Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click the link and make a purchase.
Chicken Tortilla Soup is the best cozy meal! This hearty, spicy Mexican soup is loaded with flavor, shredded chicken, seasonings, and crunchy homemade tortilla strips. I like to serve this alongside some jalapeño cheddar cornbread and cold strawberry or watermelon margaritas.
I love cozy meals and soup couldn’t be a more cozy option to serve! Whether it’s this Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Soup, Pumpkin Chili, Cuban Black Bean Soup, or even these Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas, I can’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy some comfort food!
Ingredients you will need for chicken tortilla soup
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. One pound of chicken is enough to make 4 servings of soup.
- Broth – I prefer to use chicken broth or homemade or store-bought chicken bone broth for this soup because it makes it much tastier than plain water.
- Chipotle in adobo – This will give the soup a good amount of heat and a hint of smokiness. If you don’t like spices, simply omit the chipotle sauce and/or adobo.
- Corn tortillas – It is used to make the fried tortilla strips to serve! They are made by cutting the tortillas into thin strips and then quickly frying them in hot oil and sprinkling with flaked sea salt. Instead, you can shred a few corn chips if you’re short on time.
- Coverage – For me, the best part of any soup is the toppings! I topped it with sliced avocado, sour cream, lime wedges, sliced jalapeño, and cilantro leaves.
For the rest of the ingredients, see the recipe sheet below.
Tips and tricks
Use an Instant Pot! You can cook this in the Instant Pot on high for 15 minutes.
Keep it up. Make a large batch of this soup to save for meal prep or store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. freezelet cool completely and then transfer to a freezer bag. It will stay good for several weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator or transfer to a microwave-safe container or pot to heat on the stove.
Chicken. This recipe uses raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- To use frozen chickenBe sure to add a few more minutes to the cooking time.
- To use roast chickenjust cook it for 10 minutes in the pot since it is already cooked.
Accessories. Make this soup your own by adding canned or frozen corn, canned black beans, or using fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular diced canned tomatoes.
Recipe FAQs
Forget chipotle in adobo sauce! It gives a wonderful smoky flavor to the soup but adds some foam! Swap it out for a less spicy pepper, a touch of cayenne pepper, or leave out the chiles altogether! You can also omit the pepper and instead add some spices. I like to use a tablespoon of my homemade taco seasoning recipe.
Of course! Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth. Instead of chicken, use grated jackfruit (like my jackfruit tinga tacos), canned black or kidney beans, and cubed sweet potatoes for a little more filling.
When I went to make this, I wasn’t looking for a super traditional version, although I did want to know the story. I found this article in the LA Times that talks a little about the history of tortilla soup. It’s super interesting and worth reading.
To paraphrase, the exact origin cannot be traced per se. They believe it started in Mexico City but maybe it didn’t. He arrived in California in the mid-20th century and landed. The versions are definitely different. Mint was added and tortilla chips were ground into the soup base (which honestly sounds delicious). It was and evolved through several iterations.
More Latin recipes
If you tried this Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went for you 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting us!
To fry the tortilla strips:
Place a bed of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel on a baking sheet or cutting board. We will use this to drain the tortillas after they come out of the oil.
Cut the corn tortillas into the size you prefer. I usually prefer thin, but it’s all about freedom, so do what you want. Pour the oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the tortilla strips, in batches, and fry until crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer them to the towel and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Repeat frying the tortilla strips, adding more oil as needed. Set them aside.
For pot instructions:
To the medium pot, set over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic cloves. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion turns translucent.
Add the spices and salt and mix until the spices are fragrant. Turn off the heat, remove the onion and garlic and transfer to a blender.
To the blender, add the chipotle in adobo, the can of diced tomatoes and a splash of broth. Pulse until very smooth, about 1 minute. Pour it back into the pot, along with the remaining chicken broth. Taste it and adjust the salt to taste. I added a pinch or two of salt.
Place chicken breasts in soup mixture and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pot with the lid. Cook for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Remove the lid and remove the chicken. Using two forks, shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
To serve:
Divide soup among bowls. Top it with a small handful of tortilla strips, a dollop of sour cream, a few slices of jalapeno, a squeeze of lime, and some cilantro leaves.
- Use an Instant Pot! You can cook this in the Instant Pot on high for 15 minutes.
- Keep it up. Make a large batch of this soup to save for meal prep or store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. freezelet cool completely and then transfer to a freezer bag. It will stay good for several weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator or transfer to a microwave-safe container or pot to heat on the stove.
- Chicken. This recipe uses raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- To use frozen chickenBe sure to add a few more minutes to the cooking time.
- To use roast chickenjust cook it for 10 minutes in the pot since it is already cooked.
- Accessories. Make this soup your own by adding canned or frozen corn, canned black beans, or using fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular diced canned tomatoes.
Service: 4gram | Calories: 385calories | Carbohydrates: 28gram | Protein: 18gram | Fat: 24gram | Saturated fats: 5gram | Polyunsaturated fats: 8gram | Monounsaturated fats: 9gram | Trans fats: 0.1gram | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 2054mg | Potassium: 827mg | Fiber: 7gram | Sugar: 6gram | Vitamin A: 333UI | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is calculated automatically and should only be used as an estimate.
