With over 400 5-star reviews, this chicken tortilla soup is one of our most highly-rated soup recipes on the blog!
After spending years developing this recipe for our catering business, I thought I’d share a simplified version that can be made at home in your instant pot or on the stovetop- with very little hands-on time.
The secret is in the spices: our blend of spices creates the perfect balance of savory depth and mild heat that the whole family will love.
Why I love Instant Pot Tortilla Soup
- I love how adaptable this recipe is. Make it with chicken thighs or chicken breast. Use dry black beans or canned beans; for a low-carb version, use no beans at all; it’s totally up to you.
- The flavorful base of this soup is what makes this recipe shine. Once you nail that, the recipe is so versatile. We think it’s the best recipe for Chicken tortilla soup out there!
- It’s EASY! The best part is after you saute the veggies for a few minutes, you can dump everything else in the pot, and just let it cook and be totally hands-off.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Video (Instant Pot)
Table of Contents
- Why I love Instant Pot Tortilla Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup Video (Instant Pot)
- Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
- How to make homemade Tortilla Chips:
- Tortilla Soup variations
- Chicken Tortilla Soup Toppings
- How to store Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup Faqs
- What to serve with Chicken Tortilla soup?
- Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (Instant Pot)
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
- Tomatoes – use canned diced tomatoes, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, or use fresh diced tomatoes w/ their juices.
- Chilies -For ease, we use canned mild green chilies , but feel free to use a fresh poblano chili
- Chicken – boneless chicken thighs offer up great richness, while boneless chicken breast keeps this light and lean; both work great.
- Chicken Stock– use store-bought or make your own homemade chicken stock.
- Veggies: carrot, celery onion and garlic.
- Beans: We love using dry black beans if using the instant pot or canned black beans in the stovetop version, but both work in either instance. You can also leave the beans out completely or sub corn.
- Fresh Lime Juice and cilantro elevate.
- Spices: in addition to the Mexican seasonings, adding a little chipotle here elevates. Use ground chipotle or the adobo sauce from the can for a delicious smoky heat!
How to make homemade Tortilla Chips:
For the healthiest, tastiest tortilla chips, spray strips of fresh corn 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 entirely for a low-carb version.
Tortilla Soup variations
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup on the Stovetop
*See the recipe card for instant pot instructions.
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery, in olive oil, for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the chicken (whole), tomatoes, black beans, and chilies.
Add chicken stock, water, salt and all the spices. Give a good stir, and bring to a simmer. Cover, and gently simmer until chicken pulls apart easily, about 30 minutes.
Shred the chicken with two forks, either right in the pot or on a cutting board.
Squeeze with a generous amount of lime juice and taste for salt, adding more if necessary. Garnish with cilantro.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe Tips
- Use flavorful chicken stock and enough salt to ensure your soup has good flavor. You can always add a chicken bouillon cube if it tastes bland. Conversely, if your soup is too salty, add a little water.
- Add chipotle, whether ground or from the can, it really elevates the soup, adding a smoky heat. Add gradually to taste, remembering that the toppings will help moderate or mute the heat. If you are sensitive to heat but love the smoky flavor, add a little smoked paprika to taste.
- Fresh Lime enhances the soup. Start with a squeeze of half a lime, then add more to taste. If you added more tomato than the recipe called for, this will add acidity to the soup, so you’ll need less lime.
- Never cook jalapenos in the soup unless you like your soup extra spicy! I always add as a garnish at the end of cooking to moderate the heat better.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Toppings
These toppings elevate the tortilla soup- and ding flavor and texture. You don’t need all, but pick a few!
- Shredded Mexican cheese, or cheddar (or crumbled cotija)
- Sour cream- (or Mexican Crema) adds a nice creaminess and is especially lovely if your soup is tastes too spicy.
- Avocado– if going dairy-free, avocado adds a nice richness!
- Cilantro– it just belongs here. If you can’t tolerate it, scallions work too!
- Tortilla chips– homemade or store-bought, add a great texture!
- Fresh jalapeño- thinly sliced, or add hot sauce for heat.
- Lime wedges
Serve the chicken tortilla soup in bowls with a few of the toppings.
How to store Chicken Tortilla Soup
The soup will keep up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Leave all the toppings off when storing, and add right before serving.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Faqs
Chicken Tortilla Soup can be thickened in two ways- add soft corn tortillas, torn into small pieces, into the simmering soup; they will dissolve and thicken it. You can also use corn meal; create a slurry, whisking a few tablespoons of corn meal with water, then whisk this paste into the soup, simmering it for 15 minutes, thickening the soup, and giving it a beautiful corn flavor.
