This Jalapeño Popper Soup is keto, creamy, and packed with all the best flavors of classic Jalapeño Poppers.
This soup is truly the best of both worlds; whether you enjoy it as a main dish or appetizer, this jalapeño popper soup comes together in less than 1 hour thanks to the Instant Pot.
Sweater weather is around the corner and this Keto Chicken Jalapeño Popper Soup is the perfect keto-friendly recipe for Fall, cool days or nights, and all the soup lovers in your life.
Easy Jalapeño Popper Soup
Jalapeño Poppers are a classic fried bar snack that I absolutly love but deeply missed when following the keto diet. Crispy breaded or battered jalapeños stuffed with a variety of cheeses and meats.
What is a Jalapeno Popper made of?
A traditional jalapeno popper is something you've probably enjoyed at a local bar or pub or during football season as it makes the perfect game-day snack.
The creamy and dreamy stuffing is normally cream cheese with a mix of other cheeses like cheddar and Monterey Jack mixed in. When it comes to the protein or the added crunch, I’ve seen everything from chorizo to bacon but, when it comes to jalapeno soup, chicken seems to be most commonly used.
Jalapeño Popper Soup Ingredients
Chicken: For this recipe, I used 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs. If you aren't a fan of thighs, you can also make this same recipe with boneless skinless chicken breast.
Jalapenos: To make jalapeno popper soup, you are going to need 4 sliced jalapeños. I find that 4 peppers will give you a great taste without being overwhelming. However, if you are looking to turn up the heat you can add more or make sure you leave some seeds.
Dairy: The base of this creamy soup is 2 cups of heavy cream, 8 oz of cream cheese, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Using cream cheese and cheddar as the rich and creamy base will give you a thickener soup.
Soup Base: Other ingredients needed to form the soup base and bold flavor include 2 tbsp of butter, 2 tsp of tabasco sauce, 2 tsp of real salt, and 1 tsp of xanthan gum.
Vegetables: Create balance in your soup by adding ¼ cup of sliced scallions, ½ cup of diced white onion, and ¼ cup of chopped cilantro.
Broth: Every soup needs a tasty brothy base. To achieve that, you are going to need 4 cups of chicken bone broth. Now, I like using bone broth, but you can also use chicken stock or checking broth; whatever you prefer.
How to Make Jalapeño Popper Soup
Saute. Using sauté setting on the instant pot cook diced onions and jalapeño until softened then add whole chicken thighs and brown on both sides.
Cook and shred chicken. 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 the Chicken does not overcook. Remove the chicken and shred.
Whisk ingredients. 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 salt, hot sauce, and shredded cheddar cheese. Next whisk in the Xanthan gum.
Stir and combine. Finally, add the scallions and chopped cilantro along with shredded chicken. Stir to combine.
Tasty Toppings
Looking to elevate your jalapeno popper soup? Consider adding sliced avocado, crushed keto tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream, a lime wedge, fresh lime juice, and/or some chopped crispy bacon.
If vegetables are more your style, consider adding some sliced or chopped mushrooms into the soup and add a sprinkle of them to the top before serving.
What to serve with Jalapeno Soup
Whether you are serving up your soup as an appetizer or main meal, you can pair it with a fresh green salad or a wedge of keto bread, or a handful of keto crackers.
What type of chicken should you use?
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 jalapeño popper soup without an Instant Pot?
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 then slow cooking is a fantastic cooking 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 as not to burn their soup.
Preparing this recipe using a classic method does give you the most control in cooking your soup.
Instant Pot or Dutch Oven?
I recommend using the Instant Pot or a traditional Dutch oven over a Crock Pot for one main reason.
Searing.
Even though the CrockPot is without a doubt one of the easiest cooking methods, being able to sauté the onions and jalapeño and then browning the chicken gives the final dish a far superior flavor and mouthfeel.
When you caramelize the onions and jalapenos and then sear the chicken you really elevate the flavors in these ingredients.
If you love your InstaPot as much as I do, make sure to check out another great recipe - Chipotle BBQ Chicken w/ Bleu Cheese Coleslaw.
How hot is a Jalapeno Popper?
A jalapeno popper is designed and made to be spicy. However, the heat of the pepper gets reduced by the cheesy filling and tasty toppings!
What is the difference between Jalapeno Peppers and Serrano Peppers?
Although similar, jalapeno peppers and serrano peppers are different! Before you go grocery shopping and grab items off the shelf, let's make sure you have the right pepper!
Jalapeno peppers are short and stout. They tend to be fatter than a serrano pepper and slightly darker.
Serrano peppers are also hot green peppers, but they are longer in size and skinnier than a jalapeno.
The biggest thing to note here is that Serrano peppers are roughly 5x spicier than jalapenos so, substitute with caution.
How to Store Leftover Jalapeno Popper Soup
Your leftover soup will make for a great leftover meal for about 7 days or 1 week after you make it.
Truthfully, I really enjoy having this soup as a leftover because I find that after the soup sits for a couple of days, the flavors marinate together nicely and taste even better!
Can leftover soup be put in the freezer?
Yes, if you'd like to make the soup and store it in smaller containers to pull out as needed, that will work just fine after it has been fully cooked.
If you are looking to enjoy your frozen leftover soup, I recommend defrosting it overnight in the fridge and reheating it in a saucepan. If you don't have a saucepan or don't have access to one, you can also reheat in the microwave if you are in a pinch.
More Low Carb Recipes
Chicken Jalapeno Popper Soup
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 doesn't 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 salt, 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!!!
Can’t wait to make this! One question, in step 3 you say to add seasonings but in the ingredient list the only seasoning I see is salt. Are there other seasonings I should consider adding?
Thanks!
Its just salt. I changed the direction so it makes more sense. If you like it extra spicy you could add cayenne pepper though or black pepper
Please I would like instructions for the crockpot for this soup, thank you
Just add the ingredients into the crockpot and cook for about 3 hours on medium until the chicken shreds, then follow the remaining instructions
If I’m trying to skip the land meat, do you think shrimp would be good in this? If so, any suggestions?
Thanks!
Shrimp or crab would be fantastic, just make sure to add them in at the end because they have a tendency to overcook very easily