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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- 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. 
Feeling so sad about what’s going on in the Ukraine.I was there in the 80s such a beautiful place. My thoughts and prayers are with you and the Ukrainian people. Love this recipe thanks and keep the faith sister
Thank you so much for your kind comment and prayers, Julie! ❤️
I am looking forward to making this recipe this weekend but I’m not understanding how a serving could equal 540 calories. That seems high for the ingredients.
Hi Rachel, that includes toppings. 1 avocado is about 322 calories.
Question…how many CUPS of minced onion is a medium onion???
Hi Ilene, I haven’t measured it that way – I hope the ingredients photo was a good reference point. A google search might be helpful here.
One question about the tortilla soup: what is the serving size, 6 oz?
Hi Sherrie! This recipe makes 6 servings at about 1 – 1.5 cups per serving.
Awesome recipe! I upped the spicy stuff for my spicy loving family, but other than that it’s perfect! Very tasty!!
Thank you for the review! Happy to hear it was enjoyed.
Wonderful recipe! So easy and so delicious – Thanks! I followed the recipe and made only one addition – I added 1/3 can of refried beans to thicken the broth a little bit. I have added this recipe to my husband’s lineup of meals he can prepare.
Nice one, Kathy. Thanks for sharing that with us, I’m glad you loved the end result!
My family loved this soup…even the two year old who often refuses to eat soup! I made a milder version since my kid’s don’t like spicy food (left out the jalapeño and halved the spices), added some leftover rice, and just used store bought tortilla chips. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Great to hear that your family loved this recipe! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us.
I love making soup. It’s like a blank canvas on which you can paint anything you want with whatever colors you have, but it really helps to have some guidelines. Your recipe has helped me make some delicious soup this winter. I’ve been sharing it with friends who have Covid. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Kari! I love that you’re sharing this with friends, that’s so thoughtful!
This was a hit with the family. We added a little extra of the spices for our liking. I need to more one pot dinners. so easy Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
You’re most welcome, Nadine. Yes, feel free to adjust the seasoning and other ingredients a bit according to your preference. Thank you so much for the review!
It was OK. Needed a lot more cumin and lime juice. Now I’m just adding stuff because it requires 50 characters.
Hi Mike, this is normally very flavorful. Did you possibly use more liquid which could water it down and require more seasoning? Also, be sure to season to taste – the type of broth or salt content in canned products can affect how much salt a recipe needs.
Easy, delicious and comforting recipe! What is a serving size though? A cup?
Hi Joanna, this recipe makes 6 servings at about 1 – 1.5 cups per serving.
during the cold winter here in Michigan I have been making this on a weekly basis. Delicious!
The perfect soup for cold weather! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I have a question! Am I supposed to cook the chicken before simmering it in the broth, or will it cook while in there?
Hi Kelly, the chicken will cook in the broth.
Hi Natasha,
I’m Mexican but had never had this soup anywhere. I made it a month ago and it was a hit. Turns out my bf says he used to pick some up at BJ’s Restaurant when he was a bachelor and it was his favorite. He says this one is better! He was so excited to come home to it today.
I added any own touch. I put in half a Serrano pepper because I didn’t have jalapeños. I used left over broth I had on hand. I used a few dashes of Trader Joe’s Citrusy Garlic seasoning, since I don’t have limes and I love the flavor it adds. I didn’t add salt I added tomato-chicken bouillon along with dried cilantro because again -no fresh on hand. It’s a great recipe just the way it is or you can add – few dashes of this or that. Great comfort food! Thank you for sharing this!
You’re most welcome, Norma. It’s my pleasure to share this awesome recipe, I’m glad you loved it!
Made this today with 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs because that’s what I had. Everything else I followed exactly. My husband hates beans and my kids hate soup and we all devoured this. Saving this recipe. It hit the spot and was easy and hearty. Cannot wait for my leftovers for lunch all week.
Made this tonight. I ate two bowls and will have lunch and dinner figured out the next couple of days. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Felix. That sounds great! You have it all prepared.
Easy and enjoyable to make! My family loved this when I made it on a cold, snowy day. The fresh (fried) corn tortilla topping made for a wonderful crunch on top.
Thanks for your wonderful review, Laura. We’re glad you enjoyed this soup!
Hi Natasha
I just made your soup!! It’s delicious! I can’t believe how simple it is to make. The only variations I made was chicken thighs and I used enchilada sauce instead of crushed tomatoes because I didn’t have any,also added Chipotle pepper and 2 tablespoons of Adobe sauce. I will definitely keep this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
You’re most welcome, Jane. Good to hear that you loved this soup recipe!
This soup was amazing! We are Texans and love Mexican food. This soup was perfect for our sleet/snow day! My 10 year old (who won’t touch any type of soup) told me how good it smelled when it was cooking and then even ate a whole bowl!! I’ve shared it with 5 people just as soon as dinner was over!! Thanks so much, will be making this again soon!
It’s a perfect recipe for a nice cold day! I hope you’re staying safe in Texas during this storm!
This soup is outstanding. I used some rotisserie chicken which I added at the end but kept everything else the same. I have my own chicken tortilla soup recipe that I’ve used for years but decided to try this. So glad I did!! Thank you, Natasha!
Hello Donna, thanks for trying out this recipe. I’m happy to know that you loved it!
This was a great recipe. Perfect for a cold winter night. My family loved it. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Tracy! I’m glad you all enjoyed the recipe.
I found this recipe about a year ago and it has become one of our winter staple soups, which is amazing since my husband isn’t a fan of anything that sounds remotely Mexican. I do leave out jalapeño because hubby doesn’t appreciate the heat, but this recipe is absolutely amazing. Thick, rich, full of flavor and incredibly easy to make. But today I find myself in quarantine with Omicron and no chicken and will substitute the chicken for some end pieces of beef filet I usually use with stir fry. Wish me luck.
The perfect recipe for a cozy night in! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Mary!