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by Mike Hultquist · · 48 Comments · Jump to Recipe
This easy chicken tortilla soup recipe is loaded with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, peppers, and crispy homemade tortilla strips, the perfect weeknight meal. You also might like my taco soup recipe!
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
It's soup time in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. There's nothing like a hearty, chunky soup to warm the bones. To be honest, though, this soup is great for any time of year.
We're talking Chicken Tortilla Soup, and it is the perfect soup. It's filled with loads of chicken, black beans, lots of peppers and onion, tomatoes, corn, and lots of my favorite seasonings.
And topped with crispy tortilla strips! I'll show you how you can make them at home very easily from fresh corn tortillas, though you can easily skip that step and just use your favorite bag of tortilla chips.
Either way, this is one of those very quick and easy soup recipes that you can have on the table pretty quickly.
This comfort food will certainly fill your belly.
Let's talk about how to make chicken tortilla soup, shall we?
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
- Boneless Chicken. Use chicken breast or chicken thighs, or a combination.
- Oil. For cooking and for frying the tortilla strips.
- Chili Peppers. I'm using jalapeno peppers, but if you want some REAL heat, add in something super spicy, like ghost or scorpion pepper - use bell pepper or other mild green chilies for a no heat version.
- Tomatoes. Use large tomatoes, though 1 can of diced tomatoes, chopped tomatoes or fire roasted tomatoes is good, too.
- Other Vegetables. Onion, garlic, corn, chili peppers.
- Black Beans.
- Chicken Broth. Or chicken stock.
- Seasonings. Use chili powder(I'm using a combination of ancho and Spanish paprika, though you can use your favorite blend), cumin, and salt and pepper, cilantro. You can also use your favorite taco seasonings instead.
- Corn Tortillas. For the tortilla strips.
- For Serving. Use your favorite toppings, like diced avocado, jalapeno slices, hot red pepper flakes, fresh chopped parsley or cilantro, crumbly white cheese, hot sauce, or more.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup - the Recipe Method
First cook down the onions, peppers, and garlic in a large pot, then add the seasonings, chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer to cook the chicken through, about 20 minutes.
You can simmer longer if you'd like, but don't overcook the chicken. I usually do 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the chicken to a large bowl and shred it with a couple forks.
Add the chicken to the pot and simmer another 5 minutes to warm it through.
FOR THE CRISPY TORTILLA STRIPS
Prep the Fry Oil. Add 1/2 cup oil to a separate wide pot or pan to medium heat. Do not let the oil boil.
Fry the Tortilla Strips. Add the tortilla strips and lightly fry them a few minutes per side, until they become a golden brown. Flip to fry both sides.
Drain and Salt. Remove the fried tortilla strips and set them onto paper towels to drain. Lightly salt them. They will crisp up nicely.
Prefer baked tortilla strips?
Baked Tortilla Strips. Toss the strips with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake at 375 degrees F (185 C) for 15 minutes, or until they turn a golden brown and crisp up. Set them aside until you are ready to use.
Learn how to make crispy tortilla chips (baked or fried).
Serve the soup into bowls and top with your crispy homemade tortilla strips and other favorite toppings. I like fresh cilantro and lime juice.
You'll enjoy the crunch, but it also looks extra delicious.
Boom! Pretty easy, right? Chicken tortilla soup is ready to serve. Looks wonderful, doesn't it? Nice and chunky and hearty and filling, and tasty! And just the right amount of spice for me. Such delicious soup!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Save time by using chopped rotisserie chicken or cooked shredded chicken.
- For other toppings options, try onion, green onion, pico de gallo, crema/sour cream or shredded cheese like Monterey jack or cheddar if you’d like.
- For extra flavor, season and brown the chicken before adding it to the pot. See the recipe video for a variation.
Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
If you'd prefer to make this recipe in your slow cooker or crock pot, or even your Instant pot, cook down the onion, peppers, and garlic first in a hot pan, then add them to your crock pot along with the remainder of the ingredients.
Cook the soup on low for 4 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours.
Shred the chicken, then serve the soup into bowls and top with your favorite toppings!
Storage and Leftovers
Leftover chicken tortilla soup will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Reheat it in a pot on the stove top to enjoy again.
It's also very freezer friendly. To freeze it, transfer the soup to freezer safe containers, seal them up, and freeze for up to 6 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator when you're ready to enjoy them again. Heat it up in a pot and you're good to go.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my recipe for chicken tortilla soup. Just how I like it! I hope you enjoy it as well. Family loved for sure!
Patty's Perspective
This is more of a rustic style of the chicken tortilla soup you might find in restaurants, which is more creamy. This is a healthier version that you can just gobble up, a lot like a white chicken chili. It's always fun when we try different variations of certain types of dishes.
