This cozy Chicken Potato Soup is everything you want in a comforting bowl: a silky, flavorful broth, tender chunks of potato, juicy chicken, crispy bacon, and classic veggies. Every spoonful is rich, hearty, and deeply satisfying — the kind of soup your family will request on repeat.
If you love creamy, flavor-packed soups, be sure to try my Chicken Corn Chowder and Broccoli Potato Soup next!
🥣 Why You’ll Love This Chicken Potato Soup
This recipe takes humble ingredients and turns them into something unforgettable. The bacon adds irresistible smoky crunch, and the leftover drippings transform the broth into something unbelievably flavorful. The chicken stays juicy, the potatoes become perfectly tender, and the seasonings blend to create a cozy, nourishing soup you’ll crave all year long.
Leftovers reheat beautifully and freeze well — though you may not end up with any!
🥓 The Secret to Big Flavor
The magic starts with crispy bacon. After cooking it, the drippings are used to sauté the vegetables, giving the entire soup base a rich depth you simply can’t get any other way.
A few key ingredients — hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder — add savory depth without making the soup spicy.
⭐ How to Make Chicken Potato Soup
1. Cook the Bacon
Cook the bacon slowly until crisp, then set it aside to cool. Chop it and reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings.
2. Sear the Chicken
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then sear it until golden on both sides. It’s fine if it’s not fully cooked; it will finish in the soup. Let it rest, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
3. Build the Flavor Base
Add the bacon drippings back to the pot along with the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until softened. Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings. Stir in the flour to create a thickened base.
4. Add Liquid & Potatoes
Slowly pour in the chicken broth and half & half, stirring constantly. Peel and dice the potatoes, then add them in. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer.
5. Finish the Soup
Add the chicken back in and simmer until potatoes are tender. Lower the heat and stir in shredded cheddar (optional). Add half of the bacon to the pot and reserve the rest for garnish.
Top with bacon and green onions before serving!
💡 Tips for the Best Chicken Potato Soup
- The soup enhancers (hot sauce, Worcestershire, mustard) don’t add heat — only depth of flavor.
- Use heavy cream for a richer soup or replace dairy with extra broth for a lighter version.
- Shred cheese from a block if using — it melts smoother than packaged shreds.
- Add cheese off the heat so the dairy doesn’t separate.
- Choose the right potatoes:
- Yukon gold → creamy
- Red potatoes → hold their shape best
- Russet → may break down more
- Chicken thighs stay extra juicy but breasts work great too.
- Add greens like spinach or kale during the last few minutes.
- Use low-sodium broth if you’re adding bacon and cheese and want to control salt levels.
🧊 Storage & Freezing
- Refrigerate: Up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze: Up to 3 months.
- For best texture, avoid overcooking potatoes if planning to freeze leftovers.
🍲 Ingredients (US Customary)
Soup
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon + 2 tbsp drippings
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- Salt & pepper
- 1–2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter (skip if using drippings)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ¾ cup carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup flour
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half & half
- 1 ½ lbs Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled & diced
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Green onions, for garnish
Seasonings
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp each dried rosemary, oregano, mustard powder
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes
🔥 Instructions
- Cook bacon until crisp. Set aside and reserve drippings.
- Season chicken, sear both sides, then rest and chop.
- Sauté onions, carrots, and celery in drippings. Add garlic and seasonings.
- Add flour and cook 2 minutes.
- Slowly add broth and half & half.
- Stir in potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer.
- Add chicken and simmer until potatoes are tender.
- Lower heat, add cheese (optional), and half the bacon.
- Serve with remaining bacon and green onions.