Homemade New England Clam Chowder with Fresh Clams

Homemade New England Clam Chowder with Fresh Clams is rich, creamy, and indulgent. This recipe is restaurant-quality but surprisingly easy to make at home (hello leftovers!) to keep you cozy on the cool nights ahead. Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

New England Clam Chowder originates from…. You guessed it, New England (Boston to be exact). It’s packed full of potatoes, bacon, and of course clams. Hearty and delicious. This creamy white version differs from the also popular red Manhattan Clam Chowder which is tomato based. There’s also the much lesser known Rhode Island Clam Chowder which is broth based. I love all versions but find myself gravitating towards New England whenever I’m out at seafood restaurants on the east coast. Years ago, I discovered how easy it is (and way more cost effective) to prepare fresh clams at home. You can also use canned clams for this recipe though. There’s nothing like curling up with a warm bowl of soup when the temperature drop. Try some other fall/winter favorites on C&C like  Easy White Chicken Chili,  Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup, or  Minestrone Soup.

Ingredients

The ingredients found in this homemade clam chowder recipe are common and simple. They stay mostly true to the authentic, classic New England Clam Chowder with fresh clams. You’ll need butter, olive oil, bacon, onion, carrots, garlic, white wine, chicken (or vegetable) broth, a spice/herb mixture (see below), potatoes, corn, heavy cream, and of course the star of the show – clams!

Fresh Clams

Fresh clams are best for this recipe. I typically use Little Neck or Middle Neck clams but really any variety will do. If you’re short on time or can’t get them where you’re located, canned clams are fine too.

Bacon

Using a thick cut, smoky bacon will yield the best flavor for this Homemade New England Clam Chowder recipe. Any type of bacon works though.

Heavy Whipping Cream

Don’t skimp on the heavy whipping cream for New England Clam Chowder with fresh clams. It’s what gives the chowder it’s creamy consistency.

Potatoes

I typically use Russet potatoes for this homemade clam chowder. Yukon gold or red potatoes work great too though.

Herbs/Seasoning

If you know me, you know I don’t ever skimp on flavor or seasoning. A bland New England Clam Chowder or any soup for that matter is a crime to me. Of course the onion, garlic, and bacon grease add quite a bit of flavor, but I also like to add thyme, oregano, salt, fresh ground pepper, red pepper flakes (optional: you can omit but with the heavy cream it does not taste spicy whatsoever), fresh parsley, and a bay leaf. The thyme and oregano can be dried or fresh. I typically use dried in the winter but will toss in fresh during the summer months when I can pick it from our garden.

 

Everything you need to know about buying and cleaning fresh clams:

If you’re new to buying fresh claims, don’t be intimidated! They are honestly SO EASY to make. You can get way more for your money preparing them at home too which is always a bonus! If you’ve made my mussels recipes, this information is very similar.

Where:

Make sure to buy them from a place you trust with meat and seafood. I stick to grocery stores and seafood specialty stores that frequently sell a large variety of seafood (not just the most common types), as they tend to know best how to handle and store clams and they’re usually the freshest. I actually got these from Costco, and they were the best quality clams I’ve purchased in Ohio! If you live far from the coast, call ahead, and make sure they have them available at your store. Like I mentioned though, I live in Ohio and have never had an issue buying them.

Purchasing:

When you’re looking at clams in the store, make sure they’re not completely wrapped in plastic. They should be secured in a net with holes allowing the clams to breathe (because if you didn’t know, they are alive). If they have plastic wrapping over them, there should be holes to allow for this. If there’s not, don’t purchase them. The plastic will suffocate them. Costco did have plastic over the net, but the side was left open and they were fine. If you’re purchasing them at the seafood counter, ask for them to be placed on ice and for holes to be poked in the plastic if they don’t prepare them that way.

Inspect the clams in the store the best you can before purchasing. You want clams that are all completely closed and that don’t have any damage or chipping to their shells. If you see open clams, tap on them. If they close up, they are alive and still good. If they remain open, the clam has already died and is bad. Clams must be kept alive up until you cook them, or they will be bad and can make you sick. If you see a handful of open clams, that’s okay. I’ve never once had a bag where every single one was alive. You’ll simply throw them out. In the bag I purchased from Costco though, I only had a handful of bad ones out of pounds of good ones!

Storing:

Once you get them home, remove plastic if there is any and fill a large bowl with some ice. Put the bag of clams on the ice and store in the fridge until you’re ready to prepare them. Eat them the same day you buy them! Second day at most.

