Chicken Tortilla Soup is the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Full of tender shredded chicken, corn, beans, and homemade tortilla strips, this soup is a meal in itself. It’s comforting, hearty, and filling.
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Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Chicken tortilla soup is like a taco in soup form. Its rich tomato and chicken broth pairs perfectly with nutritious veggies, shredded chicken, beans, and sweet corn. What’s even better? Just like our Taco Soup and Turkey Chili, this Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe comes together in one pot on the stove.
You can sprinkle some homemade crispy tortilla strips right on top with a healthy handful of cheese, or pair the dish with soft Dinner Rolls.
Tips For the Best Tortilla Soup
- Use Leftover Chicken. I cook the chicken breasts right in the soup, but you can use a Roast Chicken, or leftover Baked Chicken Breasts to make a fresh batch of Chicken Tortilla Soup, just shred and add the cooked chicken in step 3.
- Bone Broth Makes All The Difference. Use low-sodium bone broth or easily make your own chicken stock.
- Adjust The Spice. Do you like it spicy? Add some extra jalapeños into the mix.
- Save Time With Canned Corn And Beans. Speed up the cooking time by using canned corn and beans.
- Cut Avocado Right Before Serving. To keep your avocado from browning, cut it right before you serve the soup
- Season To Taste. Depending on the tomatoes and broth you use, you may need to adjust the salt to taste at the end.
How to Make Crispy Tortilla Strips
- Pan Frying: Preheat a pan with 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Cut 8 (6″) corn tortillas into thin strips and fry them in a couple of batches, adding more oil as needed. Remove from the pot and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.
- To Bake: Toss tortilla strips in a bowl with 2 Tbsp oil until well coated. Bake on a cookie sheet in a single layer at 350˚F for 15 minutes.
How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup:
- Sauté Vegetables – Place a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and saute chopped onion, garlic, and jalapeno until tender.
- Add chicken breasts and remaining soup ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil then simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a bowl and shred it with 2 forks. Return chicken to the pot and simmer 5 minutes then add lime juice.
- Serve the soup with homemade tortilla strips, chopped avocado, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.
Natasha’s Make-Ahead Tip
The broth gets more and more flavorful the longer it marinates in itself. Can you say delicious leftovers? Make a big batch of tortilla soup and eat it for lunch throughout the week.
Toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup
The only thing that makes Chicken Tortilla Soup taste even better is the toppings. These are our favorites:
- Sour cream
- Homemade tortilla strips
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Lime wedges
- Jalapeno, sliced or diced
Storing Leftover Soup
- Refrigerator: Store your leftover soup without toppings in an airtight container in the fridge. It should stay fresh for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze your soup in an airtight container for up to two months. When you are ready to eat it, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat soup by bringing it to a boil in a saucepan.
- To Reheat: You can warm the soup up in a saucepan on the stove or microwave until heated through.
This homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup is so cozy, comforting, and hearty for the cooler Fall and Winter months, and you’ll love that leftovers taste even better as the flavors meld.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup with tender chicken and homemade crispy tortilla strips is the perfect, cold-weather weeknight dinner. What’s even better? It comes together in one pot.
Ingredients
Servings: 6 servings
Chicken Tortilla Soup
- 2 Tbsp light olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers , seeded and diced
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 lb chicken breasts, (2 medium), or leftover rotisserie chicken*
- 15 oz can corn, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more to garnish
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice, from 1 lime, or to taste
Homemade Tortilla Strips
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 8 corn tortillas , (6" tortillas)
Toppings
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
Instructions
Tortilla Strips:
- Preheat a pan with 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Cut tortillas into thin strips and fry them in batches in the hot oil until crisp. Remove from the pan and allow them to drain on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips, adding more oil as needed then set aside.
Chicken Tortilla Soup:
- Preheat a pot or dutch oven with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, and chopped jalapeño and sauté until veggies soften.
- Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, chicken breasts, corn, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through and easy to shred.
- Remove chicken from the pot and shred it using 2 forks. Add shredded chicken back to the soup and simmer another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice.
- Serve the soup garnished with some tortilla strips, diced avocado, fresh cilantro and lime wedges, or use your favorite toppings.
Notes
*If using leftover rotisserie chicken, shred the chicken and add it to the soup in step 3.
