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The best chicken tortilla soup is family-approved many times over and made with shredded chicken, tomatoes, black beans, corn, and crispy tortilla strips.
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What is chicken tortilla soup?
Chicken tortilla soup is a flavorful and comforting Mexican-inspired soup made with simple vegetables, savory seasoning, tender shredded chicken, beans, and crispy tortilla strips. This delightful contrast of textures and flavors makes it undeniably warm, comforting, and family-loved.
Why you'll love this recipe
This easy chicken tortilla soup is a comforting, restaurant-quality meal with savory, sweet, and southwestern flavors. The ingredients mostly consist of pantry staples, which makes it budget-friendly. It's an ideal way to utilize leftover cooked chicken and reduce waste. This 30-minute dinner makes for one happy family dinner. It also makes the best leftovers!
Ingredient notes
- Olive oil - Or other neutral flavored oil.
- Onions - Use red, white, or yellow onions.
- Garlic - Raw garlic adds depth of flavor to the soup.
- Chili powder - Use a mild chili seasoning blend for this recipe.
- Ground cumin - Deepens the flavor of any Mexican soup.
- Salt and pepper - Essential flavor enhancers.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes - These add a smoky flavor and a subtle kick of heat to chicken tortilla soup.
- Black beans - These add fiber, texture, and volume to the soup. Use canned variety for convenience, or make black beans a day ahead.
- Corn - Frozen or fresh corn brings a sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with the southwest spices.
- Chicken broth - This forms the savory and rich-flavored soup base.
- Cooked shredded chicken - Use store-bought rotisserie chicken or use leftovers from my pressure cooker shredded chicken, air fryer chicken thighs, or whole chicken!
- Tortilla strips or chips - Crispy tortilla strips or chips add a satisfying crunch to each spoonful.
- Toppings: Enhance the Mexican flavor with fresh cilantro, lime, and cotija cheese.
How to make chicken tortilla soup
The soup is prepared by sautéing aromatics with the seasonings, then simmering them with the broth, tomatoes, beans, and corn. The chicken goes in last, and the soup is served warm with crispy tortilla strips and other toppings. Enjoy these step-by-step photos of the process.
Start by heating the olive oil in a soup pot on medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until tender, stirring as needed. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Sauté a few minutes, stirring as needed.
Use a splash of chicken broth to deglaze the pan once a fond develops under them. Once the onions are tender and fragrant, add tomatoes (with juice), black beans, corn, and chicken broth. Increase heat and bring soup just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in the shredded chicken and continue heating until warmed through. The chicken can either be warm or cold when added to the soup.
Serve warm tortilla soup with crispy tortilla strips, cilantro, lime, and Cotija cheese. Sliced avocado and fresh jalapenos are always welcome at the party, too!
How to make tortilla strips
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and slice corn tortillas into thin strips.
- Toss the strips in a teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes or until crispy to your liking.
- Cool the strips. I dare you not to eat them all before serving.
Make ahead tips
- Chop the vegetables and drain the canned beans. Refrigerate separately.
- If cooking chicken for this soup, you can cook it a day or two ahead and refrigerate until ready.
- You can use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to save time and add another layer of flavor to the soup.
- Bake the crispy tortilla strips a day or two ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Prepare garnishes like chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, and lime wedges in advance. Refrigerate them separately until serving.
- Label all containers with the date of preparation and any additional notes for reheating or serving. This helps you stay organized and ensures freshness.
- Chicken tortilla soup tastes even better the next day. Feel free to make the soup a day or two ahead of serving. Cool completely and refrigerate until ready to heat and serve.
Recipe variations
- Add and saute other vegetables like carrots and bell peppers for enhanced flavor, color, volume, and nutrients.
- Adjust the chili powder and cumin to your liking. Taco seasoning adds even more layers of flavor. A dash of cayenne will add a kick of heat.
- Swap the black beans with canned whole pinto beans for variety.
What to serve with chicken tortilla soup
When tortilla soup is the main attraction, you can never go wrong with a side of tortilla chips with pico de Gallo and guacamole. I also enjoy an occasional scoop of cilantro brown rice in this soup.
