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:
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Originally posted September 15, 2015 and reposted September 4, 2020 with updated text.
Made this for a potluck at work. Everyone raved about it! My only small complaint is it was alot of tomatoes, but that’s minor. Multiple people have asked me to make it for them again. So good!
Made this for a potluck at work. Everyone raved about it! My only small complaint is it was alot of tomatoes, but that’s minor. Multiple people have asked me to make it for them again. So good!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was a hit at the potluck! For me I don’t find the tomato quantity too much but I love tomatoes! But if you don’t you can always just add a bit less than called for.
This is a family favorite. So quick and easy! Please don’t substitute corn chips or bagged tortilla chips. These are TOO easy to make and so very worth it!
This is a family favorite. So quick and easy! Please don’t substitute corn chips or bagged tortilla chips. These are TOO easy to make and so very worth it!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is a family favorite! I agree about the chips/strips too and to just make them 😊
I made this soup last night and followed the recipe, with these exceptions: no cayenne pepper and store-bought tortilla strips. My husband and I both loved it. It has earned a permanent spot in my recipe binder!
Best Chicken Tortilla Soup ever! ***** And, super easy!
Best Chicken Tortilla Soup ever! ***** And, super easy!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s the best tortilla soup ever for you!
I made this soup last night and followed the recipe, with these exceptions: no cayenne pepper and store-bought tortilla strips. My husband and I both loved it. It has earned a permanent spot in my recipe binder!
I am glad it was good enough to earn a permanent spot in your recipe binder!
Hello. I’m curious anout the nutrition information about this recipe. I have to believe the calories and fat grams per serving are way overstated. How can there be 33g of fat per serving? The only ingredients with fat are the olive oil and the tortilla strips…unless you choose to top it with cheese and/or sour cream.
It’s computer generated info and is provided as a courtesy. At times, it’s not perfectly accurate, as I suspect is the case with this recipe as you indicated. And yes, I think it assumes you are indeed topping it with cheese and sour cream. But for true values, you would need to calculate by hand, manually add up everything, divide by servings.
So easy and delicious! I made this using low sodium/low fat ingredients and it’s amazing! I skipped the tortillas because I’m trying to avoid extra carbs. I do feel it was too spicy initially so I added a little extra lime juice and a teaspoon of Splenda to cut the heat. Next time I’ll half the amount of jalapeño and cayenne pepper. This soup is amazing on its own and my entire family loved it.
So easy and delicious! I made this using low sodium/low fat ingredients and it’s amazing! I skipped the tortillas because I’m trying to avoid extra carbs. I do feel it was too spicy initially so I added a little extra lime juice and a teaspoon of Splenda to cut the heat. Next time I’ll half the amount of jalapeño and cayenne pepper. This soup is amazing on its own and my entire family loved it.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad your entire family loved it! And yes just scale back on the jalapeño and cayenne pepper as you said next time based on your preferences.
I tried this. It’s an o.k. Base, but I’ll make some changes next time. I don’t use jalapeños, lots of heat, little flavor. I use roasted/peeled/chopped Poblano peppers. I buy on sale, process, and ziplock individual amounts. Freeze what I don’t use. Easy peezy and I’m in a wheelchair 🦼! Also, I use Rotel instead of chopped tomatoes, really better flavor. I personally prefer pinto beans over black beans, since black beans aren’t indigenous to Mexico.
Delicious! I’ve made this recipe about 4 times. Each time I get better. As a grain-free, corn-free family, I substituted the fresh tortilla strips with Sprout’s Grain-Free Tortilla chips (sea-salt flavored). I added an extra can of organic black beans and substituted two diced carrots for the corn. Perfect for a rainy Northern California evening. Served with a mixed green salad and topped with plant-based cheese, plant-based sour cream, diced avocado.
Delicious! I’ve made this recipe about 4 times. Each time I get better. As a grain-free, corn-free family, I substituted the fresh tortilla strips with Sprout’s Grain-Free Tortilla chips (sea-salt flavored). I added an extra can of organic black beans and substituted two diced carrots for the corn. Perfect for a rainy Northern California evening. Served with a mixed green salad and topped with plant-based cheese, plant-based sour cream, diced avocado.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this keeps getting better and that you’ve been able to tweak it for your family’s needs. And San Diego has been in the high 40s at night, I bet it’s getting plenty chilly in Northern Cal!
I’m from Germany so I don’t know how this tastes from a restaurant but I made this recipe several times for several people and everybody just loves it. It has become one of my favourite go to recipes for dinners with friends and quick and easy dinners for myself.
Thank you!
I’m from Germany so I don’t know how this tastes from a restaurant but I made this recipe several times for several people and everybody just loves it. It has become one of my favourite go to recipes for dinners with friends and quick and easy dinners for myself.
Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad to hear that even the Germans are loving this one :) wonderful to hear and glad it’s a go to recipe for you now!