Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder Recipe

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Published: October 29, 2021Updated: January 20, 2022Author: Elyse Ellis
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Slow cooker recipes are perfect fall recipes, especially this slow cooker New England clam chowder. It has that delicious seafood taste but in a wonderfully warm and filling soup!
Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder Recipe

While I am not the biggest seafood fan, my family is, so this slow cooker New England clam chowder is a perfect family dinner recipe for us since it is milder in the clam flavor. 

Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder in a bowl with crackers

So, if you are looking for the best clam chowder recipe, you have found it. It is an easy slow cooker recipe and is a budget-friendly dinner for the family. 

This clam chowder recipe is delightfully creamy and filled with tender potatoes, cream, plenty of spices, and little bits of bacon. I mean what isn’t there to love?!

Serve this creamy clam chowder with some easy homemade rolls or pizza factory breadsticks, and an Italian fresh green salad, and enjoy one tasty meal!

Ingredients for Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients You’ll Need For Our Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder:

  • Chopped clams
  • Cream of mushroom soup
  • Potatoes, peeled and diced
  • Celery, diced
  • Minced garlic
  • Onion, diced
  • Cooked bacon
  • Dried basil
  • Dried thyme
  • Bay leaf
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Half and half

How To Make Our Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder:

For this recipe, you will want to prepare all of the vegetables and bacon ahead of time. 

So make sure that the bacon has already been cooked and diced. 

Dice up your celery and onion. Then peel the potato and diced that as well. 

Once you have all of that prepared, get out your slow cooker (I even use my Instant Pot on the slow cooker function too!). 

3 cans of chopped clams

Then, put the cans of chopped clams, with the juice and all, in the slow cooker. 

Slow Cooker filled with clams and cream of mushroom soup

After the clams have been added, put the can of cream of mushroom soup, diced celery and garlic, peeled and diced potatoes, chopped bacon, dried basil, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper into the slow cooker. 

Slow Cooker filled with all the ingredients for Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder

When all of those ingredients have been added to the slow cooker, give it a good mix and then put the lid on. 

Now turn the slow cooker on high for 4 hours. 

After the 4 hours is up, pour in the half and half and let it cook for another hour. 

Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder in 2 bowls with a small bowl of crackers

When the hour is done, remove the bay leaf from the chowder, serve up the soup and enjoy with your favorite bread to dip!

To Make The Best Clam Chowder Recipe You Will Need:

  1. Cutting board (I love THIS large cutting board)
  2. Knife
  3. Slow cooker 
  4. Ladle
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4 Substitutes For Half and Half

If you don’t happen to have half and half on hand for this recipe, or maybe not enough, you might look to see if you can substitute it for something else. 

The Pioneer Woman has a list of 4 best half and half substitutes that you should check out to see if you have one you could use instead!

Add-Ins For Clam Chowder Soup

One thing soup is great for is hiding or adding in vegetables! If you want to add even more to this recipe, take a look at things that would be good! 

  • Frozen corn
  • Frozen peas
  • Shredded carrots
  • Frozen mixed vegetables
  • Broccoli 

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A Fall Menu Full of Chowder Recipes 

Serves: 8 people

Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder Recipe

Slow cooker recipes are perfect fall recipes, especially this slow cooker New England clam chowder. It has that delicious seafood taste but in a wonderfully warm and filling soup!
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 4 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 4 (6½ ounce) cans chopped clams (including juice)
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 3 medium potatoes peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 6 strips bacon cooked and diced
  • 1½ teaspoons dried basil
  • 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 3 cups half and half

Instructions

  • Add clams and juice to slow cooker.  
  • Add cream of mushroom soup, potatoes, celery, garlic, onion, bacon, basil, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper to slow cooker.  
  • Mix thoroughly until combined.  
  • Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
  • Add half and half and cook on high for one additional hour.  
  • Remove bay leaf before serving.

Notes

  • If you don’t happen to have half and half on hand for this recipe, or maybe not enough, you might look to see if you can substitute it for something else. 

