Keto Clam Chowder Recipe [Slow Cooked with Bacon] (2024)

New England clam chowder belongs in a soup category of its own. So creamy and comforting, there is nothing like good clam chowder.

However, after taking a closer look, you’ll often find high-carb veggies and all-purpose flour lurking in every spoonful. These two ingredients turn what could be a keto-friendly staple into a carb-laden soup.

It’s time to flip the script on clam chowder by making it both healthy and satisfying with one simple keto recipe.

Keto Clam Chowder Recipe [Slow Cooked with Bacon] (1)

Is Clam Chowder Keto? Carbs in New England Clam Chowder

Whether it is Manhattan or New England clam chowder, they are rarely made in a keto-friendly way. Both versions rely on high-carb veggies, especially New England clam chowder.

After adding potatoes, carrots, and all-purpose flour, the net carb content reaches over 18 grams in each serving. Some recipes even come with over 30 grams per cup!

Fortunately for us keto dieters, it is easier to take out the carbs than it is to add them in. In fact, all it takes is a few simple changes to make clam chowder keto.

How to Make Delicious, Healthy, and Keto-friendly Clam Chowder

The secret to cutting the carbs from your chowder without losing flavor is to keep it simple.

Rather than relying on watery ingredients and using flour to thicken it, use thick and flavorful keto ingredients and let the broth and clam juice thin it.

With this clam chowder recipe, for example, you’ll use cream cheese and heavy cream as your soup base. Along with that, you’ll be incorporating exclusively low-carb ingredients, which will add all the flavors and textures we love without the unnecessary carbs.

Cooking Tips For The Best Keto Clam Chowder

By following this keto recipe step by step, you’ll be able to make a super satisfying clam chowder. There are, however, a few extra steps you can use to elevate your experience even more:

  • Start by carmelizing the onions in bacon fat. Before adding the onions to your slow cooker, carmelize them in the leftover bacon fat. This will add an extra kick of umami and bacon flavor to your keto clam chowder.
  • Save some crisp bacon for garnishing. To add another level of texture, sprinkle some crisp bacon on top of your chowder serving.
  • Don’t forget the salt! If the flavors are falling flat for you, you may need to add a pinch of salt to bring them out.
  • Add a touch of hot sauce. This keto clam chowder pairs wonderfully with spice. Try serving with your favorite hot sauce to add an extra punch of flavor.
  • Replace the potatoes with a low-carb vegetable. If you crave the mouthfeel of a starchy potato in your chowder, try using a keto-friendly vegetable The two best potato substitutes for keto are daikon radish and cauliflower. Simply cut your veggies into spoonable pieces and add them to the slow cooker with the other vegetables. (Just remember to add the extra macronutrients from those veggies with the nutrition info for the clam chowder recipe.)
  • Serve with keto crackers. If you love having chowder with a side of something crunchy and bready, try making our Pesto Keto Crackers. They are the perfect low-carb replacement for oyster crackers.

Common FAQs for Keto Chowder: Stovetop and Clam-free Options

This clam chowder recipe is surprisingly versatile as well. It can easily be converted in a way that fits your flavor and cooking preferences.

Do I Need a Slow Cooker? How to Make a Quick Stovetop Chowder

If you want to shorten the cooking time, simply cook it in a large pot on your stovetop.

First, cook the veggies through (in the chicken stock). Then, add the clams, clam juice, bacon, cream cheese, and heavy cream.

Your chowder will be done once it has reached your desired temperature, and all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Are There Any Clam-free Keto Chowder Options?

If you are not a fan of clams, replace the clams and clam juice with your preferred seafood, meat, or low-carb vegetables.

For some culinary inspiration, give this low carb chowder recipe a try: .

