Instant Pot Clam Chowder
Easy to make Instant Pot Clam Chowder! Thick, creamy New England Clam Chowder with some chunky potatoes, sprinkled with crisp smoky bacon, and crispy biscuits. You'll enjoy this very heartwarming, comforting, & delicious soup.
- Prep time
- 14 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 pound (454g) Yukon gold potatoes (, cubes)
- 1.5 pounds (680g) russet potatoes (, cubes)
- 2 ribs (140g) celery (, diced)
- 2 (160g) carrots (, diced)
- 3 cups (750ml) unsalted chicken stock
- 1 cup (250ml) clam juice or use another cup of unsalted chicken stock
- 6 cloves (30g) garlic (, minced)
- 6 slices (180g) bacon (, chopped)
- 1 (232g) medium onion (, diced)
- ½ teaspoon (0.8g) dried thyme
- 2 (0.2g) bay leaves
- 2 cans (142g per can) clam (, rinsed & drained)
- Salt & ground black pepper to taste
- Optional: 2 tablespoons (16g) all purpose flour
- Optional: 2 tablespoons (30ml) fish sauce
- Optional: 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
- Optional: oyster crackers
Instructions
- 1
Crisp Bacon: Add bacon in Instant Pot. Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function. Stir occasionally and allow bacon to crisp. Remove bacon and place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat.
- 2
Saute Onions, Garlic, and Vegetables: Add diced onion in bacon fat, saute until softened (roughly 3 minutes). Add in 2 bay leaves, ½ tsp (0.8g) dried thyme, minced garlic, diced celeries, and carrots, then saute for another minute.
- 3
Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour in 1 cup (250ml) clam juice or unsalted chicken stock. 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!
- 4
Pressure Cook Soup: Add in 2.5 lbs (1132g) potato cubes, 2 tbsp (30ml) fish sauce, and 3 cups (750ml) unsalted chicken stock. Give it a quick mix. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes, then 15 minutes Natural Release. Remove the lid carefully.
- 5
Blend & Cook Clams: Set aside half of the potato cubes, carrots, and celery. Find & discard the bay leaves. Blend the soup with an immersion hand blender. Bring the soup back to a simmer with the Saute function. Once it simmers, add in clams, and cook for roughly 2 minutes. Once the clams are fully cooked, add in previously set-aside potato cubes, carrots, and celery.
- 6
Optional - Thicken with Flour & Cream: We recommend mixing 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream with 2 tbsp all-purpose flour until well combined. Slowly pour the flour cream mixture in clam chowder one third at a time until your desired thickness. Taste and season with more salt (for reference, we added 4 - 5 large pinches of kosher salt).
- 7
Garnish & Serve: Garnish clam chowder with crisped bacon bits, freshly ground black pepper, and oyster crackers. Serve immediately & enjoy! :)