Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
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Feast on hearty, soul-warming bacon cheeseburger soup. Combine the comfort of an iconic duo – a classic cheeseburger with smoky, crispy bacon. Savor the richness and aroma of this timeless cheeseburger chowder. Assemble it on stovetop in 45 minutes, or in a crockpot.
🍲 Why This Recipe’s a Keeper
It’s meaty, cheesy, hearty and satisfying. Get ready to elevate your soup game and savor the magic of bacon cheeseburger soup in every spoonful. Here’s why this recipe’s a keeper.
- American comfort food. It’s warm, creamy and satisfying with a taste that’s both familiar and extraordinary. A delicious, classic meal for cold-weather days.
- Family-Friendly. A flavorful dish that appeals to a wide range of tastes, making it a go-to recipe for family meals where everyone can enjoy a bowl of comfort. Even picky eaters. Let the kids garnish their own bowls of soup with crispy bacon bits, shredded cheese, green onions, and tasty bun croutons.
- Effortless Preparation: With simple ingredients and straightforward steps, this recipe’s a breeze to make. It’s an excellent choice for busy days when you crave a hearty, homemade meal that’s exciting, but without all the fuss.
- Plenty of Add-in Options. To make an even healthier soup, you can add corn, sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, peas or green beans. And for a bit of heat, you can garnish the top with diced or sliced jalapeños.
- Stovetop or Crockpot: Prep cheeseburger soup on stovetop in 10 minutes, then let it cook for 30 minutes. Or make it in a slow cooker – find easy crockpot instructions below.
- Make-ahead Recipe. Assemble this cheeseburger chowder on your day off and refrigerate for up to 4 days (or freeze in a thick zip-top bag). Then re-warm it on a day when you need a fast meal that will transport you to burger heaven.
🛒 Ingredients
For the Soup
- Bacon: For the best flavor and texture, use thick-sliced bacon. To keep things lean, take a pair of kitchen sheers and slice off (and discard) the fatty ends. For hamburger soup without pork, just leave out the bacon.
- Lean Ground Beef: My choice is ground sirloin – 90% beef with just 10% fat. But if desired, feel free to use ground chicken or turkey instead.
- Baby Carrots: A classic addition for soup with ground beef. It adds color and substance. For a nutritious meal, it’s important to include veggies.
- Celery Hearts: Are a healthy ingredient for cheeseburger chowder. We love it for it’s mild taste, chunkiness, and green color.
- Onion: Adds delicious flavor with a light amount of sweetness.
- Garlic: Adds a delicious rustic taste that pairs well with the other ingredients in this bacon cheeseburger soup. If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, feel free to use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder instead.
- BBQ Sauce: Adds a rich, smoky, tangy flavor to this creamy hamburger soup. It makes it taste more meaty.
- Dried Parsley: Has as a mild herbaceous flavor. For a more aromatic spice with a mild minty flavor, use dried oregano instead. Make sure to crush dried spices between your fingers to release taste and aroma.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Black Pepper: Is rustic and woodsy with a little heat. For this dish, I recommend freshly-ground black pepper.
- Dried Mustard Powder: Adds a tasty bite to the soup.
- Smoked Paprika: Smoky and sweet, it enhances the meaty flavor of the bacon and BBQ sauce.
- All-purpose Flour: Thickens the soup so that’s it’s beautifully creamy.
- Chicken Stock: Is the savory base of our cheeseburger soup. We’re not using beef stock as it lacks the tasty flavor of chicken stock.
- Half-and-Half: Adds rich creaminess to the base of the soup.
- Potato: Is a classic pairing with cheeseburgers. I recommend Russet or Idaho. Adding diced potatoes to the soup adds substance. And it’s a tasty wink to French fries.
- Cheddar Cheese: I use Tillamook medium cheddar. But feel free to use other types of cheese: Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, even Velveeta. Make sure to shred the cheese from a block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with additives that keep the pieces from clumping together. They also prevent the cheese from melting smoothly.
For Bun Croutons
- Hamburger Buns: A traditional nod to bacon cheeseburger soup, we use hamburger buns to make croutons. But in a pinch, almost any type of bread can be used.
- Olive Oil: Helps the bread to crisp and brown.
- Butter: Adds a rich buttery flavor.
- Kosher Salt: Adds a delightful light-salty taste.
- Garlic Powder: Enriches the taste and aroma of the croutons.
- Italian Seasoning: Adds a delicious earthy flavor. But feel free to leave the croutons plain, or use a dash of your favorite burger seasoning.
📖 Stovetop Instructions
NOTE: Below are stovetop directions. To make cheeseburger chowder in a crockpot 👉🏻 easy directions are listed in the recipe card notes, and in the ‘Recipe FAQ’ section on this page.
- Place a large Dutch oven or heavy pot on stovetop over medium heat. Add bacon. Cook until brown and crisp (about 5 to 7 minutes). Transfer to paper towels to drain off grease. Set bacon aside – it will be used as a topping. There’s no need to clean the pot.
- Add ground beef to the pot. Cook and brown the meat until there’s no more pink (about 5 minutes). As the meat cooks, break it up into small pieces with a wooden spatula. Remove the beef to a bowl and set it aside. Drain off excess grease from the pot.
- Add onion, carrots and celery to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, just until the veggies start to brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour into the pot, and stir well to coat the veggies.
