Clams With Chorizo and Tomatoes

Clams make a quick and easy meal, perfect for a weeknight family dinner or a weekend with guests. Spanish chorizo adds just enough of a smoky, spicy kick. Make sure you serve these brothy clams with crusty bread to sop up every last bit!

By
Katie Morford, MS, RD
Katie Morford
Katie Morford, MS, RD
Katie is a culinary dietitian with a master's degree in clinical nutrition. She has 25 years of experience as a recipe developer, writer, and teacher.
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Updated June 07, 2022
Katie Morford
Overhead view of a yellow bowl with steamed clams with chorizo and grilled bread. A second blue bowl is partially visible above.
Sally Vargas

Even though clams are available throughout the year, most of my clam eating happens during the summer months. Clam bakes are a consummate summertime affair, after all, and chowder is a staple of the season for me.

Since most of us are staying close to home right now, I figured a big pile of clams is a perfect way to do a bit of armchair travel. The inspiration for these brothy bivalves comes by way of Spain, thanks to the smoky chorizo that’s essential to the dish. When simmered with onions, garlic, tomatoes, and wine, the chorizo infuses the broth with incredible flavor. Then it’s just a matter of adding a heap of clams, simmering until they open, and serving them in shallow bowls with plenty of broth.

It would be a crime to serve this meal without something to sop up all those gorgeous juices. Good, crusty bread like sourdough levain is the ticket. Cut it into thick slices, brush lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toast on a hot grill.

The fact that clams are on the affordable end of the seafood spectrum makes this recipe a budget-friendly way to travel the globe.

What Are the Best Clams for This Recipe?

The first order of business is to get a hold of fresh clams.

This recipe was developed with littleneck clams in mind. They’re a medium-sized hard shell clam that is both meaty and tender. If you can’t find littlenecks, other varieties will work, too, such as cherrystones, steamers, and Manila.

Stockpot of spanish clams and chorizo with a full ladle of the clams resting on top of the pot. Grilled bread, spoons and bowls are around the pot.
Sally Vargas

How To Know If Your Clams Are Fresh

One bad clam can ruin a whole pot, so when you’re ready to cook, give your clams a once over. Clams should be closed. If any are slightly ajar, tap them on the counter. If they close up, they’re good to go. If not, toss them, along with any cracked or broken ones.

Clams should be alive when you buy them and should stay that way until it’s time to get cooking. That’s why I aim to cook clams within a day or so of purchase, though they can keep for several days in the fridge. Once home, rinse them under running water, transfer to a bowl, cover with a moist dish towel, and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook.

How To Clean Clams

There’s no shortage of opinions as to the best way to clean clams. Clams can be gritty creatures, full of the sand they filter for food.

These days, most commercially sold clams are held in tanks after they’re harvested, where they “purge” the sand before they head to market. In this case, no need for extra cleaning.

If you’re digging clams yourself (or buying from a small purveyor who may not clean them for you), soak them in a bowl of ocean water or cool, salted water covered with a dish towel for 30 minutes. You can keep the on the counter or move them to the fridge. It doesn’t matter either way. Then, rinse well before cooking, sloughing off any dirt with your thumbs

A yellow bowl of steamed clams with chorizo, grilled garlic bread and a stockpot of more brothy clams.
Sally Vargas

What Is Spanish Chorizo?

Spanish chorizo is a hard, dry-cured sausage that looks a bit like pepperoni. It’s got an appealing chew and deep flavor that comes from smoked chiles (don’t confuse it with Mexican chorizo, which is typically fresh and requires cooking).

Spanish chorizo is excellent sliced and eaten out of hand, like you might hard salami, or worked into myriad dishes, from paella to patatas bravas. While it’s a rich and fatty food, it’s so full-flavored, a little goes a long way.

Swaps and Substitutions

  • Canned vs. Fresh Clams: This recipe is intended for fresh clams. That being said, if fresh clams are nowhere to be found, use two 10-ounce cans of whole baby clams along with the juice of one can. Want to learn more about cooking with canned clams? Read our guide: How to Cook with Canned Clams.
  • No Pork, No Problem: For pescatarians and those who don’t eat pork, make this with a few ounces of a vegetarian chorizo, such as Soyrizo. Crumble it into the pan when you add the garlic, and break it up like taco meat until cooked through.

