Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

4.81 from 21 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is the ultimate cozy meal! This hearty and spicy Mexican soup is loaded with flavor, toppings and homemade crispy tortilla strips. It takes about 40 minutes to put together in an Instant Pot and you’ll have leftovers for days! Serve with jalapeño cheddar cornbread and a cold chelada for dinner!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Cost: $10

Equipment

Instant pot or medium pot
blender
Baking Sheet

Ingredients

Fried Tortilla Strips:

5 to 6 corn tortillas cut into thin or thick strips
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or 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 in adobo
1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
5 cups of chicken broth or water divided
1/2 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 small 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 Instant Pot Directions:

To the Instant Pot, turn it to the sauté function, and add a tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil sheens, it’s hot, add the onion and garlic cloves. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. Add the spices and salt and mix until the spices are fragrant. Turn the Instant Pot off 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 Instant Pot, along with the remaining chicken broth or water. Give it a taste and adjust the salt according to taste. I added a pinch or two.
Place the chicken breasts in the soup mixture. Top the Instant Pot with its lid, turn the seal to “seal," and set it to "manual" for 15 minutes.
When the Instant Pot is done, release the quick release and top the steam with a clean kitchen towel. Remove the lid and remove the chicken. Using two forks, shred the chicken and return it to the pot.

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 or water. 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

Don’t have an Instant Pot? That’s totally fine, I’ve included instructions for how to make this chicken tortilla soup using a regular pot on the stove down in the recipe card! The main difference is that the onions and garlic will take longer to cook and the chicken about 30 minutes to cook instead of 15!
Make it ahead. Make a big batch of this soup to save for meal prep or store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days in an air tight container. To freeze, allow it to cool completely then transfer to a freezer bag. It will stay good for several weeks. Thaw in the fridge or transfer it to a microwave safe bowl or pot to heat on the stove.
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. If using a rotisserie chicken, only cook it for 10 minutes in the instant 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.

Equipment:

Instant Pot

Nutrition