The Cozy Cookbook is here! This homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe is an easy substitute for condensed soup and adds comforting home cooked flavor to your favorite casseroles and soups. It’s also freezer-friendly and easy to make!
Be sure to try my homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup next!
Cream of Chicken Soup
I literally stood in my kitchen with an open can of condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, and a pot of this homemade version, and took a spoon to each one to perform a very serious taste-test to compare the two.
All of a sudden, I was hyper-aware as to how processed it tasted from a can compared to the soothing and comforting homemade version.
Since this recipe is freezer-friendly and can be easily stored in can-sized portions, I think we should all try to take our cooking to the next level by making our favorite casseroles and soups with this Cream of Chicken Soup recipe whenever we “can”. 😂
(That was terrible, and I’m sorry.)
How to Make it
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Let it fully melt and begin to foam. This allows the water in the butter to cook off which will create a smoother consistency.
Gradually sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 3-5 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste. It will become the consistency of wet sand.
Remove from heat. Add 1/3 of the chicken broth, whisk well. Whisk in 1/3 more, until combined. Finally, whisk in the rest. Temper the milk by microwaving it for 45 seconds, slowly add it to the saucepan and whisk to combine.
Add the seasonings. Add to medium-high heat to thicken it back up.
Whisk continuously as it increases in temperature and reaches near-boiling point. It will become very thick. Remove from heat immediately once it’s thickened. It will thicken even more as it sits.
PRO TIP: Run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to make it super smooth, just like a can of condensed soup.
This strainer is also a perfect tool for making homemade chicken stock, or to run oil through if you want to reuse it after making a batch of fried chicken or french fries. It’s a great investment in the kitchen.
Using as a Substitute for Condensed Soup
- This recipe serves as a direct substitute for canned Cream of Chicken soup.
- 1 batch= two (10.5 oz.) cans of soup, each can is about 1 + 1/4 cups.
- I recommend freezing these in can-sized portions, these Rubbermaid containers perfectly fit 1 “can” of soup so you can easily pull them from the freezer for cooking.
Using as a Base for Homemade Soup
My Homemade Chicken Stew recipe is a perfect way to put this recipe to use, as it uses a can of Cream of Chicken Soup as a base. It’s also Stove Top, Crock Pot, and Instant Pot friendly. (Check out the reviews, it’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog!)
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 4 months.
Recipes That Use Cream of Chicken Soup
See my complete collection here.
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- Chicken Divan
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- Chicken Tetrazzini
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- Creamy Chicken Stew
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- Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing
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- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
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- Chicken Noodle Casserole
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, optional- see notes
- 1 cup milk, preferably whole but any kind works
- 1/3 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/3 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/3 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Note: It’s important to whisk continuously throughout this process to ensure the smoothest possible consistency.
- Temper the milk by microwaving it for 45 seconds. This prevents curdling but also prevents lumps from forming when it’s added. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Let it fully melt and wait until it starts to foam, about 3 minutes.
- Gradually add the flour, whisk continuously for 3-5 minutes, until it’s the consistency of wet sand. Remove from the heat.
- Add 1/3 of the chicken broth and whisk well. Add 1/3 more, whisk well.
- Add the remaining chicken broth, chicken bouillon, warm milk, and seasonings, whisk continuously.
- Turn up to medium-high heat, continue to whisk until it begins to get very thick. Immediately remove from heat.
- Soup will continue to thicken upon standing.
- If possible, run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer for a super-smooth consistency.
- Use as a direct substitute for condensed cream of chicken soup, this recipe makes enough for two (10.5 oz.) cans.
Notes
Reducing Sodium: You can use unsalted butter and reduced sodium chicken broth and bouillon to lower the salt content. You can also refrain from adding salt as a seasoning.
Storage:
- Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 4 months. Mixture may separate slightly once reheated but whisking will correct that.
- These 1 ¼ cup size Tupperware containers fit one “can” of soup perfectly. This measures out to 1 ¼ cups soup.
Be sure to try my homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup next!
This recipe saved my thanksgiving dish! When grabbing ingredients, I completely forgot to buy cream of chicken soup. I was so upset, the stores were closed and I didn’t know what to do! I searched up a recipe and found this one! I had everything, even the Better than Bullion! And it turned out amazing!! The soup itself was so yummy. I was so proud that I could make something like that from scratch and then use it for my dish. I can’t wait to taste it in my dish at tomorrow’s feast! Thank you so much for being a life-saver! (For those curious, I’m using it in funeral potatoes/cheesy hashbrown casserole)
Hi Taylor! I am so happy that this recipe was a success and came to the rescue! Thank you so much for taking the time to share how it came out, you’re the best! ❤️
This soup is great with Better Than Bouillon chicken broth!!!
Hi Barb! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this recipe! I always make it with Better Than Bouillon as well! 🙂
Do you know if this recipe can be put into jars and pressure canned?
Hi Ashely, I’m not a canning expert but due to the dairy in there, I’m not sure if it’s safe to can or not.
I’m excited to try this with my freezer meals. I don’t have store brought chicken broth. I do have bouillon to make broth with water.
That’s the same thing? And than I could add more bouillon for the extra flavor?
I feel so silly asking haha I’m learning (:
Thank you so much
Hi Alexa! You are exactly right, I always use Better Than Bouillon myself to make chicken broth. So you’ll use the bouillon to make the broth, and then add one more bouillon for depth of flavor! 🙂
I’m allergic to dairy and wheat. I substituted butter for a dairy free version, cow milk for unsweetened coconut milk. I did half Brown rice flour and half barley flour. And it came out great! I did have to add a little more spice to get the desired taste. Maybe because barley has a stronger flavor. But still, it came out great! Made a nice chicken noodle casserole with it!
Hi Stephanie! I am so happy that you were able to customize this in such a way and appreciate you sharing your process! It will be a big help to others, thank you so much! -Stephanie
Does it have to be real butter could u use for example blue bonnet margarine sticks if I don’t have any real butter? Im making your chx broccoli casserole and found this recipe. I would love to use homemade soup next time instead of can
Hi Alycia, the margarine should work just fine! 🙂
I made it, loved it!! Question though, is it okay to use the extra pass one week of it being in the fridge? I am working on week three…. just left in the fridge because I kept thinking I was going to make another dish with it.
Hi Angie! I really can’t say if it’s okay to eat or not at this point 🙁
So much better than the canned. I make extra and freeze it for future use.
I do the same Ruth! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💕
I recently made this and loved the taste and thick consistency! I used it all up to make a chicken and corn chowder. I added a whole roast chicken (chopped) and a can of sweet corn. Perfect quick, easy and tasty meal.
Thanks so much for the great review Michelle, I’m so happy you used this in a yummy meal!❤️
I tried other recipes and my Chicken cream soup would be watery or it would always curdled
This recipe was simple and delicious my husband said it was better than the one he he’s at the restaurant
Such a great compliment Mae, thanks so much!❤️