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Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Name: Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Olive Oil (or any cooking oil); 2 cloves Garlic (finely grated); 1/2 large Onion (diced); 1/2 large Red Bell Pepper (diced); 3 cups Chicken Broth; 1 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes (keep juice); 1 15 oz can Black Beans (drained and rinsed); 1 cup Sweet Corn (frozen, canned, or fresh); 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper; 1/4 tsp Cumin; 1 tsp Kosher Salt; 1/2 tsp Black Pepper; 1 cup Cooked Shredded Chicken; 1 bunch Cilantro (chopped for garnish); 1 Lime (sliced into wedges for garnish); 2 Tbsp Corn Meal; 2 Tbsp Water; 4 Corn Tortillas (sliced into thin strips); 1 Tbsp Canola Oil; 1/4 tsp Chili Powder; 1/8 tsp Kosher Salt

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30-minute Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe made with shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn. It’s garnished with homemade tortilla strips, lime, and cilantro for classic Mexican tortilla soup flavors!

chicken tortilla soup in white bowl with spoon garnished with lime

This tortilla soup recipe dates back to my earliest blogging days in 2014. It’s a timeless classic that gets happily devoured without fail. I love to turn rotisserie or baked chicken into this soup on busy weeknights. The classic Mexican ingredients make it just. so. dang. good! If you want the meatless version, check out my Vegan Tortilla Soup. Even my meat lovers are crazy about it!

Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredient List

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olive oil
garlic
onion
bell pepper
chicken broth
canned diced tomatoees
canned black beans
corn (fresh, frozen, or canned(
crushed red pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper
cooked shredded chicken
toppings: cilantro, lime, tortilla strips

How to make Chicken Tortilla Soup

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In a soup pot on medium-high heat, saute garlic, onion, and bell peppers.
Add chicken broth, canned tomatoes, canned beans, frozen corn, and seasonings.
Bring to a boil, then simmer.
While soup simmers, bake the tortilla strips. You can always use packaged tortilla chips.
Add shredded chicken and (optional) cornmeal thickener near the end of cooking cycle. Serve warm with Mexican toppings.

What I love about this Tortilla Soup recipe

use up leftover rotisserie chicken or IP shredded chicken or baked chicken
naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
stove to table in 30 minutes
makes the perfect leftovers and tastes even better the next day
easy to meal prep for busy weekday lunch or dinner

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How to make chicken tortilla soup thicker?

If you’ve ever searched for chicken tortilla soup, you’ve probably stumbled across Pioneer Woman Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe. When she makes her chicken tortilla soup, she mixes cornmeal with water to form a paste and adds it to the soup while it’s simmering.

I borrowed that technique for my recipe and it was spot on! I like Chicken Tortilla Soup brothy, but I also want that distinct cornmeal flavor and slight thickening effect. If you want yours thicker, just add more of the cornmeal/water paste.

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How to make tortilla strips

Preheat oven to 400° and slice corn tortillas into thin strips.
Toss strips in olive oil, a little chili powder, and salt.
Place on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes (toss them around after 5 minutes)
Cool the strips (and try to not eat them all before serving)

Guys, these strips, they take this Mexican soup to the next level…you’ll crave them for dayyyyys!

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Recommended Tools

chef knife and cutting board
3-quart soup pot
small baking sheet (to bake tortilla strips)
small mixing bowl (to make cornmeal paste)
food storage container

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