These 21 clam chowder recipes cover a lot of ground, from classic New England and Manhattan styles to Instant Pot and Crockpot versions, dairy-free and Whole30 options, and a couple of bread bowl presentations that turn the soup into a full meal. Whether the goal is a quick weeknight dinner or a fancy start to a special meal, there’s a recipe here worth trying.
Jump to:
- What makes these recipes special?
- Top Tips
- New England Clam Chowder (Ninja Foodi Recipe)
- Easy Manhattan Clam Chowder Recipe
- Instant Pot Clam Chowder
- Whole 30 Clam Chowder
- Red Lobster Clam Chowder
- Award Winning Clam Chowder with Bacon
- Creamy Dairy Free Clam Chowder (Whole30)
- New England Clam Chowder
- Clam Chowder with Bread Bowl
- New England Clam Chowder Dip
- Sweet Tomatoes Clam Chowder Recipe
- Instant Pot Clam Chowder (GF)
- Creamy New England Clam Chowder
- Clam Chowder (without Cream) in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
- Loaded Hatch Chile Potato Clam Chowder
- Crockpot Clam Chowder
- New England Clam Chowder Recipe
- Instant Pot Manhattan Clam Chowder
- Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder
- Easy Homemade Clam Chowder with Bacon Recipe
- Manhattan Clam Chowder With Bacon
- Comments
The Loaded Hatch Chile Potato Clam Chowder and the Sweet Tomatoes Clam Chowder copycat recipe are the most distinctive options in this collection, both taking the soup somewhere well outside the standard New England or Manhattan categories. The New England Clam Chowder Dip is also worth noting for anyone who wants the flavor in a different format entirely.
Bread bowl versions show up twice here, one with cream and one without, which makes it easy to compare which direction fits better depending on the occasion and who’s eating.
What makes the recipes in this roundup special?
- The recipes were created by a real person—not generated by AI.
- The photos show the actual recipe, made and photographed in real life.
- The blog is run by a human being—not an AI avatar or bot-run site.
- The recipe is original and created by the blogger—not purchased or republished content.
- All recipes in this roundup have earned a star rating of 4 stars or higher from readers or reviewers.
Top Tips
- Drain canned clams but reserve the juice. The clam juice in the can is full of flavor and adds depth to the broth without any extra effort. Adding it back to the pot after draining the clams is one of the easiest ways to get a more complex, oceanic flavor without additional ingredients.
- Don’t boil the soup after adding dairy. Cream and milk will break or curdle if they hit a full rolling boil, which turns a smooth, creamy chowder grainy and separated. Add dairy at the end over low heat and keep the soup at a gentle simmer from that point forward.
- Add clams at the very end of cooking. Clams are fully cooked and just need to be warmed through, and overcooking them makes them rubbery regardless of whether they came from a can or fresh. Stir them in during the last few minutes and pull the pot off the heat as soon as the soup is hot.
- Use a potato that holds its shape for chowder. Waxy potatoes like Yukon gold or red potatoes hold up better in soup than russets, which tend to fall apart and turn the broth starchy and thick in an uneven way. Cutting them into uniform pieces also helps them cook at the same rate.
- For Instant Pot versions, reduce liquid compared to stovetop recipes. Pressure cooking produces very little evaporation, so using the same amount of liquid as a stovetop recipe results in a thinner, waterier chowder. Most Instant Pot clam chowder recipes account for this, but if adapting a stovetop recipe, cutting the liquid by about a quarter is a reasonable starting point.
New England Clam Chowder (Ninja Foodi Recipe)
New England clam chowder in the Ninja Foodi uses the pressure cooker function to cut down the time without sacrificing the creamy, thick result. A hands-off method for a soup that usually requires more active attention on the stovetop.
Photo credit: The Salted Pepper
Easy Manhattan Clam Chowder Recipe
Manhattan clam chowder uses a tomato base instead of cream, which makes it a lighter direction than the New England versions in this collection. An easy recipe for the tomato-forward style that holds up just as well on a cold night.
Photo credit: Simply Stacie
Instant Pot Clam Chowder
The Instant Pot gets New England clam chowder on the table faster than the stovetop version without losing the thick, creamy result. A pressure cooker recipe worth knowing for weeknight situations.
Photo credit: Tasty Oven
Whole 30 Clam Chowder
Whole30 clam chowder skips the dairy and flour without turning into a thin, unsatisfying soup. A compliant version for the occasions when clam chowder sounds right but a strict eating plan is in play.
