This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Chicken tortilla soup: all the warming spices, tender shredded chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, and hearty black beans you could want. But the real star here? The salty crunch from the corn chips tossed on top—because honestly, that’s half the reason we’re here.
This chicken tortilla soup is what happens when my love for a hearty chili meets my need for a cozy chicken soup. It’s loaded with tender chicken, tomatoes, beans, and bell peppers. Basically everything you want simmering away on a chilly, lazy day. It also happens to make excellent leftovers. But let’s be honest: the real magic here is in the topping. That salty, crunchy layer that officially makes it chicken tortilla soup. Though I like to skip frying tortilla shells and pop on a handful of corn chips instead. They’re easy, perfect, and—let’s face it—dangerously good.
For more comforting soups, check out my vegetable lasagna soup or this cozy chicken curry Ramen. Can’t decide? I’ve got a whole collection of hearty soup recipes to inspire you.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love It
- Great for meal prep—This soup eats like a meal and lends itself as a great option for lunches or dinners throughout the week.
- Easy to customize—You can swap quite a few things in this recipe while remaining true to the flavors. See my recipe modifications below.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
- Chicken—I like using chicken tenderloins because they cook quickly and shred easily.
- Poblano pepper—A nice earthy pepper, like the jalapeño, without the heat.
- Seasoning—You can add the spices as the recipe instructs, or add two tablespoons of my taco seasoning recipe.
Toppings
- Corn chips (I used to top my soup with crispy fried tortilla strips, like most other recipes, but I’ve since moved to a heaping handful of corn chips. You could also use these crispy tortilla salad toppers.)
- Avocado
- Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Scallions
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
Recipe Modifications
- Pre-cooked shredded chicken—To make things quicker and easier, you could use pre-cooked and shredded rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. In that case, skip the steps to cook the chicken and roll straight to the onions and peppers.
- Add heat—Adding a diced jalapeño or extra cayenne will increase the spice here. Great for clearing up those sinuses!
Step-by-Step: How to Chicken Tortilla Soup
Step 1: Cook the Chicken Tenderloins
Heat oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then place the strips into the pot, cooking them for about 6 minutes per side, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160-165º F. When done, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred the chicken tenderloins with two forks (or cut into small cubes if you prefer cubed chicken).
Step 2: Sauté the Vegetables
Add the diced onion and poblano to the pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the garlic and simmer for another 30 seconds.
Step 3: Create the Broth and Season It
Add the chicken broth, canned tomatoes (juices included), black beans, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper to the pot.
Step 4: Let It Simmer
Give everything a good stir, then add the chicken to the soup. Stir it again and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Step 5: Serve It Up and Garnish
Spoon the soup into bowls and garnish it with your favorite goodies, such as corn chips (you can’t go wrong with those gems).
Recipe Tip
A hand or stand mixer will shred chicken faster (and with way less effort) than using two forks. Just toss your warm, cooked chicken into a large bowl and mix on low until it’s as shredded as you want it.
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can freeze chicken tortilla soup before adding toppings. Let the soup cool, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly container (I like using these silicone trays) and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge the night before you plan to reheat and eat.
- To reheat chicken tortilla soup, you can either transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in 45-second increments until warmed through or transfer it to a saucepan and heat it over the stove.
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven or stock pot
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 Poblano pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and thinly sliced.
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 2 14.5 oz cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, plus juice
- 1 10 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- Juice of one lime
- 1 TBSP chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- A few cracks of black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika, Regular paprika is fine if you don't have smoked.
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; more if you'd like to add more heat
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or cilantro
- Handful of corn chips or crispy tortilla strips
Optional Toppings
- Diced avocado
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or cilantro
- Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
- Heat oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add them to the pot. Cook for about 6 minutes per side, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160-165º F.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred the chicken tenderloins with two forks. You could also cube the chicken if you prefer. Set the chicken aside. (See notes for a quick tip for shredding chicken.)
- Add the diced onion and poblano to the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the garlic and simmer for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken broth, canned tomatoes (juices included), black beans, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Give everything a good stir, then transfer the chicken to the pot.
- Stir well and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Spoon the soup into bowls and garnish it with corn chips and other goodies, like avocado, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, shredded cheese, scallions, etc.
I came across this recipe months ago. My family and I love it so much, I make it almost every week. I’m glad I found it!