Easy Slow Cooker Clam Chowder
81 Comments Aug 01, 2021
Updated Apr 16, 2024
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Creamy crockpot clam chowder with simple ingredients and very little prep. This recipe tastes so good, and the slow cooker does all the work for you, leaving plenty of time to do other things.
This is one of my favorite recipes to take on vacations. I also make ravioli lasagna and pulled pork while traveling in the RV or at vacation houses; cooking in a crock pot can feed a crowd quickly.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- If you are looking for an easy dinner idea that leaves you with plenty of time to relax this weekend, or make a busy weeknight less stressful, then this semi-homemade clam chowder might be exactly what you’re looking for!
- This recipe has all the elements of a successful clam chowder but with a few shortcuts. It turns out ultra-creamy and decadent. You won’t even know you added anything canned!
- I find that this is the best clam chowder soup recipe out there. Even the pickiest family member enjoys this wonderful dinner dish if I keep the flavor milder. If you want the red version, try my Manhattan Clam Chowder recipe!
- We make this recipe when we are camping on the coast in our RV. It’s just as good as any restaurant clam chowder when we are dining out on the Oregon coast.
What is the difference between Manhattan Clam Chowder and New England Clam Chowder?
- New England clam chowder consists of a hearty broth with potatoes, onions, celery, and including clams. It’s thick and creamy. (This recipe is New England style).
- Manhattan red chowder is tomato based with no cream.
This easy clam chowder is a godsend- just throw your ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do all the work for you.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cream of Potato Soup – you won’t even taste this after you add the other ingredients. It adds the potatoes to the dish, which cuts back on the cooking time.
- Milk – use whole milk for an extra cream soup; if you have heavy cream or half and half on hand, that works just as well.
- Cream cheese – thickens the soup; I prefer the Philadelphia brand, for it melts the best.
- Canned Minced Clams – Canned clams taste great in clam chowder, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Add the clam juice from cans to the soup for more flavor. Or you can add bottled clam juice as well.
- White onion – finely minced for this doesn’t have a long cooking time to break down large chunks of onion.
- Bacon – sliced, cooked, and drained.
- Dried Leaf Thyme – is optional, but in my opinion, this makes the crock pot clam chowder recipe taste restaurant quality.
- Freshly ground black pepper
How long do I cook?
- The slow cooker should be on low heat for 4-5 hours.
- I like to stir this recipe occasionally during cooking, for it’s a thicker soup that can start sticking to the edges.
Can I use an instant pot instead?
Instant Pot clam chowder is also an excellent choice if you’re in a hurry, but I find that the flavors don’t melt together the same way they do if you use the crockpot for cooking your New England clam chowder.
Ways to serve
- Serve your crockpot clam chowder recipe in a bowl with saltine crackers or oyster crackers.
- For a restaurant style, top your chowder with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of paprika.
- Warm sourdough bread and butter is an excellent side for chowder.
- You can serve the soup in a bread bowl for an extra special touch. Just carve a circle out of the middle of a small round loaf of sourdough bread. Make sure not to cut too deep- you don’t want your chowder leaking out the bottom of the bowl! Place the bread bowl on a plate with the circle next to the bowl. Add your preferred toppings and serve. Who needs a seafood restaurant when your homemade clam chowder looks this good?
Recipe FAQs
If you want a strong clam flavor, add some clam juice from the canned clams, I would add about a half-cup. If you want a big punch of clam flavor, add one cup of bottled clam juice.
Since clams have a short shelf life, do not store it longer than three days to be on the safe side.
Cream and potaotes do not freeze well, so it’s better to store leftovers in the fridge and eat them within a few days.
No! The bacon can be omitted if needed for lent; this chowder still has plenty of flavor without it.
Yes. Cook the fresh clams, baby clams, or razor clams in boiling water on the stove top for 8-10 minutes. Remove the clams from the water and pull the meat from the shells. Add to the chowder in the slow cooker.
How do you make your slow cooker? Do you add any extra ingredients to the recipe? Share in the comments below or on our social media pages!
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Easy Slow Cooker Clam Chowder
Equipment
Ingredients
- 21 oz. Cream of Potato Soup, (two-10.50 oz. cans)
- 21 oz. milk, (measured in above cans) use whole milk for an extra creamy soup
- 8 oz. cream cheese, cubed – Philadelphia brand melts the best.
- 13 oz. minced clams, (two-6.5 oz cans) drained (see notes for adding the clam juice)
- 1/2 cup white onion, finely minced
- 8 slices bacon, sliced, cooked and drained
- 1/2 tsp. dried leaf thyme (not ground), or two teaspoons fresh
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
- oyster crackers
- sourdough bread
Instructions
- Add everything into the slow cooker.
- Stir. Don't worry about the cream cheese mixing in, it will melt as the slow cooker heats up.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours. Stir occasionally so the soup doesn't scorch. This is a thicker soup and can tend to stick to the edges.
- Serve with crackers and sourdough bread if desired.
- Enjoy!
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I’m throwing out all my other clam chowder recipes as this one has to be the blue ribbon winner! Sooo good! And sooo easy, with everything just put in the crockpot all at once! I did have the same problem one of the other reviewers did in that the cream cheese did not melt entirely even after I softened it in the microwave and added it to the crockpot in pieces, not as a whole block, and cooked it the full 5 hours. I think the issue is how old your crockpot is – I used one I got as a wedding gift more than 40 years ago and the newer ones cook hotter.. Next time I will use one of my newer ones (I have 4 LOL!). Everybody – YOU’VE GOT TO MAKE THIS RECIPE!
How long to cook if I double this recipe?
5 hours on low will do the trick still!
Delicious and I didn’t like New England clam chowder
“Real Bacon” works well in recipes like this.
Do I have cook the bacon or csn I just cut up the bacon and put it in the crockpot
No, uncooked bacon in the slow cooker, tastes like fat. The browning is where the flavor comes from.
Do I have to add bacon or no
I think it adds a layer of flavor, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
my batter was very thick but Inas was more like a cake batter. did anyone else have this ? I just put it in the oven ..hope it turns out good !!
This clam chowder had tons of homemade flavor for canned ingredients, so good! I used 1/2 cup of the clam juice (juice from one can) and would consider using all the juice next time. I also did 1/2 milk and 1/2 heavy whipping cream. I added two additional raw potatoes, cut into smallish pieces and omitted the bacon and was still soooo great on flavor! Only question, after 5 hours in crock pot there were still little bits of cream cheese unmelted. Could I melt the cream cheese before adding it or did I do something wrong? Thanks for terrific recipe!
You have to stir pretty hard to get the cream cheese to dissipate. I’ve heard of people putting the cream cheese in the microwave to melt it before adding to the slow cooker.
I have made this twice so far, in the last 10 days. Last night we had it with ribs for dinner. I like the clam taste so I use all the juice from the clams. I don’t add water. I use one can whole milk and one can heavy cream…(soup cans). It was awesome, I love my Clam chowder thick. I grew up in the S.F. Bay Area. My Mom was from Nova Scotia so seafood is in our blood. This recipe is the bomb.
So glad to hear!
Can I use half and half instead of whole milk
Yes! that will make it even creamier.
I did a 1.5 recipe with pacific razor clams I caught. Got a review of best ever. Thank you so much! And I gave you the credit!
Great to hear Dustin. This recipe has such homemade flavor with little effort!
May I use fresh Barnegat Bay clams caught in NJ instead of the can clams?
I don’t see why not!
My slow cooker broke how can I adjust this to cook on the stove. Thank you.
You can get this done very quick on the stove. I would sauté the onions in oil. Then add the other ingredients and heat up. Won’t take long.