Cozy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
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Updated Jan 27, 2026, Published Jan 02, 2025
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This Chicken Tortilla Soup comes together quickly and delivers big, cozy flavor with very little hands-on time, perfect for those busy weeknights. I like to serve this alongside some jalapeño cheddar cornbread and a cold strawberry or watermelon margaritas.
I’m all about cozy meals, and soup cannot be a cozier choice to serve! Whether it’s this Enchilada Chicken Tortilla Soup, Pumpkin Chili, Cuban Black Bean Soup, or even these Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas, I cannot pass up the opportunity to enjoy a comforting meal!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken breasts. One pound of chicken is plenty enough to make 4 servings of soup.
- Broth – I prefer to use a store-bought or homemade chicken broth or chicken bone broth for this soup because it make it much more flavorful than plain water!
- Chipotle in adobo – This will give a nice amount of heat to the soup and a hint of smokiness. If you don’t like spice, simply leave out the chipotle and/or adobo sauce.
- Corn tortillas – Used to make the fried tortilla strips for serving! They are made by cutting the tortillas into thin strips then quickly frying in hot oil and sprinkling with flaky sea salt. You could crush up a few corn chips instead if you are short on time.
- Toppings – For me the best part about 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, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
- For the crispy tortilla strips. Slice corn tortillas thick or thin (it’s up to your preference!), fry in hot oil for 1 minute or until crisp, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
- For the soup. Sauté the onions, garlic and spices together.
- Blend. Add cooked onions and garlic, chipotle in adobo, diced tomatoes, and a splash of broth to the blender. Pulse until very smooth.
- Transfer back to the pot and add the rest of the broth.
- Chicken. Add chicken to the soup, and cook for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
- Remove the chicken and shred it up and return it back to the pot.
- Serve the chicken tortilla soup. I like to top it with a dollop of sour cream, lime wedges, avocado and the crispy homemade tortilla strips!
Quick Tips for the Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
Use an Instant Pot! You can cook this in the Instant Pot under the high function for 15 minutes.
Chicken. This recipe uses raw, thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- To use frozen chicken, make sure to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
- To use rotisserie chicken, only cook it for 10 minutes in the pot since it’s already cooked.
Add ins. Make this soup your own by adding in canned or frozen corn, canned black beans, or using fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular canned diced tomatoes.
Make it vegetarian. Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth. Instead of chicken, use shredded jackfruit (like my jackfruit tinga tacos), canned black beans or red beans, and cubed sweet potatoes to make it a bit more filling!
For a less spicy soup, leave out the chipotle in adobo sauce! Swap it out for a less spicy pepper, a hint of cayenne pepper, or leave out the chiles altogether. I suggest using a tablespoon of my homemade taco seasoning recipe instead.
Make Ahead, Storage, & Reheating
You can prepare the broth and aromatics a day ahead, then blend and finish the soup the next day. Make a big batch of this soup to save for meal prep.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To freeze, allow it to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag. It will stay good for several weeks. Save any leftover fried tortilla strips in a storage bag.
Thaw in the fridge or transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl or pot to heat on the stove.
If you tried this Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Equipment
- 1 medium skillet
- 1 large pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
Fried Tortilla Strips:
- 5 to 6 corn tortillas, cut into thin or thick strips
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Tortilla Soup:
- 1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, (just 1, not the whole can)
- 1 (15-ounce) can can of diced tomatoes
- 5 cups chicken broth , divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
For Garnish:
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup sour cream, whisked with a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt
- Lime wedges
- 1/2 jalapeño, sliced
- Cilantro leaves
Instructions
To Fry up the Tortilla Strips:
- Place a bed of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel on a baking sheet or cutting board. We’re going to use this to drain the tortillas after they leave the oil.
- Slice up the corn tortillas into whatever size you prefer. I usually go for thin but this is about freedom so do as you please. Pour the oil in a pan set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the tortilla strips, in batches, frying them up until crispy, about 1 minute. Transfer them to the towel and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Repeat with frying the tortilla strips, adding more oil as necessary. Set them aside.
For Pot Directions:
- 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 becomes translucent.
- Add the spices and salt and mix until the spices are fragrant. Turn off the flame and scoop the onions and garlic, and transfer them to a blender.
- To the blender, add the chipotle in adobo, can of diced tomatoes and a splash of broth. Pulse until very smooth, about 1 minutes. Pour it back into the pot, along with the remaining chicken broth. Give it a taste and adjust the salt according to taste. I added a pinch or two of salt.
- Place the chicken breasts in the 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 the soup amongst bowls. Top it with a small handful of tortilla strips, a dollop of sour cream, a few slices of jalapeño, a squeeze of lime and a few leaves of cilantro.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Use an Instant Pot! You can cook this in the Instant Pot under the high function for 15 minutes.
- Chicken. This recipe uses raw, thawed boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- To use frozen chicken, make sure to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
- To use rotisserie chicken, only cook it for 10 minutes in the pot since it’s already cooked.
- Add ins. Make this soup your own by adding in canned or frozen corn, canned black beans, or using fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular canned diced tomatoes.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheat
You can prepare the broth and aromatics a day ahead, then blend and finish the soup the next day. Make a big batch of this soup to save for meal prep. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To freeze, allow it to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag. It will stay good for several weeks. Save any leftover fried tortilla strips in a storage bag. Thaw in the fridge or transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl or pot to heat on the stove.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh! Forgot to mention: If you don’t have an immersion blender, get one ASAP. I’ve had one for many years and it’s super easy to just blend everything in the pot instead of scooping everything into my blender/food processor. Immersion blenders are amazing time savers.
Very tasty with just the right amount of heat for me, but my family felt it was too spicy.
It was also super salty. Not inedible, but saltier than I would like (admittedly I’m pretty sensitive to salt so your mileage may vary). It was still all eaten even though I doubled the recipe. I may or may not have eaten far more than anyone else in my household.
Ahem. Anyway, made it a second time the following week. Cut the adobo in half and omitted the additional salt. I also added some frozen corn and black beans just to give it a heartier bite. All agreed it was perfection. I think it would still be phenomenal without the corn and beans. Thanks so much. This will have a permanent place on my meal roster!
Wonderful!
So, was that supposed to be one can of chipotle peppers or one pepper??? I used the whole can (never have used them before). It seems very spicy!!!
Me too. I put in whole small can and I think that may have been an error.
This is delicious!!! I triple the chicken for a high protein meal but it’s so good!!!
I don’t normally comment but wanted to share that I love this recipe! I tweak it a little bit depending on what I have-add a can of diced green chiles or fresh diced jalapeño to the blender ingredients, a little bit of masa harina when I want a thicker soup, add in Mexican oregano too- but it is a staple for me. It is perfect for Chicago winters and desk lunches
I have made this recipe countless times. I am making it again tonight! It’s perfect as is, no substitutions. Thank you for this household staple!
I have loved your first chicken tortilla soup for years now, and am debating on doing a mashup of it, with this recipe, for tonight. I have uncooked chicken breasts that I had planned to poach, and add to your first version. I think I’ll still do the roasted pepper, spices, blender move, and instant pot the rest!
Good idea! That’ll be a good match up! 🙂
Hey adrianna! How many would you say this serves please?
It serves 4! 🙂
This has become a staple in our household! The soup is flavorful and delicious.
Thanks, Taylar! Love hearing this. 🙂
That looks delicious! Comfort food recipes will always find a way to me eventually, I love trying new things.
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I loved this! It was an amazing soup!