- Add chicken stock, half-and-half, BBQ sauce, parsley, salt, pepper, dried mustard powder, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula to remove any browned bits and incorporate them into the bacon cheeseburger soup.
- Add browned beef and diced potatoes. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender and the soup has thickened.
- Add shredded cheddar cheese, and stir until melted. Taste the bacon cheeseburger soup. Adjust the seasonings as desired. Keep the chowder warm over low heat while you prep the bun croutons.
- Add olive oil and butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add cubed buns. Toss to coat in butter and oil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until croutons are golden and crisp. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with salt and seasonings.
How to Serve Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve with an array of savory toppings: crispy bacon bits, sliced green onion, shredded cheddar cheese, and bun croutons. For extra richness, include sour cream. Enjoy this soup as an exciting side, or as a full meal for lunch or dinner.
👨🏻🍳 Crockpot Instructions
- Add onion, garlic, veggies, and chicken broth to crockpot. Cook on high 4 to 6 hours (or on low 6 to 8 hours) until veggies are tender.
- In a skillet, cook and brown the ground beef with all the spices. Transfer it to the crockpot.
- In the same skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter and add flour. Stir and cook until bubbly. Add heavy cream. Transfer mixture to the crockpot.
- Add cheese and cook until it’s fully melted.
🧑🏼🍳 Recipe FAQ
These are the most commonly-asked questions for the BEST bacon cheeseburger soup and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
Yes, you can use lean ground beef – it’s what I prefer for this recipe, because it’s a lighter option. However, keep in mind that using regular ground beef with a higher fat content can add more flavor to bacon cheeseburger soup.
Absolutely! Turkey bacon is a great alternative for a healthier option. Just cook it according to the package instructions, then crumble it into the soup.
Cheddar or a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack work well for this recipe. Feel free to experiment with your favorite melting cheeses to customize the flavor.
Yes, you can make bacon cheeseburger soup in advance. Allow it to cool completely before refrigerating. When ready to serve, reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. The flavors often improve after sitting, making it a great make-ahead dish.
It’s not recommended. Dairy-based soups experience changes in texture after freezing.
Let the soup come to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store bun croutons in a zip-top bag (with the air pressed out).
👩🏻🍳 Favorite Soup Recipes
If you enjoyed this creamy cheeseburger chowder, you’ll also enjoy these delicious savory soups. Each time-tested recipe deserves to be added to your meal plan rotation. Pin your favorites to Pinterest.
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Wonton Soup
- Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Alphabet Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Homemade Cup Noodles
Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flavor testers rated this the BEST bacon cheeseburger soup. Special mentions were given to the awesome cheeseburger flavor. And shout-outs were given for the tender veggies in a rich soup base with a creamy mouthfeel.
If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.
Bacon cheeseburger soup
- Total Time: 45 Minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
This bacon cheeseburger soup is loaded with all the hearty features of a delicious burger: juicy beef, crispy bacon, onion, melty cheese, and bun croutons. Your favorite hand-held burger will be jealous.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 1 cup raw (thick-cut) diced bacon
- 1 pound lean (90/10) ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced white onion
- 1/2 cup sliced baby carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery hearts
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups diced potato
- 2 cups freshly-shredded medium cheddar cheese
For Bun Croutons
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 hamburger buns, cut into 1/2” cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Optional Garnishes
- Sliced green onion
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
Instructions
BACON CHEESEBURGER SOUP
- Place a large Dutch oven or heavy pot on stovetop over medium heat. Add bacon. Cook until brown and crisp (about 5 to 7 minutes). Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off grease. Set it aside – the bacon will be used as a topping/garnish. There’s no need to clean the pot.
- Add ground beef to the pot. Cook and brown the meat until there’s no more pink (about 5 minutes). As the meat cooks, break it up into small pieces with a wooden spatula. Remove the beef to a bowl and set it aside. Drain off excess grease from the pot.
- Add onion, carrots and celery to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, just until the veggies start to brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle flour into the pot, and stir well to coat the veggies.
- Add chicken stock, half-and-half, BBQ sauce, parsley, salt, pepper, dried mustard powder, and smoked paprika. Stir well to combine. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula to remove any browned bits and incorporate them into the soup.
- Add browned beef and diced potatoes. Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender and soup has thickened.
- Toss in the shredded cheese. Stir until it’s fully melted. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings as desired. Keep the chowder warm over low heat while you prep the bun croutons.
MAKE BUN CROUTONS: Add olive oil and butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add cubed buns. Toss to coat in butter and oil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until croutons are golden and crisp. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with seasonings.
SERVE: Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve with an array of savory toppings: crispy bacon bits, sliced green onion, shredded cheddar cheese, and bun croutons. For extra richness, include sour cream.
Notes
Crockpot Method: Add onion, garlic, veggies, and chicken broth to crockpot. Cook on high 4 to 6 hours (or on low 6 to 8 hours) until veggies are tender. In a skillet, fully cook and brown the ground beef with spices. Transfer it to the crockpot. In the same skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter and add flour. Stir and cook until bubbly. Add heavy cream. Transfer mixture to the crockpot. Add cheese and cook until cheese has fully melted. Serve with crispy bacon bits, bun croutons, and desired toppings.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 35 Minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Bacon Cheeseburger Soup 👉🏻 Join the Convo
How do you like garnishing ground beef soup? Do you load it with extra bits of crispy bacon, shredded cheese, green onions, and bun croutons? Have you tried adding a dollop of sour cream? Join the conversation in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
