This easy crockpot clam chowder is a game changer! Craving that classic, creamy, and deeply savory taste of New England Clam Chowder but don’t want to spend an hour stirring on the stovetop?
I get it. Traditional chowder is delicious, but it can be high-maintenance – curdling the cream, getting the right thickness, or overcooking the clams into chewy rubber bands…. Not with this recipe!
This easy clam chowder recipe takes all the flavor-building steps—sautéing the bacon and onions, seasoning the broth—and moves the hard part to your slow cooker… It’s a hands-off approach that guarantees perfectly tender potatoes in a deep flavorful broth and a creamy texture without the stress. Plus my foolproof trick with potato flakes for instant, perfect thickening! Minimal effort, maximum comfort. This is the best slow cooker clam chowder you’ll ever make!
Like my Acorn Curry, this chowder is pure cold-weather comfort, making it absolutely perfect for a fall or winter meal. Serve this thick, creamy soup inside a homemade sourdough bread for even more satisfaction and a gorgeous presentation!
Key Ingredients You Need to Know
While the ingredient list is simple, these components are essential to the success of this crockpot method and provide that signature chowder flavor.
Bacon and Bacon Grease: The most important flavor foundation. The rendered fat acts as a cooking medium for the aromatics and infuses the entire broth with a deep, smoky, salty layer of flavor. Do not drain the grease before adding it to the slow cooker!
Clams and Clam Juice: For this recipe, we use canned chopped clams because they are already cooked. Adding the entire contents of the can—clams and all the reserved juice—at the beginning allows the maximum clam flavor to permeate the broth without the risk of the clams becoming chewy.
Potato Flakes (Instant): This is our “no-fail” thickening secret! Unlike flour or cornstarch, potato flakes dissolve instantly, providing a smooth, creamy texture that boosts the potato flavor without any graininess or clumping.
Pro Tips & Tricks for the Best Crockpot Chowder
This recipe is designed to be low-stress, but these three tips are the secret sauce to making sure your chowder is rich, creamy, and bursting with flavor every time.
- Don’t Skip the Stovetop Sauté
Your slow cooker does the heavy lifting, but the first 15 minutes of prep are the most critical for flavor development. By taking the time to cook the bacon, then sautéing the onion and garlic in that rendered bacon grease, you are building the essential flavor foundation (mirepoix). This step extracts the maximum flavor from those aromatic vegetables, which then slowly infuses the entire broth over the next several hours. Skipping this step results in a flat, one-dimensional soup. - Temper the Cream (and Never Boil!)
While your slow cooker is safe from the harsh boiling that curdles cream on a stovetop, you still need to be gentle with the dairy. Always add the heavy cream at the very end (Step 7). After adding it, heat the chowder on HIGH for just long enough for the cream to get steaming hot, usually 15–20 minutes. Never let the chowder come to a full rolling boil once the cream is in, as this can still cause the dairy to separate. - Your Secret Weapon: Potato Flakes
The potato flakes are the trick to instant, smooth thickness without any grainy flour or gooey cornstarch. If, after stirring in the initial 1 cup of potato flakes, your chowder hasn’t reached your desired consistency, simply stir in an additional 1/4 cup of potato flakes, wait 5 minutes. This is the fastest, cleanest way to adjust the thickness without altering the flavor!
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Easy Crockpot Clam Chowder – New England
Ingredients
- 6 strips Thick-Cut Bacon Chopped. Reserve the crispy bits for garnish.
- 1 medium Yellow Onion diced
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 ribs Celery diced
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Potatoes large, cubed (approx. 4 cups) Yukon Gold or Russet work well.
- 1 can Baby Clams, 10 ounce can Include the clams and all their liquid (clam juice).
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt Start with 1/2 tsp and adjust at the end.
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- For Garnish: reserved cooked bacon pieces and chopped fresh chives
- 2 cups Heavy Cream Whole milk or half-and-half can be substituted.
- 1 cup Potato Flakes Instant mashed potato flakes for thickening.
Instructions
- Prep the Flavor Base: Chop the bacon and cook it in a skillet until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy bacon bits and set them aside for garnish.
- Sauté Mirepoix: Add the diced onion to the skillet with the reserved bacon grease and sauté over medium heat until translucent (about 5–7 minutes). Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker: Transfer the sautéed onion, garlic, and remaining bacon grease to the slow cooker insert. Add the diced celery, cubed potatoes, chicken broth, chicken bouillon, bay leaf, dried thyme, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and black pepper.
- Add Clams and Juice: Open the cans of chopped clams. Pour the clams and the liquid from all three cans into the slow cooker. Stir and make sure all solids are covered in broth.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Thicken: Once the potatoes are soft, remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the 1 cup of potato flakes and stir well. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes; the chowder should thicken immediately. You can lightly mash any remaining large potato chunks against the side of the pot if you desire a creamier texture.
- Finish with Cream: Stir in the 2 cups of heavy cream (or half-and-half). Cover the slow cooker and heat on HIGH for 15 minutes (do not boil) just until the cream is heated through and the chowder is steaming hot.
- Serve: Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle the hot chowder into sourdough bread bowls or bowls and garnish generously with the reserved crispy bacon bits and fresh chives.
Notes
Nutrition
About Juliea
Juliea Huffaker is the creator of Farmhouse Harvest, and dedicated to teaching from-scratch cooking, sourdough baking, gardening, and food preservation. With over 25 years of hands-on experience she has preserved hundreds of jars of produce, mastered the art of meats and sourdough baking, and nurtured a thriving organic garden. Her recipes and articles have been featured across the web. And she’s passionate about inspiring others to embrace a simpler, self-sufficient life style.
