Crockpot Clam Chowder Recipe
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Easy Crockpot Clam Chowder, what a better meal for a Washington rainy day, right?? Now we can go to the beach and get fresh clams (thank you, PNW beaches), but canned clams are great for backup! Comfort food is one of my favorites to make in my crockpot.
It’s no surprise that I am obsessed with my crockpot, so being able to make a crockpot clam chowder was a total win for me. I mean, does anything beat being able to dump everything in my crockpot and not having to worry about it again? A couple of years ago, prepping veggies would have terrified me and stopped me from trying new recipes.
I made this in my 8 Quart crockpot; if you are unsure what size suits your family’s needs, check out my Crockpot Buying Guide. I love using the larger crockpot to ensure there are leftovers.
Crockpot Clam Chowder Ingredients:
- Bacon
- Clams– I used canned, but you can use fresh clams as well.
- Red Onion
- Baking Potatoes
- Celery
- Minced Garlic
- Water
- Clam Juice
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Dried Thyme
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Milk
- Cornstarch
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How To Use Fresh Clams
The key to fresh clams is changing out the water to the clams so they can keep spitting. They need to spit to get rid of the sand in the clams. I prefer to let mine spit for at least 24 hours before cooking (or freezing them). Be sure to let this happen in a fresh bucket of ocean water. You may have to drain your clams and add in new ocean water.
Steam your clams; I love to steam mine in white wine. White Wine Steam clams make for fantastic flavor in a clam chowder.
How to Make Crockpot Clam Chowder:
In a small frying pan, cook up your bacon.
*I only cook mine half way to go give it some doneness to cook in the crock pot longer*
Spray your crockpot with a non-stick spray.
I used my 8-quart crockpot means that I have space to make a batch big enough to have the leftovers!! Plus, you can order one on Amazon so you don’t even have to leave the house, order, and bam, UPS man is saving dinner time for you when you use Amazon Prime 2-day delivery! (Don’t have Prime?? You NEED for easy online shopping!!)
Chop up your celery, potatoes, and red onions.
The milk and cornstarch will come in when the recipe is close to being done.
Start to drop in all your ingredients into your crock pot. I even drop in all the bacon grease that was in the pan as well. (Trust me, it adds a great flavor kick)
Cook on low for about 6 hours.
About half an hour before you are ready to eat, mix the milk and cornstarch in a separate bowl and then pour them into the crockpot.
If you do not want cornstarch and milk, you can use a roux to thicken the chowder. Use equal parts butter and flour. Next, melt the butter in a saucepan or the microwave. Slowly mix in the flour. Add this to the chowder to thicken it.
Mix the clam chowder well.
Allow to cook on low for another half hour, and serve and enjoy!
How To Store Leftover Crockpot Clam Chowder
Store in an air-tight container for up to three days. I don’t go longer than that since it is seafood.
What To Serve With Clam Chowder
- Garlic Bread
- Crusty Bread
- Andouille Sausage
- Roasted Potatoes
- Grilled Corn On The Cob
- Smoked Baked Potatoes
What is your favorite way to make Crockpot Clam Chowder?
Crockpot Recipes To Check Out
Crockpots are versatile and perfect for making meals without much work or effort. I use mine constantly! Below are some of my favorite collections of recipes I’ve made in my kitchen. Slow Cooker recipes are an easy way to get dinner on the table.
- Chicken Crockpot Recipes
- Crockpot Soup Recipes
- Weeknight Dinner Recipes
- Ground Beef Crockpot Dinners
- Crockpot Cinnamon Rolls
- Crockpot Appetizers
Crockpot Clam Chowder Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1/2 Pounds Bacon diced
- 26 Ounces Clams
- Red Onion
- 2 Baking Potatoes
- 2 Celery
- Minced Garlic
- 3 Cups Water
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon Clam Juice
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Pinch Dried Thyme
- Old bay seasoning
- Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Cups Milk
- 3 Teaspoon Cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small frying pan cook up your bacon *I only cook mine half way just to go give it some doneness to cook in the crock pot longer*
- Spray your crockpot with a non-stick spray.
- Chop up your celery, potatoes, and red onions
- The milk and cornstarch will come in when the recipe is close to being done
- Start to drop in all your ingredients into your crock pot. I even drop in all the bacon grease that was in the pan as well. (Trust me it adds a great flavor kick)
- Cook on low for about 6 hours
- About half an hour before you are ready to eat in a separate bowl mix together the milk and cornstarch, and then pour into the crockpot
- Mix clam chowder well
- Allow to cook on low for another half hour and serve and enjoy!
How much Old Bay Seasoning do you add to the Crock Pot,
And why is their so little Clam Juice added to it?