Chili’s Potato Soup Recipe Copycat: Creamy, Hearty and Made From Scratch
The loaded baked potato soup from the menu, built in one pot: russets simmered in a roux-thickened cream base, half mashed for body, sharp cheddar and sour cream melted in, and beef bacon, cheddar and green onions piled on top.
- One pot, 55 minutes
- Halal, beef bacon
- Crockpot and Instant Pot versions
- Printable recipe
The bowl from the pin: thick, pale-gold potato soup under melted cheddar, beef bacon crumbles, sour cream and green onions.
A good Chili’s potato soup recipe copycat is about texture before anything else: thick and creamy with real chunks of potato still in it. This one gets there with a roux, a broth-and-cream base and a potato masher, and it comes out of one pot in under an hour with every topping the restaurant bowl has.
In this post:
- Why this tastes like the restaurant bowl
- Ingredients and what each one does
- The recipe, scaling from 3 bowls to 12
- Four rules for thick, smooth, chunky soup
- Six versions: crockpot, Instant Pot, baked-potato, lighter, extra loaded
- Sides, storage, troubleshooting, nutrition and 14 FAQs
Why This Copycat Tastes Like the Restaurant Bowl
The texture the restaurant gets
Half the potatoes mashed into the base, half left in chunks. Thick and creamy with real potato pieces, no blender, no gluey puree.
Broth and cream, not just cream
Chicken broth keeps the base bright and savory; the cream and milk make it rich. All cream tastes heavy after three spoonfuls.
Flavor built in the pot
The beef bacon crisps first, the onion and garlic cook in the drippings, and the roux cooks in that. Every layer tastes of the one before.
Loaded, the way it arrives at the table
Cheddar and sour cream melt into the soup and go on top with the bacon and green onions. The toppings are the recipe, not a garnish.
Ingredients for Chili’s Copycat Potato Soup
Russet potatoes
Six large, about 2½ pounds, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice. High starch means they mash into the base and thicken it; Yukon Golds stay waxy and the soup turns thin.
Beef bacon
Eight strips, crisped first so the drippings start the base. Turkey bacon works with a tablespoon of oil. The crumbles go on top at the end, never into the pot, so they stay crisp.
Butter and flour
A quarter cup of each makes the roux that gives the soup its velvety body. Cook the flour 2 full minutes or it tastes pasty.
Onion and garlic
A medium yellow onion and four cloves, softened in the drippings. Plus a teaspoon each of garlic and onion powder later for the rounded, restaurant-style seasoning.
Chicken broth, cream and milk
Three cups low-sodium broth, two cups heavy cream, one cup whole milk. The ratio is what keeps it rich but spoonable. Half-and-half can replace the cream and milk together for a lighter bowl.
Smoked paprika
One teaspoon. The quiet smoky note under the cheese; a quarter teaspoon of chipotle powder with it if you like warmth.
Sharp cheddar
Two cups, shredded from a block, divided: 1½ into the soup, ½ on top. Sharp, not mild, or the cheese disappears into the cream.
Sour cream
One cup stirred in off the heat for tang and body, plus a spoon on each bowl. Room temperature so it blends without breaking.
Green onions
Four, thinly sliced, on top. Chives work; so does a little parsley for color.
Chili’s Potato Soup Recipe Copycat (Loaded Baked Potato Soup)
The card makes 6 bowls in a 6-quart Dutch oven. Tap a size and everything updates.
Chili’s Potato Soup Copycat (Loaded Baked Potato Soup)
The restaurant’s loaded baked potato soup made from scratch: russets simmered in a roux-thickened cream base, half mashed for body, with sharp cheddar and sour cream melted in and beef bacon, cheddar and green onions on top. Tap a serving size and the printable card updates.
How many bowls?
Ingredients
- 481216 beef bacon strips
- 2 tbsp¼ cup6 tbsp½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ medium1 medium1½2 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2468 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp¼ cup6 tbsp½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups3 cups4½ cups6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup2 cups3 cups4 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup1 cup1½ cups2 cups whole milk
- 3 large6 large9 large12 large russet potatoes, peeled, 1-inch dice (about 2½ lb for 6)
- ½ tsp each1 tsp each1½ tsp each2 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
- ½ tsp1 tsp1½ tsp2 tsp smoked paprika
- to taste1½ tsp, ½ tsp2 tsp, ¾ tsp1 tbsp, 1 tsp kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup2 cups3 cups4 cups sharp cheddar, shredded from a block, divided
- ½ cup1 cup1½ cups2 cups sour cream, room temperature
- 2468 To top: green onions, thinly sliced
- as needed extra sour cream and cheddar, for the bowls
Beef bacon keeps it halal; turkey bacon works, crisp it in a little oil since it renders less fat. Russets only: their starch is what thickens the soup when you mash. Block cheddar, shredded at home; bagged shreds are coated and go grainy. Sour cream at room temperature so it does not curdle.
