Whether you eat keto or not, this zesty queso keto chicken soup is my new favorite for chilly nights. You can make it in the slow cooker or instant pot and it's creamy, slightly spicy and full of flavor. 
While I'm ready for winter to be over, I'm never ready for soup season to end. This queso chicken soup is creamy and smooth and packs a big punch of flavor from the use of salsa verde in the soup base.
You can make this as low carb or high carb as you'd like, too! This chicken queso soup would be great with the addition of some black beans and frozen corn. Serving it up with some tortilla chips is also delicious!
I'm very non-committedly trying to eat keto for a while (with lots of help from these delicious little peanut butter balls) so I keep the recipe as is and eat with a good serving of diced avocado and Monterrey jack cheese. I'm pretty sure I could live off this soup... or this creamy chicken one when I'm not eating keto. I clearly have a thing for creamy soups.
Making Chicken Keto Soup in the Instant Pot
This chicken queso soup can be made quickly in the Instant pot and it's definitely my favorite way to make it! Directions for doing so are in the recipe card below.
Making Queso Chicken Soup in the Slow Cooker
When I think ahead this recipe is great in the slow cooker, too. Just throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on low for at least 6 hours or until the chicken shreds easily. This recipe is pretty similar to my green salsa chicken soup with hominy, so if you want a soup that is a little less creamy and lighter you should try it!
Recipe Tips for this Queso Keto Chicken Soup
- Adding ingredients: like I mentioned above, if you don't need this soup to be low-carb, this soup is great with the addition of black beans and frozen corn. Just add them in with the rest of the soup ingredients and cook as directed.
- The recipe calls for salsa verde or green salsa. Note that prepared salsa verde can vary greatly in heat. I've found that Herdez brand has a medium heat that my family can handle. La Costena is another brand I've used and liked.
Can I use Neufchatel Cheese instead of full-fat Cream Cheese?
Neufchatel cheese is very similar to cream cheese but is a bit moister and has a lower fat content (⅓ fat) of regular cream cheese. I haven't tried using it in this recipe specifically, but have in other soup recipes with success. It may be a bit harder to incorporate into the soup, so you may have to put a little bit of muscle into it, but it should melt fully and leave you with a soup that is lower in fat. I do not advise using fat-free cream cheese, however.
Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like
- Chicken lo mein recipe
- Pesto Parmesan Chicken
- Easy Chicken Cacciatore
- Smothered Chicken Breast
- Honey Dijon Chicken Thighs
- garlic chicken thighs
- Ranch Chicken Marinade
- Simple Grilled Chicken Recipe
- Barbecue Chicken
- Wingers Sticky Fingers
- Sweet Chili Sauce Chicken
- Oven Fried Chicken Breast
- Chicken Ricotta
- Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
Other Soup and Stew Recipes You Might Like
- Southwest Potato Corn Chowder
- Award Winning Best Crockpot chili recipe
- Crockpot Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup
- Thai Ramen
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Chicken Salsa Chili
- BBQ Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Chicken Dumpling Soup
Zesty Queso Keto Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 28 ounces petite diced tomatoes not drained
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup salsa verde or green salsa
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- avocado and monterrey jack cheese for topping
Instructions
Instant Pot:
- Place chicken, taco seasoning, tomatoes with juices, salt, chicken broth, and green salsa in Instant Pot. Set to manual mode and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Allow pressure to release naturally (about 15 minutes), remove and shred the chicken. Set aside.
- Stir softened cream cheese into the soup in the pot and whisk until fully melted into the soup. Return chicken to the soup and serve with diced avocado and monterrey jack cheese.
Slow Cooker:
- Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or until the chicken is tender and shreds easily. Whisk cream cheese into the broth fully if needed after cooking time is up.
Andrea says
Thanks Heather, this looks absolutely gorgeous! Can you please advise the carbs per serving? I have looked everywhere I can't find it! Sorry if I have missed it. Thanks so much
Julie says
Excellent, easy and filling. Best low carb soup I’ve made. I double it for a meal the whole family enjoys...thank you.
Jac says
LOVE IT!! I am on Keto/l low carb diet, so it is challenging sometimes to find food that my kids also love. This soup delivers!! I made it for the in-laws, and they were so hooked that they bought an instant pot.
Gil says
So delicious, i made it! I wanted to make it two days in a row.
Barbara says
Just made it, it was really good. My son (who’s not on keto liked it as well). Quick and easy I’ll definitely make again.
Laura Heiser says
This was a very easy recipe to make. Great flavor. I used homemade taco seasoning that I added a bit of extra heat to. My husband had a second helping. Will definately make again.
Faye says
Hi Paul.. I think the carbs mostly come from the tomatoes. And it is a serving of 6. Also, another commenter seems critical of the 'processed' seasoning, when in fact, the recipe poster kindly gave a recipe on how to make your own taco seasoning. The ingredients in this recipe is minimal, and should be easy enough to work out the macros with a quick Google search... Thanks to the recipe poster, I'm trying this out today although I had to tweak it somewhat. I don't have salsa Verde. ?
Susan says
What is the fiber count for this recipe?
Liz says
I loved this soup. There are so many chicken soups I have tried that are similar but this one was so easy, had an amazing flavor and the perfect amount of spice. Thank you! This will be our go to now!
Maria says
Processed seasoning...
Faye says
If you're referring to the taco seasoning, did you click the link to make your own?
Paul Thomas says
Looks good. Can't wait to make it.... but I do have a question on the Carb and Sugar count for this recipe. I am not seeing in the ingredients where all the sugars and carbs are coming from. (Sugar 9 g ???) I'm newer to Keto and am trying to stay in ketosis as much as possible. Mahalo for your help....
Maria says
Processed seas dining packets likely contain sugars. The only other possibility would be the dairy ?
Rochelle Edwards says
I don't understand why there are so many carbs when everything that was used is low carb 14 how many net carbs is this soup.
Mary says
Thank you for sharing this. Can’t wait to try it! Anything spicy, creamy, and full of protein is a total plus for me.