This smoked chicken noodle soup is the best way to turn leftover smoked chicken into a delicious, hearty meal. It's made with rich homemade broth, tender vegetables, and noodles, all infused with the unmistakable smoky flavor you can only get from the smoker.
If you've ever wondered what to do with leftover smoked chicken, this soup is it. It's comforting, freezer-friendly, and tastes even better the next day.
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If you love this recipe, try my Smoked Turkey and White Bean Soup next! Serve this soup with a side of Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits or No Knead Sourdough Bread for a meal your family will love.
Recipe at a Glance
- Uses: Leftover smoked chicken
- Flavor: Rich, smoky, classic chicken noodle comfort
- Skill Level: Beginner-friendly
- Time: 45 minutes (Active) | 2-3 Hours (Simmering). Note: You can make the broth a day ahead!
- Freezer Friendly: Yes
- Best For: Cozy dinners, meal prep, any leftover smoked chicken
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Why You'll Love This Smoked Chicken Soup
- Uses leftover smoked chicken (no waste, big flavor).
- Deep, savory flavor without complicated steps.
- Made from scratch but easy to customize.
- Hearty enough for dinner, light enough for lunch.
- Great for meal prep and freezing.
- Far better than any boxed or canned chicken noodle soup.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Homemade chicken bone broth. Made from a Smoked Whole Chicken carcass or bones, onion, carrots, bay leaves, garlic cloves, water, salt, and pepper. If you're looking for a shortcut, use regular chicken stock from the grocery store instead of making your own chicken broth. If I had celery, I would have added a few celery stalks as well.
- Vegetables. I used carrots, yellow onion, garlic, and spinach. However, you can toss in anything you like, even frozen vegetables.
- Chicken. I have made this soup with leftover Smoked Chicken Breasts, Smoked Boneless Chicken Thighs, and rotisserie chicken. If you are not using smoked chicken, use ½ to 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke. It is potent stuff, so use less and add more later.
- Noodles. I used small egg noodles for soup, but you can use broken-up spaghetti, macaroni, tiny shells, fusilli, or penne. You could also use gluten-free pasta, rice noodles, rice, or barley.
- Seasonings. Ground turmeric, seasoning salt, black pepper, bay leaves, and parsley are used to season the soup.
See the printable recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Smoked Chicken Noodle Soup
Quick overview
- Make homemade smoked chicken broth (2-3 hours).
- Strain broth.
- Add vegetables, chicken, and seasonings to the broth.
- Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Serve.
Make the Homemade Smoked Chicken Broth
Step 1: Place the smoked chicken carcass in a large soup pot or large stock pot. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and bay leaves. The vegetables can just be cut in half or quartered. Add enough water to cover the chicken by 1-2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Skim off any foam that rises to the surface with a large spoon, then reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Simmer for 2-3 hours. The longer it simmers, the deeper the flavor will be.
Step 3: Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool until you can handle it. Remove the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Reserve the meat for the soup.
Step 4: Strain the broth into a large pot through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the solids. Note: If you have time, let the broth sit in the fridge overnight. The fat will solidify on top, making it easy to skim off if you prefer a leaner soup.
Make Smoked Chicken Soup
Step 5: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add diced carrots, onion, and garlic, and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
Step 6: Add the sautéed carrots and onion, shredded chicken, turmeric, seasoning salt, black pepper, and bay leaves to the pot with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer the soup for 20-30 minutes.
Step 7: Stir in the spinach and parsley, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the spinach is wilted.
Step 8: Serve the soup hot, garnished with additional parsley. Enjoy!
What Smoked Chicken Works Best?
This soup is perfect after making Pellet Grill Smoked Whole Chicken, Smoked Chicken Legs On Pellet Grill, Smoked Pineapple Stand Chicken, and Pellet Grill Smoked Beer Can Chicken.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious soup with Irish Soda Bread (No Buttermilk), Soft Whole Wheat Bread, Soft Hamburger Buns, Quick Homemade Biscuits (No Milk), or Fluffy Air Buns.
