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Outback Steakhouse's Clam Chowder Copycat Recipe

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 slices bacon chopped
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups bottled low-sodium clam juice
  • 2 cups whole milk room temperature
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 russet potatoes diced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 6.5-ounce cans chopped clams, drained

Method
 

  1. Cook the bacon in a large pot until crisp, remove it and leave the fat behind.
  2. Saute the onion in the bacon fat until softened.
  3. Add the butter and whisk in the flour, cooking 2 minutes to make a roux.
  4. Gradually whisk in the clam juice and the room-temperature milk, add the potatoes and simmer until tender.
  5. Stir in the cream and the clams at the end, heat through without boiling and top with the bacon.

Notes

Adding cold to room-temperature milk to the roux prevents lumping. Add the canned clams late or they turn rubbery. Clam juice is the flavor backbone and low-sodium versions let you control the salt. Sauteing the onion in bacon fat adds real depth. Outback's version is noticeably thick and smoky.