Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder
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Rich and creamy Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder, made with canned minced clams, potatoes and thick cut bacon in your pressure cooker.
Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder – my first attempt at making clam chowder at home. Don’t you love it when a recipe rocks on the first try?? That’s what happened here, first try and it was a keeper.
Recently, I vowed to use my Instant Pot more frequently. I’m not sure why I didn’t before, bcause I love the simplicity of it! I have been threatening to make homemade clam “chowda” for years, and I’m not sure why I never did before? It really is quite simple. I guess I just got to where if I wanted it, I would go out for it. Plank Seafood Provisions in the Old Market area of Omaha, has in my opinion, the best New England Clam Chowder I have ever eaten. Even better than Boudin’s in San Fransisco!
Of course, at Boudin’s they have their amazing sourdough bread! — this instapot clam chowder would be AMAZING served in a bread bowl!
view of the sourdough bread at Boudin’s, Fisherman’s Wharf SFC, CA.
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I digress … we were talking about making this Instant Pot version of clam chowder. I knew when I set out to make it, I had to have some components that I love when I eat clam chowder in a restaurant. First, I love it when it has pork belly in it. I was unable to find it when I was making this, so I bought some good quality thick cut bacon instead. If you can use the pork belly — definitely try it. Secondly, I knew I wanted potatoes and celery in it. I love the thickness the potatoes give, and the texture the celery gives. I like my soup with lots of texture. Aside from that … you gotta have heavy cream. Sure, you can make this and lighten it up if need be, but I really wanted to use the cream.
Ingredients for Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder:
- canned minced clams + juice and water
- good quality thick bacon OR pork belly
- potatoes, onion, celery, fresh oregano, garlic
- salt and pepper
- butter and heavy cream
The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.
Tip: Prep all of your ingredients before you start. It makes it so much easier to grab them and have them ready when you need to dump them in your instapot.
Turn your pressure cooker on the sauté setting. Cook your bacon until the fat is rendered out, but the bacon isn’t crispy. Then add in the butter, fresh chopped oregano, onion and celery, and garlic, continue sautéing until the onion is translucent. Stir often.
Add in potatoes. I bought the yellow potatoes from the Little Potato Company. I quartered them, and left the skins on. Next, add in the clam juice and water, then the salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Lock the lid on your Instant Pot. Turn steam release to seal. Change the setting from sauté to Cook/Manual, and set the timer for 5 minutes. When it’s done, let pot rest for 3 minutes, undisturbed. Then use the quick release feature to let out the steam. When pressure is gone, release the lid and using a potato masher, mash your veggies/potatoes up to your desired consistency. Turn the warming feature on and add in the minced clams and heavy cream. Stir and heat through.
Serve with freshly chopped chives and bacon bits on top. Don’t forget the oyster crackers!
Just look at that deliciousness!
You might be saying — this is all fine and dandy — but I don’t have an Instant Pot! Well, guess what? I am giving one away!
Giveaway Has Ended
Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas Instant Pot Giveaway!
One lucky person is going to win an awesome 6-Quart Instant Pot Ultra. If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet, you’re missing out. This device is 10 appliances in one.
What can the Instant Pot Ultra Do?
- Pressure Cooker
- Slow Cooker
- Rice Cooker
- Cake Maker
- Yogurt Maker
- Egg Cooker
- Steamer
- Warmer
- Sauté
- Sterilizer
The 6-Quart Instant Pot Ultra set includes a steam rack, recipe booklet, serving spoon, soup spoon and measuring cup. Here are some of the new features:
- altitude adjustment
- cooking indicator
- steam release reset button
Soup in the instapot is so simple!! You get the deep flavors like you cooked it all day, in just minutes!
Other Instant Pot Soup Favorites:
- Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup (pictured above)
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Pressure Cooker Bean and Bacon Soup
- Instant Pot Thai Butternut Squash Soup
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
What is the first thing you would make in a brand new instant pot pressure cooker?
Happy eating!
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Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound good quality thick sliced bacon or pork belly chopped
- 3 6.5 ounce cans of minced clams, juice reserved
- Reserved Clam juice to measure 2 cups (add water if what comes from the can isn't enough)
- 1/2 stick of butter 4 Tablespoons
- 4 stalks of celery chopped
- 1 medium sized onion chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds of yellow potatoes skins left on, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 sprigs of fresh oregano roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- Freshly chopped chives and bacon bits for serving
Instructions
- Turn your pressure cooker on the sauté setting. Cook your bacon until the fat is rendered out, but the bacon isn't crispy.
- Then add in the butter, fresh chopped oregano, onion and celery, and garlic, continue sautéing until the onion is translucent. Stir often.
- Add in potatoes. I bought the yellow potatoes from the Little Potato Company. I quartered them, and left the skins on.
- Next, add in the 2 cups of clam juice, salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Lock the lid on your Instant Pot. Turn steam release to seal. Change setting from sauté to Cook/Manual, and set the timer for 5 minutes. When it's done, let pot rest for 3 minutes, undisturbed. Then use the quick release feature to let out the steam. When pressure is gone, release the lid and using a potato masher, mash your veggies/potatoes up to your desired consistency.
- Turn the warming feature on and add in the minced clams and heavy cream. Stir and heat through.
- Serve with freshly chopped chives and bacon bits on top. Don't forget the oyster crackers!
That clam chowder looks scrumptious. I just got myself an Instant Pot for Christmas Gift and can’t wait for it to get here. Waiting to try all these amazing recipes popping in my newsfeed.
This looks so delicious! I grew up in New York and haven’t had a good clam chowder in years… I just might have to give this a try!
OMG! If I won the Instapot – I’d have to make the Clam Chowder! Doing it in my crockpot ‘stinks’ up the house (according to hubby), so I never get to make the soup I love the most!!!
Clam chowder is my absolute favourite! This version looks like something I’m definitely going to have to try. Thanks for sharing!
As far as I am concerned, there is only one kind of clam chowder. You nailed it! I can’t wait to make this for my family.
This clam chowda sounds wonderful. I have never had it with pork belly, but I’m going to look for it in the store tomorrow. Will make this this week.
Love making chowder in my crock pot and would love to try it in the instant pot, so I think that would be the first thing I would try if I won. Or bbq ribs. I hear the instant pot makes amazing ribs. Thanks for the giveaway!
I have a freezer full of chicken breasts. so some dish related to chicken would be the first thing we made.
I would make a cheesecake!
I ate this when I was in Maine and I haven’t had it since. I am going to have to give it a go.
This soup is EVERYTHING!!! MMMM – already can’t wait to make it again! Thank you!
We got snow this week so this looks amazing. I still don’t have an Instant Pot, is that crazy?
Oh my! I love clam chowder. So glad to find an instant pot recipe!
Yum, this is perfect for right now because of the really cold really. Its a really hearty soup.
I would make a Mississippi pot roast! My family loves it
I have been dying to try an Instapot! Thanks for the chance to win
I have never used an Instant Pot, but I would love to have one. The first thing I would make would probably be chicken soup!
Ribs!
That looks great!
So I would have a better understanding of how it works, would probably start with something simple, like a basic chili!