This Chunky Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe comes together in 30 minutes and packs a ton of flavor and veggies! Make this soup for dinner any night of the week or freeze some for later.
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Why I Love This Chunky Chicken Tortilla Soup
You guys know by now I love all Mexican-inspired food and tortilla soup is no exception. This Chunky Chicken Tortilla Soup is a game-changer when it comes to quick and easy meals because it comes together in about 30 minutes!
If you love Mexican food as much as I do check out my Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Beef, Air Fryer Chimichangas, and my Instant Pot Mexican Style Beans. All of these recipes are easy to make and full of flavor.
Expert Tips and Substitutions for This Recipe
- Open all of the cans and prepare all of the vegetables before starting the cooking process. This helps keep the recipe preparation time at 30 minutes.
- If you don't want to make crispy tortilla strips, you can use tortilla chips from the bag instead.
- Create a toppings bar so people can individualize their soup with their favorite toppings.
- For additional heat, add 1-2 canned chipotle peppers. These are dried jalapenos that have been smoked and canned in hot sauce. A little goes a long way!
- Substitute dried Mexican Chiles with dried chile powder.
How to Make Easy Tortilla Soup
Step 1: Warm up the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and jalapeno and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue cooking for another minute.
Step 2: Add the chicken, broth, lime juice, tomatoes, black beans, corn, chili powder, Mexican chili powder, and cumin. Stir everything together and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Add salt and pepper to taste (this will depend on the type of canned goods you add and if your chicken has any seasoning). Put in the cilantro, stir, and remove from the heat.
Step 4: Allow the soup to cool for a few minutes before serving. Place the tortillas on top and garnish with sour cream, avocado, and cheese if desired.
How to Make Crispy Tortilla Strips
These are the same tortilla stips I use for my Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken. Here's how to make them:
In a cast-iron pan or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add half of the tortilla strips to the pan and allow to fry on one side. Use your metal tongs to flip and move the strips around for a few minutes.
Once the tortillas start to brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a plate with a paper towel to catch the excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and allow to cool before serving.
How to Make Ground Dried Mexican Chili Powder
I use 2 to 3 different types of dried chiles that come in plastic bags (you can find them in the Mexican food aisle at the grocery store), but you can also just use one type. Take each chile, cut off the stem at the top, and empty the seeds out of the middle.
Cut up the chile into small pieces and fill a coffee/nut grinder (or use a small food processor). Pulse until you have a fine powder.
Use the ground chiles for this recipe and then store any remaining chile powder in a sealed container for several weeks. This is also what I used to sprinkle on top of the sour cream for the final presentation.
More Soup Recipes to Check Out
If you get a chance to make this Chunky Chicken Tortilla Soup, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes right in your inbox.
Chunky Chicken Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- wooden spoon
- ladel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
- 1 11 ounce can corn (I found fiesta corn with added peppers or you can use regular whole corn)
- 2 teaspoon ground dried Mexican chilis (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- tortilla chips or fried tortilla strips (see notes)
Optional Toppings
- queso fresco or shredded cheese
- sour cream
- sliced avocado
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot over med-high heat. Add the onions and jalapeno and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and continue stirring for another minute.
- Add the chicken, chicken broth, lime juice, tomatoes, black beans, corn, chili powder, Mexican chili powder, and cumin. Stir everything together and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add salt and pepper to taste (this will depend on the type of canned goods you add and if your cooked chicken had any seasoning). Put in the cilantro, stir, and remove from the heat. Allow the soup to cool for a few minutes before serving. Place the tortillas on top and garnish with sour cream, avocado, and cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- How to make ground dried chiles: Cut off the stem of the chile at the top and empty the seeds out of the middle. Cut up the chile into small pieces and fill the In a coffee/nut grinder (or small food processor). Pulse until you have a fine powder.
- How to make fried tortilla strips: In a cast-iron pan or large skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add half of the tortilla strips to the pan and allow to fry on one side. Use your metal tongs to flip and move the strips around for a few minutes. Once the tortillas start to brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a plate with a paper towel to catch the excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and allow to cool before serving.
- Nutrition facts are for soup only.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Joe says
IDK how I stumbled across this food blog, but I'm glad I did. I was pressure cooking chicken breasts in the InstantPot wondering what to make with it. This soup is suuuper easy to make plus I had most of the ingredients in my pantry already. It's definitely delicious and nutritious! 🙂
Emily says
Thanks, Joe! I'm also glad you stumbled upon my blog and you enjoyed this soup 😁. It's one of my favorites!
Addison says
So warm and cozy!
Freya says
Yum! This looks so good!
Emily says
Thanks, Freya, it's a go-to dinner recipe for sure!
Linda says
Hello, weeknight dinners! This one will be our new favorite especially after a long day at work.
Emily says
Yes!! That’s exactly why I love this soup, enjoy!
Chef Dennis says
My wife really loved this soup!
Emily says
So glad to hear it, Dennis! I hope you enjoyed it too 😉
Fabiana says
This sounds super yummy and easy to make !! I love Mexican food, can't wait to try your recipe!
Emily says
I hope you enjoy it, it's so easy to make!
Michelle says
This chicken tortilla looks so delicious! Love the chunky, rustic feel! Thanks for sharing!
Emily says
You are welcome, Michelle!
Wanda says
Such a hearty, comforting soup to make on cooler days. We loved this recipe!
Emily says
I'm so glad to hear it, Wanda. We love this soup on chilly nights too!
Kathryn says
Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of my favorites and your recipe looks delicious. I love how simple and easy it is to make so I will trying your recipe this week, thank you!
Emily says
Thanks, Kathryn! Tortilla Soup is one of my favorites too and if I can have it in under an hour I'm in!!
Sue says
I love this chunky version of chicken tortilla soup. So full of flavor!
Emily says
Thanks, Sue, chunky soups are the way to go!
Biana says
This Tortilla Soup looks amazing! Will be making it next time I have some shredded chicken leftover.
Emily says
It's perfect for leftovers, enjoy!