This Creamy Crack Chicken Soup recipe is loaded with incredible cheesy flavor! The perfect winter comfort food prepared with bacon, chicken, cheese, spinach, and ranch seasoning. Low carb and Keto approved, too!
Looking for more crack chicken recipes? Try this Baked Crack Chicken Breasts or this Instant Pot Crack Chicken recipe!
CRACK CHICKEN SOUP
Warm up to a big bowl of this Creamy Crack Chicken Soup! Judging by the popularity of my Baked Crack Chicken Breasts AND the Instant Pot Crack Chicken, me thinks you will absolutely LOVE crack chicken in soup form.
SO good, so comforting, and really easy to make, this soup is by far my favorite homemade chicken soup. Ready in less than 30 minutes, you will enjoy every spoonful of it. Crack Chicken Soup makes an ideal meal for cold winter nights, but we enjoy it year round, no matter the Season.
Just pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken and let’s get on it! OR, you can use leftover cooked chicken breasts.
HOW TO MAKE CRACK CHICKEN SOUP
- We start with cooking some bacon in a Dutch oven or a soup pot; cook bacon to a crisp, then, remove bacon from the pot, but keep the bacon grease.
- Melt butter in the same pot with the bacon grease and stir in the onion and garlic; cook until softened.
- Stir in chicken broth and add homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix. You can use the store-bought ranch mix packets – you will need 1 tablespoon – but those contain a lot of sodium. I suggest just going with my mixture of dried dill weed, dried chives, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Bring all that to a boil; reduce heat and keep at a steady boil for 5 minutes.
- Next, shred some cooked chicken – use leftover chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken – and stir it into the pot. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Then, add a block of softened cream cheese to the pot. If the cream cheese is not soft enough, put the block of cream cheese on a plate and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Whisk the cream cheese into the soup pot until it’s completely melted and combined.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese and continue to whisk until melted and combined.
- Add baby spinach and heavy cream.
- Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
- Top with sliced scallions and prepared bacon; serve.
Tasty and creamy soup, it will have you drooling while simmering away in that pot.
CRACK CHICKEN SOUP VARIATIONS
- Instead of spinach, you can add in kale or zucchini noodles.
- For those not following a low carb/keto diet, add pasta noodles to the boiling chicken broth and cook for 8 minutes. Then, continue to add the rest of the ingredients per the recipe directions.
- If you don’t have any leftover cooked chicken to use, I suggest to make my Oven Baked Chicken Breasts. Use these shredder claws to shred afterwards.
CAN YOU FREEZE CRACK CHICKEN SOUP?
- YES! I say make a double batch and freeze it. Just pour soup into freezer bags and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to serve, remove from freezer the night before and let thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat over medium heat, stirring frequently. Do not boil.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER CHICKEN SOUP
- Store soup leftovers in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Reheat over medium heat, stirring frequently.
WHY IS IT CALLED “CRACK CHICKEN”?!?
I get this question on ALL my crack chicken recipes; the basic internet explanation is that the flavors of dry ranch seasoning mix paired with the creaminess of cream cheese and cheddar cheese make this chicken 100% addictive, just like crack. 🤷♀️
MORE CHICKEN SOUP RECIPES
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup with Chicken
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
ENJOY!
TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Creamy Crack Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 to 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 package (8 ounces) softened cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 to 4 cups baby spinach
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- sliced green scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook diced bacon to a crisp in a Dutch Oven or soup pot.
- Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon, leaving bacon grease in the pot.
- Add butter to the pot and melt over medium-high heat.
- Stir in onions and cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
- Add chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Season with garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, chives, salt, and pepper.
- Add bay leaf and bring to a boil; lower heat to medium low and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in shredded chicken; cook for 5 minutes.
- Add cream cheese and whisk in until completely melted and combined.
- Stir in shredded cheese; whisk until melted and thoroughly combined.
- Add baby spinach; cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream and cook for 1 minute.
- Taste for seasonings (salt and pepper) and adjust accordingly. Remove bay leaf.
- Remove soup from heat; top with scallions and previously prepared bacon.
- Serve.
Notes
WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 8
- Reduce points down to 3 by using fat free cream cheese, fat free cheddar cheese, and turkey bacon.
Slow Cooker
Instant Pot
Beef
Hi, is there a crock pot version of this?