Instructions
Crisp the beef bacon
Cook the beef bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Move it to a paper towel, crumble it once cool, and leave the drippings in the pot.
Build the base
Melt the butter into the drippings. Add the onion and cook 5 to 6 minutes until soft, then the garlic for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir 2 minutes so it loses its raw taste; this roux is what thickens the soup.
Add the liquids
Pour in the broth slowly, whisking so no lumps form, then stir in the cream and milk until smooth.
Simmer the potatoes
Add the potatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, drop to medium-low and simmer uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are completely fork-tender.
Mash half
Press a potato masher through the pot a few times until about half the potatoes break down and thicken the base while the rest stay in chunks. This is the texture that makes it taste like the restaurant bowl, and no blender is needed.
Melt in the cheese and sour cream
Off the heat, stir in 1½ cups of the cheddar and the sour cream until melted and smooth. Taste; the cheese adds salt, so season last.
Top and serve
Ladle into bowls and top each with the remaining cheddar, crumbled beef bacon, a spoon of sour cream and sliced green onions. Serve hot with bread or a salad.
Four Rules for Thick, Smooth, Chunky Potato Soup
The masher going through the pot: half the potatoes breaking into the base, the rest left in chunks.
Cook the flour before the liquid
Two minutes of stirring the roux in the drippings. Skip it and the soup tastes of raw flour and never thickens properly.
Whisk the broth in slowly
A thin stream while whisking. Dumping it in makes lumps that no amount of simmering removes.
Mash half, not all
A few passes of the masher. Stop when the base is thick and there are still visible chunks; that contrast is the whole point.
Cheese and sour cream off the heat
Boiling either one breaks it. Pull the pot off the burner, stir them in, then season last because the cheese is salty.
Six Ways to Make It
Up close: the cheddar melting into the soup, a bacon crumble and a chunk of potato in the spoon.
Same bowl, different pot. Tap a version:
Chili’s Copycat Loaded Potato Soup
The recipe above: beef bacon, roux, russets, half mashed, cheddar and sour cream melted in. Serve with the four toppings and a hunk of bread.
Slow Cooker Chili’s Potato Soup
Make the bacon, onion, garlic and roux on the stove and whisk in the broth. Move that to the slow cooker with the potatoes and spices: low 6 to 7 hours or high 3 to 4. Mash half, stir in the cream, milk, cheddar and sour cream, and hold on warm 15 minutes.
Pressure Cooker Potato Soup
Use the sauté setting for the bacon, onion, garlic and roux, whisk in the broth, add the potatoes and spices, and pressure cook 8 minutes with a quick release. Mash half, then stir in the cream, milk, cheddar and sour cream on the keep-warm setting.
Soup from Leftover Baked Potatoes
Closest to the name on the menu: use 4 to 5 cold baked russets, peeled and cubed, in place of the raw potatoes. They need only 10 minutes in the base, and cold baked potato mashes into the thickest soup of all. The best use of yesterday’s leftovers.
Lighter Loaded Potato Soup
Swap the heavy cream and milk for 3 cups of half-and-half, use 1 cup of cheddar instead of 2, Greek yogurt for the sour cream, and turkey bacon crisped in a teaspoon of oil. Still thick, because the mashed russets do the work.
Extra Loaded Potato Soup
Stir in 1 cup of cooked shredded chicken or diced turkey ham with the cheese, add a cup of corn or steamed broccoli florets, and finish with a pinch of chipotle. A full dinner in a bowl, no sides needed.
What to Serve With It, and How to Store It
Dinner: two loaded bowls, a basket of warm bread, the toppings in small dishes for the table.
It is a meal in a bowl, but these go with it:
- Bread: crusty rolls, garlic bread or warm cornbread
- Something green: a simple salad or broccoli salad
- Another restaurant bowl: the Salt Grass potato soup copycat, the O’Charley’s loaded potato soup or the Panera baked potato soup
- A different pot: creamy corn chowder or white chicken chili
Make Ahead and Storage
| What | How long | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WhatFridge | How long4 days, airtight | NotesThickens overnight; loosen with a splash of warm broth |
| WhatReheat | How longStovetop, low, stirring | NotesNever boil it; the cheese and sour cream break at a boil |
| WhatFreezer | How longNot recommended | NotesCream and potato soups turn grainy; freeze the base before the dairy if you must |
| WhatMake ahead for a party | How longCook through step 5, chill | NotesReheat gently, then stir in the cheese and sour cream and top |
| WhatToppings | How longPrep the day before | NotesBacon crisped and crumbled, cheddar shredded, green onions sliced, in separate containers |
| WhatThinning and thickening | How longBroth to thin; mash more potato to thicken | NotesAdjust at the end, after the dairy |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ProblemSoup thin | Likely causeFlour not cooked in, or potatoes not mashed | FixMash more potato; simmer 5 more minutes uncovered |
| ProblemSoup gluey or pasty | Likely causeOver-mashed, or a blender used | FixA few passes of the masher only; never blend russets |
| ProblemLumps | Likely causeBroth added too fast | FixWhisk in a thin stream; strain if it is too late |
| ProblemGrainy, broken cheese | Likely causePre-shredded cheese, or boiled after adding | FixBlock cheddar, stirred in off the heat |
| ProblemSour cream curdled | Likely causeCold sour cream into hot soup | FixRoom temperature, off the heat |
| ProblemTastes flat | Likely causeUnder-seasoned, no acid | FixSalt in stages; a squeeze of lemon or a dash of hot sauce at the end |
| ProblemPotatoes still firm | Likely causeDice too large, or simmer too short | Fix1-inch dice, fork-tender before mashing |
| ProblemSoggy bacon | Likely causeAdded to the pot | FixKeep the crumbles for the top; add at serving |
Nutrition (approximate, per bowl with toppings)
Estimates for one of six bowls with the cheddar, beef bacon and sour cream toppings. The lighter tab brings it near 420 calories.
