Quick Chicken Bacon Rice Soup

This Chicken Bacon Rice Soup is easy to make and comes together in just 25 minutes using only one pot! It’s thick and creamy and full of flavor!

Love a smoky soup with bacon? Try this White Bean Soup with Bacon next!

This is hands down one of the best soups I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a lot of soups! 

My husband’s favorite used to be this Smoky Sausage and Potato Chowder, but as it turns out, bacon wins every time.

Bacon takes everything to the next level, and with the juicy chicken and comforting rice, this soup is perfection. 

When I originally made this soup a while back, I remember thinking it took way too long.

I’ve since made some adjustments to make it quick and easy, so it’s perfect for those busy weeknight dinners. 

It’s the perfect comfort food for a rainy spring or cool fall day!

For more delicious soup recipes for soup season, check out my Sausage Potato Soup with Kale, Instant Pot White Chili Chicken Recipe, Ham and Potato Soup, and this Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup!

Ingredients Needed:

• Bacon: adds an irresistible smoky bacon flavor to the soup. Use your favorite kind! 
• Vegetables: a classic mirepoix of celery, carrots, and onion, brings wonderful savory flavors to this dish. 
• Seasoning: use a combination of freshly minced garlic, salt, dried parsley, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes to  
• Broth: I always use a low-sodium chicken broth so I can better control the salt content of dishes. 
• Chicken: use raw, boneless skinless chicken breasts for this soup. Boneless skinless chicken thighs will work, too.
• Rice: long grain white rice works best for this recipe, you can use other kinds of rice but the cook time may vary. 
• Milk: I used low-fat milk for this recipe, but you can use full-fat milk if you prefer for a richer flavor.
• Corn Starch: helps thicken the soup. 

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How to Make Creamy Chicken, Bacon, & Rice Soup

This recipe is quick and easy to make. Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.

1. Cook bacon: Cook bacon until starting to crisp. Remove bacon and set aside.
2. Saute vegetables: Saute celery, carrots, and onion until crisp-tender.

3. Add seasoning: Add garlic, salt, parsley, thyme, and red pepper flakes and toast with the vegetables.
4. Stir in the broth and chicken: Combine chicken breasts with the broth and add rice. Cover, and cook until chicken is done and rice is al dente.

5. Shred chicken: Remove the chicken and shred it.
6. Thicken soup and cook: Make a cornstarch slurry with the milk, and add it to the pot with the chicken. Cook until thickened, and add the bacon before serving.

Chicken Bacon Rice Soup FAQs

Tips and Notes

• Shredding chicken. You can use forks to shred chicken on a chopping board, or you can put the chicken in a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer on low speed to shred it. 
• Leftover chicken. I originally wrote this recipe using leftover rotisserie chicken, so I know it works great if you’ve made Instant Pot Shredded Chicken and have some extras, and even Thanksgiving turkey leftovers!

Chicken Bacon Rice Soup Variations

• Use other veggies. You can use other kinds of veggies in this recipe to suit your preferences. Try mushrooms, corn, and bell peppers.
• Fresh greens. You can also add in some baby spinach leaves near the end of the cooking time for extra nutrients if you like. Or use fresh basil or fresh parsley leaves for a different flavor.
• Swap the rice. Use wild rice or a wild rice blend to make this a creamy wild rice soup, or brown rice to add some more nutrients! Keep in mind that wild rice and brown rice both require a longer cook time and you may have to add additional liquid.
• Broth. Chicken broth has a great, warming flavor, but you can use vegetable broth or water with chicken bouillon added if you prefer. 
• Make it creamy. You can add a little bit of heavy cream to make this creamy soup even more decadent if you like. 
• Garnish. Garnish your soup with extra crispy bacon bits, chopped green onions, and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese for extra flavor! 

Serving Suggestions

This chicken soup is a hearty soup on it’s own, with chicken, rice, and veggies in the one pot, but we always love some bread on the side.

Some crusty bread would go perfectly, try my No Knead Artisan Bread, or these Homemade Breadsticks would work well too. 

You can also try this soup with my Garlic Bread or Garlic & Herb Dinner Rolls for more garlic flavor.

Turn it into a complete meal with more veggies on the side like Air Fryer Broccoli, Roasted Green Beans, and my Roasted Carrots.

More Delicious Soup Recipes To Try

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Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

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Pasta Fagioli (Pasta Fazool)

Dinner

Easy Taco Soup recipe

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Creamy Chicken Bacon Rice Soup

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 8 votes

Thick, creamy, and so satisfying, this homemade Chicken Bacon Rice Soup is super easy to make and comes together in just 25 minutes using only one pot!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Course Soup

Servings 6 servings

Calories 307cal

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 slices bacon (chopped)
• ▢ 2 ribs celery (chopped)
• ▢ 2 large carrots (chopped)
• ▢ 1 small onion diced finely
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt (reduce if using salted broth)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb. uncooked)
• ▢ 1 cup long grain white rice
• ▢ 1 cup low fat milk
• ▢ 1 tablespoon corn starch

US Customary – Metric

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Instructions

• In a large saucepan or soup pot (I used my Dutch ovem), cook the bacon for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat, until it starts to crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the celery, carrots and onion to the pot with the bacon grease and saute until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic, salt, parsley, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute, then add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Combine chicken broth with the chicken breasts (uncooked) and rice. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 12-14 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (it will reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F) and rice is al dente.
• Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred it.
• Whisk together milk and corn starch to make a cornstarch slurry and stir it into the pot with the shredded chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until thickened, and stir the bacon back in before serving.

Notes

Rice: My original recipe used instant rice, but I have adapted it. You can still use instant rice if you want though! Cook the chicken first, then add the chicken back in with the instant rice and cook until cooked through. Then add in the milk and flour.

Storage

This recipe is great for making ahead!

• Refrigerator: You can store this recipe, prepared, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep in mind that the rice will absorb more liquid and become softer, so you may prefer to cook the rice separately and add it in as you serve it.
• Freezer: Simply cool completely and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 307cal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 598mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3530IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1mg

Keywords chicken bacon rice soup

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