✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
These Howard Johnson's style fried clam strips are tender, sweet and crunchy, the turnpike classic made at home. They fry in under a minute, so dinner is on the table in about 30.
How Do You Make Howard Johnson’s Fried Clams at Home? (Quick Answer)
Soak 1 pound of clam strips in 1 cup of evaporated milk whisked with an egg for 10 minutes. Toss them in a mix of fine corn flour, flour, salt, paprika, pepper and onion powder, then fry small handfuls at 375°F for 45 to 60 seconds, until pale golden. Drain, salt and serve with lemon and tartar sauce.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Pull them at pale gold. Clam strips go from tender to rubbery in about 15 seconds, so the minute the bubbling slows, they're out.
Why You'll Love These Fried Clams
- A road-trip classic the clam strips families ordered under the orange roof.
- Light, sandy crunch corn flour, not cornmeal, so there's no grit.
- Seriously fast each batch takes about a minute in the oil.
- Tender, never chewy a quick milk soak and a short fry keep them soft.
- Freezer-aisle friendly frozen clam strips work well once thawed and dried.
What Made Howard Johnson’s Fried Clams Famous?
Howard Johnson's opened its first restaurant in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1929, and by the mid-seventies there were more than a thousand orange roofs along America's highways. The order everyone remembers is the fried clam strips: long, tender strips of sea clam in a light, crunchy coat.
There's no official recipe, so this is how I make mine: a quick milk soak, a corn flour coating and a very short fry. It tastes like the beach, and like a road trip.
Can you still eat there? Not at a Howard Johnson's restaurant. The last one, in Lake George, New York, closed in 2022. The Howard Johnson name lives on, on hotels, so the clams are a make-at-home job now.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Clam strips: frozen or fresh from the fish counter. Thaw frozen strips in the fridge and pat them dry.
- Evaporated milk: rich but thin, so it coats every strip. Whole milk works in a pinch.
- Fine corn flour: the secret to that sandy crunch. Masa harina is a fine swap; cornmeal is not.
- Oil: peanut, canola or vegetable, about 2 quarts in a heavy pot.
- Tartar sauce: my copycat tartar sauce takes five minutes.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Corn flour, not cornmeal. Corn flour is the fine, soft yellow one. Cornmeal makes the coating gritty, and you'll taste the difference in the first bite.
- Dry clams hold the coating. If your strips were frozen, thaw them in the fridge overnight and pat them really dry. Wet clams steam and shed their crust.
- Coat a handful, fry a handful. Coated strips that sit around go gummy. I dredge each batch right before it goes in.
- Small batches. A big handful drops the oil temperature and you get greasy clams. Let it climb back to 375°F between batches.
- Don’t walk away. A minute is all they need. Ten extra seconds and they turn into rubber bands, so I stand right there with the spider.
- Oil safety. Back burner, pot no more than half full, thermometer clipped on, lid nearby. Never water on an oil fire.
- Salt while hot. Salt sticks to fried food in the first few seconds out of the oil. After that it just bounces off.
Howard Johnson’s Fried Clam Strips
4
servings20
minutes10
minutes410
kcal30
minutesCopycat-style Howard Johnson’s fried clam strips: tender sea clam strips soaked in evaporated milk and egg, tossed in a light corn flour coating and fried at 375°F for under a minute. Serve with lemon and tartar sauce. Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a meal.
Ingredients
- For the Soak
1 lb clam strips, thawed if frozen and patted dry
1 cup evaporated milk
1 large egg
- For the Coating
1 cup fine corn flour (not cornmeal)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon each black pepper and onion powder
- To Fry and Serve
2 quarts neutral oil (peanut, canola or vegetable)
1 lemon, cut in wedges
1/2 cup tartar sauce
1 pinch flaky salt
Directions
- Soak and Coat
- Whisk the evaporated milk and egg in a bowl. Add the clam strips, stir to coat and leave for 10 minutes while the oil heats.
- Pour about 3 inches of oil into a heavy pot, no more than half full, and heat it to 375°F. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan nearby.
- Whisk the corn flour, flour, salt, paprika, pepper and onion powder in a shallow dish. Lift a small handful of clams from the milk, let the extra drip off, and toss them in the coating until every strip is covered. Shake off the excess in a sieve.
- Fry
- Lower the coated strips into the oil and stir once so they don’t clump. Fry for 45 to 60 seconds, until pale golden and opaque (145°F). Coat the next handful only when you are ready to fry it.
- Lift them onto the rack with a spider and salt them right away. Let the oil come back to 375°F before each batch. Keep finished batches warm in a 200°F oven.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.
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Clam Strips vs Whole Belly Clams
Two very different fried clams.
| Clam strips | Whole belly clams | |
|---|---|---|
| Cut from | Foot of large sea clams | Whole soft-shell clams |
| Texture | Tender, a little chewy | Soft, rich, briny |
| Fry time | 45 to 60 sec | 1 to 2 min |
| Where you find them | Freezer aisle, fish counter | New England clam shacks |
Serving Ideas
A few ways I serve them.
- Clam roll: pile hot strips into a buttered, toasted split-top bun with tartar sauce.
- Seafood platter: with fries and coleslaw, the full turnpike plate.
- Party snack: in paper cones with lemon and hot sauce on the side.
Storage and Reheating
Fried clams are best eaten right away. Leftovers keep 1 to 2 days in the fridge. Reheat on a rack in a 400°F oven or air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes until hot and crisp again (165°F). Skip the microwave, it makes them soggy.
More Fried Favorites
If you love a crunchy coating, try my copycat Burger King onion rings. For more retro restaurant food, see our list of discontinued fast food items you can still make, and every chain favorite in my copycat recipes collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are clam strips made of?
Clam strips are cut from the foot of large sea clams, so they're long, sweet and a little chewy-tender. Whole belly clams, the New England clam shack kind, are softer and richer. This recipe is built for strips.
Did Howard Johnson's invent fried clam strips?
Howard Johnson's made them famous. Thomas Soffron of Ipswich, Massachusetts, is credited with inventing clam strips, and his family company supplied the chain. This is my copycat-style version, not an official recipe.
Can you still get Howard Johnson's fried clams?
Not at a Howard Johnson's restaurant. The last one, in Lake George, New York, closed in 2022, and the name now lives on hotels. Making them at home is the way to go.
Where do I buy clam strips?
Look in the freezer aisle near the frozen seafood, or ask at the fish counter. Thaw frozen strips in the fridge, then pat them dry before soaking.
Why are my fried clams chewy?
They were fried too long. Clam strips are thin and cook in 45 to 60 seconds at 375°F. Pull them as soon as they turn pale gold and the bubbling slows.
Can I make fried clams in the air fryer?
Yes. Coat them, spray generously with oil and air fry at 400°F for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking once. They're less crunchy than deep fried, but still very good.