Easy soup recipes
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Italian Sausage Soup Recipe
- Tomato Soup
- Sausage White Bean Kale Soup
- Crock Pot Chicken Veggie Soup
📖 Recipe
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
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Video
When scaling the recipe 2x or 3x, the gray ingredient note stays the same. Adjust quantities accordingly.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ large Onion, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder (not chile powder)
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 (15-ounce can) Fire Roasted Tomatoes, keep juice
- 1 (15-ounce can) Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Corn, fresh or frozen
- 4 cups Chicken Broth, or more as needed to adjust consistency
- 4 cups Cooked Shredded Chicken
Topping options
- fresh cilantro, lime, jalapenos, cheese, Cotija cheese, or *crispy tortilla strips
Instructions
- Heat OLIVE OIL in soup pot on medium high heat.
- Add ONIONS and GARLIC. Saute until tender, stirring as needed.
- Stir in CHILI POWDER, CUMIN, SALT, and PEPPER. Saute a few minutes until toasted, stirring as needed.
- Add TOMATOES (with juice), BLACK BEANS, CORN, and CHICKEN BROTH.
- Increase heat and bring soup just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in COOKED SHREDDED CHICKEN and continue heating for a few minutes until warmed through.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips and other Mexican toppings.Note: Homemade tortilla strips are in the recipe footnotes.
- To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight storage container up to 5 days or freeze up to 90 days.
Recipe Notes
- 4 corn tortillas
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- pinch sea salt
Equipment
- Microplane zester / grater optional for lime zest
Tamia says
I made this for supper tonight and my family loved it! I made my own tortilla strips for the top and squeezed fresh lime on top once it was in our bowls too, it’s a game changer. Thank you for sharing.
Traci says
That sounds amazing! Fresh lime and homemade tortilla strips are such a great touch. So glad your family loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Diana Lewis says
Love this recipe. I made it twice and both came out delicious. I substitute black beans with chick peas.
Traci says
That sounds great! That's a fun swap for black beans and adds a nice texture. So glad you’re enjoying the recipe—thanks for sharing!
Dave says
We really enjoyed this recipe.
Traci says
Yay!! So glad to hear it! Thank you for trying my recipe and for leaving this feedback. Enjoy!
Pam says
Super good. Didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes. Substituted Rotel diced tomatoes with chiles. These cans are only 10 oz. Since I love tomatoes I used 2 cans. Also didn’t have Cotija cheese. I had goat cheese with herbs. That makes a great substitute.
Traci says
Love how you made it work with what you had! Rotel is a great swap, and that cheese sounds like a delicious twist. So glad you enjoyed it—thanks for sharing!
Kim Brown says
It was delicious!! My family loved it. I will make double the recipe next time so we have leftovers!!
Traci says
Perfect!! I'm thrilled you'll be making it again and glad to hear the family is all for it! Day made. Thanks for taking the time to leave this feedback. Enjoy!
Leslie says
So easy to make and it was delicious! Will definitely make again!
Traci says
Yay!! I'm so happy you discovered my recipe and honored that it's on the make-again list! Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback. Enjoy! xoxo
Jean A Smart says
Hi Traci,
I noticed that a couple of your recipes call for Chili Powder (not chili powder).
Not sure what that means. What Powder do you recommend/use?
Thanks,
Jean P.S. I love your recipes!!
Traci says
Aww thank you, Jean! I'm glad you're enjoying them! To answer your question, chili powder (with an "i") is a mild spice blend, while chile powder (with an "e") is pure ground chiles and much stronger. I use chili powder to keep flavors balanced and grocery-store friendly. Hope that helps!
Cathey Bennett says
Fantastic and so easy. This will be a regular at our house!!!
Traci says
Yayy!!! I'm so glad you're loving it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this feedback - and for bringing my recipe into your kitchen. Enjoy!
Carol says
I made this soup a couple of days ago and it was delicious. The only thing I did different was to add an extra can of beans for the protein. Otherwise, no changes. It's very good, filling and makes alot. I will be making this again.
Traci says
Hi Carol! I'm so glad you went for it. Also, I'm always up for extra beans. In fact, I should do that because the recipe yields 8 cups, which never lasts beyond two days in our house LOL. Thanks for your feedback. I really appreciate it! Enjoy!
Lisa says
This recipe is great. Awesome flavor and super easy!
Traci says
Yay! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. One of my all time favorite soups for sure. Thanks so much for the feedback!