This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Creamy Crack Chicken Soup recipe is loaded with incredible cheesy flavor! It is a delicious soup with bacon, chicken, cheese, spinach, and ranch seasoning. Low carb and Keto-approved, too!
Are you looking for more crack chicken recipes? Try this baked crack chicken breasts or my 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 slow cooker crack chicken and this cozy and delicious chicken noodle soup, 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. Like a good ol’ split pea soup, this chicken soup also makes an ideal meal for cold winter nights, but we enjoy it year round, no matter the season.
Why It’s 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.
How To Make Crack Chicken Soup
Just pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken, and let’s get on it! Or, you can use leftover cooked chicken breasts or even boneless chicken thighs. It’s a tasty and creamy soup, and also a keto chicken soup, and it will have you drooling while simmering away in that pot.
- Cook the bacon. We start with cooking some bacon in a Dutch oven or a soup pot; cook the bacon until crispy, then remove it from the pot.
- Cook the aromatics. Melt butter in the pot; add onion and garlic until soft.
- Stir in the broth and seasoning. Add chicken broth and homemade Ranch mix and boil for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken. Add shredded chicken, and cook another 5 minutes.
- Add the cheese. Stir in softened cream cheese until melted, then add cheddar cheese.
- Add the spinach. Mix in baby spinach and heavy cream. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve. Garnish your creamy crack chicken soup with scallions and cooked bacon to serve.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Veggie options. In this crack chicken soup, you can swap out the spinach for kale or zucchini noodles. Or, take a cue from my chicken vegetable soup and add your favorite mix of veggies to make it your own!
- Add pasta. 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.
- Chicken recipes. If you don’t have any leftover cooked chicken to use, I suggest making my oven baked chicken breasts. Use these shredder claws to shred afterward.
- Use store-bought Ranch seasoning. If you’re using store-bought ranch seasoning mix, substitute with about a tablespoon. Start with two teaspoons, taste, and adjust as needed since the mix already contains salt, which could make the dish too salty if you add too much.
Serving Suggestions
This crack chicken soup recipe is everything you need on a cozy night—loaded with bacon, chicken, cheese, and ranch-seasoned goodness. To round out your meal, pair it with a crisp and refreshing radish cucumber salad, or keep it hearty with my chicken cobbler. Need bread for dunking? My dinner rolls are perfect for soaking up all that cheesy, creamy broth. It’s comfort food at its best!
How To Store Leftover Soup
- Fridge. Store soup leftovers in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat over medium heat, stirring frequently.
- Freezer. To freeze this keto soup, store it in freezer bags and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving. Reheat on medium heat without boiling.
More Chicken Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup with Chicken
- Chicken Orzo Soup
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Thai Chicken Soup
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
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
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon dried chives
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 8 ounces package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 to 4 cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- sliced green scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. 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.
- Saute the aromatics. Add butter to the pot and melt over medium-high heat. Stir in onions and cook for 3 minutes; then stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
- Stir in the broth and season the soup. 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.
- Cook the soup. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil; lower heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and cheese. Stir in shredded chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and whisk it continuously until completely melted and combined. Stir in the shredded cheese; whisk until melted and thoroughly combined.
- Stir in the spinach and cream. Add baby spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and cook for 1 minute.
- Finish. Taste the soup for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Remove the bay leaf.
- Serve. Remove your crack chicken soup from the heat and top it with scallions and previously prepared bacon before serving.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Like others, I added chopped carrots and celery prior to the onions and garlic, then added sliced mushrooms and sautéed enough so all were cooked. Since I didn’t have as much chicken I only used 4 cups of broth. Followed the rest of the recipe and it came out well with great flavor. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is to sprinkle about 3 Tablespoons of flour into the vegetables, stir and cook for about a minute before adding the broth. We’d prefer a thicker soup, but that’s just us.
Oh it’s not just you, we like our soups thicker too 😊
😂😂😂 THESE COMMENTS ARE CRACKING ME UP OMG LOL (NO PUN INTENDED) 😂😂😂 BUT THE NAME, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, CAUGHT MY ATTENTION… AFTER SCROLLING THROUGH HUNDREDS OF SOUP AND STEW RECIPES, THIS IS THE ONE THAT HAS ME UP DRESSED, HEADED TO THE GROCERY STORE NOW AT 3:23AM CST TO GET THE INGREDIENTS FOR… DO NOT CHANGE THE NAME, ITS WHAT BROUGHT ALL THESE WONDER FOLKS TO THE COMMENT SECTION LOL… THIS LOOKS AND SOUNDS AMAZING!!! CANT WAIT TO TRY IT
I fixed this for dinner last night, following the directions exactly and ohhhhh we just loved it! We’ll have it again for sure!!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This is soooo good the whole family loved it and it is now one of our favs!!! I would suggest using a little more bacon for the kids and maybe adding a tiny bit of ranch seasoning but really it is good just the way it is. We have had this like 5 times over the last few months now we can’t get enough!
I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can I add frozen potatoes? If so how and when should I add them? Thanks!
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
Hi! Trying to avoid running to store for 1 ingredient! I don’t have heavy cream but do have half and half. Can I substitute?
Hi!
Yep, that will work. Might not be as creamy, but yes, it still works. You can also do without it.
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.