Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup is probably my very favorite soup recipe! My family loves soup and it’s a meal I serve often, especially in the fall and winter. When October hits and the weather turns a little cooler, this is a frequent meal on our weekly menu. A warm bowl of this crockpot tortilla soup in the fall and winter is just the best. Take just a little bit of time and load up the crock pot, let it do its thing, and dinner will be ready-to-go whenever you’re hungry!

Made this last night & it was excellent! My whole family loved it. I used chicken thighs simply because we like them & also added fire roasted jalapenos instead of green chilies for some kick. Will definitely make again!

— Jas

Why you should make this recipe

• Simple, wholesome ingredients
• Easy, effortless recipe
• Cozy, comforting soup with amazing flavor
• Includes instructions for slow cooker, stovetop or pressure cooker
• Stovetop method can be ready in just about 30 minutes

Ingredients needed

One of the best things about this version of slow cooker chicken tortilla soup is that it’s completely versatile. I’ve listed my favorite ingredients below, but feel free to substitute or completely leave out any ingredient to suite your family’s taste preference. Here’s the lineup:

• Chicken breasts. We typically use boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are also a great option because they have tons of flavor and stay really juicy. Bone-in chicken thighs will work too, you’ll just need to discard the bones when shredding the chicken. Another option is to use rotisserie chicken, which already has tons of great taste.
• Onion. A must for most any soup recipe! If you’d like, add in some minced garlic too.
• Canned diced tomatoes. Fire-roasted tomatoes are my go-to for Mexican recipes because they’re much more flavorful. Canned crushed tomatoes also work fine.
• Canned black beans. The addition of beans in tortilla soup makes it super satisfying and hearty.
• Sweet corn. Feel free to use canned, frozen or fresh corn.
• Canned green chiles. Adds the perfect amount of kick without being overly spicy.
• Spices. We’re using a delicious blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. You could also use a packet of taco seasoning instead.
• Chicken broth. I recommend using a low-sodium chicken broth, so you’re able to better control the amount of salt in the dish.
• Toppings. The best part! Load up your soup with tortilla strips, cilantro, lime, cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado and whatever else sounds good!

How to make this recipe in the slow cooker

Making crock pot chicken tortilla soup could not be easier! Simply add everything to the slow cooker and go on about your day. When dinnertime comes, remove and shred the chicken, then return it back to the slow cooker. Serve and top it off with all of your favorite toppings.

Stovetop instructions

This tortilla soup can easily be adapted for the stovetop.

1. Start by sautéing the onion in a large soup pot and cook thawed chicken breasts in a large skillet.
2. Cool chicken slightly and shred.
3. Then, add in ingredients, including shredded chicken into the soup pot with the onion.
4. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes and until all ingredients are warmed through.
5. Serve with all your favorite toppings.

This soup is also great to make with rotisserie chicken. You won’t have to worry about cooking the chicken and you can add all ingredients in the dutch oven with the cooked onion. Rotisserie chicken tortilla soup is great choice because it’s so easy and has a wonderful flavor!

Pressure cooker instructions

Yes, this easy chicken tortilla soup totally works in the Instant Pot!

1. If you’d like to use the Instant Pot to make this, sauté the onion for about 5 minutes. 
2. Add all other ingredients, stir and cancel sauté. Make sure the lid is on “sealing”.
3. Cook on high for about 8 minutes. It can take 10-15 minutes for it to get up to pressure. 
4. When cooking is complete, be careful of any possible splattering and do a quick pressure release.
5. Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Stir the chicken back into the soup and serve.

Expert tips

This is seriously the best chicken tortilla soup and it comes together with very little effort, but here are few tips to consider.

• Prep in advance. If you don’t have too much time in the morning, you can prep all of the ingredients the night before.
• Sear the chicken. When I have the extra time, I like to brown the outside of the chicken in the skillet before adding it to the slow cooker for even more flavor.
• Beans. Most any bean variety will work for this recipe, or you can leave them out. Aside from the black beans, we’ve used pinto beans and red kidney beans.
• Vegetarian or vegan. If you would like to make this soup without the meat, that totally works. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and add in extra vegetables, such as bell peppers, zucchini, or squash. You could even double up on the beans.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

Serve this soup with a variety of Mexican ingredients. We love this soup paired with Mexican Cornbread. It’s seriously the BEST cornbread you’ll ever taste and a must try whether you serve it with this soup or a different recipe. Tortilla strips (or tortilla chips) are a must. You can make homemade tortilla strips or use store-bought. I usually find these with the salad toppers, near the dressings and sometimes also in the produce department.

When I serve tortilla soup, I like to put out an assortment of toppings so that everyone can use their favorites. Some great options are:

• Avocado slices or guacamole
• Lime juice
• Cilantro
• Pico de gallo
• Shredded cheese
• Jalapeños
• Black olives
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt