Bacon Horseradish Baked Clam Dip

Perfect for a party, this baked clam dip is loaded with great flavors like horseradish and bacon, with a little kick from some hot sauce!

For a fantastic party, you need some fantastic food.  That’s where this easy, 5 ingredient (plus salt and pepper) baked clam dip come in!  Easy to make, fun to eat, and a real crowd pleaser!

This post is sponsored by Chicken of the Sea. Chicken of the Sea provided me with product for the purpose of this post, as well as compensation for my time. As always, all opinions expressed in this post are mine.

Who’s ready for parties?  This is the time of the year when it seems like there are multiple parties going on for the holidays… family, friends, office… you name it, all types of parties.

I love party foods!  Dips, bite sized snacks… they’re perfect.  This baked clam dip is one of my favorite dips for a few reasons.

• It’s insanely flavorful
• People love it
• It only takes 5 ingredients plus salt and pepper!

I found the base of this recipe in a really old church cookbook, and played around with it a few times, tweaking things here and there.

It still felt like it was missing something, and then it hit me… the salty smokiness of bacon!  Once I added the bacon, it was perfect!

Sometimes clam dip is served creamy and non-baked, but I prefer the hot, bubbly, golden brown version the best.

The secret of a great baked clam dip?  Fantastic clams!  Chicken of the Sea is well known for their tuna, but their clams are amazing as well.

For this recipe I used the minced clams, so there would be more clams in every bite of the dip, but I’ve used the chopped clams and whole baby clams before for other recipes and they are equally delicious!

Sometimes canned clams can have a tin-ny taste, but Chicken of the Sea’s clams don’t have that taste at all.  Just sweet fresh clam flavor.

Whenever I make this baked clam dip, I usually serve it with crackers, but some nice toasted baguette slices work wonderfully as well!

TRICKS AND TIPS FOR THIS BAKED CLAM DIP RECIPE:

• Use quality ingredients.  When you’re working with a small number of ingredients, it’s important to use the best quality you can.
• Don’t burn your bacon.  Seems like common sense, but bacon can go from crispy to burnt in a matter of seconds… and burnt bacon tastes bitter.
• Don’t skimp on the horseradish sauce.  If you’re worried about the heat level, this dip is very mild, even with the hot sauce, but if you want to cut back on the spice, don’t add the optional hot sauce.  The horseradish sauce gives this dip a great flavor and shouldn’t be omitted.
• Make sure you’re using the prepared horseradish sauce, NOT the minced horseradish.  Minced horseradish is MUCH stronger and more potent.  If you can’t find the prepared horseradish sauce, minced horseradish can be substituted, but only add it a teaspoon at a time until you find the right amount for your tastes.
• Make sure you put the baking dish on a baking sheet (preferably a rimmed one).  Maybe your dip won’t bubble over, but what if it does?  Save yourself the ridiculously messy oven and use a baking sheet.  Trust me 🙂

The next time you’re having or attending a party, give this quick and easy baked clam dip a try!  It’s sure to be a real crowd-pleaser!!

HELPFUL TOOLS:

•  24 oz gratin dish – Not necessary, but this is the dish I used in these photos, and the dip fits perfectly.  Plus, it bakes beautifully!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Bacon Horseradish Baked Clam Dip

4.50 from 2 votes

Author: The Chunky Chef

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Calories: 336

Servings: 10 - 12 servings

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Perfect for a party, this baked clam dip is loaded with great flavors like horseradish and bacon, with a little kick from some hot sauce!

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• ▢ 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• ▢ 2 cans Chicken of the Sea minced clams, drained, reserving juices
• ▢ 2-3 Tbsp prepared horseradish sauce
• ▢ 1-2 Tbsp grated sweet onion
• ▢ 1 tsp hot sauce (more, to taste) (optional)
• ▢ 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp black pepper
• ▢ sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)
• ▢ minced fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Spray a 24oz oven safe dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese and mash until smooth.  Add 6 slices bacon, clams, horseradish sauce, onion, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine fully.  If mixture is too thick, add reserved clam juice 1/2 Tbsp at a time, until dip is at a dipping consistency.
• Transfer dip to prepared dish and spread into even layer.  Place dish on a baking sheet (just in case it bubbles over), and bake 25-30 minutes, until hot, bubbly, and golden brown on top.
• Sprinkle with remaining 2 slices of bacon, green onions and parsley.  Serve hot with crackers or toasted baguette slices.

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Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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