All the flavors of Jalapeño Poppers but in soup form. This easy instant pot recipe is ready in less than 1 hour and packed with spicy cheesy goodness. This Chicken Jalapeño Popper Soup is a keto friendly recipe perfect for the all the soup lovers in your life.
Jalapeño Popper Soup…please tell me more!!
Jalapeño Poppers are the fried bar snack that I always loved and miss since starting keto. Crispy breaded or battered jalapeños stuffed with a variety of cheeses and meats. Cream cheese is normally the base of the filling. Other cheeses like cheddar and Monterey Jack are also mixed in. When it comes the meats I’ve seen everything from chorizo to bacon but chicken seems to be most commonly used. Turning this popular appetizer into a soup was a pretty natural transition.
Using the cream cheese and cheddar as the thickener for the soup worked perfectly and dicing up the onions and jalapeños allies the flavors to be evenly dispersed throughout the soup. Boneless skinless chicken thighs cooked in the instant pot shred easily and add great texture to the recipe. You can also use chicken breasts if you prefer but I find that as they cook they shred they can be a bit dry. Thighs are almost always my go to chicken for soups and casseroles.
Can I make this recipe without an Instant Pot.
Well of course you can. I recommend one of two methods if you don’t have an Instant Pot. The first is to use a Crockpot. The recipe will take closer to 4-5 hours but if time isn’t an issue than slow cooking is a great option. The second method I would recommend would be an Enameled Cast Iron or a Dutch oven. Long before the convenience of modern appliances people actually had to stand over a pot for hours at a time stirring and watching the temperature so not to burn their soup. Preparing this recipe using a classic method does give you the most control in cooking.
I recommend using the Instant Pot or a traditional Dutch oven over the crock pot for one main reason. Searing, even though the crockpot is no doubt the easiest method. Being able to sauté the onions and jalapeño then browning the chicken give the final dish a far superior flavor and mouthfeel. When you caramelize the onions and jalapenos then sear the chicken you really elevate the flavors in these ingredients. For More Instant Pot Goodness Checkout this Chipotle BBQ Chicken w/ Bleu Cheese Coleslaw Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 4 cups Chicken Bone Broth
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
- ¼ cup Sliced Scallions
- ½ cup Diced White Onion
- 4 Sliced Jalapeños
- ¼ cup Chopped Cilantro
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tsp Tabasco Sauce
- 2 tsp Real salt
- 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
Instructions
- Using sauté setting on the instant pot cook diced onions and jalapeño until softened then add whole chicken thighs and brown on both sides.
- And chicken broth and cream then put on the lid and set for 10 minutes on the poultry setting. As soon as the timer goes off quick release the steam so Chicken does overcook. Remove the chicken and shred.
- Once you have released the pressure the default setting of the instant pot is "keep warm" which is the perfect temperature for adding the cream cheese. Whisk until smooth. Then add seasonings, hot sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. Next Whisk in the Xanthan gum.
- Finally add the scallions and chopped cilantro along with shredded chicken. Stir to combine.
Nutrition
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My husband and I are both unable to eat cilantro. (It tastes like soap to us.) Can you recommend a substitution? I really want to try this recipe. It looks absolutely yummy (as do all of your recipes).
Thanks so much.
Parsley is always my substitution for cilantro. or just skip it. you can skip it and not mess up the recipe
When you shred chicken and add cream cheese, what do you set the insta pot to? I see sauté, then poultry, but with cook time of 1 hour, what setting is for the remaining time needed? Also, is the remaining time an additional 50 minutes?
So the cook time of 1 hour is an estimated time for the entire cooking process. Though you set the Instant pot for ten minutes it actually takes a lot longer to build up pressure before the timer actually starts. then after you release the pressure the instant pot default setting is to keep warm which is perfect for adding the cream cheese and cheddar. Ill add that to be more specific. thanks for checking out the recipe
Can I freeze the leftovers?
Yes, when you reheat. let the soup thaw out and reheat in a pot on low, if it boils the soup will break and become oily. thanks for checking out the recipe!!
I plan to halve the recipe (using only 1 pound of chicken). How should I adjust the time?
It is getting cold here tonight and my husband and I cannot WAIT to try this recipe. Thanks so much.
Probably 8 minutes instead of ten, won’t Mae too much difference. thanks for checking out the recipe !!!
This soup is absolutely AMAZING!!! My husband had two bowls. I was a tad hesitant to include all the Tabasco and peppers, but the combination was perfect.
Thank you for such an easy and delicious meal. Keep them coming, please.
Fantastic!! Glad you enjoyed!!!
I made this tonight!! It is amazing!!?
Fantastic!! So Glad you liked it!!! Thank you
When do you add the Xanthum gum?
I just updated the recipe. the Xanthan gum is added right at the end after you whisk in all the cheeses. thanks for catching that.
Delicious and filling! I had leftover chicken from a couple of nights ago so used all of the little pieces I had picked off the bones so it wasn’t thigh meat. And no Insta-Pot so I did it on the stove top. Quick, easy and so, so good! I’ll get green onions for the leftovers but skipping the cilantro.
Thats awesome to hear!! thank you!!!