Yields 8 servings of Keto Clam Chowder

The Preparation

  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 small leek, sliced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 ten-ounce cans whole baby clams, drained
  • 2 cups clam juice
  • 8 ounce thick-cut bacon, chopped and cooked
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

The Execution

1. Prep all ingredients. Put the slow cooker on low setting.

Keto Clam Chowder Recipe [Slow Cooked with Bacon] (2)

2. Add chicken broth, onion, leek, celery, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour.

Keto Clam Chowder Recipe [Slow Cooked with Bacon] (3)

3. Once vegetables have softened, add clams, clam juice, cooked bacon, cream cheese, and heavy cream.

Keto Clam Chowder Recipe [Slow Cooked with Bacon] (4)

4. Stir together until cream cheese is softened and well incorporated. Add thyme and stir again. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low.

Keto Clam Chowder Recipe [Slow Cooked with Bacon] (5)

5. Optionally: Turn slow cooker to high and leave the lid off for 30 minutes if you want to reduce the chowder to make it thicker.

Keto Clam Chowder Recipe [Slow Cooked with Bacon] (6)

6. Serve hot and enjoy!

Keto Clam Chowder Recipe [Slow Cooked with Bacon] (7)

Makes a total of 8 servings of Keto Clam Chowder. Each serving comes out to be 471 calories, 39.8g fat, 8.1g net carbs, and 21.6g protein.

NUTRITIONCALORIESFATCARBSFIBERNET CARBSPROTEIN
1/4 cup chicken broth3.70.10.300.30.4
1 medium onion, chopped410.29.51.38.21.3
1 small leek, sliced380.39.41.28.21
2 ribs celery, diced140.131.21.80.6
4 cloves garlic, minced180.140.33.70.8
2 tablespoons butter204230000.2
2 teaspoon sea salt000000
1 teaspoon black pepper50.11.30.50.80.2
3 ten-ounce cans whole baby clams3757.51501567.5
8 ounce thick-cut bacon1061803.903.977
8 ounces cream cheese794781301314
1 1/2 cups heavy cream12141299.809.810
1 teaspoon dried thyme3.30.10.80.40.40.1
Totals3771318.5704.965.1173.1
Per Serving (/8)471.439.88.80.68.121.6
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Print

Keto Clam Chowder

Total Time: 8 hours

Yield: 8 servings

Calories per serving: 471

Fat per serving: 39.8

Keto Clam Chowder Recipe [Slow Cooked with Bacon] (8)

The Preparation

  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 small leek, sliced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 ten-ounce cans whole baby clams, drained
  • 2 cups clam juice
  • 8 ounce thick-cut bacon, chopped and cooked
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

The Execution

  1. Prep all ingredients. Put slow cooker on low setting.
  2. Add chicken broth, onion, leek, celery, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour.
  3. Once vegetables have softened, add clams, clam juice, cooked bacon, cream cheese, and heavy cream.
  4. Stir together until cream cheese is softened and well incorporated. Add thyme and stir again. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low.
  5. Optionally: Turn slow cooker to high and leave the lid off for 30 minutes if you want to reduce the chowder to make it thicker.
  6. Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes

Makes a total of 8 servings of Keto Clam Chowder. Each serving comes out to be 471 calories, 39.8g fat, 8.1g net carbs, and 21.6g protein.

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Keto Clam Chowder Recipe [Slow Cooked with Bacon] (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thickener for clam chowder? ›

This clam chowder recipe should produce perfectly rich soup. If you'd like your chowder a little thicker, though, you can thicken it with a cornstarch slurry. Simply stir cornstarch into a small amount of cold water (or another liquid, such as wine or stock), then stir the mixture into the simmering chowder.

What is a good substitute for potatoes in chowder? ›

Replacing the potatoes is easy and you've got some choices here. My favorite substitute for keto soups and stews is turnip, as I think it ends up most like potatoes in taste and texture. Daikon radish is also a great alternative. Simply cube these vegetables the same way you would a potato and add it in.

Does clam chowder contain bacon? ›

Most basic recipes for clam chowder call for rendering down some form of salted pork (bacon or salt pork usually), sweating onions and celery in the rendered fat, a touch of flour, followed by milk, potatoes, chopped, and occasionally bottled clam juice.

