These Steamed Clams in White Wine are garlicky, buttery and a show stopping appetizer. Be sure to have some crusty bread to soak up the juices! 

One of the wonderful things about living in the Pacific Northwest is the access to wonderful, fresh seafood. Manila clams being one of my personal favorites. 

I created this recipe several years ago when I was making steamed clams for the person in my life who loved clams the most, my grandma. If you could’ve just see my grandma’s eyes light up whenever someone mentions the idea of eating clams, there would be no way that you could resist making them for her. Always her favorite way: loaded with wine, butter and garlic.

And now that she is no longer with us, whenever I’m missing her I whip up a batch of these. And of course serve them with plenty of crusty bread to soak up all of the buttery, wine goodness. 

Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make them. 

Steamed Clams in White Wine Ingredients: 

  • CLAMS: Because I live in the Pacific Northwest, Manila clams are the clams that I have access to. Use whichever fresh littleneck clams that you have in your area. 
  • BUTTER: Clams and butter go hand in hand. I recommend using unsalted butter because clams can be pretty salty on their own. 
  • GARLIC: In this recipe, the more garlic the better! You want that buttery garlic flavor to shine. 
  • WHITE WINE: Make sure to use something that you like to drink out of the bottle because the flavor will be concentrated. I prefer to use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or chardonnay. 
  • SHALLOTS: Thinly sliced shallots will add a subtle onion flavor without being over powering. 
  • PARSLEY: Adds freshness and a pop of color. 

Step by Step Photos and Instructions: 

Making steamed clams in white wine is really easy! The most time consuming part will be cleaning the clams. Because they tend to have sand in them it is important to soak them for at least 30 minutes before cooking to remove any sand inside. Other than that, the clams cook really quickly! 

  • Soak clams.
  • Melt butter and cook shallots and garlic.
  • Add in wine and clams. Cover.
  • Cook until clams are opened, about 10 minutes.
  • STEP #1: Use a bristle brush to scrub the outside of the clams. Place clams in cold water and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water into the bowl. Add the clams and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Remove the clams using a slotted spoon and repeat the process once more with clean water. You’ll be soaking the clams for at least 30 minutes total.
  • STEP #2: In a large pan melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Cook just until garlic starts to become fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
  • STEP #3: Add in the wine. Place cleaned clams into pan, cover and cook over medium heat until the clams open. 7 – 10 minutes. 
  • STEP #4: Discard any clams that did not open, this means they were dead before cooking and are unsafe to eat. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread. 

Storage and Leftovers:

Steamed Clams are best when eaten right away. They won’t reheat very well.

If you love clams, you’ve got to check out these other clam recipes:

New England Clam Chowder : you cannot go wrong with this creamy, classic chowder!

Linguine with Clams is an Italian Classic and for good reason!

Baked Clams are a show stopper of an appetizer. Perfect for party season!

Clam Dip is a must make for your next potluck

Note: Originally published in 2009. Updated in 2024 with a new recipe, step by step photos and nutrition information.

Steamed Clams in White Wine
10m
Prep
11m
Cook
21m
Total

Servings

4

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds manila clams (cleaned and scrubbed)
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup shallot (sliced)
  • 6 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Use a bristle brush to scrub the outside of the clams. Place clams in cold water and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of salt into the bowl. Add the clams and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Remove the clams using a slotted spoon and repeat the process once more with clean water. You’ll be soaking the clams for at least 30 minutes total.

  2. In a large skillet with a lid, heat butter over medium heat. Once butter melts, add shallot and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. Add clams to skillet, pour wine over the top. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until shells open. Try to refrain from removing the lid during the first 10 minutes. Shake the pan back and forth across the burner occasionally.
  4. Carefully transfer clams and broth to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories
297
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 29%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 76mg 25%
Sodium 214mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 9g
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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Deseree

Whether it is cooking it, eating it, shopping for it or watching TV about it, food is one of my favorite things.

14 Reviews

  1. Wendy Smith December 21, 2018

    What is the calorie count with broth

  2. Wendy Smith December 21, 2018

    How many Calories including the broth?

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    […] #2 – Clams in White Wine & Cilantro RECIPE […]

  4. Steamed Clams in White Wine - TLB Entries January 4, 2015

    […] that different we opted for those and headed back to the house. A quick Google search yielded this steamed clams in white wine recipe and it is perfect. I did feel a bit bad when we dropped the clams into the hot broth, but despite […]

  5. kathy lummus October 1, 2013

    i am trying this tonight! i have never made this but i have wonderfull help, my husband worked as a cook at MCCORMICK AND SMICKS…. lol at my spelling a long time ago for 7 years.so here we go yummmm

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  7. Deseree September 9, 2012

    Hi Barbara- I’m sorry you had a bad experience with this recipe! What kind of clams did you use? Manila clams, from the Pacific Northwest, are sweeter and less salty than other varieties.

  8. Barbara September 9, 2012

    I’m from the Northeast and many years ago I visited a wonderful restaurant in the area of Washington where they filmed”Twin Peaks” (am I dating myself or what?) and ate the most outrageously, delicate clams in white wine. For years I have been dreaming about that experience, so I decided to try your recipe. The broth was so salty, I couldn’t eat it….are northeast clams different from northwest clams???? Perhaps the solution would be to steam the clams separately and then add them to the shallots, garlic and wine. What a disappointment.

  9. candice June 11, 2012

    hey, new NW blogger, love some of the recipes on here. Would love for you to check out my blog and any constructive comments would be great!! thanks:) C

  10. Grilled clams with white wine, butter, smoked paprika sauce May 30, 2012

    […] approach of cooking clams: part of it directly over the flames on the grill and the other part in a sautee pan (on the grill too) full of butter, white wine, pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika), and other […]

  11. Erina July 22, 2010

    These look great!

    Here’s another fave recipe of mine for steamers.

    Steamer clams with dill, white wine and butter
    http://wp.me/puWta-5p

  12. Christian Nossum November 28, 2009

    It looked and tasted delicious!

  13. Deseree November 25, 2009

    Thanks Fun and Fearless!

  14. Fun and Fearless in Beantown November 24, 2009

    Steamed mussels and clams are my favorite and this looks absolutely delicious! Hope to try it out soon!

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