This cheesy keto chicken soup is thick, cheesy, and ultra-satisfying. All the best flavors from King Ranch Chicken Casserole in a hearty slow cooker soup recipe. And it’s packed with protein too!
Cheesy comfort food is the BEST comfort food, in my humble-yet-expert opinion. Cheese adds richness and flavor, but it also brings a sense of satisfying home-cooking. It’s what makes recipes like Keto Pizza Casserole and Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup so popular.
As the chilly weather approaches, you need to add this Keto King Ranch Chicken Soup recipe to your menu. It is so rich and hearty, and bursting with Tex-Mex flavors. And it’s so easy to make in your slow cooker…or your Instant Pot…or even on your stovetop!
★★★★★
Amy says: “I have to admit I avoided this soup because of the name. Ranch? In a soup? But on a busy rainy weeknight with chicken defrosted and a hungry family I decided to read through the recipe. To my surprise I had it wrong all along! My family absolutely loved this soup and we have added another favorite to the rotation. I made it on the stove top per Carolyn’s instructions though I used canned tomatoes and jalepeños due to time constraints. Wonderful filling soup!!“
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: I like to use chicken thighs but chicken breasts work as well.
- Tomatoes: Use fresh tomatoes if you can, as they are slightly lower in carbs than canned.
- Jalapeño: Leave the seeds in for more heat, remove them for less heat.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is an absolute must.
- Seasonings: Chili powder and ground cumin add layers of flavor.
- Thickener: My preferred ingredient for thickening sauces and soups is glucomannan. But xanthan gum also works.
- Cheddar: You can use sharp or mild, depending on your preference.
- Cream cheese: This adds creaminess and thickness.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, chicken broth, salt, pepper.
How to make Keto King Ranch Chicken Soup
- Place the chicken, tomatoes, and jalapeño at bottom of a slow cooker.
- Prepare the sauce with the butter, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Then stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper, and thicken with glucomannan.
- Pour over the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and add the cheddar and cream cheese to the pot. Blend until smooth.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and stir back into the soup.
- Serve with chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and additional shredded cheese.
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
If you have the time, grate your own cheddar from a block of cheese, rather than using pre-shredded. It will melt better into the soup and make it more creamy.
Let the cheeses sit in the hot soup for 10 minutes, before blending. This ensures that you don’t get any little blobs that won’t mix in.
Remove all the seeds from the jalapeño, if you want the soup to be milder. If you really don’t like heat, you can skip the chili pepper altogether.
Instant Pot or Stove Top
For an Instant Pot: Follow the same process and cook on high for 30 minutes or so. Let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid. It may be a little less thick, as pressure cookers force a lot of moisture out of meats and vegetables.
For the Stove Top: Start with Step 2, making the sauce in a large saucepan or stockpot. Then add the chicken, tomatoes, and jalapeno right into that same pot. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Proceed with Step 5 as directed.
More Delicious Keto Chicken Soup Recipes
Keto King Ranch Chicken Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb (680.39 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup (149 g) diced tomatoes
- 1 large jalapeno, diced, (more if you want it spicier)
- 2 tbsp (28.4 g) butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 3 cups (705 g) chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 3/4 tsp glucomannan, (optional, thickens the soup)
- 2 cups (264 g) cheddar or colby jack, shredded
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, cut into chunks
Instructions
- Add the chicken, tomatoes, and jalapenos to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook another minute. Stir in all the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and stir in the salt and pepper, and the glucomannan if using, to thicken the sauce. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker to high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
- When the time is up, remove the chicken to a plate. Add the shredded cheese and the cream cheese to the slow cooker and replace the lid. Let melt 10 minutes, then use an immersion blender to blend everything together.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and stir back into the soup. Serve hot with chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cheese, as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Anyone use chicken breasts with similar, good results? Also fresh tomates work fine?
It works fine that way.
This was soooo good!
Reminded me of a chicken tortilla soup that chilis used to have. I used one full jalapeno and one jalapeno minus seeds. I think I will add more heat next time.
We will definitely be making this one a regular on the rotation.
This looks wonderful! Could I use xantham gum as the thickener and if so, how much do you think? Thank you!
Use it in the same quantity.
I made this soup today on my stove top, it’s great!!! Thanks so much for all your great tasting keto recipes!!!
I didn’t even use a thickener and in a pinch used the meat from a rotisserie chicken. Also had no chili powder so used a little paprika. This was so delicious and I’ll def make it again.
Good to know. Did you add your chicken at the end or in the beginning?
We Love, love, love this soup! So good! It can be made with turkey leftovers….. just prep everything as per directions, EXCEPT add the cooked poultry At the End, after broth is done. Simmer to flavour the cooked poultry and voila! Thanks for figuring this one out Carolyn! mmmmm soup…….
Made this tonight and it was just delicious!!
I love it! So comforting and delicious! And really easy to make! Such a huge win!
I love all kinds of soup. This king ranch chicken soup is awesome and so easy to make. So cool it is keto!
Oh my goodness this looks so delicious and full of flavor! My family is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try!
Made this soup last evening and it’s a winner. Not only does it taste awesome, it made the whole house smell wonderful. I made it stove top with cut up chicken tenders. Thanks so much for all you do.
Not usually a soup fan, but this is delicious. One bit of advise for other minimally experienced cooks: if you are using a liner in your slow cooker, pour the soup into a large bowl before using the immersion blender! Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time and effort filtering out shreds of plastic.
Ohhh, I’ve never even used a liner at all. Thanks for the tip!
I’m soo glad you said this. I just started using my immersion blender and I always use the crockpot liners!
The soup caught my eyes at the first sign. It looks delicious!
I made this tonight! So delicious!
Can I use arrowroot powder to thicken?
Sure, it’s just higher in carbs.
Wow, what a terrific riff on King Ranch Casserole. This may be your best soup yet!