Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Published Nov 11, 2023, Updated Jan 20, 2025
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This chicken tortilla soup is loaded with veggies, black beans, shredded chicken and topped with homemade crunchy tortilla strips. It’s comforting, easy to make and perfect for meal prep.
Two of my favorite EBF soup recipes are my chicken enchilada soup and chicken fajita soup, so it was only fitting that I share a recipe for chicken tortilla soup!
This hearty and flavorful soup is packed with tender shredded chicken, black beans, fresh veggies and a blend of spices. And let’s not forget about the best part… the crispy tortilla strips on top, which are baked instead of fried.
Add this soup to your menu ASAP. It’s guaranteed to be a new family favorite!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy and versatile – Make it on the stovetop for a quick dinner or toss everything in the slow cooker and let it do the work for you.
- Loaded with flavor – Smoky spices, tender chicken, and a hint of heat make every bite irresistible.
- Perfect for meal prep – Whip up a big batch, and you’ll have delicious lunches or dinners ready to go all week long.
- Family-friendly – Customize the toppings so everyone can make their bowl just the way they like it!
- Comforting and satisfying – Hearty ingredients like chicken, beans, and crispy tortilla strips make this soup a warm and cozy favorite.
Ingredients Needed
- olive oil – to sauté the vegetables for the stovetop method. Avocado oil works as well.
- yellow onion & garlic – provides a flavorful base for the soup.
- jalapeño pepper – I used one de-seeded pepper, but feel free to only use half if you want less spice or add the seeds for more spice.
- black beans – I used canned black beans as a shortcut. Just make sure you rinse and drain before adding to the soup.
- corn – either frozen corn or canned corn works!
- seasonings & spices – chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, sea salt and black pepper.
- fire-roasted crushed tomatoes – regular diced tomatoes will work as well but I like the flavor depth the fire-roasted tomatoes add.
- broth – chicken or vegetable broth are great options. I recommend using low sodium so you can control the saltiness of the soup. If you like a thicker soup, I recommend starting with 3 cups of broth while adding more as desired.
- chicken – boneless thighs or chicken breasts work. You can cook raw chicken in the soup and then shred it or use pre-cooked shredded chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken. See my note in the recipe.
- tortilla strips – we’re making baked tortilla strips instead of fried ones. Just cut small corn tortillas into strips, toss them with sea salt and olive oil and bake! For a shortcut, you can use store-bought tortilla chips and crumble them on top of the soup. My two favorite tortilla chip brands are Late July organic chia & quinoa chips and Zack’s Mighty, which are organic.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Customize Your Soup
- Creamy – If you want to make this soup creamy you can add some heavy cream or coconut cream to the soup before serving.
- Vegan – Make this soup vegan by using vegetable broth and 1-2 cans of rinsed and drained chickpeas, lentils or black beans in place of the chicken.
- Add rice – Make this soup heartier by adding in cauliflower rice, cooked brown/white rice, or quinoa. You can stir frozen or fresh cauliflower rice or cooked white/brown rice directly to the soup once it’s done cooking and warming in the slow cooker. Stir and let warm until soup is warm throughout.
- Spice – If you’re not a fan of spice (or serving kiddos) simply take out the jalapeño. On the other hand, if you want to kick the spice up a notch add a second jalapeño pepper or add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
How to Make
This simple and delicious chicken tortilla soup comes together with just a few easy steps and crispy homemade tortilla strips!
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400ºF and line two baking trays with parchment or spray with cooking spray. Cut tortillas into ¼” strips, spread in a single layer, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 13-15 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside.
Step 2: In a Dutch oven or deep pot, heat oil over medium-high. Sauté onion, garlic, and jalapeño for 4-5 minutes, until fragrant and translucent.
Step 3: Add black beans, corn, spices, crushed tomatoes, broth, and chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes until chicken is tender.
Step 4: Shred the cooked chicken with two forks, return to the pot, and stir in cilantro and lime juice. Simmer briefly, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with crispy tortilla strips.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh vegetables and high-quality chicken for the best flavor.
- Adjust spices to your taste, don’t shy away from experimenting with different herbs.
- Don’t skip making the homemade tortilla strips! They definitely take this soup to the next level.
What to Serve With Chicken Tortilla Soup
I recommend topping this soup with shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream, avocado and the tortilla strips, but you can top it with anything you’d like! It’s a filling meal on its own, but if you want to pair it with some sides here are some suggestions:
- Chips & guac: A side of guacamole with your favorite tortilla chips.
- Chips & queso: A small bowl of melted vegan queso with some chips would be tasty alongside this soup.
- Side salad: Garlicky kale salad or avocado salad.
- Bread: Vegan cornbread or sourdough bread.
