How to Host a Clambake Anywhere
Updated: Aug. 08, 2023
Celebrate summer and all that the ocean has to offer with a fun and festive clambake. We've got tips on how to choose seafood and how you can prep your clambake right on the grill.
When it comes to summer celebrations, we can’t get enough of a classic clambake on the beach. These seaside soirees make use of freshly caught seafood, and as more casual affairs, they’re a great way to bring friends and family together. So grab your favorite New England-style recipes and start planning your summer clambake today.
What Is a Clambake?
Quite simply, a clambake is a celebration of seafood and all that summer has to offer. Most clambakes include clams, of course, but also a bounty of other seafood like crab legs and lobster. You’ll also find steamed potatoes, corn on the cob, fresh lemon and all the melted butter you could possibly ask for.
Clambakes are most popular on the coasts where fresh clams, lobster and crab are plentiful, though you’ll find similar traditions all over the country like low country boils in the South and fish boils in parts of the Midwest. Whatever you serve up, we love clambakes and boils because they’re casual and fun—spread your dishes across the picnic table or on platters and you’re ready to go (no fussy placesetting needed).
How to Prepare a Traditional Clambake
Traditionally, a clambake is prepared by digging a hole in the ground—if you’re near the beach, even better. The bottom of the hole is layered with large stones and a fire is lit on top. This fire blazes for a few hours allowing those rocks—what’s really going to cook the clams—to get nice and hot. Once the stones are ready, rake your coals and layer on all of your clambake ingredients. Bundle clams, corn and more in cheesecloth, mesh baskets or foil packets and place on top of the rocks. This is traditionally covered up with seaweed to keep some of that heat in. When everything is done—this can take about two hours—serve it all up with toasted bread, butter and plenty of iced tea.
How to Host a Clambake Anywhere—Not Just Seaside
You don’t need to be summering on the cape to enjoy a clambake. Seafood lovers coast to coast can enjoy this summer tradition—no digging required.
To enjoy a clambake wherever you call home, you can skip digging in the sand and instead fire up the grill. Using all the classic clambake flavors plus a few disposable roasting pans, you can create a clambake easily with this recipe. All you have to do is wrap the clams and other ingredients in foil and grill. In about 30 minutes, you’ll have a New England-style clambake ready. Just be sure to serve it up alongside your favorite summer sides and maybe even a signature beverage.
With all the butter, lobster shells and corn cobs, clambakes can be wonderfully messy affairs. Stock up on some disposable lobster or crab bibs for laughs (and to protect your summer party attire).
Host a clambake to celebrate summer
Summer is the time for seafood! Turn your get together around a bounty from the ocean into a memorable event with these easy tips. Don't miss the ultimate guide to hosting your own clambake this summer.
Can't get enough seafood? Here are 50 of our most irresistible recipes. 
Send a real, paper invitation
Mail from friends is so rare! Get your guests excited by sending a nautical-themed invitation. They're easy to find on Etsy, like this one here, or Amazon. With invites so cute, you'll be pinned to your guests' refrigerators all summer! 
Sweeten up the tea
Nothing says clambake like ice-cold lemonade and sweet tea. Let your guests customize their beverages with these fun sweet tea add-ons. 
Try clams, crab and crawfish
If you live on the East Coast, you'll definitely want clams at your clambake (obviously!), but you can add other seafood, too! Those in the South might want to add crawfish. Just check out this simple low country boil recipe. Otherwise, try a nice crab boil! 
Have less mess with lobster rolls
For a party with cleaner hands and less mess try a lobster roll bar. Start with our favorite basic recipe and give your guests toppings and sauces to customize their roll. 
A little kitsch goes a long way
Who can dig into any kind of butter-slathered seafood without thinking of the classic plastic bibs handed out old-school steak and lobster joints? Luckily you don't need to be a restaurant owner to snag this fun party accessory. Order some here and your guests will be giggling with delight as they tie one on for the meal. 
Add pops of citrus
Any seafood soirée needs plenty of citrus both for adding brightness to a seafood bounty and for hands that smell lemon fresh. 
No sticky fingers
Sticky fingers are not pleasant! Don't leave guests to wipe their hands on the tablecloth or worse, their pants! Make sure to have lots of napkins and wet wipes available. To make clean up a little more fun, you can order custom pictures or words on the wipe envelope by planning a few weeks ahead. 
Round out the feast
Seafood is the star of this show but don't forget to make it a meal by adding sides. It's best to have items that guests can eat with their hands or while standing. Try hush puppies, corn on the cob, or one of these make-ahead finger foods. 
Create a custom cocktail
Surprise guests with a signature big-batch cocktail instead of the tired ice chest full of beer! This batch-made party drink saves you from having to play bartender all day while giving your guests something unique! Be sure to include a tasty mocktail for younger guests and designated drivers. Adding lemon or mint will make an excellent drink to pair with sweet, rich seafood. 
Keep dessert light and fresh
After an afternoon of filling up on salty seafood, a heavy dessert is not always the most appetizing proposition. Prepare something refreshing and unbaked for your group to end the day on a lighter note. We have more than 25 suggestions of no-bake dessert that will make enough to feed a crowd! 
Plan your party favors
Give to-go boxes a memorable twist with personalized stickers or tags to match your nautical theme. Attach them to paper bags, to-go containers and more. You can find customizable options on Etsy (like this one) or on sites like Amazon or Zazzle.
