If you want an easy recipe to make on repeat, our family’s favorite version of thick and creamy gluten-free cheeseburger soup has it all going on. This fun, copycat homemade recipe made with ground beef, freshly grated cheddar cheese, tender diced potatoes, and cream cheese for velvety smoothness, tastes exactly like biting into a famous cheeseburger with special sauce.
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Ultimate Weeknight Comfort – Easy Cheeseburger Soup Made GF
Who doesn’t love a riff on one of the greatest Americana classics? Get all that classic cheesy ground beef burger taste, even with a woven in touch of Big Mac sauce, in one epically thick and creamy gluten-free cheeseburger soup recipe.
Just like other unique ways to enjoy burgers (bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole and cheesy burger bowls are so good you don’t miss the gluten), we enjoy this easy stove top soup in the fall and winter months, when summer grilling falls away. My kids love garnishing their bowls with burger toppings, while I appreciate it being a complete meal in one recipe. (Less cooking! 😎)
The base starts out with browning ground beef and onions, then thickening the broth with gluten-free flour. When building out my collection of easy homemade gluten-free soup recipes, I put a lot of consideration to how I want to thicken the soups. Generally cornstarch works better for sauces or when you just need a touch of thickening.
I wanted this to be a really hearty, satiating cheeseburger soup with potatoes and lots of creamy goodness. Therefore I used gluten-free flour, which holds up better when reheating leftovers and has a more velvety texture, complimenting the cream cheese and freshly grated sharp cheddar.
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Ingredient Tid Bits
- Ground beef – For really tender meat, use something with a slightly higher fat, like ground chuck. If you don’t want to drain off as much grease, or prefer something lighter, a leaner beef works, or even ground turkey
- Cream cheese – Adds another layer of smooth creaminess. I use full-fat, which blends in more homogeneously, but light may be swapped out.
- Cheese – I wanted to make this cheeseburger soup without Velveeta because although it’s great for texture, the cheese flavor gets a little lost. For best results use a freshly grated extra sharp cheddar.
- Potatoes – I use Russet, but yellow or Yukon gold work as well. The Russets hold their shape better, while the Yukon golds will break down a bit. Either one you use, be sure to cut into smaller pieces for a shorter cook time.
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Ground beef with onions because who needs an extra step
Make sure your pot is big enough, about 4 ½-5 quarts because it will all come together here. Cook the beef, onions, and garlic together until the beef is browned, which fabulously works out to be about the same amount of time the onions need to soften. I’m all about streamlining steps!
If you want to drain the excess grease, pour that all onto a paper-towel lined plate or transfer to a separate bowl.
Thickened soup base and tender potatoes
Most cheeseburger soup recipes call for making a roux separately and adding it in. That just seemed to complicate things, so I figured out a way to save yourself the extra dishes and time.
Melt the butter, stir in the gluten free flour, and then slowly whisk in the broth. Once that’s nice and smooth add in the seasonings and potatoes. Below I show the size of potatoes. If they are too big, you will have to cook them a lot longer, so use about ¼-inch pieces.
It will take about 15 minutes for those to cook, but stir the pot every few minutes to make sure the potatoes don’t settle and stick to the bottom. While this is happening you can grate the cheese.
Final touches of cheeseburger goodness
Now it’s time to stir in the softened cream cheese, then add the beef and onion mixture, along with ketchup and mustard, which mimics the taste of Big Mac sauce.
Lastly, stir in the milk and add handfuls of cheese, stirring until smooth between each addition. We like to serve ours with a little relish and freshly diced tomatoes on top, but a dollop of sour cream or cooked and crumbled bacon is also delish!
Bonus Yummy Flavors and Tips
You can definitely use this recipe as a good starting base and add more veggies to it. Diced celery or carrots could be cooked along with the potatoes. Sometimes I also add a can of drained, diced tomatoes after the potatoes are tender because the tomatoes’ acidity slows down potatoes’ softening if cooked together.
If I have a can of evaporated milk on hand, I also like to swap this out instead of milk. It has less water content so it really boosts the soup’s creaminess. Half and half, whole milk, or even heavy cream also work well.
Can I make this is a slow cooker?
I have not tried making this in a slow cooker yet, but I’ve worked out a method if you want to give it a try! Add the potatoes, onions, garlic, 3 cups of GF broth, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper to the crockpot. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, high for 3-4 hours.
About 30-45 before the cooking time ends, brown the beef, drain of any excess grease and add back to the sauté pan with the butter to melt. Stir the flour into the meat mixture. Add that all to the slow cooker with the cream cheese, milk, cheese, ketchup, mustard. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes to thicken.
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Creamiest Gluten-Free Cheeseburger Soup (Easy)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup gluten-free all purpose flour
- 4 cups gluten-free chicken broth
- 2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, read labels, Lea & Perrin's brand is gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened and chopped in large chunks
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups freshly grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
- Optional toppings: sour cream, relish, chopped tomatoes, additional grated cheese, cooked and crumbled bacon
Instructions
- In a large 5-quart saucepan, brown the beef with onions and garlic over medium heat, breaking up with a spoon. Once the meat is cooked through, drain onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease. Set aside.1 pound ground beef, 1 small onion, 2 clove garlic
- In the same pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Slowly whisk in the broth until smoothly incorporated.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup gluten-free all purpose flour, 4 cups gluten-free chicken broth
- Stir in the diced potatoes with Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. You'll need to stir every few minutes so the potatoes don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Meanwhile, grate the cheese.2 large Russet potatoes, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, 2 cups freshly grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
- Stir in the softened cream cheese until mostly smooth. Add back in the cooked beef / onion mixture, with the ketchup, mustard, and milk. Stir in the cheese, handfuls at a time, until smooth. Serve with optional toppings.4 ounces cream cheese, ⅔ cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons yellow mustard, 1 cup milk
Notes
Reheating Tips
Reheat leftovers on the stove top over low heat. If you heat the soup too quickly the thickening will “break,” meaning it may thin out slightly. It doesn’t affect the taste, just the consistency.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
I’d never had cheeseburger soup before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I followed the recipe exactly as written, and it turned out amazing. It was so easy to make and really good.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Murry! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Best,
Melissa
Really good. My very strict GF daughter gave it a big thumbs up. Excellent tangy flavor. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for commenting, Bob! I appreciate it.
Best,
Melissa
What could I substitute for the cream cheese?(this makes my eczema flare)
This looks & sounds delicious.
Hello,
If you can still have dairy, I would do 1/2 cup sour cream. Or, after the cheese has melted, add in 1/2 cup heavy cream. Hopefully this helps!
Best,
Melissa