If you’ve never had a Rhode Island Stuffie, you’re in for a real treat. These aren’t your average stuffed clams. Stuffies are a beloved New England tradition where quahog clams are chopped up, mixed with seasoned breadcrumbs, spicy chorizo, and herbs, then piled high back into their shells and baked until golden and crispy on top. They’re messy, delicious, and the kind of food that tastes like summer by the ocean even in the middle of winter. Originally created by Portuguese immigrants in Rhode Island, these stuffed clams have become a staple at clam shacks, family gatherings, and backyard cookouts all across New England. The shells get piled so high with stuffing that it spills over the sides, and that crispy, buttery top is the best part. They’re perfect as an appetizer for a seafood feast or hearty enough to serve as a main course with a simple salad on the side.
Serving Quantity: Serves 6-8 people (makes 12-16 stuffies)
Cooking Time:
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 55 minutes
Nutrition Information (per stuffie):
- Calories: 185
- Total Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
- Sodium: 420mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 16g
- Protein: 12g
- Iron: 15% of daily value
- Vitamin B12: 20% of daily value
Ingredients
- 12 large quahog clams (also called chowder clams)
- 1 pound of chorizo sausage (Portuguese style works best)
- 3 cups of plain breadcrumbs
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- Half a cup of butter
- Quarter cup of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- Half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1 cup of clam juice (from cooking the clams)
- 2 lemons cut into wedges
- Hot sauce for serving
Cooking and Shucking the Clams
Fill a large pot with about two inches of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Scrub your quahog clams under cold running water with a stiff brush to get rid of any sand or grit on the shells. Once the water is boiling, carefully add all the clams to the pot. Cover the pot with a lid and let them steam for about 8 to 10 minutes. The clams are done when their shells pop open. Use tongs to transfer the opened clams to a large bowl and let them cool for a few minutes. Don’t throw away that cooking liquid. Pour it through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a measuring cup. This is liquid gold that adds amazing flavor to your stuffing. Once the clams are cool enough to handle, pull them out of their shells and save the shells. Rinse the shells under cold water to get rid of any sand or bits. Pat them dry and set them aside on a baking sheet. Chop the clam meat into small pieces, about the size of a kernel of corn. You want them fine enough to mix into the stuffing but not so small that they turn to mush.
Making the Stuffing Base
Remove the casing from your chorizo and crumble it into small pieces. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the chorizo. Cook it, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it’s browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. The chorizo will release its own fat and that beautiful paprika-red oil. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked chorizo to a large mixing bowl, but leave the fat in the pan. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan with the chorizo fat. Once the butter melts, add your chopped onion and bell pepper. Cook them, stirring often, until they’re soft and starting to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until you can smell it. The garlic should be fragrant but not browned.
Combining Everything
Scrape all the vegetables and their cooking fat into the bowl with the chorizo. Add the chopped clams, breadcrumbs, parsley, paprika, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix everything together with your hands or a big spoon. The mixture will look dry at this point. Pour in one cup of the reserved clam juice a little at a time, mixing as you go. You want the stuffing to be moist enough to hold together when you squeeze it, like wet sand at the beach. It shouldn’t be soupy or dripping, but it also shouldn’t be dry and crumbly. You might need a little more or less clam juice depending on your breadcrumbs. Taste the mixture and add salt if needed, though the clams and chorizo are already pretty salty so you might not need any.
Stuffing the Shells
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Arrange your clean clam shells on a large baking sheet. You can crumple up some aluminum foil and nestle the shells into it to keep them from tipping over. Now comes the fun part. Take big handfuls of the stuffing mixture and pack it into each shell, really mounding it up high. Don’t be shy here. Rhode Island Stuffies are famous for being overstuffed. The stuffing should be piled at least an inch or two above the rim of the shell. Press it down gently so it holds together but keep that nice tall dome shape. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of each stuffie. This helps them get crispy and golden on top.
Baking to Perfection
Slide your baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You’re looking for the tops to turn golden brown and crispy. The edges might get a little dark and crunchy, and that’s exactly what you want. Those crispy bits are the best part. If the tops aren’t browning enough after 20 minutes, you can switch your oven to broil for the last 2 minutes, but watch them carefully so they don’t burn. The stuffing should be heated all the way through and the top should be crunchy when you tap it with a fork.
Serving Your Stuffies
Let the stuffies cool for just a few minutes when they come out of the oven, but serve them while they’re still hot. Arrange them on a big platter with lemon wedges tucked around them. Put out bottles of hot sauce because true Rhode Islanders douse their stuffies with hot sauce. Have plenty of napkins handy because eating these is a delightfully messy experience. You eat them with your hands, picking up the whole shell and biting right into that crispy, savory stuffing. The shell acts as a little edible bowl. Some people like to squeeze lemon juice over theirs before digging in, and others prefer the vinegary kick of hot sauce.
Tips for the Best Stuffies
If you can’t find fresh quahogs, you can use canned chopped clams and buy empty clam shells from a seafood market or online. You’ll need about two cans of chopped clams and their juice. Portuguese chorizo is different from Mexican chorizo and works better for this recipe because it’s already cured and has a firmer texture. Look for it at Portuguese markets or in the international section of your grocery store. If you can’t find Portuguese chorizo, use a spicy Italian sausage instead. Make the stuffing mixture a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. Just stuff and bake the shells when you’re ready to serve. Leftover stuffies can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes until heated through. Some people add diced linguica sausage along with the chorizo for extra flavor. You can also mix in some diced tomatoes or roasted red peppers if you like. For a less spicy version, skip the red pepper flakes and use sweet Italian sausage instead of chorizo. Panko breadcrumbs make the stuffing extra crispy on top. If your stuffing seems too wet, add more breadcrumbs a quarter cup at a time. If it’s too dry, add more clam juice or melted butter. You can freeze unbaked stuffies for up to three months. Just wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then foil. Bake from frozen, adding an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time.