Cleaning:

When you’re ready to prepare your clams, start by giving them a saltwater bath. Add some salt to a large bowl then fill with cold water. Remove your clams from their bag and add to the water. If any are clearly dead, discard them. Let sit in the saltwater bath for about 20 minutes. This helps to clean and purify the clams. They’ll release any sand into the bowl. The last thing you want in your Homemade New England Clam Chowder is sandy clams!

Clean your clams. Remove each one from the saltwater and inspect. If it’s open, tap to see if it closes. If it doesn’t close, discard. If there is damage to the shell, discard. Rinse with cold water. Using a clean sponge, scrub the clams shell to get rid of any sand or debris. The ones I purchased barely had any. They are typically easier to clean than mussels. Place in a bowl until ready to add to your recipe.

And that’s it! It might feel like a lot of information, but after your first time purchasing clams and cleaning them it’s super easy. I’m always that person at the store helping random customers learn what to look for when they’re buying clams/mussels as a lot of people don’t know where to begin and opt out of purchasing them altogether. Which is a travesty!

Homemade New England Clam Chowder Instructions:

Begin Homemade Clam Chowder

Heat butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Here's one of my favs. Once melted add bacon and cook through according to package directions. Remove bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Add onion and carrot directly to leftover bacon grease in pot. Sauté for about five minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1-2 more minutes. Deglaze the pot by pouring in wine and stirring to get any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot loose. Then add chicken (or vegetable) broth and bring to boil. Once at a slight boil, stir in spices (oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes) and bay leaf.

Stir in potatoes and corn. Then turn down heat to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare fresh clams

To prepare your now clean, fresh clams for homemade New England Clam Chowder start by heating olive oil in a skillet. Add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Pour in white wine. Stir and turn down heat. Add fresh parsley and cook for about a minute. Carefully add clams to the skillet. You may want to remove from heat to do so. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for about eight minutes or until they are open.

Discard any clams that didn’t open.

Add fresh cooked clams to chowder

Stir cream and remaining fresh parsley. Simmer for about five minutes. Add fresh cooked clams with juice into stockpot. I like to remove some clams from their shells first and chop prior to adding to broth. Others I leave in their shells. You can opt to remove all first or leave them all in their shells to remove while eating. I do love to at least serve some shell-in on top. Simmer until homemade clam chowder reaches desired consistency. Some like their chowders thick and others thin. The longer it cooks, the thicker it’ll become.

Dish this hearty homemade New England Clam Chowder with fresh clams into a bowl. Top with cooked bacon, parsley, and fresh ground pepper.

FAQs

Can I use canned clams?

Absolutely! While I love using fresh clams for this Homemade Clam Chowder, canned are delicious too. Make sure to use clam juice as well, since you won’t be getting the juice from cooking them yourself. You’ll need approximately three cans of chopped clams and 3-4 bottles of clam juice.

How to thicken homemade clam chowder?

To have a thick chowder consistency, simmer a little longer. You can also mix together a slurry of flour and cold water in a small bowl, then add it to the simmering clam chowder to help thicken more. If you’d like the chowder on the thinner side, add more broth.

What makes clams chewy in clam chowder?

Nobody wants chewy clams in their homemade clam chowder. To avoid this, don’t overcook the fresh clams. Also chopping clams into smaller pieces (for the clams you remove from their shells) prior to adding to the broth base helps avoid any rubbery texture. Especially if you plan to simmer your chowder longer to thicken, smaller pieces of clam are the way to go.

Is this safe to eat while pregnant?

Homemade New England Clam Chowder with fresh clams is safe to eat while pregnant as the clams are thoroughly cooked through as opposed to clams from the raw bar. If you have any concerns, definitely talk to your doctor though.

Can you freeze clam chowder?

I don’t recommend freezing homemade clam chowder. The cream won’t hold up well upon reheating and the potatoes will fall apart.

Serve this clam chowder with…

A loaf of crusty bread for dipping goes great with this savory homemade clam chowder with fresh clams. Or you can just serve it in an actual bread bowl! Oyster crackers are, of course, the classic cracker pairing. If you’re feeling extra hungry, a simple salad like this or this go great with chowder. Sticking with the seafood theme, try serving with this crab dip as an appetizer. In terms of drinks, pair with a deep, rich white wine like Chardonnay or Pinot Gris. You can use the one you cooked with earlier!

Storage Instructions

Store Homemade New England Clam Chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Remove any remaining clams from shells prior to storing. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

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