I have yet to make this in the slow cooker, but if I had to go about it, I would suggest to place 2 pounds raw chicken breasts, cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, and chicken broth in a slow cooker; cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
When done, take out the chicken and shred it with two forks. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir. Stir in the spinach, then the cheddar cheese until melted, and finally the heavy cream. Top with cooked crumbled bacon and serve.
I Cannot wait to make this soup. So, if I’m going to use the Ranch Dressing Mix. Don’t use the other spices.? Or Can you add Both.? But would it be to much.? I hope someone will answer me quickly. Because I really want to make this.
Hi!
If using the premade ranch seasoning mix, don’t use the garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, dried chives, salt, and pepper. Just use 1 tablespoon of the premade seasoning.
Ranch seasoning has buttermilk powder along with the other seasonings listed…onion powder garlic powder chives dried onions…
Flavor was great but needed to add a lot more broth as it was way to thick for me. I also left the bacon in it after it cooked & added scallions in to cook @ the end not as garnishes
This was so good! I made it in the instant pot. I cooked the bacon, then used the grease to cook the onion and added carrot and celery. Then added the broth, spices and chicken and cooked for 10 minutes with the natural release. Then followed this recipe from step 10. This will now be in my normal rotation. Thank you!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe! And he is very hard to please! Very flavorful and fragrant. Just add crusty bread.
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can you leave iut all meat
Hi!
Sure, you can leave it out, but that will definitely change the taste and texture of the soup.
This soup was good. However I didn’t find it to be addicting. Perhaps if you had listed the ranch seasoning in the ingredients list and in the instructions it would have been much better. I will give it another try using the ranch seasoning.
I added both a whole ranch packet and the other seasonings minus the salt. I also let the bacon cook in the soup instead of using as a garnish and doubled the cheddar cheese. It was great!
Can we stop calling recipes “Crack This” and “Crack That”? It’s tacky, insensitive, elitist, entitled and embarrassingly tone deaf. @me all you want.
I agree Lisa. Thank you for making your comment. Calling it “crack” is extremely tacky and very offensive to me after I lost a daughter to this opioid crisis.
I’m so sorry for your daughter’s passing. My heart goes out to you, your family, and your daughter. I am an addiction and mental health nurse and my passion is helping anyone in need (especially our most stigmatized population). I can understand your comments about the “crack” title of this recipe as I too initially felt the same. However, this title of “crack” falls into the same category as “crazy”. I truly do not believe people who make these comments are mean or trying to hurt others. It’s just a matter of time to try and educate others in a kind manner to eliminate the stigma and change the language. I mean absolutely no disrespect towards you or the author. Every single day, we are learning and growing. Thank you for your comments. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers and I encourage you to educate others to eliminate the stigma of mental health and addiction in a non confrontational manner (as we all know no one is reciprocal to confrontation). Happy new year!
I’m not the world’s greatest cook, but I made this today and my husband was thrilled, and me, too! It is so good. I added carrotts, celery, mushrooms. It’s delish! My husband suggested we add oysters!!!!! That’s a great idea!!!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can you adjust it to be done is a slow cooker? Also, deer sausage instead of smoked sausage? Thoughts? This sounds so good.
Made this this evening for a family of 6. I’m bummed to say we weren’t all that impressed. 🙁 It just seemed to be lacking. I should mention that I used the herbs/spices as recommended so perhaps a ranch packet would have put it over the edge?? I always prefer, however, to use spices as is to avoid all the additives and preservatives in packages- but maybe that’s where all the flavor is…ha!
If I make this again, I’ll definitely add criminis and/or yukons to add more substance. I may also sub the spinach for kale as I found the spinach to be a bit slimy.
Thanks!!
Do you think it would be okay if I did it in the instant pot?
OMG!!! This was so good and will definitely make again!!! I did alter a bit but kept the base of recipe. Here’s what I did different….
Cooked in Crockpot
Used 2 lbs. Bnls breast
1 – 2 Cups broth/stalk
5 Cloves garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
Appr. 1 Cup carrots chopped small
10 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms
Half n half vs. heavy cream
11 oz pkg. Spinach and Kale mix
I added to crockpot…chicken, carrots, celery, cream cheese, broth, half n half, cheddar cheese, dried seasonings, salt/pepper, bay leaf. Then I cooked the bacon and put aside, added onions & mushrooms to bacon fat w/TBSP butter, then added garlic once almost done. Added all to crock pot and cooked all day. About 1/2 hour before eating I took out bay leaf, shredded chicken and added spinach/kale mix. I used a lot less broth since I wanted a thicker chowder type soup. I didn’t have scallions but didn’t need, the flavor was amazing!!!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion, I think I will add the celery and carrots.
