From the roundup: 22 Instant Pot Soup Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners
This Instant Pot clam chowder is the recipe I make when I want something that feels like a project but I only have 35 minutes. The page title says lobster bisque, but what you are actually getting is a thick, creamy New England clam chowder built on crispy bacon, canned clams, and russet potatoes. It is honest, filling food and my crew goes back for seconds every time.
The pressure cooker does the heavy lifting on the potatoes, which means they come out tender without turning to mush. You do the bacon and the vegetables on saute, let the pot do its thing for five minutes under pressure, then finish with a quick cream sauce on the stovetop. The whole process is active for maybe 15 minutes and the rest is waiting.
One thing I learned the hard way: do not skip making the roux in a separate saucepan. I tried whisking cold cream straight into the pot once and ended up with a thin, greasy broth instead of the thick chowder I wanted. The extra pan is worth the wash.
Why you will love this
- Canned clams and bottled clam juice mean no trip to a seafood counter, just a regular grocery run
- Five minutes at high pressure gets the potatoes perfectly fork-tender without overcooking them
- Cooking the bacon first and leaving the fat in the pot builds a smoky base that flavors everything
- The whole pot is on the table in 35 minutes, including the time to make the cream sauce
- Leftovers reheat well the next day with just a splash of broth to loosen the thickness
Tips for success
- Cook the roux for a full minute before adding the cream. If it smells raw or pasty, give it another 30 seconds. That step is what gives the chowder body instead of a floury taste.
- Add the drained clams only during the final saute, not under pressure. Clams that get pressure cooked turn rubbery fast.
- Keep the final saute at a gentle bubble. A hard boil will tighten the clams and can also break the cream sauce.
- Reserve the liquid from the canned clams and add it with the broth before pressure cooking. Pouring it out is the single easiest way to lose clam flavor in this recipe.
If your chowder turns out thin
- Make sure you cooked the butter and flour together for a full minute before streaming in the cream. Undercooked roux will not thicken properly.
- If it is still thin after the final saute, mix one tablespoon of softened butter with one tablespoon of flour, stir it into the hot chowder, and let it simmer two more minutes.
- Letting the chowder sit for five minutes off the heat before serving also helps it tighten up a little.
Substitutions
Half-and-half works in place of heavy cream if you want a lighter result, though the chowder will be a little less thick. Turkey bacon can replace regular bacon, just know it renders less fat so you may need a small drizzle of olive oil to keep the onion and celery from sticking. Yukon Gold potatoes are a good swap for russets and hold their shape slightly better after pressure cooking.
If bottled clam juice is not on the shelf at your store, use an equal amount of low-sodium chicken broth and add one extra can of chopped clams to keep the clam flavor where it should be. For a gluten-free version, a one-to-one gluten-free flour blend works in the roux without changing the texture much.
Make-ahead and storage
You can cook the bacon, vegetables, and potatoes under pressure a day ahead and keep everything in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, reheat the base on saute, make the cream sauce fresh, and stir in the clams at the end. This keeps the clams from sitting in dairy overnight, which makes them tough.
Leftover chowder keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat it slowly on the stovetop over medium-low heat and stir in a splash of chicken broth or milk to bring the consistency back. Do not freeze this one. The cream separates and the potatoes turn grainy when thawed, and there is really no fixing it after that.
Instant Pot Lobster Bisque
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Press the Saute button on your Instant Pot and let it heat for a minute. Add the bacon pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are crispy and the fat has rendered out, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the bacon onto a paper-towel-lined plate and set it aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the diced onion and celery to the pot. Cook in the bacon fat, stirring every minute or so, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Press Cancel to turn off the saute function.
- Add the cubed potatoes, bottled clam juice, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the pot. Pour in the reserved liquid from the canned clams as well. Give everything a stir. Secure the lid, make sure the vent is set to Sealing, and pressure cook on High for 5 minutes.
- When the cook time is done, carefully do a quick release by turning the vent to Venting. Once the pressure pin drops, open the lid. The potatoes should be fork-tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells slightly nutty and looks pale golden. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream a little at a time until smooth. Pour this cream mixture into the Instant Pot and stir to combine.
- Press Saute on the Instant Pot. Add the drained canned clams and stir everything together. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently, until the chowder thickens enough to coat a spoon. Do not boil it hard or the clams will get rubbery. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Ladle the chowder into bowls and top each one with the reserved crispy bacon. Serve immediately with oyster crackers or a thick slice of crusty bread.
Notes
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