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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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!!
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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.
I love chicken tortilla soup and have tried several recipes in the past. This was the easiest, tastiest one I’ve had. My finance gave it a 10/10. Thanks.
Thank you very much and I am glad you give this a 10/10! And that it’s the easiest, tastiest one!
I’ve been making this recipe for about 4 years now. A friend made it at a NYE party and I couldn’t get the recipe from her fast enough. I don’t make the tortilla strips but I do serve it with cheesy jalapeño cornbread. It is so, so good.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Alicia, and I am glad this has been in your repertoire for 4+ years now! Jalapeno cornbread sounds delish with the soup!!!
Hi Averie,
I just made your chicken tortilla soup this past weekend for the first time. It is delicious! I went back for seconds. Thank you!
Roy
Thanks for letting me know Roy that you tried the soup this past weekend and it was delicious enough to go back for seconds!
This soup is delicious! Me and my husband both love it! The cheese, avocado and sour cream put it over the top 😋
Thanks for the 5 star review Susan and I’m so glad you and your husband both loved the soup!
I made this the other night with some left-over rotisserie chicken and it was so delicious! My son is super picky and he asked for seconds!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Lynn, and I am glad this recipe came in handy with your leftover rotisserie chicken and that even your picky eater wanted seconds!
Does it really have 7755 MG of sodium or is that a typo? Seems way to high.
That was for the whole batch. I updated the stats to reflect per serving. If you yield more than 5 servings for the batch, that number will further decrease. And/or use only no/low salt added canned goods.
I made this soup once and now continue to make it almost once a month…… great recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Ron, and I am so glad it’s a hit and that you make it almost once a month!
This is truly the best soup recipe ever. Love it and all the leftovers as well as what I can freeze for just my hubby and me.
I am glad that you love this soup and it’s the best soup recipe ever for you!
Best chicken tortilla soup I’ve ever made, and I’ve tried many recipes. The spices and the amounts used were absolutely perfect. This will be on our table many times in the future and shared with many friends. Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m so grateful to hear this is the best chicken tortilla soup you’ve ever made! And that this will be on your table and shared with friends and family for a long time to come!
I left my grocery list at home and found this recipe online. This is the BEST chicken tortilla soup recipe I have found! I don’t like a lot of heat so I added half of the jalapeño and left out the cayenne pepper. The flavor was amazing and the spice level was just right for me!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad this was amazing with just the right amount of spice level!
Simple, easy and delicious
It was great, my whole family (including my picky husband) went back for seconds!! Score!
This definitely goes in the rotation.
It was great, my whole family (including my picky husband) went back for seconds!! Score!
This definitely goes in the rotation.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad your whole family including Mr. Picky went back for seconds and that it’ll be in the rotation!
This was a fantastic soup! I used half an onion, skipped the jalapeno and used store bought tortilla chips! Can’t wait to make this again, so much flavor!
This was a fantastic soup! I used half an onion, skipped the jalapeno and used store bought tortilla chips! Can’t wait to make this again, so much flavor!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad this was fantastic! Store bought chips are a great time saver and glad they worked great!
Best tortilla soup since Chi-chi’s restaurant closed. Thank you for the recipe. It’s a definite keeper 👍