Instant Pot Clam Chowder

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An Instant Pot clam chowder recipe that has all the flavor of a slow-cooked soup. This creamy dish comes loaded with clams and potatoes.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but wow, it’s definitely Fall here. The temps have been in the 40’s with highs in the 60’s.

It’s the perfect weather for soups and stews. That’s why Kim and I decided to share this clam chowder recipe.

Now, I know it says Instant Pot, but you can also make this on the stove. With that being said, it will take a little longer, but I think you’ll be rewarded nicely.

We tried to mimic all the flavor of a New England clam chowder, but simplify the process. Similar to it’s traditional cousin, our Instant Pot clam chowder recipe has most of the same ingredients.

I used clams, potatoes, onions, celery, and blend of spices. If you wanted to do the trinity of cooking, you could add some carrots.

Just keep in mind that carrots might sweeten the soup. As you can see from the photos, Kim add sliced green onions and served the clam chowder with crackers. Given how simple and tasty this dish turned out, it’s the perfect lunch or dinner option for Fall.

An aerial shot of the clam chowder in bowls, topped with green onion.

How to Make Instant Pot Clam Chowder:

Start by opening the can of clams, yes, I chose canned because getting fresh clams in Arkansas is not easy or cheap. After that, dice the celery, onions, and potatoes.

That should be all the prep work you need to get the recipe going. First, in your pressure cooker, combine the seafood stock, diced onions and potatoes, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaves.

Don’t forget to take out the bay leaves later on. They’re basically inedible and your guests won’t appreciate it if they’re left in.

The clam chowder recipe ingredients like clams, onions, garlic, and potatoes.

Next, set the pressure cooker to Manual/High Pressure, depending upon the brand you own. Let the ingredients cook for 5 minutes.

Once everything is done, carefully, perform a quick release and remove the bay leaves.

A second aerial photo of the ingredients in the pressure cooker, ready to be sealed.

Now, go ahead and turn the pot onto Saute/Cook. While it begins to heat, whisk together the corn starch and half and half.

Make sure you get all the clumps broken down and blended. Afterward, grab the clams and the cornstarch mixture and pour them into the pot.

A third top-down picture of the chowder in the cooker after cooking it..

Then, stir the clam chowder as it continues to heat. The soup will thicken as it cooks. Once it has reached your desired thickness, turn off the cooker.

Last, serve the Instant Pot clam chowder recipe with toppings of your choice. We like green onions and crackers, but feel free to use whatever you like.

Instant pot clam chowder with crackers.

Instant Pot Clam Chowder Tips:

  • As stated earlier, you can make this on your stove. Simply combine everything except for the clams, corn starch, and half and half, in a large stock pot over medium heat. Let the potatoes come to a low boil for 10-15 minutes or until they are fork tender. After that, add the clams and whisk together the cornstarch and half and half. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Let the clam chowder cook until it reaches your desired thickness. Turn off the heat and serve.
  • Please make sure you cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and be consistent. If you have potato cubes of different sizes they won’t cook evenly. Resulting, in some of the potatoes being overcooked, while others are still raw in the center.
  • You can use fresh clams if you like, just let them cook a little longer before you add the cornstarch mixture.
An angled picture of the fnished calm chowder recipe served with crackers.

Instant Pot Clam Chowder

5 from 2 votes
Print Pin
Author: John
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Come to Pressure/Saute: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup seafood stock, or additional clam juice
  • ½ cup white onion, diced
  • 2 russet potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 celery rib, chopped; about ¼ cup
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 2 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • 20 ounces clams, with juice; 2 (10 ounce) cans

Instructions
 

  • First, in the pressure cooker, combine the stock, onions, potatoes, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaves.
    1 cup seafood stock
    ½ cup white onion
    2 russet potatoes
    1 celery rib
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    1 tablespoon garlic cloves
    1 teaspoon dried thyme
    2 bay leaves
  • Next, set the cooker to Manual/High Pressure for 5-mins. Once the cooking process has finished, perform a quick release.
  • Then, remove the bay leaves, turn the pressure cooker on to Saute/Cook, and whisk together the half and half and corn starch.
    1 cup half and half
    2 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • Now, add the clams and cornstarch mixture to the soup. Stir everything together and let it cook until the chowder reaches your desired thickness.
    20 ounces clams
  • Last, turn off the pressure cooker and serve the clam chowder.

Suggested Equipment

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 555mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 1mg

Notes

The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients and a serving size of about 1-cup. Furthermore, it does not include the green onions, crackers, or any other topping you might add.
The soup can be stored in your fridge in a sealed container for up to 3-days.
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