So you can put raw chicken in and it will cook throughly? Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but I’m newly retired and have taken over the kitchen LOL! If you can will you respond to my email?
Thank you!
dsquire457@gmail.com
Hi! 👋
Yes, you can put raw chicken in the slow cooker; set it on LOW and cook it for 5 to 6 hours, or until internal temperature of the chicken registers at 165˚F. I like to sear the chicken before I put it in the slow cooker because that helps to lock in moisture and keeps the chicken juicier.
This was awesome!! I love trying new recipes and this soup did not disappoint. My daughter took a container home for dinner and is now making it for her co workers. My son is overseas and made it for his family. Thank you for this recipe!!!
That’s great! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
5 star
EXCELLENTO, I’m not a cook, turned out sooo good, I packaged the soup and gave most away
I added rice cauliflower
Thank you
Thank you so much! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I was thinking maybe using cheddar jack cheese for a sharper taste. Sort of like the crack chicken dip recipe taste!! But this was good! Thank you!
This looks like a heart attack in a bowl! Surprised to see it from “Diet”hood. That said, it does look delicious.
Hi! 👋
That depends on what “diet” someone is following. If they are on a low carb/Keto diet, this is a perfect recipe. If they’re on Weight Watchers, it’s best to skip this recipe. 😊 But, yes, this soup is delicious!
Can this be converted to dairy free using coconut cream and/or coconut milk???
Again with the crack! To get the real story behind crack – Wild Cowboys by Robert Jackall.
Hey looking for the instructions to use ranch seasoning??
I found them up under the heading “How to Make Crack Chicken Soup” It call for 1 TB of ranch dressing mix.
Hi just wanted to say this recipe is super easy to make and delicious! Even my nephew who says he doesn’t like soup went for 3 bowls. Thank you
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This is easy and incredible tasting! You could call it “Creamy Chicken Ranch Soup” if you have a problem with the name. It IS addictive!
I modified recipe a bit and added 5 large portabella mushrooms (thinly sliced) when sautéing onion. I added garlic last and it was so lovely that I deglazed the pan with @ 1/3 C red wine before I added broth and remaining ingredients. I also decided to add a package of riced cauliflower and maybe not as much spinach as recipe called for. OMGoodness this soup is tasty. And you will want seconds. Definitely will try browned Italian sausage eventually. Recipe is absolutely a KEEPER!
Asked several times, but I didn’t see an answer. Can you freeze this soup?
Hi 😊
The answer is in the body of the text, right above the recipe card.
Just pour soup into freezer bags and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to serve, remove from freezer the night before and let thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat over medium heat, stirring frequently. Do not boil.
Very good soup! I added spicy andouille sausage to it and used store bought ranch seasoning.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Delicious! I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese…so good!
Can I put this in a slow-cooker?
I want to màke this recipe but no where in it does it call for ranch. I have no idea how much it when I should add. Help!!!!
The ranch flavor is the garlic and onion powder dill chives S&P which is step 7. She didn’t use a packet
Calls for a ranch packet, or just use seasonings
I made this soup tonight because it sounded good and I needed to use up a couple of cups of left over broiled chicken, and I also needed to use up 3-4 cups of fresh mushrooms. I used mushrooms in place of the spinach first I slicing them and sauteing them in butter, salt and pepper, then I added them to the pot where I would have normally added the spinach. I also eliminated the dill, chives and bay leaf and scallions using only the bacon to top the soup.
This was absolutely DELICIOUS!!!
Thanks for the recipe!!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
It was very good, as expected. It was a little thin so next time I would use the smaller amount of chicken broth.
I have to say, I never like recipes being referred to as “crack” anything. The word is so over-used it’s lost its meaning. More importantly, I just don’t think calling something by the name of a dangerous street drug is at all appealing or cute.
Can this soup be frozen ?
Yes. The directions are in the body of the text.
