Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

The BEST Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup – made from scratch, in a fraction of the time! Delicious and healthy, loaded with chicken and veggies, this soup will warm you to your bones! Can also be made on the stovetop or slow cooker! With a video!

Hey friends, I’m so excited to share this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup with you! Full of flavor it can be made in a fraction of the time- perfect for busy nights.  Delicious and hearty, it is loaded with chicken and veggies, so comforting and soul-warming!

Perfect for cool weather this version is highly adaptable. Make it with dry beans, canned beans or no beans at all, it’s totally up to you. Top it with cheese and sour cream, or keep it dairy-free and add avocado. Make it as spicy as you want. Lots of options here friends!

The best part is after you saute the onions, you can just dump everything else in the pot and let the pressure cooker work its magic. No pressure cooker? No problem….make it on the stove or in a slow cooker (see recipe notes).

The nice part is you don’t even have to touch or cut the chicken, just drop it in the Instant Pot whole. You can use fresh or frozen boneless, skinless thighs or use chicken breast, up to you!  If you looking for more recipes like this, be sure to take a peek at our 35 Best Instant Pot Recipes from around the globe!

Chicken Tortilla Soup | 60-sec Video

How to make Chicken Tortilla  Soup

1. Set the Instant pot to the Saute function. Saute onions in the oil while you prep the garlic, carrots and celery. Add them to the pot, and saute.
2. Add the diced tomato, green chilies, chicken thighs (whole), dry black beans ( or canned, drained), chicken stock, water, salt and all the spices.
3. Give a good stir, and set the Instant pot to pressure cook on high. If using dry black beans, pressure cook 25 minutes. If using canned black beans, pressure cook for 14 minutes (same for either fresh or frozen thighs).
4. Manually let the pressure out, covering steam with a kitchen towel.
5. Shred the chicken, right in the pot with two forks.
6. Squeeze with a generous amount of lime juice and taste for salt, adding more if necessary- especially if you used dry beans, you will need to add more.
7. Divide among bowls and top with tortilla strips, cheese, sour cream, scallions or avocado and cilantro. Add hot sauce for added heat.

Homemade tortilla chips:

For the healthiest, tastiest tortilla chips, spray strips of fresh tortillas with olive oil spray and a sprinkle of salt, and bake until crisp, or feel free to use store-bought tortilla chips, or leave them off completely for a lower carb version.

Tortilla Soup Toppings:

The garnishes really elevate the soup!

• avocado
• cheese (cotija or shredded cheese) -optional
• sour cream– optional but good!
• cilantro
• tortilla chips
• fresh jalapeño or hot sauce for heat
• lime wedges

More recipes you may like:

• Our top 25 Instant Pot recipes from around the Globe
• 35+ Chicken Breast Recipes
• Feel Better Chicken Soup
• 20 Healing Broth-Based Soups! 
• Mexican Noodle Soup! (vegan-adaptable)
• Turmeric Detox Broth (customizable)

So simple, so easy. So tasty! Make this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup and save the left-overs for mid-week meals.

Have a delicious week!

xoxo

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

★★★★★ 5 from 348 reviews

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: soup
• Method: instant pot
• Cuisine: mexican
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup – a fast and flavorful recipe that can be made using dry or canned beans, and using fresh or frozen thighs, or breast meat. Very adaptable! Very easy. Read the Notes!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, rough chopped (or sub 1–2 tablespoons granulated garlic)
• 1–2 cups carrots, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 x 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, and juices (preferably fire-roasted) or 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes w/juices
• 1  small 4-ounce can, mild green chilies (or sub 1 poblano chili, diced)
• 2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless, skinless, fresh or frozen) left whole (or breasts -see cooking notes)
• 1 cup dry black beans or sub 1-2 cans black beans, or sub corn-see notes ( do not use dry beans with chicken breast as breasts will overcook.)
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth (or water with 4 chicken bouillon cubes)
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt, more to taste
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• juice from 1–2 limes
• optional: for a smoky heat, add a little chipotle (either the adobo sauce from canned chipotles, or a little ground chipotle powder to taste. )

Garnish with any or all of the following:  tortilla strips, grated cheese, sour cream, avocado, hot sauce, cilantro, fresh jalapeño, scallions

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Instructions

1. Set the Instant pot to the Saute function. Saute onions in the oil for 3-4 minutes while you prep the garlic, carrots and celery. Add them to the pot, and saute 3-4 minutes. (If using granulated garlic, add later with the spices)
2. Add the diced tomato and their juices, green chilies, chicken thighs (whole), dry black beans ( or canned, drained), chicken stock, water, salt and all the spices.  Give a good stir, and set the Instant pot to pressure cook on high. If using dry black beans, pressure cook 25 minutes. If using canned black beans, pressure cook for 14 minutes (same for either fresh or frozen thighs).
3. Manually let the pressure out, covering the steam spout with a kitchen towel. (Or feel free to let the pressure release naturally.)
4. Shred chicken thighs with two forks, either right in the pot, or on a cutting board. (At this point you could add corn, and return to saute setting for a few minutes.)
5. Squeeze with a generous amount of lime juice and taste for salt, adding more if necessary- especially if you used dry beans, you will need to add more. You want a good balance between lime and salt. (If the soup tastes bland, it probably needs more of each.)
6. Divide among bowls and top with tortilla strips, cheese, sour cream, scallions or avocado and cilantro. Add hot sauce for added heat.
7. Enjoy!

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Notes

I used a 6-quart Instant Pot.

For a more brothy soup, use only 1 can of beans vs. two. ( I prefer this brothy.)

Blackbeans: If your dry blackbeans are very old, I would recommend soaking first or extending the pressure cooking time to 30 minutes.

CHICKEN BREASTS If using whole chicken breasts, lower pressure cook time to 8-12 minutes and do not use dry beans (you will overcook the breasts). Set at 8 minutes for smaller breasts or 12 mins for extra-large breasts.

The toppings really add to the soup. Use them!

For the tastiest tortilla chips, spray strips of fresh tortillas with olive oil spray and a sprinkle of  salt, and bake in a 300 F oven until crisp.

STOVE TOP:  Use a big pot or dutch oven–  follow the same directions, sauteeing over medium heat, then simmering covered until chicken thighs are cooked through and easily shreddable, and beans are tender, about 40 minutes. Soaking the beans first shortens this time!

For a bean-free version you could swap out 3 cups corn for the beans ( Trader Joes, frozen fire-roasted corn is great) adding it to the soup after you release the pressure.

For slow cooker version, cook as stated above then cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours, or on High for 3 to 4 hours.

If doubling the recipe, this will not fit in a 6  quart Instant Pot.  I recommend making in a big pot on the stove.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 3/4 cups
• Calories: 392
• Sugar: 3.9 g
• Sodium: 729.2 mg
• Fat: 22.2 g
• Saturated Fat: 5.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 23.6 g
• Fiber: 6.5 g
• Protein: 25.3 g
• Cholesterol: 111.3 mg

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