Chicken tortilla soup is very soothing for a sore throat or cold and healing and nourishing to the body. It is low in carbs, high in protein and nutrients while being low in calories. Black beans add good healthy fiber to the soup.
Find the balance between salt, spicy heat, and acid, in this case, lime. If the soup tastes bland, try adding more salt and lime.
Absolutely! Use veggie broth instead of chicken broth, and replace the chicken with pinto beans and corn. Feel free to add other veggies like bell pepper and zucchini.
What to serve with Chicken Tortilla soup?
We love this soup and hope you do too. ❤️
⭐️ Please rate it for us and share your adaptions or your thoughts in the comments below!
xoxo
More recipes you may like:
- Chicken Ramen
- Our top 25 Instant Pot recipes from around the Globe
- 35+ Chicken Breast Recipes
- 50+ Easy Dinner Ideas
- Feel Better Chicken Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- 20 Broth-Based Soups!
- Mexican Noodle Soup! (vegan-adaptable)
- Turmeric Detox Broth (customizable)
Need more dinner ideas? Check out our 40+Best Chicken Breast Recipes and our 50 Easy Dinner Ideas!
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (Instant Pot)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 cups
- Category: soup, dinner idea,
- Method: stovetop, pressure cooker
- Cuisine: mexican
Description
Our Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is highly rated- it’s a fast and flavorful soup that can be made on the stovetop or in an instant pot! ⭐️ Please rate it for us and share your adaptions or what you think of it in the comments below!
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
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes and juices (or fire-roasted) or 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes w/juices
- 4–ounce can, mild green chilies (or sub a poblano chili, diced)
- 2 lbs chicken (boneless, skinless, thighs or breasts) left whole –see cooking notes
- 1 cup dry black beans,or sub 1 to 2 14-ounce cans black beans (or sub corn) see notes
- 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
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- lime 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, and lime wedges.
Instructions
- In an Instant Pot set to “saute” (or Dutch oven over medium heat), saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery in olive oil, for 4 minutes or until fragrant, stirring (If using granulated garlic add with the spices, and if using fresh poblano chili, add it now).
- Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, green chilies, whole chicken, and black beans. Pour in the chicken stock, water, salt and all the spices and give a good stir.
- Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 25 minutes if using dry beans. See notes for canned beans. Manually release. See notes for modifications. Alternatively, if cooking on the stovetop, bring it to a boil, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes, until chicken is tender and pulls apart easily.
- Shred the chicken with two forks, either right in the pot, or in a bowl. (At this point, you could add frozen corn to the soup, heating it up.) Return the shredded chicken to the pot and simmer on low 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, grated cheese, sour cream, scallions or avocado and cilantro. Add hot sauce for added heat.
Notes
I use a 6-quart Dutch Oven, or a 6-quart Instant Pot. Doubling the recipe will not fit in a 6-quart.
Black beans: If your dry black beans are very old, I recommend soaking them first or extending the pressure cooking time to 30-35 minutes. You can also use dry beans in the stovetop version, but I recommend soaking them first. For a more brothy soup, use only one can of beans vs. two. ( I prefer this soup brothy.)
Chicken Breast: If using whole chicken breasts and canned beans in the instant pot, lower the pressure cook time to 9-12 minutes (9 minutes for smaller breasts or 12 minutes for extra-large chicken breasts). Set the pressure cooker time to 14 minutes for chicken thighs and canned beans. If cooking on the stovetop, cutting extra-large chicken breasts in half will shorten the cooking time.
Frozen Chicken: If using frozen chicken breasts or chicken thighs in the instant pot, add 3-4 minutes (make sure they are not all stuck together in one block).
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.
For a bean-free version you could swap out 2 cups of corn for the beans ( Trader Joes, frozen fire-roasted corn is great) adding it to the soup after chicken is cooked.
For slow cooker version, do steps 1 & 2 as stated above, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on High for 3 to 4 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ 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
Love it !
This soup is AMAZING!! Thank you for sharing this!!
Delicious! Made this (crockpot version) for supper tonight and it did not disappoint.
Hi! My Instant Pot is only 3 quarts. Should I halve the recipe?
I would halve it, yes!
YESS!! This is delicious!! I added some dry ranch seasoning.. YUM
Love this recipe! Second time I’ve made it. I added a jalapeno instead of the green chiles and also added a chipotle from a can along with some of the adobo sauce. Lots of lime, cilantro and extra sharp cheddar cheese. Rockin.
