Instant Pot Clam Chowder
Posted: 12/13/22
Updated: 01/29/23
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This incredibly delicious Instant Pot clam chowder is creamy, comforting and everything you’d hope for! Packed with a ton of flavor, this classic favorite soup is filled with clams, bacon, tender potatoes and veggies. Super easy to make, and ready to eat in just 30 minutes, this method is the way to go!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- This Instant Pot clam chowder is ridiculously delicious! It’s so cozy, filling, comforting and the perfect winter soup. Rich and creamy, it has everything you love about a clam chowder: minced clams, potatoes, celery, onion and savory bacon. The layers of flavor and texture are simply irresistible!
- It’s a one single pot recipe. Easy cooking, and super easy clean-up! Nothing better than delicious recipes made simple without having to do a ton of dishes in the end!
- This is such a fun recipe to make for a dinner party! Or just a quick weeknight dinner too! The pressure cooker cooks it fast, and you’ll get a restaurant-quality meal. And I guarantee you everyone will rave about how amazing it tastes! Serve it with sliced baguette, or crushed oyster crackers and fresh chopped chives for a perfect finish.
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Chef’s Tips
- When cooking the bacon, don’t cook it until crispy. You’ll want to get just cooked enough that its fat has rendered in the Instant Pot. Then you’ll add the veggies, and cook then in the bacon fat for optimal results. And don’t afraid to scrap all the brown bits at the bottom of the pot, they’ll add a ton of flavor.
- Don’t go too heavy on the salt until the clam chowder is fully cooked. Keep in mind that clams and bacon are both salty, so give your soup a taste at the very end, and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- After adding the half and half to the clam chowder, it’s important to avoid letting the soup come to a boil, as the half and half could break and curdle. Keep the Instant Pot on sauté mode, and stir the chowder with a wooden spoon very frequently while the soup thickens, without boiling.
More Delicious Seafood Recipes To Try
- Seafood Soup
- Garlic Butter Cod
- Blackened Fish Taco Bowls with Mango Salsa and Cilantro-Lime Rice
- Pan-Seared Salmon in a Creamy Red Pepper Parmesan Sauce
- Seafood Chili
Instant Pot Clam Chowder
This classic favorite soup is made fast and easy thanks to the Instant Pot.
servings
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 3 6.5-ounce cans minced clams drained, juice reserved
- 8 ounces bottle clam juice
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup onion minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes diced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt divided
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar optional
- fresh chives finely chopped
Optional Toppings
- oyster crackers
- baguette torn into pieces
- saltine crackers
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Wooden spoon
- Medium bowl
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to sauté, then add chopped bacon. Stirring occasionally, cook bacon until fat has rendered but not until bacon is crispy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Once bacon is just cooked, add butter, onion, and celery. Cook until onion is soft and start to turn translucent, about 5-6 minutes, making sure to stir often and scrape up any browned bits that may be stuck to bottom of pot.
- Add garlic, one large pinch salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 additional minutes, stirring often.
- Add potatoes and clam juice both from bottle and reserved juice from cans to mixture, and stir. Cancel Instant Pot sauté mode, add lid to pot and lock in place. Turn steam release knob to sealing position.
- Set Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 4 minutes. Once time is up, let natural release for 5 minutes, then finish with quick mode until steam is fully evaporated.
- In medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and half and half until smooth. Open pot and stir in mixture into soup. Set Instant Pot back to sauté mode, and continue cooking soup uncovered, stirring often, until thickened, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add in minced clams, heat through for few minutes without bringing chowder to boil. Add in salt and black pepper, and vinegar if desired. Sprinkle with fresh chopped chives, and serve warm with oyster crackers or baguette.
Notes
- Make it gluten free: use gluten free all-purpose flour blend.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 353kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 58mg, Sodium: 945mg, Potassium: 597mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 663IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 117mg, Iron: 1mg, Net Carbs: 27g
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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