Chicken Bacon Beer Cheese Soup + Video
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25 Minute Bacon Beer Cheese Soup with Chicken is one of our all-time most popular recipes and for good reason. BACON.BEER.CHEESE ready in 25 minutes. It is thick and creamy, amazingly cheesy with just the perfect spices to make your taste buds stand at attention.
Okay friends, it is the middle of comfort food season!!! This recipe is an old favorite. One of the most popular recipes on our website with over 125,000 Pins and countless readers raving about the recipe. It’s time you tried it!
We have had so many requests for more videos that we created one for you. You are going to love it.
Let’s take a peek at how this epic creation came to be…
Bacon Beer Cheese Soup with Chicken
Sometimes I am brilliant on the fly. You know what I mean; you are rushed for dinner, and you start pulling things out of your fridge and pantry and create the most spectacular meal ever.
Other nights you get stuck in one mindset. Like OK, I have chicken and need to make soup. Hmmm…. Chicken noodle soup? No.
Luckily this week Chad was incredibly inspiring. I told him I needed a soup made with chicken. We threw some ideas around and then he said: bacon, chicken cheese. OH YAY! I got that.
Before I knew what hit me, I had a pot on the stove, and I was making 25 Minute Bacon Beer Cheese Soup with Chicken.
It’s thick and creamy, uber cheesy, and perfectly seasoned to make your taste buds stand at attention. This warm and welcoming beer cheese soup is a stand out in our soup recipes.
Oh my word, this is a fabulous soup!!! Chad’s review “Someone should write a song about this soup”.
Well, there you have it. Loaded with bacon and chicken this beer cheese soup has the perfect smokiness and heat to make you notice. Just amazing! Top with chives and croutons for a fantastic crunch and finish!
I’m telling you; you’re going to love it!
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Helpful Tips to make Bacon Beer Cheese Soup with Chicken:
- Use cayenne pepper according to your heat preference. Mild=1/4 teaspoon, Medium=1/2 teaspoon, Hot=1 teaspoon.
- Half-and-half is an American dairy product made of half milk and half cream. You can substitute half-and-half with one part milk, one part cream or adjust according to your preference. Adding more milk than cream will make it less rich. Just be sure to use 2 cups total.
What you will need to make Bacon Beer Cheese Soup with Chicken:
- 8 quart pot-
- Heat resistant spoon – Ideal for cooking, stirring, and serving.
Enjoy!
With love from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Check out more of our favorite soup recipes:
Simple Crock Pot Chicken Dumplings
Bacon Beer Cheese Soup with Chicken + Video
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick cut bacon
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 cup beer, Belgian-style wheat beer (I used Blue Moon)
- 1 cup reduced sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 8 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Garnishes
- chives, chopped
- croutons
- crisp bacon, diced
Instructions
- Warm an 8-quart pot over medium-high heat. Using clean scissors; cut bacon into the pot. Cook bacon until it’s crisp, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pan draining the drippings into the pan as you take out the bacon. Place the bacon inside your upside-down pot lid (or on a plate). Add chicken pieces into bacon grease to cook, sprinkle with 1 /2 teaspoon salt. Stir occasionally until chicken is completely cooked through. Remove chicken from the pot with a slotted spoon and place on the upside-down pot lid with bacon.
- Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to pan drippings. Stir until melted. Whisk in flour and seasonings. Allow to cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently, to cook out the floury taste. Add beer and whisk to combine and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and half-and-half. Whisk to combine and reduce heat to medium. Slowly add the cheese, if you add the cheese too quickly it can become grainy, so add a little at a time whisking until it is incorporated. Stir until you have a smooth mixture. Add Worcestershire sauce and return chicken and bacon back to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Allow to simmer until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.Garnish with croutons, chives, and bacon.
- Enjoy!
Video
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published 09/09/13
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I can't wait to try this soup, It looks amazing and simply! In fact all of the soups you have posted are great! Keep it up I love them!
can this convert to the slow cooker
Just made this soup and it is GREAT!!!
I am excited to make this soup! I could only find the Blue Moon beer in a 6 pack. We don't drink much beer, so I decided to look at the singles in the grocery store. There wasn't a great selection and no wheat beers. Any suggestions, so I don't have to invest in a 6 pack that I won't drink? Thanks!
I made this last night and it was delist! Our only problem was that it somehow ended up way too salty, maybe it was the bacon we used?
This sounds so good, but I dont drink beer or eat bacon. Anything I can use as substitute? Will beef pepperoni give a similar flavor? and malt?
You could use chicken broth in place of the beer. The bacon can be omitted. Let us know how it goes.
Will definitely give this a try and let you know 🙂
Made this for a Soups and Hoops (soup fund raiser) at our school tonight! Thanks for an amazing recipe. I wasn't sure how it would turn out since I was making a large roaster full and don't follow measurement directions well, but apparently I did OK, as I won the people's choice award!
