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Whether you are searching for a substitute for cream of chicken soup because you think the cans are kind of gross, or you want a cream of chicken substitute because you forgot to snag a can at the store, this recipe is exactly what you need! It’s easy and nearly as fast as cracking open a can of glop.
Alright, I admit it. I sometimes make casseroles or other dishes using that weird, gloppy cream of whatever soup from a can. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s cheap.
For the most part, though, I try to make my own cream soups for use in those recipes. Not only is this healthier than the salty canned goo, it’s also super (souper!) simple.
If you’re trying to make your dinner healthier, you’ll love this cream of chicken soup substitute!
Not to mention, sometimes I just don’t have cream of anything in my pantry and I’m too lazy to get to the store. I pretty much always have the ingredients to make this on hand. Although, I will admit, there have been times when I didn’t have chicken stock and (I can’t believe I’m admitting this) I just used salty water. It’s true. I substituted salty water for chicken broth. Don’t kick me out of the food bloggers’ club, okay?
Check out this Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole using this cream of chicken soup substitute and you can put it to the test yourself.
This substitute for cream of chicken soup recipe is equal to one can of soup.
Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. When melted, whisk in the flour and continue whisking until smooth and bubbly.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly, until the soup thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Steph says
Hi, have you tried using this in a crock pot recipe? I’m making a chicken, veg, and noodle dish (chicken and dumplings, but noodles instead of dumplings), and I don’t want to use the cream cheese the recipe calls for. I think I will try this and see how it turns out. Thanks!
Karly says
Hi Steph! We use this pretty often, but I can’t think specifically of when we used it in the crockpot. How’d it work for you?
thatgaljill says
Almost easier than opening a can. I subbed heavy cream for the milk and added 1.5 tsp of chicken bullion instead of salt.
Carol says
I discovered that I did not have a can of cream of chicken soup when I started the recipe. This is a staple I always have on hand. I Googled what to substitute and this recipe came up. What a life saver and saved a trip to the store. It worked perfect.
Karly says
Glad it worked out for you, Carol!
Jeff Van Pelt says
Thanks. Making a Hash Brown Casserole this morning and realizes that I forgot the cream of chicken. Was going to use cream of mushroom but searched and found this for a substitute…
Waaaay better than canned with our own broth and only took 5 minutes.
We’ll do that all the time now.
Thanks again.
Karly says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Jeff!
Orion says
This worked out really well as the base for my casserole, and I used veg bouillon instead of chicken stock. Thanks!
ymh says
I am glad to have found this recipe. I stop playing what’s in a can of “cream of chicken, mushroom, celery and broccoli” the amount of sodium is horrible! I just stoping them years ago. It’s a rainy cool day so I wanted to make chicken soup without all of strange ingredients and tons of sodium. I will be writing this down and adding it to my recipe drawer.
Karly says
Thanks!
Gemma says
Just wondering if I could substitute almond flour to make this more keto friendly?
Karly says
No, almond flour doesn’t have gluten, which is what causes this to thicken up.
Kathi says
This was just the right time for me to see this. With this current situation and canned soups flying off the shelves this is just what I needed to see. I have been buying Healthy Request soups because of the no MSG and low sodium – but I like this idea a lot more. Thank you so much for posting it.
Karly says
Hope you give it a try and enjoy! 🙂
Laura in ME says
This recipe saved dinner!
I even had to substitute the ingredients in the recipe. My cupboards were full but there’s only two of us so things like milk go bad fast… so I used half n half, and instead of chicken stock….I know right?!… I used the juice from a can of chicken chunks and just mixed it up for tomorrow’s lunch.
Delicious and super fast and easy! Already added this to my recipe box!
Thank you!
Karly says
Glad it saved dinner for you! Very creative with your substitutes there. Haha! 🙂
BDayv says
This was fantastic! It worked like a charm in my recipe for a casserole!
Karly says
Oh good! Thanks for sharing!
Terry Vasey says
Just what I was looking for – grat recipe
Candace Owens says
Thank you so much!
My dish actually came out better.
Karly says
Love to hear that!
Jess F. says
Have you ever made this ahead of time & kept it in the fridge for a day or 2? Does it keep ok or should I always make it when I need it? (Just curious!)
Karly says
Hi Jess! It should be fine for a day or two in the fridge, but I wouldn’t keep it much longer than that. I haven’t tried using it cold, but I do think it would work fine.
Patricia R. says
Used this for Christmas when I was making cheesy potatoes. I decided to make a double batch but only bought one can of soup. This worked great. I haven’t bought a can of creamed soup in years and now I won’t have to again. Thanks!
Karly says
So glad to hear that!
Dianne says
Is this the equivalent to a can of “condensed” cream of chicken soup?
Karly says
Yep!