This clam chowder made with canned clams is easy enough to whip up on a weeknight! I love clam chowder, but working with fresh clams isn't my favorite chore. Canned clams are a time saving and cost-efficient way to make delicious clam chowder at home. This recipe combines crispy bacon, tender clams, rich potatoes, cream, and fresh veggies for a balanced soup that's perfect paired with crusty bread.
My favorite way to serve this recipe is in a sourdough bread bowl! While they are a bit of a novelty, bread bowls really take this soup the next level! Rather than make them myself, I usually stop by a local Panera Bread location to pick up their fresh bread bowls. You can purchase them to go (without soup) from the bakery section (here's where they are online). If you want to make your own bread bowls, there are tons of great recipes to try out online!
How to make Clam Chowder with Canned Clams:
- Strain the clams over a measuring cup, reserving the liquid. Dice the bacon into bite sized pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes about 1 cm in size. Slice the corn kernels off the cob, do not discard the cob.
- Heat a large, wide pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and leave the drippings in the pot.
- Add the onions to the pot and cook in the bacon drippings until they soften, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add potatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Dust the flour evenly over the contents of the pot and cook, stirring frequently, for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add the milk and clam juice (from both the bottle and strained clams) and stir until well-mixed. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and corn cob (for flavor), and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the corn and shredded carrots and continue to simmer until the potatoes are cooked through and fork-tender, about 7-10 more minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and corn cob from the soup and discard, then add the strained clams and bacon bits. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes, then serve.
- Serve topped with more thyme and fresh cracked black pepper, in a bread bowl or with crusty bread for dipping.
Key Tips - Clam Chowder with Canned Clams
Pick up some bread bowls for serving!
- I love to serve this soup in a bread bowl! Rather than make them myself, I usually stop by a local Panera Bread location to pick up their fresh bread bowls. You can purchase them to go (without soup) from the bakery section (here's where they are online).
- If you want to make your own bread bowls, there are tons of great recipes to try out online!
- The soup is also great when served with a side of crusty bread for dipping!
Do NOT sub another kind of potato.
- This recipe relies on the russet potatoes partially dissolving into the soup, which gives it the rich, creamy texture. Other varieties of potatoes may not dissolve in the same way, especially waxy potato varieties.
Don't skip the clam juice.
- Because we're using canned clams, the clam juice (basically clam stock) really helps the soup have more rich clam flavor. It's still not overpowering, just enough to give it an extra layer of flavor.
- There is about ½ cup of clam juice in each 8 oz can of clams, so adding the bottle of clam juice doubles the amount you can use in this recipe.
Dietary Restrictions
Make it Gluten-Free:
- Rather than ¼ cup of flour per batch, use 2 tablespoon of corn starch.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it very difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. ¼th of this recipe is a nice, hearty serving when served alongside bread, but some people may prefer to have more than one serving.
Clam Chowder (With Canned Clams)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes do not sub, see notes
- 2 6.5 oz cans of clams
- 1 8 oz bottle of clam juice
- 6 oz bacon
- 1 large yellow or white onion diced
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ear of corn or ⅔ cup canned or frozen corn per batch
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup shredded carrots optional
- 2 bay leaf optional
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper plus more to taste
Instructions
- Strain the clams over a measuring cup, reserving the liquid. Dice the bacon into bite sized pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes about 1 cm in size. Slice the corn kernels off the cob, do not discard the cob.
- Heat a large, wide pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and leave the drippings in the pot.
- Add the onions to the pot and cook in the bacon drippings until they soften, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add potatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Dust the flour evenly over the contents of the pot and cook, stirring frequently, for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add the milk and clam juice (from both the bottle and strained clams) and stir until well-mixed. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and corn cob (for flavor), and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the corn and shredded carrots and continue to simmer until the potatoes are cooked through and fork-tender, about 7-10 more minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and corn cob from the soup and discard, then add the strained clams and bacon bits. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes, then serve.
- Serve topped with more thyme and fresh cracked black pepper, in a bread bowl or with crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
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Send me pictures of your creations -- it'll make my day! Message @CraftyCookbook on Instagram, email me ([email protected]), or tag me in a post! Please note, tagged posts are only visible to me if your account is public. Did you make any interesting changes or substitutions for this recipe? Tell me about them in the comment section below!
Anonymous says
Awesome! Just made it! Didn't have fresh corn, so used canned baby corn; didn't have bacon, so fried up ham with a little butter and cooking oil; and I couldn't find russet potatoes on hand, so just used red ones. Also added some dill at the end and some lemon zest.
Chef's kiss! This is fantastic!
Emily says
My husband loves canned clam chowder so I wanted to try to make some from scratch! This came out amazing and we both loved it, will make again!
Carmela says
The best!!
Anonymous says
Amazing!
Dee says
Made this tonight. Omitted the carrots, otherwise followed pretty closely. We just returned home from 3 weeks in NE. Looking for something more authentic and this fit the bill. 👏🏼 delicious Unfortunately Pinterest won’t let me save the recipe, due to spam connection. But I emailed it to myself.