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. 
Made this tonight and it was excellent. Thanks for the recipe! It’s a keeper.
Should I leave this covered or uncovered when I let it simmer?
Hello! It’s normally best to leave it uncovered while it simmers to allow the liquid to reduce and the flavors to concentrate. Hope you love this recipe!
This is one of my families favorite recipes. I do take a short cut and use a Costco rotisserie chicken and it is amazing! Thanks the sharing!
The recipe in past used to give option on baking the tortilla shells to make them crispy instead of frying them . Missing the time and temperature needed please
Hi Kathy! It’s in this portion of the recipe “To Make Crispy Tortilla Strips” 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.
I’m dealing with a bad cold and this soup was exactly what I needed. So good and so easy!
Hope you feel better soon! I’m glad you enjoyed the soup.
I made this last night.It was Delicious! I added chopped poblano, anaheim and yellow/red bell pepper. Serrano instead of jalapeno (its what i had). Omitted the corn (im not a fan) and cilantro. Used chicken thighs I browned up real quick before adding the veg. All I had was a 28oz can of whole tomatoes; so i just crushed them by hand. It was soooo good. Thank you!
how much is a serving? a cup? 2 cups? thank you! Looks delish
Hi Hailie! Sorry, I don’t have those exact measurements. Based on the amounts of each ingredient, likely close to 2 cups.
Awesome!! But I don’t use canned anything… everything fresh
Hi Curt! You can definitely cook your own beans, corn, and tomatoes. I hope you love the recipe!
Instead of putting in raw chicken breasts, is it possible to use already cooked canned chicken breast? Add it when adding the beans and corn?
Hi Leslie, yes, that will work. Here’s what one of my readers wrote: “I used canned chicken since I had it on hand and the whole family LOVED it!!” I hope that helps.
Made this for me and my bride, and even my son LOVED it! Shortcutted by crumbling tortilla chips into it, and it came out delicious! My new go to tortilla soup!
Great Recipe! I recommend 2 cans of black beans and a rotisserie and it’s so easy to make.
I used bone broth and took a chipotle adope pepper and blended with some broth and added it back to the pot for more depth and spice. I used all the toppings and it was delicious.
So easy to make and so good. I used what i had on hand (broth from a box, chickpeas instead of beans, and store bought cooked chicken) and it still turned out beautifully hearty. I will definitely be making this again.
That’s so great, Olga! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Can’t wait to try this recipe; sounds delicious! For the crushed tomatoes, do you drain the juice from the can and just use the crushed tomatoes only, or does the recipe call for undrained crushed tomatoes (to add more liquid to the soup)? Thanks so much!
You may want to use undrained crushed tomatoes as it helps create a flavorful base for the soup. Hope you enjoy it!
It was so easy to make and absolutely delicious!
My husband is not a soup lover but he absolutely loved this recipe. He asked me to make it again just a few days later. Thank you for the easy and delicious recipe.
You’re very welcome, Tina! I’m glad it made it to the repeat list.
Delicious Soup! It had just the right balance of vegetables & chicken. Thank you Natasha for improving my menu 😍
I have made this a few times now and it’s always a hit. I love it with a dollop of sour creme, cheddar cheese, green oinion and fresh jalapeno. Delicious!
So glad you’re enjoying this recipe, Vlynn!
My family enjoyed the soup enough to vote a yes for repeat!
A warm and comforting dish for the PA temps.
Looking forward to checking out your other recipes.
Thank you & be well, DarH
This is such a fabulous recipe! I have made it several times, and it is always delicious! I love adding shredded cheese on top of the tortilla chips.