I am so happy everyone loved it! I will certainly take the award as a huge compliment.
Made this today for a Soups and Hoops (Soup fundraiser for Community Commercial Club at our school basketball game) and wanted to thank you for a great recipe. I wasn't sure how it would turn out since I was making a large roaster full and had to double and then double and then double, etc the recipe and I'm not good at following measurement directions anyway, but it turned out really well and I won the peoples choice award! 🙂
This looks amazing!! Sharing on my page 🙂
Does the alcohol cook off when cooking?
Does the alcohol burn off when cooking?
Does the alcohol cook off when cooking?
It does Shannon. Thanks for asking. You want to be sure to bring the beer to a boil. Enjoy!
Hello everybody, I have a question…..I am from Germany and I dont know…. what do you mean with " half & half".Thanks for the answer
half and half is a milk somewhere between whole milk and heavy cream.
Hmm sorry if this is a repeat question- does this freeze well if we have any leftover by chance? Can't wait to try it!
I have not froze it to be honest. We never have any leftover. Most cream soups freeze pretty well. Once you defrost it, toss it back in a pot over medium heat and let it warm. You will need to add milk or cream to get it back to the nice creamy texture you started out with. Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
I pretty much never comment on these threads, but this soup was absolutely DELICIOUS. Served it in bread bowls and there wasn't a drop left!
Does it matter if we don't add the beer – we are a no alcohol household — what do i add instead – and instead of half n half – can i use 2 cups of 2% milk
Does this taste like beer at all? I can't stand beer but want to try this…
This soup does not taste like beer. The beer lends a rich 'yeasty' flavor to the soup, but you could substitute chicken broth, but it will not be nearly as flavorful. Enjoy! Let us know how it goes.
Donna, this sounds amazing! I love your on the spot creativity!
This soup looks amazing! You are creative and your photos are awesome. Do you have a source for that beautiful red soup bowl with handles?
The red bowl was purchased at BevMo a few years ago. It is actually an olive bowl but was too pretty, I had to use it for the soup. There is no brand marking. Hope that helps a little. Enjoy!
Can you use lage beer in place of wheat beer?
Absolutely. Use your favorite. enjoy and let us know how it goes!
I made this tonight thinking oh this will feed my family of 7 if i double it. Boy was i was wrong. I am not sure how they came uo with serves 6-8. What with 1 cup servings? I will be lucky if i can give my 5 kids a bowl each. Otherwise a very good soup.
That's the disturbing fact about "servings." They aren't particularly based on the amount a person would eat for a meal. They're just a defined measurement for nutritional purposes. On most commercial soups, the "serving" is defined as 1 cup. Personally, when I'm having soup for a meal, I usually fill my Corning Ware mug; which holds about 2 cups. If I were having it with a sandwich or a salad, I might have just 1 cup. I've always thought it unfortunate that the "servings" label might give the impression that one of them was the appropriate/usual amount to eat at a time.
Oh my… this soup is PERFECTION!!! I like spicy foods, but it was a bit too much for my husband and I, so next time we will use 1 teaspoon instead of 2 of the cayenne pepper. Also, we accidentally dumped the whole Blue Moon in the soup (that's what we get for cooking too quickly!) and it was still delish! My husband is the pickiest eater you'll ever meet and I always have him rate new recipes on a scale of 1 to 10. In our 5 years together it's the FIRST 9 he's ever given (and we've certainly never made a 10)!!! Thank you so much Donna!!! I just found your website this weekend and we already have about 5 new recipes to try over the next couple weeks!
If you were to make this without the chicken, would i need to decrease any of the ingredients (bacon grease or butter) or just continue on without it?
After you cook the bacon – remove bacon from pan and drain of bacon grease then begin next step (or use 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings plus 2 tablespoons butter in the next step.) Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
Great creamy consistency and served in crusty bread bowls was a hit, though a little spicy for my taste buds. Any creative ideas for taming the heat and using some of the leftovers? I omitted the chicken and wondered if it could be used as a cheesy sauce for something? Would love any suggestions!
After you cook the bacon – remove bacon from pan and drain of bacon grease then begin next step (or use 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings plus 2 tablespoons butter in the next step.) Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
Would this work if it's made in the crock pot, as opposed to a pot on the stove? Also, do you think sub-ING guinness or newcastle would work as well?
I have not tried it in the crockpot, but if you do please let me know how it goes. I may work on a crockpot version next month now that you have me thinking about it. Whatever your favorite beer would be great, keep in mind that alcohol does not cook off in a crockpot though. Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
I decided to try it in a pot, I was worried about the flavor which depends on the bacon and chicken grease. I did sub Boddington's ale, and heavy whipping cream, for the half & half, since it was what I had on hand. It tastes and smells amazing. I will definitely make this again.
Awesome! I am so happy you loved it.