Easy to make and irresistibly delicious, it’s a must-try for any soup lover. Don’t worry. You can control how spicy you like it, add a little heat, or kick your tail spicy.
A good soup goes a long way! Hearty, warm, and comforting, soup is delicious all year but has a special power in the colder months. I love making a big batch of soup and then canning or freezing it for later.
Our Easy Crock Pot Chicken Jalapeno Popper Soup Recipe
I love finger foods as much as the next person, but I recently found myself wondering how to turn one of my favorite appetizers into a hearty meal. Enter Jalapeno Popper Soup!
Spicy, cheesy, and hearty, each spoonful is like taking a bite from a jalapeno popper. I added tender chicken and chunks of potatoes to add protein and heft, so this soup will be tasty and keep you full!
This soup is perfect for when the guys all get together for a game day party or to take to a church potluck.
Sometimes, you need a big bowl of comfort. Be sure to visit my other Soup Recipes to find more great dinner options. I have copycat soups, hearty stews, and several international recipes.
✝️ Biblical Reflections Table Talk:
Creamy Jalapeno Popper Soup with Chicken combines the bold heat of jalapeños with a comforting, creamy base, creating a dish that is both exciting and soothing. This balance reflects the nature of our faith—a faith that is bold and courageous, yet also provides deep comfort. In 2 Timothy 1:7, we read, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” Just as this soup brings together bold spice and rich creaminess, our faith calls us to be bold in the face of challenges while finding comfort in God’s love and strength. As you enjoy this soup, reflect on how you can be both bold and comforting in your faith and in your hospitality towards others.
Here’s Your Grocery List Ingredients
- Bacon: Salty, savory, and full of umami, a little bacon is the backbone of the flavor profile.
- Dairy: Butter, cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, and freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Let the cream cheese soften before adding it to the remaining ingredients, and divide the cheddar into 1 ¾ and ¼ cups.
- Produce: You’ll need two cloves of minced garlic, two cups of peeled and cubed potatoes, and three tablespoons of fresh jalapeno. Core, remove the seeds, and dice the jalapenos. Depending on your spice tolerance, you can use more or less jalapeno and leave some of the seeds! You’ll also want an extra jalapeno cut into rounds for serving.
- Chicken: You can use chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe.
- Stock: You’ll need 32 ounces of chicken stock or broth. You can also use a bouillon cube or add chicken stock paste to 32 ounces of water.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is a surefire way to thicken the soup without adding unnecessary ingredients.
- Spices and Seasonings: Open the pantry and pull out salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin!
📝 Note: You can find the full recipe with ingredients and measurements in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Jalapeno Popper Soup
Prepare Bacon
- Begin by precutting the bacon into 2 inch pieces.
Cook Bacon
- In a medium skillet on the stovetop, cook the diced bacon, stirring with a spoon, until crispy.
- Tip the pan so the excess grease drains to one side. Ladle out the excess grease, leaving about one tablespoon for sauteing the veggies.
- Remove the bacon to a few pieces of paper towel on a plate to drain. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Tip For Making The Soup
I like to use my vegetable chopper, which is fitted with the smallest blade when cutting onions and jalapenos. You do not want any surprise burst of heat from large pieces of jalapeno. I also find this chopper helps eliminate the tears when dicing slices of onions.
Cook Veggies
- Dice the onions and jalapeno into small pieces. Peel and dice the potatoes into small cubes and toss them into a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add the butter to the same pan where the bacon was cooked, and bring the heat up to medium. Once the butter is melted, saute the minced garlic, onion, diced jalapeno peppers, cumin, salt, black pepper, and paprika until the onions are softened and translucent.
Start Slow Cooking
- Next, add the chicken breasts and chicken broth to the slow cooker.
- Transfer the onion mixture and veggies to the slow cooker.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
Shred Cooked Chicken
- Remove cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred the meat with two forks. Return shredded chicken back into the slow cooker.
