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The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Chicken Tortilla Soup that is restaurant delicious (or better!), accidentally healthy, easy to double/triple for a crowd, freezer friendly and tastes like it's been simmering for hours but on your table in 30 Minutes! This Chicken Tortilla Soup is almost dump and run for the ideal easy weeknight dinner or fabulous for crowds. It's warm and comforting, hearty, savory, filling, and healthy, requires minimal effort (seriously one of the easiest soups you will ever make) and is destined to become a new family favorite!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 -10 servings

Ingredients

Soup

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 poblano pepper, chopped*
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp EACH chili pwdr, ground cumin, chicken bouillon pwdr*
  • 1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies
  • 2 15 oz. cans fire-roasted tomatoes (not drained)
  • 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15 oz. can sweet corn, rinsed and drained
  • 1 10 oz. can mild enchilada sauce
  • 6 cups low sodium chicken broth

ADD LATER

Homemade Tortilla Strips

Garnish

  • fresh cilantro
  • sour cream
  • avocado
  • lime
  • hot sauce

Instructions

Stovetop

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (for tortilla strips).
  • Melt olive oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven/soup pot. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and poblano peppers and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
  • Add all remaining Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients (except ADD LATER). Cover soup and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer over medium-low (or low if your stove runs hot). Simmer 20-25 minutes OR just until chicken is tender enough to shred. Remove chicken and let rest 5 minutes then shred.
  • Add chicken back to pot along with lime juice and cilantro. Taste and season with additional salt/lime juice/cayenne to taste. Stir in additional chicken broth if you would like a less chunky soup.
  • Top individual servings with desired amount of tortilla strips and garnishes.

Tortilla Strips

  • Cut tortillas into 1/2-inch strips. (I stack them all together and use my pizza cutter.)
  • Light spray a large baking sheet/jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Add tortilla strips and toss with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Arrange strips in a single layer and lightly season with freshly cracked salt. Bake at 425 degrees F for 12-16 minutes or until light golden brown.

Slow Cooker

  • Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Add chicken, followed by all remaining soup ingredients except cilantro, lime juice and tortilla strips. Give the top ingredients a stir to combine
  • Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until chicken is tender enough to shred.
  • Remove chicken to a cutting board, shred chicken and return chicken to slow cooker along with cilantro and lime juice and cook on LOW for 10 minutes so the chicken can soak up more flavor.
  • Stir in additional chicken broth for a less chunky soup if desired and season with salt/pepper/hot sauce to taste.
  • Top individual servings with desired garnishes.

Video

Notes

Don't miss the "how to make" recipe video at the top of the post!
*This soup has a medium kick to it which I think will be perfect for most people. If you are very sensitive to spice or want to make this very kid friendly then substitute the poblano with a green bell pepper and decrease the chili powder to 1 teaspoon.