The best canned clam chowder is creamy, savory, and clammy (in the sense that it is filled with pieces of clams, not in the clammy hands way). Over the course of two taste tests, we tasted 17 canned clam chowder brands in search of the very best store bought clam chowder.
Clam chowder is best when it’s creamy, oceanic, aromatic, and dotted with potatoes for substance. It’s important that you can taste some semblance of clam juice in a chowder, because it’s too one note when all you taste is cream. With that in mind, we looked for a chowder that had some salty, briny, seafood flavor. Also, a note on potatoes: They shouldn’t be cut the size of rocks. In a chowder, potatoes shouldn’t take up space like a guy manspreading on a train. We here at Sporked are anti-filler. Give us the good stuff. The best clam chowder in a can should include a lot of clams and some potatoes.
And, as always, the perfect blend of salt and pepper goes a long way in our rankings. A perfectly seasoned chowder is a thing of beauty. We recently updated this list of the best store bought clam chowder to include a couple of selections from the refrigerated section, as well as one new, Old Bay spiced clam chowder that would be at home in Baltimore. Here’s the best canned clam chowder you can buy. (Sorry, there’s no Manhattan clam chowder on this list. But we’ll keep searching!)
- Boudin Sourdough San Francisco Wharf Clam Chowder
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Let’s start with a bit of a critique: They advertise, “No MSG,” but guess what? It probably could have benefitted from some MSG. Also, it’s reduced fat, sodium, and carbohydrates. Why? Are we not eating clam chowder here?? But aside from that, this clam chowder is pretty darn good.The potatoes are firmer than most, which is actually my favorite thing about this one. It provides some nice, delightful homestyle texture. This canned clam chowder is made by Boudin, a San Francisco bakery known for its sourdough. So, honor its roots by sopping up this chowder with some good sourdough bread. — Danny Palumbo & Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Snow’s Condensed Clam Chowder
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The chowder has a nice, salty base and the clam flavor is really good. Plus, since it’s condensed, that means it’s packed with flavor. I would spruce this up with some cream instead of the recommended can of milk, a lot of black pepper, maybe some rendered bacon, and then put it in a bread bowl to balance out some of the salt. It may not be the best clam chowder in a can, but it’ll fill out a bread bowl real nice. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Campbell’s Well Yes! New England Clam Chowder
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This canned clam chowder is a bit salty, and it’s got a real earthy, truffle-like taste. This has the most unique flavor of any clam chowder on this list, and the ingredients are kind of wild. It’s got cauliflower in it (odd choice, but it works!), and also…soy sauce? There’s also soy protein concentrate, so maybe that’s why it tastes so mouth-smackingly savory. There’s a great base flavor here, but it needs some salt and freshly cracked black pepper to really make it sing. If you’re looking for chowder that tastes like no other chowder you’ve ever had before, this is the best canned clam chowder for you. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Campbell’s Homestyle New England Clam Chowder
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This canned clam chowder is very cream-forward. It could be considered a little bland, but I actually don’t mind the one-note, creamy flavor that isn’t adulterated with too many other ingredients. This also contains MSG, which ups the savory factor. One of our tasters commented, “It feels like there’s bacon in here.” That’s the power of Monosodium Glutamate. Campbell’s doesn’t have a complex flavor, but it’s a sneaky-strong soup. There’s a good, subtle chemistry of flavors in this canned clam chowder. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- The Black Pearl Condensed Clam Chowder
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The Black Pearl is a restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island, and this is the retail version of their clam chowder. Does it stack up to what they serve at the restaurant? I have no idea. What I can tell you is that this feels like restaurant-quality stuff. In the instructions, they tell you to add half-and-half, which I love. Milk is too thin, but half-and-half contributes some decadent creaminess. Black Pearl is meaty, creamy, salty, and packed with delicious clams. It’s got a great blend of salt and pepper, with a little garlic powder and celery extract for some vegetal taste. It’s the best canned clam chowder if you’re looking for a super creamy bowlful. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Campbell’s Chunky Old Bay Seasoned Clam Chowder
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This new canned clam chowder from Campbell’s is seriously thick. You will not confuse this with soup. It is chowder verging on stew. And it definitely has that Old Bay flavor and kick—there’s a good hit of heat at the end of every bite. So, if you’re always adding hot sauce to your chowder, give this a try. It could be the best canned clam chowder for your heat-seeking taste buds. There are big, creamy chunks of potato—though I would have appreciated a few more actual pieces of clam. Still, I love the flavor of this clam chowder. It’s perfect for a bread bowl or, if you really want a decadent meal, heat it up and pour it over french fries. Trust me. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Ivar’s Puget Sound Clam Chowder with Bacon
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Costco sells this refrigerated clam chowder in a two-pack of 24 oz tubs, perfect for feeding a family. Ivar’s is a Seattle chain of seafood restaurants known for their chowder. And, though I’ve never had it from the restaurant, I can see why they’re famous after tasting this chowder. It’s rich and thick and creamy and buttery—and definitely bacony. It has a smoky, meaty, porky flavor that works really well with the briny clams. I also appreciate the sheer amount of chunks in the mix. There are lots of potatoes and clam pieces and other veggies. Shop at Costco regularly or just love bacon? This is the best store bought clam chowder out there. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Costco
- Trader Joe’s New England Clam Chowder
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Head to the refrigerated section at your local Trader Joe’s to find this tub of premade clam chowder. It’s so, so good. The only reason it’s not taking number one is because it requires refrigeration, so it doesn’t have the utility of the bestclam chowder in a can. Still, I think this is the best store bought clam chowder out there. Made with hand-shucked Atlantic surf clams, big chunks of potatoes, onions, and lots of black pepper, it tastes like something you’d get at a seaside shack. The clams are not too chewy and full of flavor. The potato chunks are creamy. And the base has a complex flavor that suggests it was made with vegetables—not just clam juice and cream. This is a new Trader Joe’s must-buy for me. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett
- Bar Harbor New England Style Clam Chowder
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The only way canned clam chowder could get better than this is if it’s made at home from scratch or in a restaurant. This is damn good stuff. It’s fresh tasting and has that oceanic salinity we’re looking for, which comes from clam juice. The potatoes are cut smaller, and it’s absolutely loaded with tender, meaty clams. Bar Harbor chowder is thick, with a pure clam and cream flavor. It’s condensed canned clam chowder, and the directions simply tell you to mix it with cream or milk and butter (!!) to achieve your desired consistency. While you could eat it as is, it’s much, much better cut with some cream. It transforms into a luxurious bowlful that’s very briny and clam-centric. And that’s what clam chowder is all about, right? The clams! Smooth and downright tasty, Bar Harbor is the best canned clam chowder to buy. — Danny Palumbo & Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best with Sourdough
Best for a Bread Bowl
Best Unique Flavor
Best Standard
Best Creamy
Best Spiced
Best Bacon Flavor
Best Refrigerated
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: Great Value Clam Chowder, Campbell’s New England Clam Chowder, Progresso New England Clam Chowder, Progresso Manhattan Clam Chowder, Stonewall Kitchen New England Clam Chowder, Bar Harbor Manhattan Clam Chowder, Campbell’s Manhattan Clam Chowder, Progresso Light Clam Chowder
