New England Clam Chowder Recipe (2024)

This New England Clam Chowder is the absolute best! This easy chowder recipe is perfect comfort food for a cold night.

Made with bacon, plenty of potatoes, and with just the right amount of cream, you will be a chowder master with my instructions for how to make clam chowder.

THE BEST NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

This recipe has been a favorite in our house for ages! It is far and away Nathan’s favorite dinner recipe.

What makes this the best clam chowder recipe you ask? Simple. The roux starts out with bacon! A roux is the mixture of fat and flour to create a thickening agent.

That fat is often butter, like in my Chicken Noodle Casserole, but in this amazing clam chowder, it is bacon fat. The bacon fat works perfectly to make a nice creamy base for this soup while adding tons of flavor.

HOW TO MAKE NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

It was actually my husband who first started making this soup. I had never been a big fan because the broth was so liquidy and thin. New England Clam Chowder should have a nice and thick creamy broth.

And then one day I watched Nathan make it. After combining the bacon fat and the flour, he just poured in the clam juice in one big fell swoop. (Cue the horror face emoji.)

The key to this recipe working well is to add the clam juice really slowly. I’m talking like two tablespoons at a time when you first start adding it. You want it to be a nice gummy mess with the little bit of clam juice being absorbed each time before you add in more.

Do you see how creamy it is in the photos? That’s what you are going for.

MAKING THE BEST NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

1. Add the diced thick cut bacon to the preheated stock pot.
2. Cook until crisp. Add in the onions and celery, cooking until they are tender. Add in the garlic, cooking for 30 seconds making sure not to burn it.
3. Mix in the flour.
4. Very slowly stir in the clam juice. Start with about two tablespoons at a time, whisking it in until the liquid is absorbed and then adding more. At the end you can add more at a time and more quickly.
5. Add the thyme, potatoes, and two bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Stir in the clams and heavy cream and enjoy!

Once you have made it a few times, you’ll be able to make it in your sleep!

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER SUBSTITUTIONS

• My husband hates onions and isn’t a huge fan of celery or parsley, so when I’m making it for just him, I leave all of that out.
• He loves potatoes, so I add a few more of those than this recipe calls for.
• You can substitute chicken stock for the clam juice. It lessens the clam taste a little, but saves a bundle as clam juice can be expensive. On the other hand, I’ve had people tell me I’m a heathen for this. It’s your call.

DO I HAVE TO USE BACON?

I guess that you can do this without bacon. (But WHY?!?)

Start your recipe by melting 3 tablespoons of butter, and then start sautéing your vegetables. Carry on from there as normal. It is very likely that you will need to season your final soup with a bit of salt.

CAN I USE REGULAR MILK INSTEAD OF HEAVY CREAM?

Please don’t. Without heavy cream, you just aren’t going to get that final creamy soup that I know you want.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CLAM CHOWDER

This recipe is great with bread for dipping. These one hour dinner rolls or my homemade beer bread would both be perfect.

I also love having a salad with my soup. Either this spinach salad or my winter salad would be delicious on the side.

If you make this soup or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear from you!