Photo credit: Cooking With Curls
Red Lobster Clam Chowder
Red Lobster’s clam chowder is a restaurant recreation worth making at home for anyone who grew up ordering it there. A copycat recipe for a specific version of the soup that has a dedicated following.
Photo credit: CopyKat Recipes
Award Winning Clam Chowder with Bacon
A clam chowder with bacon that’s described as award-winning is making a real claim worth investigating. A bacon-forward version of the classic that earned its reputation somewhere.
Photo credit: Baking Beauty
Creamy Dairy Free Clam Chowder (Whole30)
Getting a creamy texture in a dairy-free clam chowder without the soup tasting like a compromise is the challenge this recipe takes on. A Whole30-compliant version that still earns the creamy description in the title.
Photo credit: Get Inspired Everyday
New England Clam Chowder
A straightforward New England clam chowder without any extra qualifier in the title is the kind of recipe that focuses entirely on getting the classic version right. A solid baseline chowder worth comparing against the other New England versions in this list.
Photo credit: Living Chirpy
Clam Chowder with Bread Bowl
Serving clam chowder in a bread bowl turns a soup into a full meal and gives the crust something more interesting to do than sit next to the bowl. A San Francisco-style presentation that earns the extra effort.
Photo credit: The Feathered Nester
New England Clam Chowder Dip
Turning clam chowder into a dip is a format shift that makes the flavor work for a party appetizer rather than a sit-down meal. A retro-leaning recipe that earns its place alongside the soup versions in this collection.
Photo credit: Vintage Recipes
Sweet Tomatoes Clam Chowder Recipe
Sweet Tomatoes restaurant clam chowder had a dedicated following before the chain closed, and this copycat recipe is one way to get it back. A restaurant recreation for a specific soup that a lot of people have been looking for.
Photo credit: CopyKat Recipes
Instant Pot Clam Chowder (GF)
A gluten-free Instant Pot clam chowder covers two common recipe needs at once, dietary restriction and time, in a single pot. A pressure cooker version worth trying for anyone who needs a GF option without a separate recipe.
Photo credit: Recipes From A Pantry
Creamy New England Clam Chowder
Creamy in the title on a New England clam chowder is a direct promise about the texture, and it’s the main reason to click through over a version without that descriptor. A stovetop chowder for when the thick, rich result is exactly what’s needed.
Photo credit: The Slow Roasted Italian
Clam Chowder (without Cream) in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
A clam chowder without cream served in a sourdough bread bowl takes a different approach from the creamy versions in this collection. Worth comparing against the bread bowl version elsewhere in this list to see how the two differ.
Photo credit: Christina’s Cucina
Loaded Hatch Chile Potato Clam Chowder
Hatch chile in a clam chowder is a southwestern direction that takes the soup somewhere none of the other recipes in this collection go. A loaded, spiced version for anyone who wants heat alongside the clam and potato base.
Photo credit: Chicken Fried Kitchen
Crockpot Clam Chowder
Clam chowder in the Crockpot slow-cooks without any monitoring, making it a realistic option for a busy day when dinner needs to handle itself. A set-it-and-leave-it version that’s warm and ready when it’s time to eat.
Photo credit: Crinkled Cookbook
New England Clam Chowder Recipe
A classic New England clam chowder recipe worth comparing against the other versions in this list to find the right balance of thickness and seasoning. A reliable stovetop version for the traditional style.
Photo credit: Simply Stacie
Instant Pot Manhattan Clam Chowder
The Instant Pot version of Manhattan clam chowder gets the tomato-based soup done faster than stovetop without losing the depth of flavor. A pressure cooker option for the red-broth style.
Photo credit: Tasty Oven
Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder
Another Instant Pot New England clam chowder worth comparing against the GF and Ninja Foodi versions in this collection to see which approach hits closest to the target. A pressure cooker recipe for the creamy, white-broth style.
Photo credit: Cooking With Curls
Easy Homemade Clam Chowder with Bacon Recipe
A quick, easy homemade clam chowder with bacon is the version for a weeknight when something warm and filling is needed without a lot of active cooking time. Bacon adds smoky depth without requiring much else in the way of seasoning.
Photo credit: CopyKat Recipes
Manhattan Clam Chowder With Bacon
Adding bacon to a Manhattan clam chowder gives the tomato base a smoky, savory layer that the plain tomato version doesn’t have. A red-broth chowder with a more substantial, rounded flavor profile.
Photo credit: Baking Beauty
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