Get my Cookbooks! Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe
This homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe is an easy substitute for condensed soup and adds comforting home cooked flavor to your favorite casseroles and soups. It’s also freezer-friendly and easy to make!
Be sure to try my homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup next!
Cream of Chicken Soup
I literally stood in my kitchen with an open can of condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, and a pot of this homemade version, and took a spoon to each one to perform a very serious taste-test to compare the two.
All of a sudden, I was hyper-aware as to how processed it tasted from a can compared to the soothing and comforting homemade version.
Since this recipe is freezer-friendly and can be easily stored in can-sized portions, I think we should all try to take our cooking to the next level by making our favorite casseroles and soups with this Cream of Chicken Soup recipe whenever we “can”. 😂
(That was terrible, and I’m sorry.)
How to Make it
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Let it fully melt and begin to foam. This allows the water in the butter to cook off which will create a smoother consistency.
Gradually sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 3-5 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste. It will become the consistency of wet sand.
Remove from heat. Add 1/3 of the chicken broth, whisk well. Whisk in 1/3 more, until combined. Finally, whisk in the rest. Temper the milk by microwaving it for 45 seconds, slowly add it to the saucepan and whisk to combine.
Add the seasonings. Add to medium-high heat to thicken it back up.
Whisk continuously as it increases in temperature and reaches near-boiling point. It will become very thick. Remove from heat immediately once it’s thickened. It will thicken even more as it sits.
PRO TIP: Run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to make it super smooth, just like a can of condensed soup.
This strainer is also a perfect tool for making homemade chicken stock, or to run oil through if you want to reuse it after making a batch of fried chicken or french fries. It’s a great investment in the kitchen.
Using as a Substitute for Condensed Soup
- This recipe serves as a direct substitute for canned Cream of Chicken soup.
- 1 batch= two (10.5 oz.) cans of soup, each can is about 1 + 1/4 cups.
- I recommend storing these in freezable soup containers.
Using as a Base for Homemade Soup
My Homemade Chicken Stew recipe is a perfect way to put this recipe to use, as it uses a can of Cream of Chicken Soup as a base. It’s also Stove Top, Crock Pot, and Instant Pot friendly. (Check out the reviews, it’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog!)
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 4 months.
Recipes That Use Cream of Chicken Soup
See my complete collection here.
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- Chicken Divan
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- Chicken Tetrazzini
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- Creamy Chicken Stew
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- Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing
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- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
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- Chicken Noodle Casserole
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 chicken bouillon cube, or 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon. (Optional- see notes.)
- 1 cup milk, preferably whole but any kind works
- ⅓ teaspoon EACH: celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper
Instructions
- Note: It’s important to whisk continuously throughout this process to ensure the smoothest possible consistency.
- Temper the milk by microwaving it for 45 seconds. This prevents curdling but also prevents lumps from forming when it’s added. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Let it fully melt and wait until it starts to foam, about 3 minutes.
- Gradually add the flour, whisk continuously for 3-5 minutes, until it’s the consistency of wet sand. Remove from heat.
- Add 1/3 of the chicken broth and whisk well. Add 1/3 more, whisk well.
- Add the remaining chicken broth, chicken bouillon, warm milk, and seasonings, whisk continuously.
- Return to heat and bring to a near boil. Continue to whisk until it begins to get very thick. Immediately remove from heat.
- Soup will continue to thicken upon standing.
- If possible, run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer for a super-smooth consistency.
- Use as a direct substitute for condensed cream of chicken soup, this recipe makes enough for two (10.5 oz.) cans.
Notes
Reducing Sodium: You can use unsalted butter and reduced sodium chicken broth and bouillon to lower the salt content. You can also refrain from adding salt as a seasoning.
Storage:
- Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 4 months. Mixture may separate slightly once reheated but whisking will correct that.
- I recommend storing these in freezable soup containers.
- This soup cannot be canned as it contains dairy.
Be sure to try my homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup next!
Nutrition
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I am planning on making this tonight only halfing the recipe and using no salt bullion, broth and butter. What are the calories per 1/2 cup serving. The calories listed seem like for the whole recipe. Is that so?
Hi Valerie, the calories are for 1/2 of the recipe (there are 2 “cans” in this recipe, so the nutritional facts are per “can”). I would enter the ingredients in a calorie app (like My Fitness Pal), if you want updated nutritional information based on the changes you’re making to the recipe.
This was awesome! I changed it a little though. I only used a 1/4 cup of flour, 1 can of chicken broth (which was a little less than 2 cups), and a cup of heavy cream instead of the milk. I wanted to make a turkey pot pie with our leftover turkey. I usually use a can of cream of chicken soup but I was out, so I tried this. It is so good! I will make it again sometime to eat by itself!
I’m so happy you were able to use this instead of a can Elaine! When I started using homemade soups in my recipes I noticed it made every meal so much better. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and review!❤️
I had to have cream of chicken soup for a recipe and was out so I used this recipe. It was so good!! I will be making it again just for the soup itself! Thank you!
I’m so happy this was able to get you out of a jam. I was in a similar situation when I realized I could make it at home. Such a lifesaver and tastes so much better. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Mine became a big “blob” it was way too thick, it look more like a paste..where did i go wrong?
I think the heat was on too high, you can still save it and reheat it and add more liquid to thin it out. There is a how-to video on the blog post if that helps! 🙂
Thank you! My granddaughter has celiac disease (worse case that Mayo clinic has ever seen) and I was wanting to make a casserole for Sunday lunch but it called for cream of chicken soup, which is NOT gluten free. I searched to find a recipe that I could use, substituting a gluten free flour, and came across your recipe. Even without using the bouillon (those are not gluten free), it still has a great taste. Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome Margaret. I’m so happy you can serve this to your granddaughter! Thanks so much for the great review!❤️
You can also take chicken stock and reduce it down to 1/4 it’s volume buy simply boiling on the stove. This will help concentrate the chicken. Flavor and no bouillon needed. I’m also a celiac patient and learned little ways around that bouillon problem.
Can you substitute gluten-free flour for regular flour?
Hi Jenni, previous commenters have said that they’ve successfully made that substitution, so you should be good to go! 🙂 Enjoy! -Stephanie
I needed cream if chicken for my chicken divan and didn’t have any. This worked great and taste good. Thank you.
You’re very welcome Christy! I’m so happy this one got you out of a pinch. I love the taste from homemade soups so much better than store bought! Thanks so much for commenting!😃
This was seriously so good! Easy to make, and tastes delicious. – it will definitely be my go-to for replacing canned soup. Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear that Kristin! It’s so great saying goodbye to canned soup. Thanks so much for the review!😃
I made this with mostly gluten free flour and plant based butter, mostly too, and it was delicious. This is sooooo much more flavorful than the condensed one from a can. It will, no doubt, be my go to recipe for all my creamed chicken recipes. Thanks! P.S., I didn’t even have to strain it!
I’m so happy this is your new go to recipe for cream of chicken soup! Thanks so much for the great comments Sandra!❤️
This was great love how easy it comes together! I don’t have a microwave so I just heated the milk in the pot I used and put it into a measuring cup, cleaned the pot and started there! Thanks for the point about room temp it was helpful! I will be using this from now on
You’re very welcome Vanessa!💖 I’m so happy to hear you found the tips helpful. I appreciate the great review!