For tasty, handmade, breaded clams, try this straightforward baked clam dish. It makes a beautiful party appetizer.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 30 mins |
| Servings: | 6 |
| Yield: | 6 large clams |
Ingredients
- 6 large clams in shells
- 12 unsalted soda crackers, crushed
- 3 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup butter
- 1 medium lemon, juiced (Optional)
- ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cook clams in the boiling water until all shells are open, about 5 minutes.
- While the clams are cooking, combine crushed crackers, garlic powder, and parsley in a large resealable bag. Seal the bag and crush the mixture until finely ground and well combined.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add cracker crumb mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown.
- Drain clams. Remove and discard the empty half shell from each clam. Transfer full halves to a baking sheet; spoon crumb mixtureinto each shell.
- Bake in the preheated oven until topping is browned and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve clams with lemon juice and hot pepper sauce.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 180 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 42 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Sodium | 164 mg |
| Sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Nice easy recipe. Mixed some shredded Parmesan cheese into the mix and some lemon juice as well. Used fresh garlic but I’m sure powder would be great too. If using larger clams you can cut them
It was a total hit …everyone loved it!!
I used Panko instead of crackers and used steamer clams I had in the freezer. I placed several clams in 6 extra large shell dishes and baked them as directed. My guests LOVED them.
Thus recipe is awesome. An absolute replica of the recipe used at Tony’s Pier in the Bronx, N.Y. My absolute favorite clam recipe in the world.
Wow – and then some! I used oyster crackers smashed up in a freezer baggie. I had 12 giant Quahog clams that I shucked myself – saved the clam liquor & froze. I added bay scallops, green peppers, green onions, garlic, parsley and mixed it all together. Added a small amount of clam liquor. Melted more than 1/2 stick butter. Filled up and pressed down the clam mixture into the big clam shells – it still made me 14 clams! Topped with melted butter and baked for 20 min – remember my clams had not been cooked. The result is out of this world!!!! Better than I’ve had at ANY seafood restaurant and I’ve been cooking clams for half a century!!!!! Thank you Lisa!
I don’t eat seafood but my bf bought clams and wanted me to cook them. I had no idea how but your recipe looked easy so I tried it. He LOVED them. He said they were the best clams he ever had and said he wished he’d bought more. Thanks so much for a great recipe and so easy! (I had smaller clams but I used only 1/4 cup of butter and the same amount for the rest of the ingredients..a half cup seemed like a lot and the crumbs had plenty of buttery goodness.)
This recipe is good but one has to be careful because the flavor of the garlic overlaps the seafood flavor. I didn’t like the fact that the cracker got kind of crumbly, it will be better to lift the clam with a fork before adding the cracker, otherwise it will fall of the shell while taking the clam out.
I’m not a huge fan of clams but I enjoyed this dish. I omitted the parsley, and added some finely grated Parm to the crumb mixture. The fresh lemon is a must! Thanks!
I substituted store-brought italian bread crumbs and used real chunks of garlic, and it turned out delicious. Also shaved a healthy portion of romano into the mix. Very tasty!
Try putting your clams in the freezer and freeze them. When they thaw out they will open and be ready to use. I use bread brumbs and minced celery and baste with butter as they are baking. Very good recipe. Thanks McGee!
This is the closest recipe to one one the greatest dishes in Santa Barbara at a renown resturant called brophy’s. This got me clse although I just used regular bread crumbs, but the extra ingrediants that made it a 5 was adding parmesian and a piece of bacon in it befre baking. It is better to cook the bacon beforehand.
I grilled minced onions in skillet before adding other ingredients. They were very moist and flavorful.
Very easy and quite the impressive treat coming out of the oven! Served as appetizers for my husband’s birthday dinner- he LOVED them and was quite impressed. Think it may have been better with fresh parsley and only 2 tablespoons of garlic– will try with these changes next time.
very good! I gave four stars because I felt the taste got a little over whelming after 3 and that was w/ just two tbls of garlic. Would not use as a main course but a great appetizer.
Great. I used little necks, but would use cherry stones next time. Didn’t have unsalted crackers so I used 15 club crackers. Added 2 TBs of garlic powder instead of 3, and 1 TB of dried onion. Instead of 1/2 cup butter, I sauteed two pieces of bacon (chopped), then added 2 TBS of butter, then EVOO to moisten bread crumbs. Next time I’ll sprinkle parmesean over top. Turned out great.
This is a great recipe and so easy to make. You couldn’t get any better in the finest Italian restaurant! Thanks, Lisa!
This recipe is great and simple to make. It tastes just like it is restaurant made. My family loves to eat these clams as an appetizer.