Try Some of My Other Popular Soup Recipes
- Albondigas Soup (Caldo de Albondigas)
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Chunky Southwest Chicken Soup
- 30-Minute Sweet Potato Soup
- Roasted Poblano Soup
- Spicy Thai Curry Chicken Soup
- Cheesy Guajillo-Potato Soup
- Sweet Pepper-Sweet Corn Chowder
- Spicy Sausage Soup
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- See all of mySpicy Soup Recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
This chicken tortilla soup recipe is loaded with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, topped with crispy homemade tortilla strips, so easy to make!
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken, Mexican, soup
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Calories: 528kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 4
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 18 votes
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers chopped (use hotter peppers if you'd like, or use bell or poblano pepper for milder)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder I love ancho powder for this
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breast (or use chicken thighs)
- 2 14-ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes (or use chopped fresh tomatoes)
- ½ cup corn frozen is OK
- 3-4 cups chicken broth (use 4 cups for thinner)
- 1 can black beans drained
- 1 Juice from 1 lime (optional)
For the Crispy Tortilla Strips
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 6 corn tortillas cut into strips
FOR SERVING: Use your favorite toppings like diced avocado, jalapeno slices, hot red pepper flakes, fresh chopped parsley or cilantro, crumbly white cheese, hot sauce, lime juice, or more.
Instructions
FOR THE CRISPY TORTILLA STRIPS
Add 1/2 cup vegetable oil to a separate wide pot or pan to medium heat. Bring it to a simmer. Do not let the oil boil.
Add the tortilla strips and lightly fry them a few minutes per side, until they become a golden brown. Flip to fry both sides.
Remove the fried tortilla strips and set them onto paper towels to drain. Lightly salt them. They will crisp up nicely.
FOR THE CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and add the onion and peppers. Cook them down for 5 minutes to soften.
Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper, and cook another minute, until you can smell the garlic bloom.
Add chicken, tomatoes, corn, chicken broth, and black beans. Stir to incorporate. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at least 20 minutes to cook the chicken and let the flavors develop.
Remove the chicken and shred it with a couple of forks. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer 5 minutes.
Swirl in some lime juice (if desired) then serve in bowls topped with crispy tortilla strips and your other favorite toppings.
Video
Nutrition Information
Calories: 528kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 49gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 305mgPotassium: 1250mgFiber: 10gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 825IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 4mg
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 2/14/24 to include new information, photos, and video. It was originally published on 12/4/15.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Becky says
Cheers Mike and Patty!
Made this soup for dinner tonight. It's a gray, rainy, cold, day in the Pacific northwest and this soup is so good. So warming and cozy. Goes perfectly with a nice fire in the woodstove. My husband and I both loved it!
It will definitely go in the keep file with tbe rest of your recipes!
Thank you both for all your time and and effort! Have a wonderful evening!Reply
Mike H. says
Thank you, Becky - much appreciated. And glad you guys are enjoying it! =)
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Erin Jewell says
I made this with what I had on hand, leftover rotisserie chicken, Serrano peppers, and fire roasted tomatoes and one can had green chilies. SOOOOOOOO good!! Nice and spicy, even my husband who doesn’t handle spice well loved it, and I topped with avocado to cool it a bit but YUM! Such a wonderful simple and delicious recipe!! Yours is one of my favorite recipe sites!!!Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Glad you both enjoyed it, Erin! Very happy you're enjoying my site and recipes. I appreciate it very much.
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Nelda says
I make this soup two days ago. Best I ever tasted, Hubby loved it too. Made no changes in it except I used pinto beans. Thanks for another good recipe.Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Nelda! I appreciate you sharing this! Thanks!
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Lina Luckway says
I love it!Reply
Cheryl Hill says
Hi, Mike.
I love all of your comments and suggestions.
One question: Since I use grapeseed oil or avocado oil for frying things, would your use of olive oil maybe suggest not Extra Virgin olive oil, which I save for non high-heat applications? Just trying to learn here, and love EVOO, but I try to respect its limits. Help, please?
You're my recipe guru.
Cheryl
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Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Cheryl. I'm the same. I use a good quality EVOO for finishing only. I use a general vegetable oil for lightly frying things, and an olive oil blend typically for cooking down veggies, etc. I hope this helps.
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O. Atkinson says
So yummy! I used Poblano peppers and added some chipotle pepper powder for extra smokiess. Would definitely make it again.Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Glad you enjoyed it! I love this dish.
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HEATHER PACAN says
Hello - I am curious for the nutritional information - this is for all your recipes. Is it for the whole recipe or is it per serving? What is a serving? Thank you. Love following your blog and making your recipes.
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Mike Hultquist says
Heather, the servings vary from recipe to recipe. With this recipe, it is 4 servings, or 4 good sized bowls. I appreciate it!
