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Chicken Tortilla Soup is a filling and comforting meal that’s perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. This soup is packed with shredded chicken, beans, and homemade tortilla strips.
Like all of our favorite soup recipes, this chicken tortilla soup comes together in one pot. If you love one pot soups check out our Chicken and Dumplings, Chicken Enchilada Soup, and Chicken Taco Soup.
Why I love this Easy Soup Recipe
- Pantry Ingredients: using canned tomatoes, beans, broth and a homemade seasoning blend means that most of those ingredients are already on hand.
- Versatile: switch up the recipe to be made on the stovetop, slow cooker, or instant pot.
- Toppings: have a variety of your favorite taco toppings to allow people to dress theirs up how they want! That makes this a crowd-pleasing recipe for everyone.
Ingredients
- Chicken: chicken thighs cook up beautifully and remain tender and juicy. You can substitute with a rotisserie or leftover chicken or use chicken breasts.
- Broth: Use low-sodium broth. Substitute with bone broth or homemade broth of choice.
- Spice: Increase the spice level by adding some jalapeños.
- Canned Ingredients: Speed up the prep and cooking time using canned beans and crushed tomatoes.
- Salt: adjust as needed based on the broth used in the soup.
How to make Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Add the chicken and sear, cooking for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside. It won’t be fully cooked at this time.
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot. Stir while cooking over medium heat until the veggies are cooked, softened and translucent. Add in the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth, crushed tomatoes, black beans, and seasonings. Stir to combine everything. Then add the chicken back into the pot to continue cooking while the soup simmers.
- Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, then you can remove it from the pot of soup to shred. Once shredded, add it back into the soup to continue cooking briefly.
homemade Crispy tortilla strips
You can always use store bought tortilla strips, however, it’s quick and easy to make your own at home.
- Pour a small amount of oil into a large pot or cast iron skillet.
- Heat the oil until one small tortilla strip inserted will cause bubbling.
- Add in the corn tortillas in batches using long handled tongs, turning while they cook to brown both sides.
- Once browned and crisp, remove the tortilla strips to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
Storage Information
- Storage: store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Store toppings and crispy tortilla strips separately.
- Freezer: allow to cool and place in a freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Pour soup into a saucepan and heat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through, approximately 7-10 minutes.
More Soup Recipes
- Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Taco Soup
- Potato Soup
- Corn Chowder
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Chicken and Dumplings
Watch How To Make
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup is a filling and comforting meal that's perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. This soup is packed with shredded chicken, beans, and homemade tortilla strips.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 1½ cup white onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeds, membranes removed diced,
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken broth unsalted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Homemade Tortilla Strips
- 4 white corn tortillas sliced into 1/4 inch strips
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Toppings (optional)
- sour cream
- avocado
- cheese
- cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat.
- Add the chicken and sear, cooking for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside. (Will not be completely cooked at this point)
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot. Stir while cooking over medium heat until the veggies are cooked, softened and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth.
- Add the black beans.
- Stir in the salt, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and coriander.
- Add the chicken back into the soup, bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.
- Once the chicken has reached 165℉ and can be shredded easily, remove the chicken and shred.
- Add the chicken back into the soup. Bring back to a simmer and let cook an additional 5 minutes before serving.
- Prepare the tortilla strips by heating the oil in a deep skillet or small dutch oven over medium heat.
- Test the oil by dipping a piece of tortilla in, if the oil bubbles around it, then it’s heated enough.
- Add the tortilla strips to the oil and let cook for 20-30 seconds then using a spoon or tongs, flip to continue cooking the other side.
- Once both sides are golden, remove from the oil and place on a paper towel, sprinkle with salt.
- Serve soup with tortilla strips, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and other toppings of choice.
Video
Equipment
Notes
Slow Cooker:
- Sear the chicken in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add chicken and remaining ingredients into the slow cooker.
- Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Remove chicken to shred, then return to the soup. Stir to combine.
- Heat the Instant Pot to Sauté and add oil. Sear the chicken then remove. Add the vegetables and cook until softened. Add in the garlic. Turn the pot off.
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, spices, chicken and black beans.
- Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Remove chicken to shred. Return to the soup and stir to combine.
- Storage: store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Store toppings and crispy tortilla strips separately.
- Freezer: allow to cool and place in a freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Pour soup into a saucepan and heat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through, approximately 7-10 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 1943mg | Potassium: 727mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 446IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Photography and styling by Jess Gaertner Creative.
My husband and I loved this soup – it tastes just like the chicken tortilla
I have been looking for an easy recipe for chicken tortilla soup and this looks easy. I plan don making it this week. Thanks for sharing.
So delicious!!!! Quick and simple—comes out great! We loved it. Thanks for sharing!
Can you make this in the Instant Pot as well?
Yes! You would be able to. You would have to adjust for that method of cooking. I would advise sautéing the veggies, then blending those with the tomatoes to make the broth base. Then add the tomato base, the broth and chicken together in the instant pot. Cook on High pressure for 10 minutes then shred the chicken. Then add the corn tortillas and set the instant pot to saute again and cook until the tortillas are tender. Then stir in the cheese. Hope this helps!!