The Best Way To Cook Clams

This recipe uses a pretty classic method for cooking clams. You start by building a flavorful broth with onions, garlic, white wine, and chorizo. Once that’s done, add the clams, cover, and simmer until done.

Clams make it easy on the home cook, since they offer a built-in signal for when they’re cooked. As soon as the shells open up wide, the clams are ready. Remove the lid and serve.

Yelllow bowl of chorizo clams with grilled bread with chopped tomatoes on top.
Sally Vargas

What To Serve With Chorizo Clams

A simple, crisp lettuce salad tossed with a vinaigrette and what’s left of the wine you used for the clams are all you need to complete the meal.

If you really want to run with the Spanish theme, serve a bowl of romesco with crunchy vegetables to nibble on before dinner.

How To Reheat Leftover Clams

You can reheat leftover clams in a pan on the stove over medium heat until warm. If you want to get creative with leftovers, remove the clams from the shells and spoon over cooked rice or spaghetti. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Delicious!

More Delicious Clam Recipes!

Clams With Chorizo and Tomatoes

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

For the clams:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 1/2 ounces (3/4 cup) Spanish chorizo, skin (casing) removed and cut into thin slices

  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (optional)

  • 1 cup dry white wine

  • 1 1/2 cups water

  • 3 1/2 pounds littleneck clams

  • 1 tablespoon salted butter

  • 1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley

For the bread:

  • 1 loaf crusty bread, such as sourdough levain, baguette, Italian, or ciabatta

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • Kosher salt

Method

  1. Sort the clams:

    Throw out clams that are cracked or broken. If any clams are slightly open, tap them on the counter. If they don’t close, throw them out.

  2. Prep the clams:

    If you harvested the clams yourself or bought them from a small purveyor, soak them in cool, salted water covered with a dish towel for 30 minutes to purge them of sand. Rinse clams in the sink under cool water, rubbing off any dirt with your thumbs.

    A mixing bowl filled with water and uncooked clams.
    Sally Vargas
  3. Make the broth:

    Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chorizo and sauté for a few minutes more to infuse the vegetables with smoky flavor.

    Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper, white wine, and water, and raise the heat so the liquid boils gently. Cook a few minutes more to soften the tomatoes and allow the flavors to develop.

    A stockpot with diced onion inside to make chorizo clams with grilled bread.
    Sally Vargas
    An overhead view of a large stockpot with diced onions and sliced chorizo to make spanish clams and chorizo.
    Sally Vargas
    A large stockpot filled with tomato broth for steamed clams with chorizo.
    Sally Vargas
  4. Cook the clams:

    Add the clams, cover with a lid, and simmer until the clams open, about 10 minutes. Break the butter into pieces and add to the pan, stir, and scatter with parsley. Turn off the heat.

    Overhead view of a large stockpot with tomato broth and closed clams on top.
    Sally Vargas
    Steamed clams with chorizo in a large stock pot. The brothy clams are open and chopped tomatoes are sprinkled over the top.
    Sally Vargas
  5. Toast the bread:

    While the clams cook, cut several thick slices of bread (one or two slices per person is a good place to start), brush lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Toast on a hot grill or under a broiler. This should only take minute or two. When finished set aside to serve with clams.

    Sliced bread on a wooden board, a pastry brush, and a glass of olive oil. The first couple slices of bread are toasted.
    Sally Vargas
  6. Serve:

    Spoon clams and broth in shallow bowls with a slice of bread on the side.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1334 Calories
31g Fat
122g Carbs
124g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1334
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 39%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 289mg 96%
Sodium 6028mg 262%
Total Carbohydrate 122g 44%
Dietary Fiber 7g 23%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 124g
Vitamin C 105mg 527%
Calcium 672mg 52%
Iron 19mg 106%
Potassium 3082mg 66%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.