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. 
Amazing. All your recipes are. Natasha you are my favourite chef. Thank you so much. I bought the book as well and if you do another one, I will buy that as well
Wonderful! I used rotisserie chicken, so easy and pretty much fool proof.
I followed the recipe except I used two 16-oz cans of pinto beans instead of black beans. I omitted jalapeño. I added two beef bouillon cubes and a taco seasoning packet to enhance the flavor. After it simmered for 25 minutes, I added the rotisserie chicken. The soup is very good.
Hi Lisa, thank you for sharing. You’re making me hungry for Chicken Tortilla Soup!
This is an all time favorite recipe at my house! I make it at least twice a month. I also use many of your recipes for other meals that my family enjoys.
Thank you, Sue! I’m happy to hear your family is enjoying it.
I just made this soup for a cold winter day and my goodness!! is it delicious!!!
It was delicious. Will definitely make again. Makes for a hearty dinner!!
I love this recipe!!! It’s delicious and easy. Sometimes I use a whole chicken or I’ll buy a roasted chicken and shred that and add it to the soup base. Thank you, I love your recipes!!!!
Hi Marci! You’re very welcome!
I always forget that stores sell a whole rotisserie chicken already shredded. It saves so much time!
This is one of our favorites! I always love your recipes!
Thank you! I’m happy to hear that.
Honestly, the best chicken tortilla soup I’ve ever had! You’re the first place I come for a new recipe and I’ve never been disappointed.
Aww thank you, Greg!
Amazingly good! By far the best chicken tortilla soup I’ve ever had! You gained my trust as the first place to come for a new recipe and I’ve never been disappointed.
This was way too tomatoey for me. I prefer a more brothy tortilla soup. I’ve never had one with a tomato base. I think diced tomatoes instead of crushed would have been better. Just my preference. The crushed tomatoes came in a 28 oz can (I didn’t see any in a 20 oz), but I took out a cup before adding it. I wouldn’t make this again.
Hi Laura, I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner but the 20 oz was a typo. It should be 28 oz. That said, you can substitute with diced tomatoes for a looser broth but it should have plenty of liquid with the chicken stock in there.
A nice dinner to start out the week, or end it, or anywhere in between! I confess I did not make my own tortilla strips, but even without them, this was a wonderfully tasty and satiating meal. I did feel the need to go a little heavier with the spices—an easy adjustment! Will make again. Even my picky little ones ate more than I thought they would once sour cream was added, so it’s a winner!
Fantastic recipe! Easy to put together. Family loved it. The only thing I did was add a little sour cream at finish. Thank You!
Thank you for sharing, Lee! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
One of the best tortilla soups I ever had! The recipe was easy to follow and the results are so delicious, it’s going into my “make again” category! And I have to say it wouldn’t have been the same without doing the tortilla strips homemade. Soooo much tastier than store-bought. 😉
Hi Rachel! That’s great to hear. Thank you for the feeding.
so delicious!! I substituted Pictsweet frozen seasoned Mexican street corn and diced fire roasted tomatoes, added 1/2 cup of sour cream at the end for smoothness. This will be added to the rotation and I’ll be canning this recipe so I have it on-hand always. Thank you!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Linda!
Great recipe! Quick and easy for a weeknight meal
I make it a little differently. I omit the tomatoes and lime juice, use less chicken stock, and make it as like a dip kind of. I sprinkle mozzarella on top, let it melt and eat it with tortilla chips. Very delish!! Thanks!
Why comment when you didn’t even make the recipe? It is delicious as written.
Great recipe! It’s one of my go-to recipes for a hearty soup. My family loves it!!!
Best soup ever! Don’t hesitate to, just make it, it’s sooo tasty!
I’m glad you love it, Lidia!
Fantastic! Made it this week and hubby loved it! I’ve tried several different recipes of tortilla soups and this will be my new go to. Highly recommend.
Thank you so much for the feedback. I’m glad this one hit the spot!