And if you have Sourdough Starter, make my Sourdough Discard Bread, Smoked Sourdough Bread, Sourdough Focaccia, or No Knead Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread.
Jeri's Tips for the Best Flavor
- Homemade chicken stock will give you the best flavor.
- If using liquid smoke, start out with a small amount and add more later.
- If the soup is too thick, thin it with extra broth.
- Thicken with a cornstarch slurry if you want it thicker.
- If you aren't eating the whole pot at once, cook your noodles separately and add them to each bowl. This stops them from soaking up all the broth and turning mushy in the fridge.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Cool leftover soup to room temperature. Store it in the pot with a lid or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
Freezer: Freeze in portion-sized containers or freezer bags for up to two months.
Reheating: Reheat the soup on the stove over medium heat until hot. If the soup was frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Variations
- Swap out the smoked chicken for Pellet Grill Smoked Turkey, Traeger Smoked Spatchcock Turkey, or Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast for smoked turkey soup with Smoked Turkey Stock.
- Add more vegetables, such as peas, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, or bell peppers.
- Add a can of black beans or white beans for extra protein.
- Make it spicy with chopped jalapeño pepper, red pepper flakes, or chili powder.
- Stir in cream for a creamy version.
- Make it low-carb by using zucchini noodles.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Add a small amount of liquid smoke or smoked paprika to mimic the flavor.
Yes. After making the broth, add everything except noodles and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add noodles during the last 20 minutes.
Printable Recipe
Smoked Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
- Large stock pot or Dutch oven
- Fine-mesh strainer
Ingredients
Homemade Smoked Chicken Stock:
- 1 smoked whole chicken carcass (or leftover smoked chicken pieces/bones)
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 2 large carrots roughly chopped
- 2 large celery stalks roughly chopped
- 6 whole garlic cloves peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 8-10 cups water
Smoked Chicken Noodle Soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups smoked chicken shredded or bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup egg noodles (or broken spaghetti/small pasta)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon seasoning salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups homemade smoked chicken broth (or store-bought)
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 teaspoon parsley
Instructions
- Make the smoked chicken stock: Place chicken carcass in a large stock pot. Add 1 quartered onion, 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, 6 garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Cover with water 8-10 cups of water (you want it to be 1-2 inches above the chicken). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off foam. Reduce heat to low, maintaining a gently boil. Simmer for 2-3 hours.
- Strain chicken broth: Remove the chicken carcass and let it cool. Pick off any remaining meat and set aside. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a large pot. Discard any solids.
- Sauté the vegetables: In a separate skillet or the emptied stock pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the diced carrots, onion, and garlic for 5 minutes until softened.
- Make the soup: Add sautéed vegetables, 2 cups of shredded chicken, ½ cup of noodles, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, ¾ teaspoon of seasoning salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, and 2 bay leaves to the pot with 8 cups of the homemade stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes (or until the vegetables and noodles are tender). Tip: If you plan on having leftovers, cook the noodles in a separate pot of water and add them to individual bowls to keep them from getting mushy.
- Add spinach: Add 2 cups of fresh spinach and 1 teaspoon of parsley. Cook until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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Notes
- The Noodle Secret: For the best texture in leftovers, cook the noodles separately and add them to individual bowls of soup when serving. This prevents the noodles from going mushy.
- Liquid Smoke: If you don't have a smoked carcass, use regular stock and add ¼ teaspoon of liquid smoke, tasting as you go. It's powerful!
- Make-Ahead: You can make the stock (Steps 1-2) up to 3 days in advance. Store it in the fridge and skim the fat off the top before starting the soup for an even cleaner flavor.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Melinda says
This is a delicious chicken soup, I took a shortcut and used store-bought chicken broth but next time I'll make that from scratch. Since I made this with a rotisserie chicken I also used smoked paprika to mimic the smoky taste, it was so good thanks for offering that suggestion.
DK says
Making this homemade chicken soup from scratch is definitely worth it! The smokiness and the savory flavor of this soup is just divine!
Elizabeth says
The perfect comfort food! So delicious!