Chicken Tortilla Soup is the ultimate comfort food for any day of the week! You can find instructions for slow cooker, stove top and instant pot here.
We love soup and can have it any time of the year. Some of our favorites are sausage gnocchi soup, instant pot chicken soup and turmeric red lentil soup. This chicken tortilla soup is another one of our current obsession and I bet you're going to love it too.
Table Of Contents:
About this recipe
This healthy chicken tortilla soup is made with a handful of ingredients and can be made in the slow cooker, on the stove or in the instant pot.
As for the flavor, this soup has a bit of a kick because of the jalapeno but all in all it's not too spicy. Of course, you can add more jalapeno to make it spicier. This tortilla soup is so easy to make and is perfect for a weeknight dinner. I've included instructions for stove top, slow cooker and instant pot so make sure to check them all out.
Ingredients
- Corn tortilla: We are going to make homemade tortilla strips for this recipe and corn tortilla work better than flour ones.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breast works best for this recipe. You can also use leftover cooked chicken and add it at the very end.
- Spices: You only need some salt, cumin and paprika to season the soup.
- Vegetables: Use onion, garlic and red bell pepper. You can also use yellow or orange bell pepper, but green ones would alter the flavor.
- Canned goods: This recipe calls for canned black beans and corn. Make sure to drain and rinse both before adding them to the soup.
Instructions (3 ways)
I've written instructions for slow cooker, instant pot and stove top versions of this soup and they all result in the same delicious and hearty soup.
Slow cooker version
- Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker and cover them with spices.
- Add in the garlic, onion, bell pepper, canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Pour in the chicken stock.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.5 hours.
- Shred the chicken, add in black beans and cook for 30 more minutes.
- Enjoy with all the toppings and tortilla strips.
Instant pot chicken tortilla soup
- Cut the chicken into small pieces.
- Pour two tablespoons olive oil into the instant pot on sauté function and sauté the chicken with the spices for about two minutes until it's browned on all sides.
- Add in the onion, garlic bell peppers and diced tomatoes. Sauté for another two minutes.
- Add in tomato paste, jalapenos and chicken stock and stir well.
- Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Do a natural release for two minutes and then a quick release by turning the valve.
- Stir in the black beans and turn on sauté for five minutes.
- Serve with tortilla strips and all the toppings.
Stove top chicken tortilla soup
- Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
- Sauté chicken, spices, onion, garlic and bell pepper in the pot until onions are translucent and chicken is brown on all sides.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and jalapenos to the pot and stir well.
- Add in the chicken stock, bring to simmer and cover the pot.
- Cook for about thirty minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Add in rinsed black beans and cook for another ten minutes.
- Serve warm with homemade tortilla strops and all the toppings!
It's all the about the toppings
To jazz up this soup, I usually go all in with the toppings . My usuals are shredded cheese, sour cream, more jalapeno, lime and some cilantro. You can also add some diced avocado for extra creaminess. And if corn tortilla strips are not available, simply use tortilla chips instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Rotisserie chicken or poached chicken works well for this recipe. For all 3 approaches, simply add shredded cooked chicken with the canned beans to the soup and cook for a few more minutes.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Yes! This soup freezes very well. When the soup is completely cool, put it in an airtight container and freeze for up to two months. To serve, let the soup thaw in the fridge and then heat in a pot or in the microwave.
Yes! It's best to shallow fry the strips, meaning frying them in a small frying pan. Fill the pan halfway with vegetable oil and place it over medium heat. To check the vegetable oil, drop one strip into the oil and if it floats and bubbles immediately, the oil is hot enough to fry. It takes less than 5 minutes to fry the tortilla strips so keep a close eye.
Notes and tips
- Definitely de-seed the jalapenos because they're too hot otherwise. Wash your hands thoroughly after touching jalapenos. Learn how to cut a jalapeno the right way from the Kitchn. If you don't like the chicken tortilla soup to be spicy, leave out the jalapenos.
- I topped the soup with shredded cheddar. You could also use a Mexican blend.
- If you don't have tomato paste, add 1 cup of salsa for color and flavor.
- You can use vegetable stock or water instead of chicken stock.
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Tortilla strips
- 6 corn tortillas
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Soup
- 2 chicken breasts bones and skin off
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes 15 oz
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 jalapeno deseeded and diced
- 5 cups chicken stock
- one 15 oz. can black beans drained and rinsed
- one 15 oz. can corn drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp salt
Toppings:
- Shredded cheddar
- Sliced jalapenos
- Sour cream
- Lime
Instructions
Tortilla strips
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the tortillas inti strips (they don't need to be perfect) and place them on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil.
- Bake the tortilla strips in the oven for 15 to 17 minutes until golden and crispy.
Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup:
- Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Sprinkle paprika and cumin on the chicken breast.
- Add garlic, onion, red bell pepper, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add in diced jalapeno and chicken stock.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.5 hours.
- Take the chicken breast out and shred it. Add it back to the slow cooker. Add in the black beans and the corn. Cook for another 30 minutes.
- Top with tortilla strips, shredded cheddar, sliced jalapenos, sour cream and lime.
Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup:
- Pour two tablespoons olive oil into the instant pot on saute function and saute cubed chicken with the spices for about two minutes until it’s browned on all sides. (If using cooked chicken, skip the first step and add chicken with the ingredients in the third step).
- Add in the onion, garlic bell peppers and diced tomatoes. Saute for another two minutes.
- Add in tomato paste, jalapenos and chicken stock and stir well. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Do a natural release for two minutes and then a quick release by turning the valve.
- Stir in the black beans and the corn and turn on sauté for five minutes.
- Serve with tortilla strips and all the toppings.
Stove top chicken tortilla soup:
- Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
- Sauté chicken, spices, onion, garlic and bell pepper in the pot until onions are translucent and chicken is brown on all sides.
- Add in diced tomatoes, tomato paste and jalapenos to the pot and stir well.
- Add in the chicken stock, bring to simmer and cover the pot. Cook for about thirty minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Add in the black beans and the corn and cook for another ten minutes.
- Serve warm with toppings, tortilla strips and extra lime juice.
Notes
- If using cooked chicken such as leftover baked chicken or rotisserie chicken for this recipe, add it at the end with the canned black beans.
- You can also add canned corn (15 oz) to this soup alongside the black beans.
- Use vegetable stock of water instead of chicken stock if desired.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
This post is written in partnership with Rojo's. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Unicorns in the Kitchen. As always, all opinions are mine.
Colleen
My whole family loves this soup. It's so delicious and hearty. And the slow cooker is my favorite way to make it.
Claudia Lamascolo
Cant wait to get into the kitchen and make this delicious soup its so comforting and full of flavor!
Beth Sachs
I'll be trying this in my slow cooker at the weekend! it looks delicious
Tara
This chicken tortilla soup looks fantastic! I love how you have included instructions for the stove top, slow cooker, and instant pot. So much flavor!
Chef Mireille
I'm also a big soup person all year round. Although I have had this soup before, never made it myself. It looks so easy and I am so excited to try it this week. Just added the ingredients to my shopping list!
Robin G
So delicious & I loved making it in the slow cooker so it didn't heat up my house!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Glad you enjoyed it!
Meagen Brosius
I love that you included the directions to make this in different ways! A great recipe that the whole family loves! Yum!
April
So yummy! One of my favorite soups!
Taryn
So warm and delicious on a cold day!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Thank you Taryn, chicken tortilla soup is perfect for a cold day!