Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup — 🍲🥑🍅🧀 Chicken, tomatoes, corn, black beans, avocado, cheese, and addictively crunchy tortilla strips! Fast, easy weeknight meal, and better than from a restaurant! Made in ONE pot and ready in 30 minutes, this is a fan FAVORITE that will impress your friends and family!
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Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
When I see chicken tortilla soup on a restaurant menu, I get excited. There’s something about the slightly spicy broth with tender chicken, the corn and black beans, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and those addictively good tortilla strips on top that I can’t resist.
Rather than making a trip out for it, you can make Mexican tortilla soup with chicken at home in 30 minutes and it’s easy.
So many ingredients get tossed into the pot all at once and before you know it this hearty, comforting soup is ready. And it tastes better than my favorite restaurant version!
My family loved this easy tortilla soup and I love that it’s ready so quickly and with very minimal effort.
It makes enough that I stashed half in the freezer for those nights when I just want to pull something out of the freezer for dinner. And with winter cold and flu season around the corner, soup is perfect.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
To make this easy tortilla soup recipe, you’ll need:
- Corn tortillas
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Yellow onion
- Jalapeño pepper
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Diced tomatoes
- Black beans
- Cooked shredded chicken
- Corn
- Lime juice
- Spices
- Fresh cilantro
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
This really is such an EASY recipe for chicken tortilla soup! Here’s a look at how it’s made:
- Sauté the onion and jalapeño in an oiled Dutch oven, then add the diced garlic and continue cooking until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, black beans, chicken, corn, lime juice, spices and bring to a boil.
- Let the mixture boil for 5 minutes, then stir in fresh cilantro and boil another minute.
- Ladle the homemade chicken tortilla soup into bowls and top with homemade crispy tortilla strips (I’ve given the recipe in the recipe card below), cubed avocado, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream.
Tips for the Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
To save time, use store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken that you have on hand. Of course you can roast or pan sauté chicken if you’re so inclined.
Salt your soup to taste. I use low-sodium chicken broth and no-salt-added tomatoes and add a bit of salt to my soup so I can control the overall salt level.
The saltiness of low-sodium broth, rotisserie chickens, canned tomatoes, black beans, and personal preferences for salt all vary so salt to taste.
Recipe FAQs
I’m sure you could, but when a recipe is as quick and easy as this one I’d rather use the stove to avoid dirtying extra dishes.
I like using a large 6 to 7-quart Dutch oven. This Le Creuset Dutch oven has been with me for 20 years! You can’t argue with the quality workmanship and materials with anything Le Creuset. A more budget-priced Dutch oven is also another option.
Absolutely! Buy pre-shredded rotisserie chicken at your local grocery store to save yourself some prep work and reduce the cook time.
We love garnishing out individual bowls of soup with fresh cilantro, cubed avocado, a little shredded cheese (like cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend), and / or sour cream. And tortilla strips, of course! But use any toppings that sound good to you!
As written, this homemade recipe has a nice kick to it without being burn-your-tongue-off spicy. You can easily reduce the amount of spice by removing the seeds from the jalapeño pepper or using half of the jalapeño instead of the whole thing. For more spice, keep the seeds in the jalapeño or add another jalapeño to the pot of soup.
Storage Instructions
This easy tortilla soup will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Extra tortilla strips will keep in airtight at room temp for up to 5 days.
Can the Soup Be Frozen?
Yes! You can freeze the soup (without the tortilla strips on top) for up to 6 months.
What to Serve with Chicken Tortilla Soup
This simple tortilla soup pairs well with crusty bread or a green side salad. Here are a few side dishes to serve with chicken tortilla soup:
- Grilled Mexican Corn
- Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Salsa (Pineapple Chipotle Salsa or Restaurant-Style)
- Guacamole
- Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad
- Mexican Wedge Salad
Pair your bowl of soup with a homemade margarita or refreshing glass of horchata to wash it all down!
