Chicken Potato Soup

This Chicken Potato Soup has a creamy and flavorful broth with bacon, tender potatoes, juicy chicken, vegetables, and simple seasonings. It’s easy to customize and makes a great freezer meal!

Be sure to try my Chicken Corn Chowder and Broccoli Potato Soup recipes next!

Chicken Potato Soup

I am pretty sure this is the most flavor-packed soup there is. This is definitely the best way to take chicken and potatoes and turn them into something that your family will devour. And while leftovers freeze well, I think it’s unlikely that you’ll end up having any!

Not only does the crispy bacon add a lot of flavor and a nice little crunch, but the drippings are reserved and used to cook the vegetables, which adds so much amazing flavor to the broth. 

I use my favorite flavor enhancers in this soup and the seasonings are really on point. Feel free to add spinach or kale to round it all out and be sure to check out my pro tips below, I have everything you need to know to nail this chicken potato soup recipe!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Cook bacon and set aside, reserve bacon drippings. Chop bacon once cooled.

Season chicken with salt/pepper and sear in olive oil until golden on each side. Let rest for 10 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Add bacon drippings back to the soup pot along with onions, carrots, and celery. Let soften for 5 minutes, then add garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine, then add flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Add chicken broth in small splashes. Add the half and half in the same manner. Peel and dice the potatoes and add them to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and stir in the cheese, if using. Add half of the bacon back to the soup and save the rest to sprinkle over serving bowls. Garnish with green onions and serve!

Pro Tips

• The hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder are flavor enhancers in this soup that can’t be tasted outright. The hot sauce doesn’t make it spicy. I use Frank’s Hot Sauce. 
• Heavy cream can be used instead of half and half for a little extra indulgence. You can also skip the dairy and use an extra cup of chicken broth if preferred.
• Shred the cheese from a block, (if using). It will melt and taste much better than pre-shredded. I use Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Yellow.
• Make sure the base of the soup isn’t too hot when you add the cheese, otherwise the dairy will separate and create a grainy consistency.
• Potatoes: I use Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe because I love their creamy consistency, but red potatoes are always a great candidate for soup because they hold up the best. Russet potatoes may also be used, but they’re also the starchiest, which makes them more prone to falling apart.
• Chicken: Chicken breast or thighs work well for this recipe, thighs can be a little bit more moist and flavorful.
• Kale or spinach makes a healthy addition to this soup. Add it right at the end and give it a few minutes to cook/wilt.
• Be sure to try my Beer Cheese Soup recipe next!

Storage

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
• This soup does freeze/reheat well, just be sure not to overcook the potatoes if you end up freezing leftovers as they can become crumbly and fall apart if overcooked.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

• 4.5 Quart Dutch Oven– This is the one I use that’s pictured in this recipe.
• Box Cheese Grater– Freshly shredded cheese melts and tastes much better than packaged shredded cheese. 
• Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth.
• Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
• Pinch Bowls– For measuring seasonings, etc. ahead of time.
• Soup Ladle
• 16 oz. storage containers I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.

Try These Next

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Chicken Potato Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

5 from 98 ratings

Servings: 11 cups

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This Chicken Potato Soup recipe has a creamy and flavorful broth with bacon, tender potatoes, juicy chicken, and the best seasonings.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Soup

• ▢ 6 strips thick cut bacon, plus 2 tbsp. bacon drippings
• ▢ 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast , or thighs
• ▢ Salt/Pepper
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter, not needed if bacon drippings are used
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion, diced
• ▢ ¾ cup carrots, diced
• ▢ 2 ribs celery, diced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1/4 cup flour
• ▢ 5 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 1 cup half and half
• ▢ 1 ½ lbs. yukon gold potatoes, or red potatoes
• ▢ 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• ▢ Green onions, to garnish

Seasonings

• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ▢ ½ teaspoon EACH: dried rosemary, oregano, mustard powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1 pinch red pepper flakes

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Instructions

• Note: This soup can be made without bacon if needed, but it really adds a lot of great flavor to the broth. 2 tablespoons of butter can be used instead of bacon drippings if needed.
• Cook the Bacon: Cook the bacon in a 4.5-quart soup pot slowly over low heat. (I cut my bacon in half, it’s easier to fit it in the pan and have it cook evenly.) While the bacon cooks, measure out remaining ingredients. Once cooked, set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Chop once cooled and reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings.
• Wipe any dark spots from the pot but leave as much bacon remnants as you can, as that will add flavor to the soup.
• Sear the Chicken: Season each side of the chicken with salt/pepper. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sear the chicken on each side until a golden crust develops, about 3 minutes per side. It’s okay if the middle is uncooked, it will finish cooking in the soup. Set aside and let it rest for 10 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Make the Soup: Add the bacon drippings back to the pot over medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot, this will add flavor to the soup. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and toss to coat. Soften for 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine.
• Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, until the raw flour smell is gone.
• Add the chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously, and wiping the pan “clean” again as you do so. Add the half and half in the same manner.
• Peel the potatoes and cut into bite-sized cubes. Add them to the soup. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back along with any juice from the plate and simmer over medium heat, partially covered, until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and sprinkle in the cheese, if adding. Stir in half of the chopped bacon and save the other half for the top of the serving bowls. Garnish with green onions and serve.

Notes

Pro Tips

• The hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder are flavor enhancers in this soup that can't be tasted outright. The hot sauce doesn't make it spicy. I use Frank's Hot Sauce. 
• Heavy cream can be used instead of half and half for a little extra indulgence. You can also skip the dairy and use an extra cup of chicken broth if preferred.
• Shred the cheese from a block, (if using). It will melt and taste much better than pre-shredded. I use Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Yellow.
• Make sure the base of the soup isn't too hot when you add the cheese, otherwise the dairy will separate and create a grainy consistency.
• Potatoes: I use Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe because I love their creamy consistency, but red potatoes are always a great candidate for soup because they hold up the best. Russet potatoes may also be used, but they're also the starchiest, which makes them more prone to falling apart.
• Chicken: Chicken breast or thighs work well for this recipe, thighs can be a little bit more moist and flavorful.
• Kale or spinach makes a healthy addition to this soup. Add it right at the end and give it a few minutes to cook/wilt.
• Sodium: If using bacon and cheese, consider using low sodium broth if you'd like to control the salt content a little more.
• Be sure to try my Beer Cheese Soup recipe next!

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Storage

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
• This soup does freeze/reheat well, just be sure not to overcook the potatoes if you end up freezing leftovers as they can become crumbly and fall apart if overcooked.

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The nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. Each serving is equal to approximately 1 cup, this recipe makes about 11 cups.

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 682mg, Potassium: 556mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1786IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 158mg, Iron: 1mg

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Author: Stephanie