Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder
I had made New England clam chowder once before in the crock sometime last year. I wanted to give it another try since I not only hadn’t been blogging at the time – doing it again would allow me to take picture and share it, but also so I could make some adjustments.
The recipe I used the first time was very basic and quite frankly a total cheater recipe. I hadn’t thought much about that at the time, but looking back I realize just how much of a fake recipe that was. It called for canned everything. I kid you not. I don’t complain about prepackaged ingredients if it’s a few per recipe, but that one called for canned soup, canned cream of this and that. You’d certainly expect the outcome to be at least relatively flavorful since you’re using items that a company has already prepared for you, and it was but it still wasn’t homemade. I get satisfaction out of knowing I can make something myself. I’m not talking milk a cow and make my own cream, or anything along those lines… just making something with a little bit more love. The other downside to that early recipe was the lack of thickness. Clam chowder or at least the New England variety is suppose to be thick and creamy. The other clam chowder some may be familiar with is Manhattan clam chowder, that is not as thick and calls for tomatoes among other things. They have few similarities and in the overall picture are drastically different.
I decided to poke around and get an idea for what recipes were calling for so I could decide my plan of action. Lots of potatoes, veggies and other wonderful flavorings. In the end, this variety not only was much thicker and creamier but it was also mostly much more from scratch… outside of me catching the clams, growing the veggies, making my cream etc. Sure it’s store bought items but they didn’t all come from cans which made me happy. I only share recipes I think are worth sharing and that I think someone else may love but believe me when I say, this is a winner in the world of clam chowder. If you are a fan of it, you should definitely try this easy slow cooker recipe. It’s thick and creamy just like New England clam chowder should be and has an wonderful flavor. Not one part is too over powering, everything works just right with eachother.
And for those with cats, if you don’t normally have kitchen visitors while cooking… you will while making this. Normally my cat (the one of two that we actually see) doesn’t hang out a ton with me in the kitchen but he was stalking my ingredients the entire time… begging for a taste. It was rather comical. He didn’t even care when our one year old was trying to give him hugs.
Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 C potatoes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 C yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 C celery, chopped
- 4: 6 oz clams, see notes
- 8 oz clam juice, see notes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 - 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/4 C all purpose flour
- 3 1/4 C half and half
- 5-6 slices bacon
- 1/2 Tbsp bacon grease, optional
Instructions
- Prepare onion, celery and garlic. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add vegetables, cooking over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add garlic and, thyme and optional red pepper flakes, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Transfer to the bowl of a 6 quart slow cooker.
- Peel and chop potatoes into small bite sized pieces. Add to the slow cooker along with clams, juice and seasonings. Stir to combine. Cover and begin cooking on high for 5 hours or low for 10.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove 1/2 Tb bacon grease, transfering to the slow cooker, if desired. Chop bacon, reserving a small portion for topping chowder later. Toss remaining larger portion of chopped bacon to the slow cooker. Return lid and continue to cook.
- When 30 minutes remain in the cook time, add flour to half & half, whisking well until smooth. Add to the slow cooker, stirring wel lto combine. Replace lid and continue to cook until thickened.
- Divide among bowls serving warm and sprinkling with bacon.
Notes
*This recipe has been slightly adjusted from the original to assure better results. Please be sure to follow the recipe accordingly. Also, if this is your first time making this or any other slow cooker recipe, I recommend being home while it cooks so you can monitor it and guarantee desired results.
I found you on foodgazing.com. Now that the weather has turned colder, I’ve been looking for a good New England Clam Chowder recipe, and this one looks great. I like my chowder nice and thick and creamy and I love that it can be made in a crock pot. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Boy, really looks like super tasty chowder! My eight kitties might act just like yours did too, thanks.
This looks delicious! Perfectly rich and savory!
lol love the pics of the cat! I’m not much of a clam chowder fan (or anything seafood related) but I could definitely make this for Boyfriend cause he loves it!
Your recipe was posted.
Thank goodness for crock pots. They make cooking so easy! I love your dish. It looks delicious!
I’ve been scouring the internet looking for a good New England Clam Chowder crock pot recipe. Yours fits the bill! I’m going to try this on New Year’s Eve.
Great recipe!
I used Valida Onion, Yukon Gold Potatoes and probably an extra slice of bacon or two… Can’t go wrong with too much bacon.
The juice from the cans of clams is a good call.
Thanks Rachel!
It was a hit!
Made this last night and just wanted to say tasty, tasty. I am a born and raised New England girl so….yes, I am picky about my NE Clam Chowdah! Anyway, I followed the recipe but added a chunck of butter (about 1/4 cup) creamy good…used a tad more bacon grease too!