Nutrition Per Serving
539kcal Calories55g Carbs30g Protein24g Fat
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Amount per Serving
Calories
539
% Daily Value*
Fat
24
g
37
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
15
g
Cholesterol
48
mg
16
%
Sodium
1112
mg
48
%
Potassium
1406
mg
40
%
Carbohydrates
55
g
18
%
Fiber
13
g
54
%
Sugar
8
g
9
%
Protein
30
g
60
%
Vitamin A
604
IU
12
%
Vitamin C
30
mg
36
%
Calcium
133
mg
13
%
Iron
5
mg
28
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Filed Under
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
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- Pasta e Fagioli
- Loaded Potato Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Easy Vegetable Soup
- Zuppa Toscana
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
Great recipe for cool rainy days, the dish tastes like sunshine in a bowl! Today I made it with cooked chicken, jalapenos, pimento, black beans, roast carrots, onion, garlic, mushroom and shallots, then topped the bowls with green onion. Super yummy result, 3 jars left over for meals all week, family was very happy with the soup.
Can I use a dollop of sour cream on top?
That would be fine, Tracy! It goes great with sour cream.
The best chicken tortilla soap ever! The lime, cilantro, and crispy tortilla strips, made it outstanding! I will always have a bowl of this in my freezer!
So glad you loved it, Kris!
I rarely take time to review recipes due to time constraints; however, when I find one that is exceptional it warrants my full, honest attention.
My sister is trying to “revive” her church’s annual Christmas Bazaar, scheduled early this past December, and asked if I’d make a soup of choice along with toasted cheese sandwiches. Historically, they’ve served 3 soup and 3 sandwich options. She already had corn chowder with bacon and vegetable beef on the menu so I was looking for something with chicken but in a tomato base to compliment the toasted cheese sandwiches and “oh boy” – did i strike the jackpot with this recipe! I followed the recipe to a ‘T’ which I always do before deciding if adjustments need to be made. The only notes on my printed copy are “DELICIOUS” and “LOVED THIS SOUP!!”. Translation: “Make again.” and “No modifications needed.” It was packed full of flavor and tremendously hearty! It received nothing but kudos and was the first of the 3 soups to sell out. I knew right then, it would gain a permanent place in my recipe file. Thank you VERY MUCH for sharing this, Natasha! You are greatly appreciated!!
*Side note: I served Natashaskitchen.com Grilled Cheese Sandwich with the soup and it was a perfect pair. Adults and kids alike both found them fun and delicious. Omggg…. the Oooey gooey CHEESE when pulling the apart! My son must’ve requested a mountain of these after the event! 😄
Wow! That’s so awesome, Jennifer! I can picture it all! I’m so happy you loved this soup! Thank you for your review and for sharing all of that with me! I’m smiling big reading your comment.
Loved this and have made it twice now! Substituted poblanos for jalapeños- (welcome to shopping on an island, stores are often out of what you need). Used fire roasted corn and fire roasted crushed tomatoes and added a scoop of chipotle
Peppers in adobo for a smoky heat. SOOOO GOOD my daughter requested another batch.
Loved it! I doubled the recipe and used mission tortilla strips. It’s a hit!
One of the best recipes. It’s become a favorite
So happy to hear it’s been a repeat for your family.
Delicious hearty soup! I baked the tortilla strips and they can out nicely.
This recipe is a keeper. A very favorite of my husband and mine.
I’m so happy you found a family favorite, Karen!
Oh my! What a keeper recipe! This is just delicious. Hands down a keeper as all your recipes usually are!
Thank you
I’m so glad you found a favorite on my blog, Linda!
Trying to figure out the macros on this but your Nutrition fact doesn’t state the service size? Like in grams.
Hi Elizabeth, The nutrition label is computer generated by putting in each ingredient. Sorry, I don’t have those exact measurements. Based on the amounts of each ingredient, likely close to 2 cups. Depending on the brand of corn tortillas, the carbohydrates can range from 10-15g so 80-120g of carbs total since I used 8.
Recipe is good, too bad the site is unusable due to the ads. Had to write it down on paper.
Thanks for your feedback. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. You can also close the ads after a while.
This recipe was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! My grandson loved the soup, it’s one of his favorite!! I used a Costco rotisserie chicken and cut it up!
Great to hear that you all enjoyed it!