Hello. Quick question. How many does this recipe feed? We are a family of 4 adults – 3 of which are men. So I usually try to cook for at least 6 since rhey are big eaters. It looks amazing.
Hi 👋
This recipe will certainly give you around 8 to 10 cups of soup, depending on how much broth you use, but if you want to serve it as a main, you can double up on the ingredients.
It’s pretty filling I make it for a family of 4 same 3 are men and we always have leftovers
If I am adding noddles to it how much would you add??
Is that tomato or bell pepper in the photo? Is isn’t mentioned anywhere.
Hi,
That’s bacon 😊
It’s the bacon pieces you chopped earlier. Put it in before serving.
I loved this! I used 3 whole chicken legs, thigh and drumsticks because I like dark meat. I added way more garlic, and I only had half of a white onion, and I used two large shallots. I used the whole packet of ranch powder, a huge tablespoon of fresh dill, and extra salt with fresh CRACKed pepper. I didn’t add the heavy cream because of the fatty cream cheese. Oh ya, and I added neufchatel cheese which is like a lower fat cream cheese. I will definitely make this again! Thanks!
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Looks yummy! Does it freeze well?
So good! I added extra chicken broth and a large can of petite diced tomatoes!
Thank you! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Yes. She left directions in the body of the text.
Oh my gosh! This is amazing! I just started eating low carb and needed something good! HIT THE SPOT! I added Roma tomatoes and green and red peppers! So good! Thank you !
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much! 🙂
This soup is fantastic! I made it per instructions but did not use ranch mix. I used sour cream and chive reduced fat Whips cream cheese, and added red peppers, green chili’s, and mushrooms.
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can this soup be frozen?
I have a question…I don’t see Ranch dressing mix in the ingredients, is that an oversight?
Asking because you explained the reasoning behind the name is the Ranch dressing mix.
Just want to be sure I get the recipe right.
Thanks!
Hi!
This recipe includes a homemade ranch seasoning mix prepared with garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried chives, etc.. But, if you want to use the store-bought Ranch Mix, you’ll only need to use 1 tablespoon of it.
Is this recipe gluten free? My girlfriend has wheat, soy, msg and maltodextrin allergies. Everything looks ok except for the ranch dressing mix. Looks delicious !!
Hi!
I’m certain that ranch seasoning/mix is gluten free, and on the ranch packet it says that it has no msg. However, I am not sure about the rest that you mention.
Thank you, Lisset. Very well stated.
Looks delicious & I’m gonna try it this weekend. Btw, nothing wrong with the name. Not everyone associates the word “crack” with drugs.
My family loves soups and we plan to try this! This may seem like a weird question, is there a suitable sub for the bacon, I know, who sub’s bacon, ha! But, we are pork-free and need a decent substitute or I could leave it out all together 🙂
Hi!
Can you use turkey bacon? You can definitely leave out the bacon, but if you can have turkey bacon, I’d go for it. 😊
Thanks! Could definitely try it with turkey bacon!
I just made this I added in about 2 TBLS of dry ranch mix. This soup is amazing. Love it and so keto friendly
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Love this soup. I added zucchini and fresh mushrooms because we like a lot of veggies. The entire family loved it! I will definitely be adding this to our soup rotation, thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
I am happy to hear that! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Do you think I could just up the cream by a cup if i don’t like cream cheese??
Or would a different cheese work, maybe?
Looks good!!
Hi!
Sure, heavy cream should work since cream cheese is a cheese made with heavy cream and milk, but you’ll just be missing out on a bit of that tanginess and saltiness that cream cheese adds.
I would start with 1 cup cream, give it a taste and decide how much more you may want to add in. You might also want to adjust some of the seasonings, salt in particular.
This is hands down an amazing comfort soup. I made it for the first time tonight, WOW!! Just an FYI, we make and sell beef jerky and one of our best sellers is called “ass crack”, marinated in cracked pepper. People have fun with the name, not everyone sucks lemons! Thanks again!
That’s such a fun name for beef jerkey!! 😀 I am very glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank YOU! 🙂
This was amazing!! I will definitely be making this again!!! BTW, I love the name! Don’t change it!
