First published January 27, 2024. Last updated April 23, 2025 for editorial improvements.
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This easy cheeseburger soup packs all the flavor of a juicy burger and fries into one creamy, cozy bowl—yes, really. With tender potatoes, flavorful ground beef, caramelized onions, and a rich cheese sauce, it’s the kind of soup that even the pickiest eaters can’t resist. Caramelizing the onions adds next-level flavor, making this hearty, comforting dish a cold-weather favorite.
🧾 Ingredients
It's best to use a lean (90/10 is perfect) ground beef in this recipe, although I've substituted ground chicken, ground turkey, and ground pork for the beef in the past. My family also likes a quick sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes for a little extra spice.
Here are more detailed instructions on how to make the basic cream sauce base for this soup.
📖 Recipe
Cheeseburger Soup
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 ½ cup chopped onion
- 4 cups cubed potatoes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 21 ounce condensed French Onion soup, 2-10.5 ounce cans, undiluted
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups evaporated milk
- 4 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add ground beef and onion. Cook until beef is browned and done, breaking up as it cooks, about 5-6 minutes.Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to12 minutes.
- Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in evaporated milk; simmer and stir until sauce is thick and smooth. Add cream sauce into soup, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and stir in cheese until melted.
- Stir in sour cream, stirring until just heated through.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot topped with green onions, French fried onions, or croutons.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Cook the potatoes, onions, French onion soup, and broth in your slow cooker on low (6-8 hours) or on high (4-5 hours).
- About 45 minutes before serving, cook beef in a large saucepan and add it to the crockpot.
- Prepare the cream sauce in the same pan, then stir it in the slow cooker along with the shredded cheese and sour cream. Continue cooking until the cheese melts.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Skip the pre-shredded cheese and grate your own cheese from a block. Freshly grated cheese always melts and tastes better!
- Drain excess grease from ground beef into a bowl before adding the other ingredients so your soup isn't oily. If you use 90/10 lean ground beef you probably won't have to drain it.
- Stick with yellow or red potatoes—russet potatoes tend to get mushy and fall apart in soups.
- The size of your potatoes will affect how quickly the soup cooks. For a shorter cooking time, dice the spuds into smaller pieces.
- Speed up prep (and cooking!) even more by using a bag of frozen, diced potatoes. Just toss 'em in the soup and cook until they're thawed and hot.
- Check the potatoes for doneness by piercing one with a fork. If it's soft enough to grab easily, your soup's just about ready!
- Don't forget to garnish with your favorite toppings, such as sliced green onions, crispy bacon bits, fried onions, and a dollop of sour cream. You can even add some sliced pickles on top if you'd like for true burger flavor.
🍽️ Serve with...
A crusty bread like my Homemade Baguette recipe is perfect for sopping up this creamy cheese soup—and it’s ready in only 30 minutes. The tangy, smoky taste of Southern Green Beans pairs well with the cheesy flavors, and old Fashioned Southern Blackberry Cobbler is the perfect ending.
📚 Related recipes
- Old Fashioned Potato Soup is one of the most delicious soups and always a family favorite—creamy texture and vintage flavors are hard to beat!
- Baby Doe's Beer Cheese Soup is a mild soup with a tiny bite of hot sauce made famous in Dallas in the 1970s. Now, you can enjoy it from home.
- Macaroni and Cheese Soup is cheesy and comforting.
Jeanmarie ziegler says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!