Chili’s Potato Soup Copycat: FAQs
How do you make Chili’s potato soup at home?
Crisp beef bacon, cook onion and garlic in the drippings, make a roux, whisk in broth, cream and milk, and simmer diced russets until tender. Mash about half, melt in sharp cheddar and sour cream off the heat, and top with cheddar, bacon, sour cream and green onions. The card above scales it from 3 to 12 bowls.
What makes this taste like the restaurant version?
Three things: half the potatoes mashed into the base for a thick, chunky texture; a base of broth plus cream rather than cream alone; and the toppings, cheddar, sour cream, bacon and green onions, in and on the soup. The four rules above cover the technique.
Is this halal?
Yes as written. It uses beef bacon crisped in the pot for the drippings and the topping; turkey bacon also works with a tablespoon of oil. There is no alcohol or pork anywhere in the recipe.
What potatoes are best for potato soup?
Russets. Their high starch content breaks down when mashed and thickens the soup naturally. Yukon Golds hold their shape and give a thinner, waxier soup; red potatoes are wrong for this entirely.
Do I need a blender?
No. A potato masher pressed through the pot a few times breaks down about half the potatoes and leaves the rest in chunks. A blender or immersion blender turns russets gluey.
Why is my potato soup thin?
Usually the flour was not cooked in or the potatoes were not mashed enough. Mash a few more potatoes into the base and simmer uncovered 5 minutes. A tablespoon of instant potato flakes also thickens it in a pinch.
Why did the cheese turn grainy?
Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking starch that keeps it from melting smoothly, or the soup boiled after the cheese went in. Shred a block of sharp cheddar and stir it in off the heat.
Can I use leftover baked potatoes?
Yes, and it is closest to the baked potato soup on the menu. Use 4 to 5 cold baked russets, peeled and cubed, and simmer them only 10 minutes before mashing. The baked-potato tab above has the details.
Can I make it in a crockpot or Instant Pot?
Both. The slow cooker takes 6 to 7 hours on low with the dairy stirred in at the end; the Instant Pot pressure cooks 8 minutes after the roux is made on sauté. Both tabs above have the full steps.
Can I freeze potato soup?
It is not recommended. Cream and potatoes both turn grainy after freezing. If you need to, freeze the soup after step 5, before the cheese and sour cream, and add the dairy when reheating.
How do I reheat it without it breaking?
Low heat on the stove, stirring, with a splash of broth or milk to loosen it; it thickens overnight. Never let it boil once the cheese and sour cream are in.
Can I make it lighter?
Yes. Half-and-half in place of the cream and milk, 1 cup of cheddar instead of 2, Greek yogurt for the sour cream and turkey bacon. The mashed russets keep it thick without the extra fat; the lighter tab above has the amounts.
What goes with potato soup?
Crusty bread, garlic bread or cornbread and a simple green salad. It is rich enough that it does not need more; the serving section above links the sides and the other copycat soups.
How many does this serve?
Six generous bowls as written, about 1½ cups each. Tap 3, 9 or 12 on the card and every amount updates; the pot size changes with it.
Save the pin so the recipe, the four rules and the crockpot version are one tap away.
More Soups and Copycats
The other restaurant potato soups and three more pots for cold nights.
Salt Grass Potato Soup
The steakhouse chain’s loaded bowl. See the recipe → Another CopycatO’Charley’s Loaded Potato Soup
Cheesier, with a different finish. See the recipe → Another CopycatPanera Baked Potato Soup
The bakery-café version. See the recipe → Another PotCreamy Corn Chowder
Same base, sweet corn instead. See the recipe → Another PotWhite Chicken Chili
Creamy, in the Instant Pot. See the recipe → Another PotThe Best Lentil Soup
Hearty and lighter for the week. See the recipe →Roux, broth and cream, russets, half mashed, cheese off the heat. That is the restaurant bowl, and it costs less than the drive.
Pin this Chili’s potato soup recipe copycat for the next cold night that needs a loaded bowl.