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Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use tofu and vegetable broth i never had chicken tortilla soup before perfect for raining days in Singapore and after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
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Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Ramya.
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Amanda says
This soup was delicious! So often tortilla or taco soups are really thick and creamy but this felt so healthy and fresh. I will admit though I was too lazy to make the tortilla strips myself, haha. They looked great in the video though! Also even with the jalapenos it's not too spicy which was great for my kids but I sprinkled in a little hot sauce to my bowl. 😉Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Amanda! Glad you enjoyed it! Definitely my favorite way to make it. So easy to just toss on some chips from a bag! =)
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PAULA BELL says
Fabulous soup recipe! I made it today as written and my husband and I LOVED IT. The seasonings and ingredients ratio are spot on perfect. I baked the corn tortilla strips and seasoned them with olive oil, a bit of salt and Tajin (classic). The hint of lime in the Tajin seasoning on the tortilla strips took the soup to another level of yum in flavor. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe -- it delivers everything promised and it is pretty quick to put together.Reply
Mike H. says
I am happy you've enjoyed it, Paula. We love it, too!
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Angel Hafelfinger says
love all the recipes but I do make chicken tortilla soup every week.Its the yummiest and best soup I've ever had.Definitly 5 stars only cause I cant give more.Best chef ever.Thank you from the whole familyReply
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Angel!
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Tania Ostervich says
This chicken tortilla soup was fabulous. I made little tweaks here and there. But the kids loved the tortilla strips homemade and the flavors were just so good... Definitely adding this to my meal rotation!Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Thanks, Tania!
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Tracy Payn says
Made this for dinner. Scrumptious! So much flavor! Definitely a keeper!Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Tracy!
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marian wolf says
This soup was really good! Do you cook the cilantro in the soup or just use it as a topping?Reply
Mike Hultquist says
It's really a personal preference, Marian. I prefer it just on top for myself.
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Judy Runner says
We love this recipe except we use pinto beans instead of black beans . We also use fire roasted diced tomatoes.Your recipes are awesome!
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Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Judy! I appreciate it!
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Brenda says
I bought the ingredients to make this recipe. I bought flour tortillas instead of corn. What do you think? With the corn in the recipe I can understand why the corn tortilla's are better. What do you think about using flour tortillas? ThanksReply
Mike Hultquist says
You can use flour tortillas, Brenda. You'll still get thickening, though yes, a slightly different flavor. Still good, though! Let me know how it goes for you!
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Brenda says
Will do, if I don't change. Plan to fix in a couple of weeks....probably will get the corn tortillas. You're the expert!Reply
Jenny Durling says
This soup sounds great. I'm a bit of a lazy cook - could I do this in a slow cooker and just let it simmer all day instead of cooking it stove top?
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Mike Hultquist says
You absolutely can, Jenny. There is a section in the post on how to make it in the crock pot or slow cooker. Enjoy!
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Rama says
Do the seeds remain in the jalapeños?
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Mike Hultquist says
You can remove them if you'd like, Rama. I leave them in. If you core out the pepper innards, you'll remove much of the heat.
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Elissa says
This dish wasn’t as flavorful as I was expecting, but it could have been because I chose not to make the tortilla strips.
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Mike Hultquist says
Maybe add in more spices next time. There's a heck of a lot in this dish, so hard to explain any lack of flavor.
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Jody Goldstein says
Will make this again!Reply
Kerri says
This is an amazing recipe! I've fixed it a few times for my family and everyone loves it! I have two very young children and my 3 y/o ate 4 bowls alone! Also, I double ingredients when I make this dish because we have such hearty appetites =)Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Perfect, Kerri! I love to hear this! We love this recipe. So good.
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Stacey says
OMG! This is amazing! Only issue I have is if it’s only four servings it’s four giant servings! Great stuff!!Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Stacey! I appreciate it. Yes, it would serve 4 good sized bowls, but you can serve smaller portions for sure!
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GrammaSue says
Hi Mike! Love your website and emails and of course, recipes. You're doing a great job!!! I made this soup as stated (I did add 2 finger size of velveeta to make it a little thicker) and it was absolutely amazing. I grew the jalapenos and another med-hot pepper in pots on my deck (we live in a condo) and it was the perfect heat. We love the tortilla strips seasoned, so I make extra! Thanks so much for a great recipe.Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much, GrammaSue! I love to hear this! I also love that you grow peppers on your deck. Perfect for some home cooking! Glad you enjoyed it.
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jim nashwinter says
we have lots of chile petin peppers growing;will add some to this;we are in so.ga.and they grow great here?we lived in so.west texas and got a taste for them;great taste
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I think they would be a great addition to this recipe, Jim. I love it! Let me know how it turns out for you.
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Nassima says
I made the soup and tried it. Very good!Yummo! It's very easy to make. And it's very feeling.
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