- Quesadilla: A corn or flour tortilla with melted cheese to dip in the taco soup would be delicious!
How to Store Leftovers
This soup is perfect for meal prep! I love making a batch on the weekend so I have lunch or dinner ready to go for the week. For storing, allow the soup to cool and then carefully transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You could also freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best toppings include crispy tortilla strips, shredded cheese, avocado, jalapeño slices, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and a squeeze of lime. These toppings add texture and extra flavor to the soup.
Yes! Add all the soup ingredients (except for lime juice, cilantro, and toppings) to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Follow the recipe instructions for shredding the chicken and adding lime juice and cilantro before serving.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts are ideal because they cook tenderly and shred easily. Thighs offer more flavor, while breasts are leaner.
More Soup Recipes to Try
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Mexican Sweet Potato Chicken Soup
- White Bean Chicken Chili
- Chicken Fajita Soup
- Vegetable Soup
- Taco Soup
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Autumn Harvest Soup(Panera Copycat)
- Sausage and Kale Soup
Be sure to check out the full collection of soup recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Tortillas
Soup
- ½ Tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, de-seeded and chopped
- 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ cup frozen sweet corn, or one 15 oz can, drained
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 28 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, or chicken breasts
- ¼ cup cilantro, plus more for topping
- Juice of 1 lime
- Avocado, for topping
- Shredded cheese, for topping
- Jalapeño slices, for topping
- Greek yogurt or sour cream, for topping
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
Stove Top
- Preheat oven to 400 F and spray two baking pans with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- If you haven’t already, cut tortillas into ¼” strips. Spread strips onto baking trays in a single layer. Drizzle tortilla strips with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until tortillas crisp up and start to turn golden brown. Set aside.
- While tortillas are baking, start making soup. In a Dutch oven or deep pot, heat oil over medium high. Sauté onion, garlic and jalapeno pepper, until fragrant and the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add black beans, corn, spices, crushed tomatoes, broth and chicken. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pot, allow to cool slightly and then use two forks to shred. Add shredded chicken, cilantro and lime juice and simmer for a few minutes until chicken is heated through. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve in bowls and top with shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado, jalapeno slices, greek yogurt/sour cream and tortilla strips or desired toppings.
Slow Cooker
- Add all of the ingredients except for the lime juice, cilantro and toppings into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours until chicken is cooked through and easily falls apart.
- When soup is almost done cooking preheat oven to 400F and spray two baking pans with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Cut tortillas into ¼” strips and spread onto baking trays in a single layer. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until tortillas crisp up and start to turn golden brown.
- Once chicken is tender, remove from slow cooker, allow to cool slightly and then use two forks to shred.
- Return chicken to slow cooker. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve in bowls and top with shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado, jalapeno slices, greek yogurt/sour cream and tortilla strips or desired toppings.
Video
Notes
- Shredded chicken: If you already have shredded chicken on hand you can skip adding the raw chicken breasts and add about 3 cups shredded chicken into the soup when you add the lime juice and cilantro. Heat until chicken is warm and serve.
- Less spice: If you’re not a fan of spice (or serving kiddos) simply skip the jalapeño pepper.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely divine. Best tortilla soup I’ve made yet!
So glad this recipe was a hit, Mikenna! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I cooked the chicken separately in the oven, then chopped it and added it to the soup. Also added some carrots and celery because I had them on hand. And used dried black beans because they cook fairly quickly-I did cook them separately as well and then added them but I think they could be cooked right in the soup. Overall this is a great base recipe to work from and make your own or stick to the exact recipe! Great idea! And delicious
So glad you loved this recipe, Amy. And I’m glad you were able to make it your own! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it.
Absolutely delish!!! Perfect dinner for this cold and rainy day. Will make again soon.
YUM! I am so glad you are loving this soup and it turned out amazing for you, Caroline. Thanks for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
Wow, yum!! I made this for dinner tonight and it was a total hit with everyone! My husband said, “Is there was a spot to hit, this would’ve hit it.” Definitely making again!!
Ahhh this is the BEST, Erica. I am so glad this recipe is a hit for you and your family. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
This recipe is so delicious! I made it in the slow cooker. My family loved it! I am a fan of your recipes. Always so good! Thank you!
Ah yay! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe, Kristine. Thank you so much for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
This turned out fantastic. I used a slow cooker and it couldn’t have been easier. There was very little prep time. I only cooked the tortilla strips for 10 minutes but my oven burnt them up. I need a little less time on those, but other than that issue..I will make it again. I loved it and so did my husband!
YUM! I am excited to hear that this recipe is a hit, Kelly. Sorry to hear about the tortilla strips though. Thanks so much for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!