Thank you so much!! I am very glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Keep the name crack chicken makes me think of pepper or spice. Silly we take it so personal blah anyways making this tonight I’m excited! Might add a bean or pasta to try t like bow tie mmmm
I also want to suggest we stop calling recipes crack anything. It doesn’t sound appetizing, it’s unimaginative and lazy, it’s incredibly tone deaf to the struggles people actually addicted to this devastating drug, and if you open up a thesaurus I’m sure you can find plenty of words that actually will make me want to make this recipe.
Thank you!
I agree with Lisset’s comment above. I also haven’t tried this soup It looks good but also looks a little greasy.
It’s always that one if you don’t want to try it then don’t try it and just shut up!
OMG the word crack has been around longer then the drug has been a common problem. You CRACK me up, plumbers CRACK, there’s a CRACK in the wall people give it a rest. The word CRACK in a recipe most of the time means it has bacon in it. If you are offended by this word then don’t make the soup I think it look delicious and will be trying it tonight but with turkey bacon because I can’t have the other will let you know how it turns out.
Please consider calling this recipe something other than “crack.” I’m sure you mean no disrespect, but the word carries a lot of history.
Omg really?! The name crack got my attention and not because I’m on crack or ever thought of being on crack. But I can assure you the name is not disrespectful. I really doubt that any one of those folks would get on here to look for a recipe anyways. Good grief. This recipe is excellent btw! Thank you for sharing
I am very glad you enjoyed it! THANK YOU!! 🙂
Awesome🥰
🙄 crack chicken has been a thing for a long time. If you don’t like the name, call it something else for your personal preference. This soup looks fantastic and I can’t wait to make it. I love crack chicken so I have no doubt this soup will taste amazing. Thank you for sharing it!
Geeze! Get over it! It’s just a word.
I have NO problem with the name. The recipe is great and the name attracted me to it! People will not even be able to speak someday without using COMMON words that offend someone!
Would it ruin the soup to use frozen spinach? We don’t get fresh spinach on our island, and normally I can’t stand frozen spinach, but this looks too amazing to pass on.
Hi!
It should be OK, but do thaw the spinach and drain it as well as possible, just to avoid all the extra liquid.
This soups looks so tasty! I was thinking about adding some type of white bean to it. Would that be a good mix?
I think that is an excellent idea! I suggest cannellini beans. Just drain the can and rinse and they are ready to go, and if you mash half of them they really add body to the broth.
Loved this soup! So flavorful! I cannot wait to make this again!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Then it’s not Keto ! Which is the whole point of the soup
I didn’t see where and how much ranch seasoning to add!!! Am I missing something??? I’m so excited to make this I can barely stand it!!!
Hi!
So the recipe is to be made with homemade ranch seasoning, and that includes the garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, chives, salt, and pepper. Those are already included in the recipe above. But, if you’re going to use store-bought Ranch seasoning, you will need 1 tablespoon. Also, if going with the premade seasoning, don’t use the garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, chives, salt, and pepper that are in the recipe. I hope that makes sense. 😁
Woops, I used both. Noticed it wasn’t in the 2nd set of instructions so reread the first and figured it just got overlooked in the second, so in it all went. I’d do it the same way again – I liked the very savory flavor. I may have overlooked it, but I scroll down to the recipes and don’t bother with all the pictures and blog chat. For someone who can’t have a lot of carbs, this was like loaded potato soup, minus the potatoes – which weren’t missed with all that chicken. Will make it again, but will probably refer to it as loaded chicken soup; I nearly overlooked it because of the name (there are so many awful “crack” recipes) but the photo was so alluring.
Thank you so much!!! We love this recipe!!
THANK YOU! 🙂
This will quickly become a favorite at my house! It looks SO good!
Your crack chicken recipes are the best! Love this soup!
Turns out fabulous every time!
This Creamy Crack Chicken Soup recipe looks totally awesome!
My family is going to be really happy when I serve this. It has all of their faves… chicken, bacon, cheese, and ranch!
This is amazing thank you for sharing!
I love soup and this soup is soooo good! All the flavors combine to make it a wonderful hearty soup.
Oh heavens, so many tasty flavors in this soup. I wasn’t quite sure about the dill, but it added a subtle flavor that was so yummy! Can’t wait to make this again with my homemade breadsticks for dipping!
I love how comforting this is! Perfect for weeknights!
DeliciouS!! Easy n Fast!
The creamy crack chicken soup recipe is new for me. I will try it home very soon. Thanks for nice recipe.