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Easy 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven, about 7 quarts
Ingredients
Tortilla Strips
- 10 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 1 medium onion)
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, about 4 to 5 inches long, diced very small (the seeds are where the heat is concentrated; included or discard them based on preference)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 32 ounces 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes and juice, I used petite diced, no-salt-added
- one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, use storebought rotisserie chicken to save time; or roast or cook your own chicken in a skillet
- 1 ½ cups corn, I used frozen straight from the freezer, fresh may be substituted
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, regular paprika may be substituted
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced
- diced avocado for serving, optional for serving
- shredded cheese, optional for serving
- sour cream, optional for serving
Instructions
Make the Tortilla Strips:
- Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or foil to save cleanup time.
- Loosely scatter the tortilla strips, evenly drizzle with olive oil, evenly sprinkle with kosher salt, toss with hands to coat evenly, and bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until crisp and lightly golden brown; set aside.
- While strips bake, begin making the soup.
Make the Soup:
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
- Add the onion, jalapeno, and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, black beans, chicken, corn, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, smoked paprika, optional cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Allow mixture to boil gently for about 5 to 7 minutes. If at any point the overall liquid level looks low or you prefer your soup to have more broth, add 1 to 2 cups of water; you’ll adjust the salt and seasoning levels at the end.
- Add the cilantro and boil 1 minute.
- Taste soup and add salt to taste. This will vary based on how salty the chicken broth, tomatoes, black beans, and rotisserie chicken are, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, etc.).
- Ladle soup into bowls, top with tortilla strips to taste, optionally garnish with avocado, cheese and/or sour cream; serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Chicken Soup Recipes:
Easy Chicken Stew – You don’t need to wait all day for this one-pot comfort food chicken stew recipe that’s ready in 45 minutes! It’s chock full of juicy chicken, buttery potatoes, tender carrots, celery, green beans, and seasoned to perfection with a variety of herbs and spices!
Chicken Poblano Soup — All the familiar flavors of chicken tortilla soup but with the addition of roasted poblanos and tomatillos to give extra heartiness and depth of flavor!
Easy 30-Minute Chicken Enchilada Soup — Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This EASY, hearty, healthier chili full of Mexican-inspired flavors is ready in 30 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights!!
Easy 30-Minute Homemade White Chicken Chili — Hearty, healthy, loaded with tender chicken, and packed with bold flavor!! Fast and easy comfort food that everyone loves!! It’ll be on rotation all winter!!
Easy 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup — Classic, comforting, and tastes just like grandma made but way easier and faster! This soup is amazing and it’ll be your new favorite recipe!
Chicken Tortellini Soup — This chicken tortellini soup has all the comforting qualities you want in classic chicken noodle soup but with the unexpected twist of cheesy tortellini.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup — All the comfort food feels of pot pie, but in soup form! Rich, hearty, creamy and ready in just 30 minutes!
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup — Why have regular chicken noodle soup when you can have CREAMY instead? Pure comfort food at its finest! Ready in 30 minutes, an instant family favorite, and PERFECT for chilly weather!!
Originally posted September 15, 2015 and reposted September 4, 2020 with updated text.
First time I made it (last night) it came out amazingly well! I’m now bookmarking this recipe and planning to make it for my sister when she comes down in a couple weeks. I used vegetable bouillon instead of chicken broth (it’s what I had on hand) and used a whole jalapeno (de-seeded) like the recipe says. We couldn’t get enough! Great recipe.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you loved it!
I sent this recipe to my husband tonight. He grudgingly made it instead of his standard chicken soup. It was delicious! We made the tortilla crisps and warmed flour tortillas on the side. Thanks!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delicious!
WOW 🤩!!! Thanks so much for sharing. Tortilla Soup is one of my favorite foods. I never thought I’d be able to make it; but, you made it so simple and tastes just like my favorite restaurant! I’m love, love, loving this recipe! I can’t wait to make it for my mom and dad. I used my own chicken broth which I flavored while the chicken cooked on the first night. The next night, I came home and made your recipe. Absolutely delicious. Would like to see more veggie recipes.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delicious!
This is the best tortillas soup I have ever had!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s the best chicken tortilla soup you’ve ever had!
Hey Averie,
If I wanted to use chicken breasts instead of rotisserie chicken, could I put them in the soup raw and boil it? Or would you cook them separately then add them in?
Thanks!
Gabby
You could do it either way. If you cook them with the soup, you may need extra broth since they will absorb some. The overall broth will have more flavor doing it this way that if you boil them separately and then discard that water.
