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    Home / Recipes / Slow Cooker

    Zesty Queso Keto Chicken Soup

    By Heather · Published: Feb 12, 2018 · Updated: Mar 22, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · See the privacy policy linked in my footer.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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. Instant Pot Chicken Queso Soup In bowl

    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.

    Instant Pot Chicken Queso Soup

    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!

    Instant Pot chicken Queso soup

    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

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    • Wingers Sticky Fingers
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    • Oven Fried Chicken Breast
    • Chicken Ricotta
    • Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

    Other Soup and Stew Recipes You Might Like

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    Instant Pot chicken Queso soup

    Zesty Queso Keto Chicken Soup

    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. 
    By Heather Cheney
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings

    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. 

    Nutrition Facts

    Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 237 kcal

    Nutrition and Food Safety Disclosure

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Andrea says

      January 31, 2021 at 11:34 pm

      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

      Reply
    2. Julie says

      January 27, 2021 at 12:22 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent, easy and filling. Best low carb soup I’ve made. I double it for a meal the whole family enjoys...thank you.

      Reply
    3. Jac says

      August 28, 2020 at 3:43 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    4. Gil says

      June 05, 2020 at 8:33 am

      5 stars
      So delicious, i made it! I wanted to make it two days in a row.

      Reply
    5. Barbara says

      February 08, 2020 at 7:17 pm

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
    6. Laura Heiser says

      January 20, 2020 at 5:33 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    7. Faye says

      November 10, 2019 at 1:47 am

      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. ?

      Reply
    8. Susan says

      October 21, 2019 at 8:53 am

      What is the fiber count for this recipe?

      Reply
    9. Liz says

      October 09, 2019 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    10. Maria says

      October 06, 2019 at 8:00 am

      Processed seasoning...

      Reply
      • Faye says

        November 10, 2019 at 1:34 am

        If you're referring to the taco seasoning, did you click the link to make your own?

        Reply
    11. Paul Thomas says

      September 23, 2019 at 4:27 pm

      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....

      Reply
      • Maria says

        October 06, 2019 at 7:58 am

        Processed seas dining packets likely contain sugars. The only other possibility would be the dairy ?

        Reply
        • Rochelle Edwards says

          October 31, 2019 at 7:14 pm

          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.

    12. Mary says

      September 17, 2019 at 8:39 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing this. Can’t wait to try it! Anything spicy, creamy, and full of protein is a total plus for me.

      Reply
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