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 fall and winter days 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 whole. You can use fresh or frozen boneless, skinless thighs or use chicken breast, up to you!
So easy! Very tasty and satisfying, and the left-over soup just gets better and better over the next few days- perfect for midweek lunches or dinners.
Chicken Tortilla Soup!| a 60-second video
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.
When the soup is done, shred the chicken, right in the pot with two forks.
Feel free to add corn or beans in this recipe- or both!
Optional Tortilla Soup Toppings:
Make sure to garnish the Instant Pot Tortilla soup with either avocado or sour cream, and a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro! The garnishes really make this! Garnishes: avocado, optional cheese (cotija or shredded), sour cream, cilantro, tortilla chips, fresh jalapeño or hot sauce for heat.
More recipes you may like:
- Our top 25 Instant Pot recipes from around the Globe
- 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
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: soup
- Method: instant pot
- Cuisine: mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
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.
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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)
- 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).
- Manually let the pressure out, covering steam with a kitchen towel. (Or feel free to let the pressure release naturally.)
- Shred chicken thighs with two forks (either right in the pot, or on a cutting board). The soup will thicken. (At this point you could add corn, and return to saute setting for a few minutes.) 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.)
- Divide among bowls and top with tortilla strips, cheese, sour cream, scallions or avocado and cilantro. Add hot sauce for added heat.
- Enjoy!
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, cook 8-12 minutes and do not use dry beans (you will overcook the breasts). 8 minutes for smaller breasts or 12 for thicker 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
Keywords: instant pot chicken tortilla soup, chicken tortilla soup, instant pot chicken soup recipes, instant pot tortilla soup, chicken tortilla soup instant pot,
Hey! This recipe looks great! I have only frozen thighs and frozen breast. Are you saying here that I would cook for the same amount of time if frozen or fresh? Excited to try this!
Theoretically yes, but I would still add a couple minutes if frozen. 😉
Pretty good. I always modify recipe as I am only one in family that likes soups of any kind.
I think I mis-read the recipe and added a can of Ro-tel AND a can of diced tomatoes (so the soup had a bit too much tomatoes).
I use “Better Than Bouillon” (just my preference to purchasing stock or broth).
Since I am making soup ‘for one’ these are the changes I do:
One skin on chicken thigh (I brown on the saute with a bit of olive oil), added chopped onions, red pepper, carrot, and celery.
I used a rinsed/drained can of black beans. I ‘rinse’ the tomato & Ro-tel cans with water and throw that water in the IP. Added seasonings. DON’T forget the lime juice!
After cooking for 15 minutes, I open and throw in a handful of frozen corn and some fresh chopped cilantro.
Added shredded cheese, avocado and corn chips to serving. Pretty tasty, but was ‘missing’ something.
Betty
PS, After making these type soups, I always leave the IP plugged in and let it simmer for several more hours before putting the refrigerator. The flavors get deeper with the longer cook time.
★★★★
Delish, quick and simple but flavorful and hearty meal in 25 minutes. I usually make this soup on the stovetop but this came together so easily in my instant pot! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
This is without a doubt THE BEST chicken tortilla soup there is!! I have made it several times!! It is fool proof and so very delicious!!!
★★★★★
Very adaptable and delicious. I halved the recipe and still seemed to have about 8 servings total… plenty of leftovers for 2 people! I made these modifications: 1lb chicken breast, 1 can tomatoes, 4 cups stock- no water or salt, 1 can beans, let it naturally release for 20 min, added salt at the end to taste. It wasn’t as spicy as I like so next time I will add some fresh jalapeños with the poblanos, or dried chili / cayenne.
★★★★★
Looks great! Could I sub jackfruit for the chicken, veg broth for the chicken broth?
Give it a shot. You may need to adjust salt and spices at the end to get it there. 🙂 I would add the jackfruit after the pressure cooking time.
Sooooo freaking good!!! Everyone had 2 or more bowls and now my family wants me to make it again for Sunday dinner! Best recipe ever.
★★★★★
This was amazing. My hubby and I ate it for three days straight till it was all gone. Only thing I subbed was a jar of hot peppers instead of the green chili’s (only bc I couldn’t find them at the supermarket). Hubby said this may be the best soup I’ve cooked in the instant pot. Thanks for the recipe:)
★★★★★