Thanks – everyone should give this a try! Can’t go wrong.
Thank you for coming back to let me know you tried it and liked it. I love hearing that! And more bacon grease is always good thing! :)
This looks delicious! I am going to make it tomorrow. I love clam chowdah and I’m very picky. I’ve looked at a lot of different recipes and this looks the best. By far… I will let you know how I make out. :)
I’ve been looking for a crock pot recipe for clam chowder that is thick and creamy. I’ll be making this for our Christmas Eve dinner. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for posting this recipe!
I hope you enjoy it! Have a wonderful Christmas. :)
trying this tonight! thanks for the recipe
just in time for the New England Patriots Super Bowl Game ! can’t wait to try this on Sunday.
I just made this for my family…. Excellent…. a keeper in my book….
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know. :)
Made this today, taste was very good, but result was very thin – not watery, but not thick like New Englad Clam Chowder should be.
Also, had a few left over peeled, deveined and fully cooked shrimp. Cut them up and added them to the chowder and let heat for about 15 minutes – Excellent.
Will make again, but did I do something that it did not thicken? Followed the recipe exactly with the exception of the added shrimp.
So glad you enjoyed it. Sorry it didn’t thicken up like you would have liked. I can’t be sure why that is. In the future you could always add more potatoes and mash some of them or add double flour as that’s used as a thickening agent.
I had the same problem with mine turning out thin… i’m not sure why. I followed the recipe to a t. We are having it tonight for or dinner party and i’m sorta freaking out! I think I will try adding butter and maybe flour. it almost looks like the half and half seperated?
Delicious clam chowder. Think and delicious, I used hickory salt instead of bacon and bacon grease, and it was soooo good.
I also ran our of half and half (I only had a pint) so I put in about 1/4 cup of cream and hoped for the best. So maybe only using 2.4 cups of liquid is the trick to the thick?
Thank you for a “keeper” recipe :)
Awesome recipe> I substituted fresh mussels and used the stock from the steaming for the liquid.
Yummy!!!
I have been dying to make a good clam chowder. I am all for a thick soup with lots of good chunks of vegetables. I found this recipe and decided to try it and I LOVE IT! I usually add a little bit more potato and about 1 teaspoon worth of bacon grease, gives it a nice touch! I have made this twice for myself, once for my parents, and am making it tomorrow for my boyfriend! Thanks for the recipe!!!!
gonna try this tomorrow. looks yummy
Cant wait to try sounds great may add abit more flour do like it thick & more bacon can never have too much of that!! I am a soup maker & like u they r made with love & yes homemade not from any cans!! Lol lol. But I usually only get 1/2 cups because my Son eats all the rest while I’m not looking. Lol
Made this tonight. Fantastic! Really really thick and creamy. I was in a hurry, so I turned my crockpot up high and it was done in less than 5 hours. Needed a good stir now and then too, as it actually got to bubbling (which I did not want it to do). Added some Old Bay. My husband and I loved it, the two-year-old, not so much, but that’s his M.O. these days. Thanks!
So glad to hear you liked it! :)
This is currently in my crock pot! I can’t wait! The recipe was easy to follow. I scoured the web for a crockpot version. So glad I found you!
I hope you enjoy it! :)
Making this right now, smells divine!!!
I am a bit confused – do I also add the potatoes at the beginning of the crock pot cycle. I see a number of these recipes and some add water, and some say add milk/cream/flower near the end of the cooking cycle. I just want it to be crystal clear when we add what to the crock pot. Please let me know – thanks.
Yes, as stated in the directions, the potatoes are added to the slow cooker first. No water is called for in my recipe.
how long do you cook it in the crock pot?
I am going to make this for the Superbowl tomorrow. My crockpot is pretty large…im thinking maybe i need to double the recipe?? Does this recipe fill up your crockpot? I just want to make sure i have enough for our guests.
Thanks!! Looks easy and so so good!!
This was created in a 6quart slow cooker, with some head room. If you have one large enough to double then you certainly could try that.
I made this yesterday. Followed recipe exactly but it curdled.
Unfortunately I can’t be sure what went wrong since I wasn’t there to see your process. It could be as simple as your slow cooker running hotter than mine or cooking too long. I tested this recipe on high for 5 hours without issue.
I am a new cook, & im kinda confused about how much clam you were saying to add… to explain it in newbie talk… LOL, this looks great! cant wait to try it :)
An explanation is listed within the notes section of the recipe.
Oops, SOrry!
I would like to make this for a dinner party of 10. Can i just double everything?
This was created in a 6-quart but would likely work in a 5-quart as well, as written. So, if you have a slow cooker large enough, you could certainly try it.
