and shrinking the potato amount sounds like a good fix.