Can you overcook clam chowder? ›

The soup will thicken more as it cools. If needed, you can thin it out by adding more milk or chicken broth and bringing it to a boil once more. Add the clams at the end and be sure you just bring to a boil then remove the soup from the heat. Overcooking the clams will make them chewy and rubbery.

Is it better to thicken chowder with flour or cornstarch? ›

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

How to make clam chowder thicker without cornstarch? ›

Add A Starch

You can give your soup more heft as well as a thicker texture by adding one of these starchy ingredients: Add a can of lentils or cannellini beans, mashing about half before you mix it in.

What two ingredients must be present for the soup to be called a chowder? ›

Chowder is a soup with cream or milk mixed with ingredients such as potatoes, sweet corn, smoked haddock, clams and prawns, etc. Some cream-style chowders do not use cream, and are instead prepared using milk and a roux to thicken them.

What is a keto substitute for potatoes? ›

Cauliflower, the king of low-carb vegetables, leads the pack with its versatility and ability to mimic the texture and flavor of potatoes. Other alternatives include turnips, rutabaga, kohlrabi, celeriac, radishes, zucchini, spaghetti squash, parsley roots, daikon radish, pumpkin, jicama, and the lesser-known chayote.

What potato has the lowest carbs? ›

The carb content varies depending on the potato variety. The lowest is Zerella with 8.9 g per 100 g. GiLICIOUS comes in at 10.3 g per 100.

What meat goes with clam chowder? ›

Bacon can make everything better, including cham chowder. Now a bowl of juicy clams, potatoes, and chunks of bacon is a perfect mix. Rather than being a side dish, bacon is more of a topping or ingredient in the chowder. Regardless of the technicality bacon is an incredible addition to a bowl of clam chowder.

How to make can clam chowder better? ›

directions
  1. Pour soup into 2 quart sauce pan.
  2. Add chopped clams and 2 tablespoons of juice from clams.
  3. Add thyme, salt and pepper.
  4. Stir all together and heat over medium heat until bubbly then let simmer on low for 20 minutes.
  5. Place in individual bowls and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and serve.

Can Jews eat clam chowder? ›

Salmon, tuna and other fish with scales and fins are fine. But that Maine lobster roll isn't kosher. Neither is that charred octopus, sushi-grade freshwater eel, clam chowder, Dungeness crab, oysters on the half shell nor catfish, which don't have scales.

What happens if you eat too much clam chowder? ›

Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning

Symptoms usually occur within 2 hours of consumption and include abdominal pain, chills, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Are canned clams already cooked? ›

Canned clams are already perfectly cooked, so adding them to favorite meals helps get dinner on the table quickly. Potassium – Helps counter the effects of sodium in the diet. A 3-ounce serving has about 125 milligrams.

Should canned clams be cooked? ›

First, the canning process cooks the clams, so they need no additional cooking once you crack open a can. Canned clams are shelf-stable, which means they're at the ready when you are.

What can I use to thicken chowder? ›

Cornstarch, or corn flour, can be used to thicken soup through its high starch content. Cornstarch is a great thickener for soup because only a little bit is needed to significantly thicken a soup, and it will not affect the flavor profile of the soup.

What is usually a main thickening agent of chowder? ›

Roux (pronounced roo) is a mixture of equal weights (parts) of flour and fat (usually clarified butter; chicken fat, bacon fat, and margarine are also used) cooked over medium heat and stirred constantly. Roux is the most common thickener for sauces and soups.

Which thickening agent used to thick chowder? ›

Cornstarch is a great option as it is a natural thickening agent, but you'll want to be careful about how much you use. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked together with cold water to create a slurry. Then, gradually add the slurry to the soup, letting it boil for one to two minutes before adding more.

What can I use to thicken seafood chowder? ›

Flour: Thicken the chowder up with all-purpose flour. Seasonings: Season the fish chowder with Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper.

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