The best Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is made with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes. It's healthy, easy to throw together, and uses basic pantry ingredients.
Want more soup recipes? Try my Potato Leek Soup, Creamy Tortellini Soup, Chicken and Dumplings, Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, or Pozole Verde!
Why we love this Chicken Tortilla Soup:
- Quick – Ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes! The perfect cozy weeknight meal!
- Stove, Slow Cooker or Instant Pot – Make it quick on the stove or instant pot, or let it simmer four hours in the slow cooker.
- Crowd-Pleasing – Everyone loves a hot bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup, and everyone has fun adding their own toppings! Try serving it in a homemade bread bowl!
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup:
Sauté Veggies: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
Add Broth and Seasonings: Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, black beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Cook Chicken: Cut chicken into a few pieces and add to the pot. Cook for 7-10 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Shred Chicken: Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the pot along with the corn and lime juice.
Serve this easy chicken tortilla soup topped with fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado.
Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Instructions:
Slow Cooker:
- After sautéing the vegetables in step 1, add them to the slow cooker along with the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chilies, spices, chicken breasts and black beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the soup along with corn and lime juice. Serve with desired toppings.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Heat the Instant Pot to Sauté and add oil. Sauté the vegetables and garlic. Turn the pot off.
- Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chilies, spices, chicken breasts and black beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure.
- Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the soup along with corn and lime juice. Serve with desired toppings.
Recipe Variations:
This recipe is really forgiving, so substitute things you have on hand, rather than going to the store for a missing ingredient.
- Beans: you can use any kind but pinto beans and garbanzo beans would be great substitutes for black beans in this recipe.
- Bell peppers: use any color, or add other vegetables like chopped zucchini, or even sweet potatoes.
- Diced Tomatoes: Use 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes in place of the 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes.
- Chicken broth: substitute vegetable broth.
- Corn: fresh or frozen corn will work.
- Vegetarian: Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, leave out the chicken and add extra vegetables instead, like more bell peppers, chopped zucchini and sweet potatoes.
- To Thicken the Soup: I enjoy chicken tortilla soup with a thin broth base, but many people enjoy it as a creamy chicken tortilla soup with a thicker texture. Add a few chopped up corn tortillas, or a spoonful of corn flour to thicken the soup and give it great flavor.
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Recipe
Chicken Tortilla Soup
The best Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is made with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes. It's healthy, easy to throw together, and uses basic pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 bell pepper seeded, diced (any color)
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 4 ounce can diced green chilies , mild
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 15 ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cups frozen corn
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro , chopped
Topping Ideas:
- fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados, limes, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and saute for 3-5 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes, green chilies, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, black beans, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Cut chicken into a few pieces and add to the pot. Cook for 7-10 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. (Or sub cooked rotisserie chicken, adding it in the next step).
- Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the pot along with the corn and lime juice.
- Serve with desired toppings, like fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado.
Notes
To Use Cooked Rotisserie Chicken: Add it at near the eed, when you add the corn.
Slow Cooker Instructions: After sautéing the vegetables in step 1, add them to the slow cooker along with the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chilies, spices, chicken breasts and black beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the soup along with corn and lime juice. Serve with desired toppings.
Instant Pot Instructions: Heat Instant Pot to Sauté and add oil. Sauté the vegetables and garlic. Turn the pot off. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chilies, spices, chicken breasts and black beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure. Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return to the soup along with corn and lime juice. Serve with desired toppings.
Variations:
- Beans: you can use any kind but pinto beans and garbanzo beans would be great substitutes for black beans in this recipe.
- Bell peppers: use any color, or add another vegetable instead, like chopped zucchini, or even sweet potatoes.
- Diced Tomatoes: Use 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes in place of the 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes.
- Chicken broth: substitute vegetable broth.
- Corn: fresh or frozen corn will work.
- Vegetarian: Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, leave out the chicken and add extra vegetables instead, like more bell peppers, chopped zucchini and sweet potatoes.
Macros Recipe Adaptation
Extra toppings: cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and avocado are not included in the macros.Per Serving Amount
699.8 gramsMacros
Calories: 318kcal, Protein: 32g, Carbs: 34g, Fat: 6g (serves 5) | MFP: Chicken Tortilla Soup (TBFS Macros)Nutrition
Calories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 32gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 442mgPotassium: 908mgFiber: 8gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1539IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 5mg
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I originally shared this recipe January 2015. Updated September 2019 and February 2023.
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My kids don’t like soup but they loved this.
Delicious!! Making a vegetarian version for church on Friday!
Your recipes are amazing! Thank you for what you do!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I don’t like chicken so I added shredded chicken to individual bowls before I added the soup. I also used fire roasted tomatoes which added a little smoke flavor. I will make this again.
After eating really unhealthy the past few days, this tasted like a health potion! It’s seasoned well and I love the tomato taste in the background. My partner said he would have preferred it with a spicy kick, which would be tasty, but I love the seasonings as is.
An excellent chicken tortilla soup recipe. It was an all around hit with my family! I’ll keep this recipe in my recipe file!
I used smoked paprika instead of plain and added a cup of plain oatmilk with 3 tablespoons flour to thicken it just a bit. The spices were just right. I served it with avocado chunks, cilantro, lime wedges and crunchy thin pita strips.
This was a very good soup. I am allergic to chicken, so I substituted the chicken for turkey and used vegi broth. This was simple and easy to make.
The flavor of this soup was delicious. My husband loved it! I do have a question though. I like it a little thicker. How can I thicken it without losing the flavor?
You could add some corn tortillas, or corn meal. Or you could add a cornstarch slurry (a little cornstarch mixed with water).
This was great! I went for the crockpot version and made it with bone broth I made in my instant pot- yum!! Topped with sour cream guacamole and crushed tortilla chips. Even better the second day! We love all your recipes- thank you!!
Just put this into the IP for supper tonight; will repeat to have on-hand for late Christmas Day when tummies just want a little somethin’! Did you know there’s a typo where it says “1 cups frozen corn”? Hope your Christmas Day is full of warm memories!