Nice! Glad you liked it!
This is so tasty!! Comes together super fast too!
I’ve made this recipe several times- and it’s always delicious!
thanks Leslie!
Wow. Just, wow. I will be making this over and over again.
I am a good cook but for some reason I haven’t had much success with the Instant Pot…until this recipe! My family loves this soup and it is on our regular rotation. So comforting on a cold or rainy day!
Oh good! I’m so glad you had success with this Danielle!
This is FANTASTIC!! I can’t say enough about how great it is. The very first time I tried it, it turned out perfectly. I really appreciated the clear directions and all the little tips. It also makes a ton. My husband and I ate it for 4 straight meals (it’s even better as leftovers), and I could eat it for another 4. I agree that the toppings, especially the avocado, really seal the deal. It is definitely going down as one of my all-time favorite recipes. I’d give it 10 stars if I could.
Awesome, glad you enjoyed this Amanda!!!
Hi there, this looks great! Can I use a whole, small chicken? Wondering if I will have to increase time.
Hi Caitlin I’ve not tried this with a whole small chicken. I’m assuming it would take longer but not sure how much longer. You’d have to de-bone afterwards and also there would be the skin which would add a lot of fat to the soup.Your broth will not be as clear.
Got my instant pot today and had to try this since I had majority of the ingredients already at home and I’m so glad I found this!!! I used Mexican style diced tomatoes, 1 can of black beans and 1 can of corn, and 2 TBS of minced garlic, absolutely delicious! It was an absolute hit in my household tonight. Will be saving this recipe for life!
Awesome Desarae, Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Slyvia. How many minutes would you recommend for large frozen chicken breasts? Thanks!!
I would say 12 minutes? It honestly depends on how large. If the breasts are not cooked after 12 minutes, break them apart a little and continue cooking on saute function for a few minutes, until they easily shred. Make sure to get that broth to a simmer before serving it.
What if I have already cooked chicken breast in the freezer on hand. How would I go about cooking time?
If they are separate smaller breasts- you can add directly to the pot, increase time by 2 mins. If they are all stuck together, I’d thaw first.
So delicious! I’m an IP newbie- this is only my second real recipe!- and the directions were easy to follow and it turned out perfectly. I made it with Trader Joe’s frozen fire-roasted corn and followed the instructions for just one can of beans for a brothier soup. Our house smelled amazing and dinner was a hit. Love that we were able to pack a few containers away in the freezer for another time! So glad I found your site!
perfect! Thanks Hilary.
FANTASTIC!!! the whole family absolutely loved this soup! I wouldn’t change a thing 🙂
Excellent recipe – easy and very tasty. I didn’t have celery on hand so just left it out and threw in a bit of extra fresh tomatoes at the end instead. Really nice flavors, especially with the squeeze of lime and cilantro at the end. Will definitely make this as part of our regular rotation.
So glad you enjoyed this.
Delicious! I added some zucchini a little bit of frozen corn, and at the end, a can of coconut milk after pressure cooking time was done.
I used chicken breasts ‘cause that’s what I had. Thighs next time. Thx!
Delicious and healthy too! Loved the addition of lime and chipotle chilis. Was very flavorful.
So, so good! Saving this to my go-to recipes folder. Instant Pot took a significant amount of time to pressurize, so just be aware.
This is my go to tortilla soup recipe. It’s easily adaptable to what I have on hand and always tastes great. I like a less broth soup so I usually omit the two cups of water.
I don’t usually do texmex type things. And I don’t think I’ve ever had chicken tortilla soup ever before in my life but I LOVED THIS. I used rotel tomatoes with chillies (used what I had- we had these for another recipe but then I forgot what recipe so they just sat there! ). The chicken breasts shredded so easily and I topped it with sour cream, shredded cheese and some homemade tortilla strips. Amazing. 12/10 !
Glad you enjoyed Becky- thanks for the comment!
This is my favorite instant pot recipe!
Just got an Insta pot for my Christmas present, and with Covid causing havoc on our budget, this was an excellent and cost effective meal to add to our go-to list. All of my kids raved about how good it was! Made this mom’s night.
Hi Sylvia,
I’m rather new to “cooking”, let alone using an Instant Pot. If I wish to halve the recipe, would the cooking time change?
Thank you for sharing this. Although it’s summer, I can’t wait to try it.
I’d keep it the same. 🙂