Steamed Clams with White Wine and Garlic

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Steamed clams with white wine, garlic and butter is the ultimate seafood paradise! Perfectly steamed clams are cooked with white wine, a good amount of garlic, butter and loads of fresh herbs. And don't forget to have extra crusty bread ready to soak every drop of the irresistible broth!

Steamed clams in white wine sauce with lemon and garlic.

There's a short handful of meals I'll ask for on big celebratory dinner nights. Either Julia Child mussels Mariniere or a French bouillabaisse that is brimming with fresh seafood!

Leave me with a big bowl of steamed clams with white wine, garlic and butter, some crusty bread and a tall glass of chilled Pinot Grigio and I am one happy, possibly slurpy, with buttery clam broth all over me-gal!

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📋 Ingredients
💦 How to Clean Clams Before Cooking
⏲️ Instructions
📍 Clam Recipe Tips
Recipe FAQs
🦀 More Shellfish Recipes
Steamed Clams with White Wine and Garlic

📋 Ingredients

Fresh Clams: Look for littleneck clams, Manilla clams or "steamers" which are a little larger than the other two varieties. Clams should always be kept cold on ice and cooked the same day as purchased.
Unsalted Butter: Clams can be salty on their own and I prefer to use unsalted butter to control the salt flavor. You can always add a pinch of salt after cooking.
Olive Oil: Olive oil is added with the butter for both flavor and so the butter doesn't burn too quickly.
Shallot: Shallots have a fantastic sweet and flavor and a delicious addition to any seafood recipe. I like adding shallots to Thai coconut curry mussels.
Garlic Cloves: Steamed clams and garlic are meant to be together! Look for garlic bulbs that have tight cloves, which means it's fresh.
Red Pepper Flakes: Optional, but highly recommended. If you like a little spice, add a good pinch of red pepper flakes but if you prefer no heat, leave out and the steamed clams will still be absolutely delicious and flavorful!
White Wine: Use a white wine that you enjoy drinking but if you do need a suggestion, add a crisp dry white wine to the clams, such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or Vinho Verde.
Lemon: A good squeeze of fresh lemon juice gives the buttery clams a layer of acidity and brightness. Squeeze fresh lemon juice as soon as the clams open.
Fresh Parsley: Finely chop a good bunch of Italian parsley leaves and add the fresh herbs as soon as the clams are done cooking.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

💦 How to Clean Clams Before Cooking

Now before we get into the steaming, let's talk about how to properly clean clams first. Honestly, it takes longer to clean clams then to cook them, but worth it so you don't bite into a hard piece of sand. Here is detailed guide on cleaning clams.

Once you bring home the clams, place them on ice and leave in the fridge until you're ready to cook them later (usually on the same day).
30 minutes before you're ready to cook, place the clams in a large bowl of cold tap water with a good pinch of salt. This will help the clams spit out any sand that may be inside.
Right when you're ready to cook, use a clam brush or something similar and scrub the outside of each clam. Then, you're ready to cook!

Once you master how to clean clams (again, easy, just a bit time consuming), you're ready to cook them in any which way. Like my linguini with clams or seafood and chorizo paella!

⏲️ Instructions

Add chopped shallot and saute in melted butter and olive oil.

Step 1. Begin by heating a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. Cook until the butter is almost fully melted. Add the chopped shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, until shallots just change color.

Saute chopped garlic and red pepper flakes in the melted butter.

Step 2. Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring everything together.

Pour white wine into the sautéed shallots and garlic.

Step 3. Pour in the white wine and let the wine reduce for 1-2 minutes.

Add clams to the white wine sauce and cook the clams until they just open.

Step 4. Add the clean clams and give everyone one good stir and cover skillet with a lid, leaving a small opening so alcohol can cook off. Cook clams until they all open, about 7-9 minutes.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice after the steamed clams have just opened.

Step 5. Add a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Garnish the white wine clams with chopped parsley.

Step 6. Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley and give the steamed clams a good stir.

📍 Clam Recipe Tips

Clams are best enjoyed the same day they are purchased.
Discard any clams with broken or cracked shells.
Leave a small opening when placing a lid on the pot, so the alcohol can escape and liquid can reduce slightly.
Shellfish can be salty as is and I tend to under salt. You can always add more salt, for personal preference.

White wine clams with garlic and butter.

Recipe FAQs

What is the best wine for cooking clams?

A good rule of thumb is to use a wine that you enjoy drinking. For these white wine clams, I like using a crisp white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or Vinho Verde.

How long do you need to soak clams before cooking?

Before steaming clams, soak them in a large bowl of cold tap water with a pinch of salt, for at least 20 minutes. This will help the clams purge any sand.

Do you need to cover the clams with a lid when cooking?

Clams will give off a lot of water when cooked and I suggest covering the pot but leaving a small opening for steam to escape and if you're using wine, for the wine to reduce.

How do I know if my clams are alive?

Before cooking the clams, they should be closed. If you see any clams that are open, give them a gentle tap on the counter and they should slowly close. If the clams do not close at all, discard.

🦀 More Shellfish Recipes

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