Add Thickener and Cheese
- Add the heavy whipping cream and cornstarch to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to make a slurry.
- Whisk the whipping cream slurry into the crock pot.
- Add the softened cream cheese, 1 ¾ cup cheddar cheese, and 3/4 of the cooked bacon to the crock pot.
- Stir until the cheese melts.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes to thicken the soup.
Garnish and Serve
- Stir one final time before serving.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, and diced fresh jalapenos.
How To Store Leftover Soup
The FDA suggests that soup can be stored in the fridge for up to four days, but I recommend storing it for just one to two days due to the high dairy content. If you want to keep some on hand for longer, you can freeze this soup for up to three months!
Serving Suggestions
- Soak up all that creamy, cheesy goodness with a toasted slice of fresh bread, like this Quick Beer Bread.
- Set up a toppings bar! Let everyone choose their own adventure with bacon bits, shredded cheese, extra jalapenos, hot sauce, sour cream, and green onions.
- Hollow out a chunk of bread and make a bread bowl for a little extra fun!
Do you have a question?
Do you have a question about this recipe❓ I will answer in the comment form below👇🏼 the recipe card. Did you make this recipe? If so, could you be a gem and leave a comment and rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below? This helps others find yummy 😋 recipes to make for their family and friends.
Creamy Jalapeno Popper Soup with Chicken
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
Ingredients
- ¾ pound bacon, Diced into 2 inch squares before cooking
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons jalapeno, cored, seeds removed and diced – could use more or less depending on how spicy you want your soup to be
- 1/3 cup onion, yellow, diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 32 ounces chicken stock
- 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless skinless – could use thighs also
- 2 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 8 ounces cream cheese, soften to room temperature
- 2 cup cheddar cheese, divided into 1 ¾ and ¼ cups
- 1 jalapeno, sliced into rounds for garnish
Instructions
Prepar The Bacon
- In a medium skillet on the stove-top, cook the diced bacon, stirring with a spoon, until crispy.¾ pound bacon
- Tip the pan so the excess grease drains to one side. Ladle out the excess grease leaving about 1 tablespoon for sauteing the veggies.
- Remove the bacon to a few pieces of paper towel on a plate to drain. Set aside in the refrigerator for later.
Veggies with Seasonings
- Dice the onions and jalapeno into small pieces. Mince the garlic.2 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons jalapeno, 1/3 cup onion
- Add the butter to the same pan where the bacon was cooked, and bring the heat up to medium.3 tablespoons butter
- Once the butter is melted, saute the minced garlic, onion, diced jalapeno peppers, cumin, salt, black pepper, and paprika until the onions are softened and translucent.2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Fill The Slow Cooker and Cook
- Add the chicken breasts and chicken broth to the slow cooker.1 pound chicken breasts, 32 ounces chicken stock
- Transfer the cooked onion mixture to the slow cooker.
- Peel and dice the potatoes into small cubes and toss them into the slow cooker.2 cups potatoes
- Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
Shred Chicken and Add Dairy Ingredients
- Remove cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred the meat with two forks. Return shredded chicken back into the slow cooker.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and cornstarch to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to make a slurry.1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Whisk the whipping cream slurry into the crock pot.
- Add the softened cream cheese, 1 ¾ cup cheddar cheese, and 3/4 of the cooked bacon to the crock pot.8 ounces cream cheese, 2 cup cheddar cheese
- Stir until chees melts.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes to thicken the soup.
- Stir one final time before serving.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, and diced fresh jalapenos.1 jalapeno
Notes
- Soak up all that creamy, cheesy goodness with a toasted slice of fresh bread, like this Quick Beer Bread.
- Set up a toppings bar! Let everyone choose their own adventure with bacon bits, shredded cheese, extra jalapenos, hot sauce, sour cream, and green onions.
- Hollow out a chunk of bread and make a bread bowl for a little extra fun!
Excellent soup. The smoked paprika is so perfect in this recipe. I used half n half since I already had that and it was still very flavorful. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know.:)