Slow cooker clam chowder is a creamy potato and bacon chowder made with canned clams: the potatoes, onion, celery, garlic and half the bacon cook low and slow all day, then the clams with their juice and half and half thickened with cornstarch go in for the last 30 minutes. Crisp bacon goes on top of every bowl.
How to make clam chowder in a slow cooker: cook diced bacon until crisp, put half of it in the slow cooker with the potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, water and seasoning, cook on low for 7 hours, then stir in 3 cans of undrained clams and half and half whisked with cornstarch and cook on high for 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Canned clams: no shucking, no sand.
- About 20 minutes of hands-on work, then the slow cooker takes over.
- Bacon twice: in the chowder and crisp on top.
- Feeds 6.
When Do the Clams and Cream Go In?
Last. The vegetables and bacon cook on their own first, 7 hours on low, until the potatoes are tender. The clams and the half and half go in only for the final 30 minutes on high.
- Don’t drain the clams. Pour in all 3 cans with their juice.
- Whisk the starch into the cream first. Stir the cornstarch into the half and half in a measuring cup, then pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Turn it to high. Then cook for 30 minutes and serve.
- Save half the bacon. Keep it in the fridge and warm it a little before you sprinkle it on top.
Two more timings: one cooks the vegetables on low for 3 hours, until the potatoes are tender, then adds the cream and starch about 20 minutes before serving with the heat on high. Another cooks on high for 4 hours, then stirs in a white sauce and cooks 30 minutes more on low.
Ingredient Notes
Clams. Three 6.5-ounce cans, not drained. One version keeps the juice from 2 cans and drains the third.
Bacon. Half a pound, diced and cooked crisp in a skillet first. Half goes into the chowder and half is saved for the top.
Potatoes. Four Yukon potatoes, peeled and diced.
The liquid. Two cups of water. Bottled clam juice or low-sodium chicken broth can replace it.
The cream. Two cups of half and half whisked with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. For a thicker chowder, use a little more cornstarch.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon, diced
- 3 cans clams (6.5 ounces each), not drained
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 Yukon potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
How to Make Slow Cooker Clam Chowder
1. Cook the bacon. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the diced bacon until crisp, then take it out of the pan.
2. Fill the slow cooker. Add half of the bacon, the onion, potatoes, celery, garlic, water, Kosher salt, pepper and thyme to the slow cooker and stir.
3. Cook on low. Cook on low for 7 hours. Refrigerate the rest of the bacon for serving.
4. Whisk the cream. In a measuring cup, whisk the half and half and cornstarch together.
5. Add clams and cream. Add the clams with their juice and the half and half mixture to the slow cooker and stir.
6. Finish on high. Cook on high for 30 minutes.
7. Serve. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle the reserved bacon on top. Warm the bacon a little first, since it will be cold from the fridge.
Toppings and Variations
- Toppings: crisp bacon, oyster crackers or saltines, chopped chives or parsley.
- Soupier: add a second bottle of clam juice.
- Flour-thickened: make a white sauce with butter, flour, milk and half and half, and stir it in for the last 30 minutes in place of the cornstarch mixture.
- Fresh clams: use very small clams or chop them, about 16 ounces shelled. Soak them first in a pot of fresh cold water with a little flour or cornmeal for at least 30 minutes to get the sand out, and use bottled clam juice for the liquid.
- Double batch: it doubles in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. A single batch needs at least a 4-quart cooker.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. You can freeze it for 3 to 4 months in batches of about 2 cups, but USDA FSIS lists cream sauces among foods that don’t freeze well, so the chowder may separate and look curdled after thawing. Thaw it in the refrigerator, then warm it on medium-low heat, stirring often so it doesn’t scorch. Bring it to a rolling boil, covered, before serving. Reheat on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven, not in the slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Oyster crackers are the easy topping, and biscuits are a good side: try butter biscuits or 3-ingredient cheddar biscuit bites. For more slow cooker chowders and potato soups, there’s slow cooker corn chowder, ham and potato corn chowder, slow cooker loaded potato soup and crockpot potato soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make clam chowder in a slow cooker?
Cook the potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, half the crisp bacon, water and seasoning on low for 7 hours, then add the undrained clams and half and half whisked with cornstarch and cook on high for 30 minutes.
Should I rinse canned clams before cooking?
No. This recipe pours the clams in with their juice, which becomes part of the broth.
What are common clam chowder mistakes?
Adding the clams and cream at the start instead of the end, draining the clam juice, and pouring cornstarch straight into the pot instead of whisking it into the half and half first.
Can I use fresh clams?
Yes. Use about 16 ounces of small or chopped shelled clams, soak out the sand first, and use bottled clam juice in place of the water.
Final Notes
Let the potatoes have the day in the slow cooker and save the clams and cream for the last half hour. Tell me in the comments which topping you went with.
Slow Cooker Clam Chowder
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Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon diced
- 3 cans clams 6.5 ounce each, not drained
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 Yukon potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper coarse ground
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the diced bacon until crisp, then take it out of the pan.
- Add half of the bacon, the onion, potatoes, celery, garlic, water, Kosher salt, pepper and thyme to the slow cooker and stir.
- Cook on low for 7 hours. Refrigerate the rest of the bacon for serving.
- In a measuring cup, whisk the half and half and cornstarch together.
- Add the clams with their juice and the half and half mixture to the slow cooker and stir.
- Cook on high for 30 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle the reserved bacon on top. Warm the bacon a little first, since it will be cold from the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
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