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This Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe is an essential in so many delicious dishes. Made with basic ingredients of butter, flour, chicken stock, milk and seasonings, you’ll turn to this cream of chicken soup recipe time and again.
There are so many family favorite recipes that call for cream of chicken soup, from my family’s favorite chicken and rice casserole, my Grandmother’s famous cornbread dressing and in our favorite chicken pot pie! YUM!
While I don’t have an issue with the convenience of opening a can of it from time to time, I do like to know more about what all is in the food I prepare for my family and realistically, I like being able to whip up a batch myself with just a few simple ingredients that I always have on hand.
How to Make Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
You’ll only need a few refrigerator and pantry staple ingredients for this recipe.
- Chicken stock – You can use my favorite homemade chicken stock recipe or a good quality organic chicken stock of your choice. You’ll need 3 cups (24-ounces).
- Flour – You can use your favorite all-purpose flour. Whole-wheat and gluten-free also work well.
- Milk – You can use your favorite milk or dairy-free milk. I like to use whole milk, 2% milk, but if making for someone who is dairy sensitive, I will use a dairy-free milk for them.
- Seasonings – You can adjust the seasonings to your personal preference. I like to add salt, pepper, garlic power, and onion powder.
How to Use Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup (Quick and Easy Method)
- Bring chicken stock to boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat.
- Whisk together flour and milk until the flour has completely dissolved into the milk. Slowly pour the flour mixture into the boiling chicken stock, whisking constantly. Continue to cook until the cream of chicken soup has thickened, being sure to continually stir to keep the soup smooth and creamy.
- Remove from the heat and stir in any seasonings.
How to Make Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe (Roux Method)
If making using this method, you will need 3 tablespoons of butter in addition to the ingredients above.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over low heat. Whisk in half the flour until smooth and cook until the flour has turned a sandy brown color. Whisk in the remaining flour until well combined.
- Whisk in the chicken stock and milk, 1 cup at a time, whisking until smooth.
- Simmer, whisking frequently, until the cream of chicken soup has thickened.
Can You Make Ahead Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup?
This soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Can You Freeze Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup?
Yes! To freeze, allow the soup to cool completely and then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
To use, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, allow to reach room temperature prior to using, or defrost in the microwave on 50% at 20-second intervals, stirring between each interval.
How to Use as a Canned Condensed Cream of Chicken Substitute
You can use this homemade soup in any recipe that calls for condensed cream of chicken soup.
This recipe yields 4 cups (32 ounces) of homemade cream of chicken soup. I use 2 cups of my homemade cream of chicken soup in recipes that generally call for one can of cream of chicken soup.
Here’s my homemade cream of chicken soup recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Roux Method
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (divided), regular, whole-wheat, or gluten-free
- 3 cups (24 ounces) chicken stock or broth homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup milk whole, half and half, cream, or favorite dairy-free milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder optional
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder optional
Quick and Easy Method
- 3 cups chicken stock or broth homemade or store-bought
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour regular, whole-wheat, or gluten-free
- 1 cup milk whole, half and half, cream, or favorite dairy-free milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion power optional
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder optional
Instructions
Roux Method
- Heat butter in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk until smooth. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, until a light sandy color, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add remaining flour to the butter mixture. Whisk until well combined. Add chicken stock and milk to butter mixture slowly, about 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until it is thick and creamy.
- Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper and onion and garlic powder, if using.
Quick and Easy Method
- Bring chicken stock to boil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.
- Whisk together the flour and milk until the flour has completely dissolved in the milk. When the chicken stock has reached a rolling boil, slowly whisk the flour mixture into the boiling chicken stock, whisking constantly. Cook until the cream of chicken soup has thickened, about 8 more minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper, onion, and garlic powder, if using.
Notes
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Delicious and easy to make! This is my go to recipe for my chicken pot pies.
Thanks, Alisha!
i just made this, roux style. Very delicious. Added a few pieces of canned chicken. I did have to thicken it more in the end. But very tasty.
So easy, and tastes just like the canned, without all of the harmful junk added in! I will be using this indefinitely. Thank you!
Two questions. Often canned soups are diluted with milk in recipes. Should this be? An earlier comment never received a direct comment. Also, in one place you say this will last a week in the fridge; in another, two. Which is it? I use canned soups often, but don’t often have them on hand. Thank you!
Michael, I don’t dilute this soup. In the section, How to Use as a Canned Condensed Cream of Chicken Substitute, I state that I use 2 cups of my homemade cream of chicken soup in recipes that generally call for one can of cream of chicken soup. This soup will last in the refrigerator for one week. Thanks for catching that.
Robyn, would it be possible to can this soup in a pressure canner?
Pam, I have never tried canning this soup so I can’t tell you how it would turn out.