JalapeƱo popper chicken soup is the type of feel-good that just makes you smile. It’s creamy and hearty with just enough kick from those fresh jalapeƱo peppers. It’s a perfect game day lunch too, with all the things you love about jalapeƱo poppers in a fun-to-eat soup form. This one eats like a meal, too, so it’ll fill you up with just a side of bread.
š¶ļø Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Creamy, cheesy chicken soup with a fresh green jalapeƱo bite, sweet corn and red pepper, finished with cheddar and bacon. |
| Primary heat source | Four fresh jalapeƱos, diced. 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. |
| Heat level | Mild to medium. The cream cheese and milk round out the heat, so it stays family-friendly. |
| Texture | Thick and creamy, with chunks of chicken, white beans and corn in every spoonful. |
| Best uses | A game day lunch or an easy weeknight dinner with bread on the side. |
| Customization ideas | Serranos for more heat, the full can of beans for a heartier bowl, or bacon fat in place of the butter. |
| Before you start | About 40 minutes. Use cooked chicken, and set the cream cheese out early so it’s soft. |
Flavor notes
JalapeƱos run 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units, and most of that heat is in the pale ribs inside, the part the seeds hang on. With four of them diced and spread through a whole pot of creamy soup, the heat stays friendly. If you want to control it more closely, trim out the ribs and seeds from one or two before dicing.
Room-temperature cream cheese is the key to a smooth soup. Cold cream cheese tends to stay in little lumps no matter how long you stir, so set it out while you prep the vegetables, and cut it into a few pieces before it goes in the pot.
Don’t skip cooking the flour with the vegetables for those 2 to 3 minutes, since it thickens the soup once the broth and milk go in. And cooking it first means the soup won’t taste of raw flour.
Any cooked chicken works here. Leftover roast chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken saves you a step, and you can shred it or chop it, whichever you like.
And taste before you add more salt at the end. The cream cheese, cheddar and bacon all bring salt of their own, and chicken broths vary a lot in how salty they are.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat, or how hearty the soup is.
- Want more heat? If jalapeƱos aren’t spicy enough for you, you can opt for serrano peppers instead. They have a similar enough bright, grassy flavor, but with about three times the heat. Or simply swap out a jalapeƱo or two for serranos to get something slightly spicier, yet still on the edge of family-friendly.
- Want it milder? Use two or three jalapeƱos, and trim out the ribs and seeds before you dice them.
- Want it heartier? Use the full can of cannellini beans, and add an extra half cup of chicken.
- Want it smoky? Cook a few slices of bacon in the pot first, set them aside for topping, and use a tablespoon of the bacon fat in place of the butter.
- Short on time? Shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken, and use frozen corn straight from the bag.
Serving ideas
This one is a meal on its own, so keep the sides easy.
- With bread. A crusty loaf or warm cornbread for dunking.
- With chips. Tortilla chips on the side, or crushed right over the top.
- With toppings. More cheddar, crumbled bacon, sliced green onion or a few thin rings of fresh jalapeƱo.
- On game day. Keep it warm in a slow cooker set to low, with the toppings in bowls alongside.
Storage notes
Let the soup cool, then keep it in a sealed container in the fridge and use it within three to four days. Add the toppings fresh when you serve it.
Reheat it gently on the stove over low heat, stirring often, and add a splash of milk or broth if it has thickened. But soups with cream cheese can turn grainy after freezing, so this one is best kept in the fridge.
Like this recipe? Youāll love these too:
- Thai Pumpkin Soup: A unique twist on pumpkin, not your typical “fall in a bowl” style soup.
- Mexican Meatball Soup: It’ll fill you up all day long. Perfect with a side of tortilla chips.
- JalapeƱo Popper Grilled Cheese: This may become your favorite way to eat grilled cheese.
50 easy ways to put jalapeños to work — appetizers, meals, salsas and dips, snacks, even fiery drinks. Perfect for a garden glut or a fridge full of extras.
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JalapeƱo Popper Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup chicken cooked, chopped or shredded
- 4 jalapeƱo peppers diced
- 1/2 can cannellini beans 15.5 ounce can (use full can if you like your soup bean-y)
- 1/2 package cream cheese 4 ounces, room temperature
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced (approximately 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 yellow onion medium-sized, diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup corn
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Shredded cheddar cheese for topping
- Bacon cooked, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- In a soup pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter then sautƩ the yellow onions and red bell peppers, for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the jalapeƱo peppers and garlic. Continue sautƩing for an additional 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the corn and continue cooking, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and continue cooking for 2 to 3 additional minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through.
- Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken broth, milk, cooked chicken, and cannellini beans. Allow the soup to simmer then add the chili powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Continue simmering for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cream cheese to the soup pot and melt the cheese into the soup, whisking or stirring to combine (room temperature cream cheese works best here.)
- Remove the soup from the heat, ladle the soup into bowls, and top the soup with shredded cheddar cheese while the soup is warm (to allow the cheese to slightly melt.) Sprinkle with crushed bacon (optional). Serve.
Will this recipe work without the beans?