My family loved it! Recipe doesn’t say how many servings.
Glad it was well loved by your family!
Top line of recipe card says YIELD 10 SERVINGS
I have been craving an authentic tex mex chicken tortilla soup. I made this tonite. It was not only flavorful, it was exceptional. My daughter is a gourmet cook and has seconds! I had to substitute oven toasted tortilla chips for the corn tortillas because I did not realize I was out of them. It worked well. Their crispiness was the perfect texture to add to the soup. I had avocado, sour cream, grated mexican cheese mix, cilantro and lime to garnish. This was a wonderful and easy soup to fix. I’ll definitely add it to my regular meal rotation. SO GOOD!!!! Thank you.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out so good for you and that you’re adding it into your regular meal rotation!
OMG!!! Had been craving this soup ever since I had a cup (then a bowl) from Red Robin, yes, it’s that good!! Anyway after scouring the internet I came across this recipe and am I glad I did!!!
I pretty much stuck to the recipe making mostly season adjustments for my taste. I did make 2 minor changes though. 1) I thought I had chili powder. Well I didn’t and was not going back to the store so I used what I had, which was taco seasoning. PERFECT!!! 2) I still couldn’t get the taste quite to my liking so I added some Knorr chicken bouillon. I used the broth from the soup to dissolve it first and that was the missing ingredient. (I had previously added water so next time I’ll know to add chicken bouillon to the water first.)
Otherwise this is a fantastic recipe!! Thank you for sharing…I think I’ll go get a bowl now!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it turned out great and that you were able to improvise with what you had on hand, too!
So so good!! One of our new favorites.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is one of your new favorites!
Absolutely delicious as is! I only add the whole chicken.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delicious as is!
Super yummy! Hubby said it’s the best he’s ever had and he orders it at restaurants all the time. This was my first attempt at ever making it so I was worried it wouldn’t turn out but it was very quick and easy! Definitely adding to our list of favs, thanks! :)
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this lived up to the restaurant quality that your husband is familiar with and that this will be going into your regular rotation!
Absolutely delicious. I added 2 can of hominy (rinsed) and a chopped up roasted red pepper.
Thanks for a great recipe.
I love hominy and bet it was great here! If you have more on hand, this is another fave hominy + Mexican-inspired recipe https://www.averiecooks.com/20-minute-easy-vegan-pozole-verde/
One of the best soups I’ve ever made/tasted! I left out the cilantro and thought it was a tinge salty, even tho I used low-sodium tomatoes and chicken broth, so you might leave the added salt out until it’s done. I HIGHLY recommend this recipe.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it turned out really well! Yes salt is such a personal thing that if someone is in doubt, wait til the end.
I also find that cilantro for whatever reason does Cut the pendency of the saltiness of salt. I don’t know why but I have found this in my own cooking experiments. Like if I over salt salsa, by adding cilantro it marries things together and mellows the salt. Maybe because you left the cilantro out it was a little salty tasting.
This was Just fantastic. I have already shared it with 3 family members and is going into regular rotation. I didn’t change a thing and was happy I had all the ingredients. Thanks so much. You made me look good.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this turned out great for you and I’m glad that it helped you look good to your family!
This soup recipe made it to my top 3 soups of all time list! Wonderfully complex and chock full of fabulous flavors! I’ve made it with and without the chicken broth (both are delicious), I added a lot more corn and I used a truffle salt to season the corn tortilla chips and that added an even deeper level of complexity. This recipe is such a gift; thank you for sharing it!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it makes your list of top 3 soups of all time!! I’m sure the truffle salt is a wonderful touch, too!
Wow, absolutely bursting with flavor yet simple to make!! My family loved it – it will be on the table at our house regularly from now on. I used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and it was still fantastic:)
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad your family loved it and that it will be on your regular rotation!
Oh My Goodness! This soup is beyond Delicious! I used canned fire roasted diced tomatoes and Monterey Jack for the cheese. Followed the recipe as it is written and can’t say enough about how delicious this soup is, my family gobbled it up! Definitely making this soup again and adding to my favourite soup pins!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that it turned out beyond delicious for you, that you’ll definitely make it again, and thanks for pinning!