Instant Pot Clam Chowder (New England Style)
Cozy and comforting Instant Pot clam chowder is perfect to warm you up on a chilly night. It is creamy, rich, delicious, and so easy to make!
Servings 5 people
Calories 331kcal
Equipment
- Instant Pot DUO Plus 6 qt 9-in-1
Ingredients
- 3-(6.5) oz canned chopped clams, drained and juices reserved
- 1/4 pound diced bacon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced white onions
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes, about 4 cups diced
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
Seasonings
- 1.5 teaspoons fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
To be added after pressure cooking
- 1.5 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves
To top the clam chowder
- Bacon bits
- Oyster crackers
- chopped chives
Instructions
Drain the canned clams and reserve the juices
- Drain canned chopped clams and reserve the juice for cooking. You should get about 1.5 cups of clam juice (brand) and a little over a cup (170 grams) of clam meat.
Saute
- Press the 'SAUTE' button, and set it to 'NORMAL' or 'MEDIUM' (depending on your IP model), press 'START'. Once it displays 'HOT', add diced bacon, and saute until the fat has rendered and it turns slightly crisp.
- Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Pour off excess bacon grease leaving a tablespoon in the pot.
- Add unsalted butter, add diced onions and diced celery, and saute until vegetables soften.
- The onions will release enough moisture to deglaze the pot. But if it doesn’t, add about 1/4 cup of stock to deglaze the pot.
- Make sure you scrape off all the browned bits stuck at the bottom of the pot, to avoid getting a 'BURN' error.
- Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant.
Add potatoes, liquid, seasoning & pressure cook
- Add diced potatoes, vegetable stock or chicken stock, reserved clam juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, you may add later), 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, fresh thyme, bay leaves. Mix well.
- Total liquid used for pressure cooking is 2.5 cups.
- Press 'CANCEL'. Close the lid of the Instant Pot. Set the valve to 'SEALING'. Pressure cook on 'HIGH' for 5 minutes. It will take some time for the pressure to build up, after which the timer will begin.
NPR (5 mins)
- Let the pot depressurize for 5 minutes. Then do a quick release of any leftover pressure as per the manufacturer's instructions. Once the silver pin drops, turn the knob to 'VENTING' and open the lid away from you.
Add the remaining ingredients
- Discard the bay leaves.
- Press the 'CANCEL' button and turn on the 'SAUTE' button, set it to 'LOW'.
- Add half-and-half and stir.
- Use room temperature half-and-half or cream to avoid it from splitting when added to the soup.
- Add the cornstarch slurry, and stir until the soup has thickened.
- Next, add the drained clams and chopped parsley. Mix well, and cook until the clams are heated through about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Press 'CANCEL' to turn off the 'SAUTE' mode. Check for seasonings, and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed. I added another 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Let the chowder sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
This recipe makes about 8 cups of soup and should serve about 5 people if you consider about 1.5 cups a serving.
Nutrition Disclaimer: The nutrition info listed are approximate values that are calculated using an online nutrition calculator. It does not include the calories for the toppings. If you rely on them for your diet, please use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Kindly refer to the storage instructions, recipe tips, variations, and FAQs for more info related to this post!
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.6g | Protein: 12.6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9.3g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 1250mg | Potassium: 752mg | Fiber: 4.7g | Sugar: 3.3g | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2mg