Nutrition

Calories: 230 kcal · Carbohydrates: 22 g · Protein: 8 g · Fat: 12 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 40 mg · Sodium: 399 mg · Potassium: 564 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 2 g · Vitamin A: 416 IU · Vitamin C: 18 mg · Calcium: 128 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Equipment

  • Cutting Board
  • Knife
  • Slow Cooker
  • Ladle

Recipe Details

Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
A bowl of Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder with crackers on top

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  1. Lynne says:
    December 20, 2013
    sounds great ...I like to add chopped carrot and green peas for color and nutrition as well
    Reply
  2. jan says:
    December 25, 2013
    where can I see the reviews?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 27, 2013
      Just scroll down and see if anyone has left comments, or click on comments if any have been left.
      Reply
  3. Kiersten says:
    January 7, 2014
    Where can you read reviews? It shows stars- or lack of them- but you can't read reviews?
    Reply
  4. melissa says:
    January 19, 2014
    What size cream of mushroom soup do I use for this recipe?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 20, 2014
      10.75 ounces of cream of mushroom soup.
      Reply
  5. Christina says:
    November 20, 2014
    My husband hates mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup. What can I substitute?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      November 21, 2014
      You can leave out the mushrooms. We have a sister site - MyRecipeMagic.com. We have chef that put their recipe of New England Clam Chowder and here is the link if you want to check it out. It doesn't have cream of chicken soup in it. http://myrecipemagic.com/recipe/recipedetail/new-england-clam-chowder
      Reply
  6. Meoshi says:
    February 1, 2015
    when do I add the bacon? And I would assume it's already cooked? Making it today for Super Bowl!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 11, 2015
      The bacon is already cooked. Add it at the same time you add all of the other ingredients in the slow cooker.
      Reply
  7. Molly B says:
    February 25, 2015
    I'm planning to put this in the slow cooker tomorrow and was going over my recipe just now and realized I only bought 3 cans (??? who knows) of clams instead of the 4 listed. Is it critical if I'm *short* a can of clams? I can certainly get another can, just didn't know if it would make or break it!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 28, 2015
      Hi Molly, you will be fine with 3 cans of clam chowder! :)
      Reply
  8. Heather says:
    August 30, 2015
    would this be ok to cook on low for 7-8 hours?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      September 14, 2015
      Hi Heather. We haven't cooked it for that long even though it's a lower heat. It all seems like it would be fine but we aren't sure and would hate to have it not work and you are out all of those ingredients. Maybe watch it closely if you are home.
      Reply
  9. Gabriela says:
    November 3, 2015
    I want to print this recipe but your website takes too long to load....I've been on it for 5 minutes and it's still loading. Way too many ads! I've tried it with different browsers as well with no luck. Sad. I like your recipes but I want to print them so I see the whole thing at once.
    Reply
  10. Freida says:
    December 14, 2015
    What size Crockpot/slow cooker did you use for this recipe please?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 15, 2015
      Most of us use 6 to 8 quart slow cookers.
      Reply
  11. Morghan says:
    October 26, 2017
    Would this fit in a 4 qt slow cooker?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      October 30, 2017
      It should be fine in a 4 quart slow cooker.
      Reply
  12. Leah S. says:
    December 15, 2017
    Wait so do we add the half and half in at hour 3? at hour 4? Because you say total cook time is 4 hours but then you say cook for 4 hours and then add halfback and half and cook for an additional hour. That would make total cook home 5 hours.
    Reply
    • Paula says:
      February 1, 2021
      I was wondering the same thing! Total cooking time 4 hours but recipe says to cook 4 hours, then add half and half and cook additional 1 hour. That would make total cooking time 5 hours
      Reply
  13. Dan says:
    November 24, 2018
    If I double the recipe do I need to increase cook time
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      November 27, 2018
      You may need to add a little cooking time. You don't say how big your slow cooker is. Just make sure the veggies are cooked through.
      Reply
  14. Tee D says:
    November 15, 2020
    I made this tonight. I thought it was pretty good, but I will tweak it next time around. I will add Italian panna, as I think it will thicken it a bit more, and I would also go lighter on the basil and thyme (probably less than 1/2 teaspoon, as it was overpowering). Otherwise, cooking time and everything was spot on.
    Reply
  15. Lon Gibson says:
    January 30, 2021
    I cant find the insta potrecipe for thr clam chowder on website
    Reply
  16. Leigh Ann says:
    January 16, 2022
    I made this today, but cut the recipe in half because it's just me! It worked out beautifully, I added a little corn and used fat free half and half because that's all i had, and it was INCREDIBLE. My parents came over and stole the leftovers. Def on the keep list!
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      January 17, 2022
      So glad you liked the clam chowder.
      Reply
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