How to Shop for the Best Seafood
With the right clambake recipes and the best seafood, folks will be talking about your party all summer long. Learn how to find the freshest seafood for your shindig.
- Shopping for clams: If you live near the coast, opt for fresh, live clams at a local fishmonger or reputable grocer. Their shells should be tightly closed. If not, give the shell a tap. Clams that close up after a tap are still good—ones that remain open should be discarded. If live clams aren’t available near you, you can opt for frozen. Chat with your grocer about the brands they prefer.
- Shopping for crab legs: Consider yourself a seafood expert? Feel free to cook fresh, live crabs humanely. Otherwise, you can purchase fresh or frozen crab legs. Be sure the meat inside looks pure white (avoid any with a gray hue).
- Shopping for lobster: You can find live lobsters at many supermarkets and fishmongers. Ask an expert there about which lobsters look best. You can also opt for frozen lobster tails as we did in this recipe. Like crab, look for pure white meat inside and if you see any ice crystals inside—skip it.
- Shopping for fish: Fish of any kind can be a welcome addition to a clambake. Avoid fish that has an unpleasantly fishy smell. Instead look for firm flesh, clear eyes and healthy looking gills. You can consult our complete checklist for fish shopping, too.
Wooden Seafood Mallet
This is an absolute dream if you're preparing to eat something with a hard shell, like crab or lobster. (And it's the perfect tool for hosting a clambake this summer.) This wooden seafood mallet ($5) doesn't require too much force to crack the surface, which is perfect, because we don't like to get too messy when eating crab. (Actually, who are we kidding? That's half the fun!)
Purchase here. 
Crab Crackers
If you're prepping crab or lobster, you'll be nearly brought-to-tears grateful for this set of crab crackers ($20). The stainless steel set comes with two built-in crackers—a small set and a large set, meaning you'll be well-equipped for crabs of any size. Plus, it comes with seafood picks, which allow you access to those hard-to-reach meat pockets.
Purchase here.
Learn how to make crab legs four different ways. 
Clam Bake Bags
Summer is the perfect time to throw a clam bake—whose face doesn't light up when they hear they've been invited to one? These clam bake bags ($13) are easy to tie and toss in the pot. Just add your favorite shellfish, summer vegetables and meat, then get to bakin'!
Purchase here. 
Seafood Bibs
This is another must-have. Even if you're not throwing a seafood party, it's a pantry essential if you're planning on having hard-shelled crustaceans anytime soon. Use the seafood bibs ($10) to keep your shirt dry while you crack and dip the shellfish of your choice. Keep napkins handy, though—the bib won't protect your face.
Purchase here. 
Oyster Set
Love 'em or hate 'em, we can all agree that eating oysters is a lot easier when you have the right tools. This 9-piece oyster set from Kohl's ($28) comes with an oyster knife—which is essential for prying open this mollusk—a lemon press and five stainless steel picks.
Purchase here.
See what surprising facts about oysters you probably didn't know. 
Butter Warmer
You don't need much to make fresh seafood taste better than it already does. But melted butter is something we'll never turn down, especially when we're eating warm lobster and cooked shrimp. This butter warmer set ($10) is great for keeping the butter melted throughout the meal—we love not having to run to the microwave halfway through to re-melt butter.
Purchase here. 
Ceramic Grill Lid
Love the taste of grilled shrimp? We do too—which is why we're into this grill lid from Sur La Table ($40). The ceramic lid stays hot and prevents delicate seafood from falling through the cracks. It's great for skewered seafood—like swordfish and shrimp—or shellfish classics, like lobster tail and soft-shelled crabs.
Purchase here. 
Lemon Press
Seafood and freshly squeezed lemon are a match made in crustacean heaven! Eating shellfish is an inherently messy endeavor, but that doesn't mean we have to be equally messy with the lemons. We love this lemon press from Macy's ($29), which gives us the juice but leaves out the seeds. Hopefully, this keeps the lemon juice from getting into our eyes (not that it happens to me every single time I squeeze a lemon).
Purchase here. 
Seafood Fork Set
Even with our favorite set of crab crackers, you're going to have small pieces of meat nestled away in the far corners of your shellfish. A set of seafood forks ($33) allow you to dig into those hard to reach places and claim what's rightfully yours—that last piece of juicy lobster tail.
Purchase here. 
Paring Knife
A high-quality paring knife can work wonders in your kitchen. Our favorite use? Deveining shrimp. This moderately dreadful process becomes a breeze with a sharp Wusthof paring knife ($50). Simply grip the shrimp, find the dark vein, make a firm slice down the belly and use the tip to remove the intestine. Now throw it away and never think about it again.
Purchase here.
Learn how to clean, devein and prep your shrimp. 
Graniteware Steamer
Steamed shellfish is so delicious and such a breeze to make with a large steamer ($110) like this one from Kohl's. Perfect for whole lobsters, clams, mussels, crabs and clam bake bags, this steamer will become a summer staple for when you prepare fresh seafood.
Purchase here.
Looking for something to do with all that steamed lobster meat? How about a classic—our favorite lobster rolls. 
Seafood Scissors
For delicate outer shells—or days when you don't feel like making a big mess—opt for opening up that delicious lobster with a set of seafood scissors ($15). We love the easy gliding provided by this pair, which is lightweight even though it delivers a powerful punch.
Purchase here.
Check out how we use scissors in this easy lobster recipe.
With these recipes and a few tips, you’re well on your way to hosting a cool and casual clambake.
Discover More American Summer Party Guides:
Note: Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
