Instant Pot Clam Chowder

What is Clam Chowder?

Chowder is a simple, thick soup or stew made with milk or cream, usually served with crackers.

There are many different types of chowders such as seafood chowder, corn chowder, potato chowder, fish chowder, clam chowder, and many more.

Over the years, many variations of Clam Chowder were invented, but Clam Chowder is mostly made of common ingredients such as potatoes, clams, vegetables, & onions.

Some people enjoy creamy-style clam chowders, while others enjoy broth-style clam chowders.

New England Clam Chowder is a creamy-style chowder. It’s rather simple to prepare, delicious & very comforting to eat especially during the winter!

Let’s Start Making this Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder!

Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Clam Chowder

Here are the ingredients for cooking Clam Chowder in Instant Pot:

*Note – Potatoes: We’re using both Yukon gold potatoes and russet potatoes for more complexity. You can use one kind of potatoes if that’s what you have on hand.

*Pro Tip: To save time, you can slice the ingredients while the bacon is crisping in the Instant Pot.

Then, dice the potatoes into cubes.

Tools for Instant Pot Clam Chowder

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Immersion Hand Blender
• Wooden Spoon
• Pyrex Measuring Cups

Crisp Bacon

We’ll crisp 6 slices of bacon or chopped bacon in Instant Pot.

First, add bacon in Instant Pot, then heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function.

*Pro Tip: You don’t need to add any oil because bacon has a lot of fat.

You just have to stir occasionally and allow the bacon to crisp.

Finally, remove the bacon from Instant Pot and place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat.

*Pro Tips for Crispy Bacon:

• In order to cook the meat and fat evenly, crispy, and not burnt, you need to place the bacon in the cold pot before turning on the heat. Then, let the heat slowly render out the pork fat.
• It’s important to absorb the bacon’s excess fat with a paper towel after sauteing. This helps to crisp up the umami bacon bits!

Saute Onions, Garlic, and Vegetables

Now, add the diced onion in the bacon fat, then saute until they’re softened (roughly 3 minutes).

Add 2 bay leaves, ½ tsp (0.8g) dried thyme, minced garlic, diced celeries, and carrots in Instant Pot, then saute for another minute.

Deglaze Instant Pot

Now, pour 1 cup (250ml) clam juice or unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot.

Then, scrub all the brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

*Pro Tip: Keep those brown bits because they’re very flavorful! 😀

Pressure Cook Soup

Add 2.5 lbs (1132g) potato cubes, 2 tbsp (30ml) fish sauce, and 3 cups (750ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix.

*Pro Tip for Fish Sauce: Fish sauce is an optional ingredient you can skip, but it adds a kick of irresistible umami-ness to the hearty clam chowder. Don’t worry! Your Instant Pot Clam Chowder won’t taste fishy. 😉

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

• Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes, then 15 minutes Natural Release

After 15 minutes, carefully release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position.

Finally, remove the lid carefully.

Blend & Cook Clams

Now, set aside half of the potato cubes, carrots, and celery.

Don’t forget to search and discard the bay leaves in the soup. 🙂

Then, blend the soup with an immersion hand blender.

Now, bring the soup back to a simmer with the Saute function.

Once the soup starts to simmer, add the clams to Instant Pot, then cook them for roughly 2 minutes.

Once the clams are fully cooked, add back the previously set-aside potato cubes, carrots, and celery.

Optional: Thicken with Flour & Cream

*Pro Tip: If you want a smoother clam chowder, add in some heavy cream.

We recommend mixing 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream with 2 tbsp all-purpose flour until well combined.

Then, slowly pour the flour cream mixture in the clam chowder one third at a time until your desired thickness.

At this point, you’ll need to add more salt to open up the flavors. Taste the clam chowder and season with more salt (for reference, we added 4 – 5 large pinches of kosher salt).

Garnish & Serve Clam Chowder

Finally, garnish this deliciously creamy Instant Pot Clam Chowder with crisped bacon bits, freshly ground black pepper, and oyster crackers.

Due to our current situation, we couldn’t get our hands on oyster crackers. At least these Goldfish crackers fit in the seafood theme here. hehe~

Serve immediately with some tasty cornbread or buttermilk biscuit! 🙂

Enjoy the creamy Instant Pot Clam Chowder!

Other Instant Pot Soups

Instant Pot Chicken Soup

Instant Pot Potato Soup

Instant Pot Lentil Soup