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! I made it today and it turned out so thick and creamy! It has the best flavor! I will be making this soup often :-)
So glad you enjoyed it. :)
I forgot to mention this was my first time ever making soup of any kind! My success says alot about how amazing this recipe is! Super informative and easy to follow! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thanks again!
Please keep me posted on any recipes you try! I hope you enjoy them. :)
I made this recipe yesterday and followed it to the t It came out delicious and it was my first time making new England clam chowder,this one is a keeper!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Woundering if there was any nutritional value for this recipie?
I don’t personally calculate nutritional information but there are plenty of free online calculators if you are interested in doing so.
I made this yesterday for dinner. I had to add a little bit of flour at the end to try to thicken it and I think I added too much because it tasted like gravy lol. And it also burned in my crock pot before I added the half and half and I was watching it very closely
Definitely sounds like too much flour was added or something else may have been missing, in addition to your slow cooker possibly running hotter than mine – they can do that.
Made this recipe this morning and let it cook on the “high” setting of my crockpot for 5 hours. I had to stir it a few times during cooking because the soup was beginning to stick to the sides and burn so I would recommend being home when making this… But it was FANTASTIC! I followed the recipe exactly except I added a 1/4 cup of unsalted butter for added creaminess. It was the best clam chowder I’ve ever had!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! :)
Do you add the bacon to the crock after you add the half and half towards the end? Or after you add the veggies?
The recipe states at the end to add a portion of the bacon and bacon grease in the slow cooker and the rest is reserved for topping. Enjoy!
For several years now, clam chowder has been the only type of canned soup I have been willing to eat…. I make all other soups fresh! But, I have always been disappointed in the size and amount of clams – even in the higher end canned brands. I love having control of the ingredients in my food and I have always wanted to learn how to make clam chowder! That’s where this recipe comes into my life :) No more canned Clam Chowder in this house! We’re smitten!
So glad to hear it! :)
Absolutely the best!!!! I am not a very good cook and this turned out fantastic. First time using this recipe and made 2 crock pots…it was the best. I had the neighbors and kids loving it.
So glad to hear everyone enjoyed it! :)
Do you add any water to crock? Doesn’t seem like enough liquid to cook the potatoes. Making right now.
No water is added. If your slow cooker does not cook too hot, you can add the heavy cream earlier or a portion of it. Alternately, additional clam juice may be used.
What is the nutritional information for this recipe?
Thanks!
That is not information I supply on my site. There are free online calculators you can use to determine that information.
Wonderful recipe! I made this yesterday for Christmas Eve dinner and got rave reviews. The only change I made was to increase the amount of clams used to 6 cans for a “clammier” soup. This is now my go-to recipe for New England Clam Chowder! I can’t wait to check out the rest of your site.
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
This was awesome! I haven’t had clam chowder since I found out I am allergic to milk.The only modifications I made were coconut milk for the half-and-half and garlic powder because I was out of fresh garlic. It was a little heavy on the clams for me, so I might use 3 cans of clams next time
So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Rachel,
You said that it doesn’t fill the crock pot up all the way and that leaves “head room”. I take it that you can’t double the recipe, but can you fit in another 1/2 of the recipe? And you said you can serve 6 hefty bowls of it, and i’m having a super bowl party so thinking that’s really 12 bowls to go along with all of my other foods. Thanks!
Please keep in mind that this recipe was shared well over 4 years ago, so I can’t elaborate too much on any details that aren’t mentioned within the post. So long as you have a large enough slow cooker, I imagine you should be able to add at least another 1/2 batch. Good luck and I hope you enjoy it!
I made this last night and it was probably the best clam chowder I have ever had…it was a hit! Thank you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
This turned out PERFECT! Made it first time for company, doubled the recipe and it was a huge hit. I only drained one can of clams, as worried not enough fluid to cook potatoes. Worked great!
Recipe in rotation!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing :)
I am curious to where I can find the clam juice. Is it difficult to find in a regular grocery store if I don’t live in the northeast? I’d love to try this recipe!
I would check either near the other stocks and broths or by the canned fish. If all else fails, it is available online. Good luck!!
this was amazing!!! best clam chowder ever! I just shared your recipe with a bunch of my friends after advertising how delicious this is! I was all in on the bacon and grease, used fresh thyme and extra everything so I could have lunch leftovers tomorrow!!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Kerri! Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi! This looks amazing!
Do we add the bacon when we first add the potatoes, veggies and clams and those begin to warm and cook? Or do we add the bacon after we have added the 3 and 1/4 cups of half and half once 30 min remain?
Thank you!
Either or will work fine.