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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 rotisserie chicken, or canned chicken, or use leftovers from 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°F 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
Note about scaling
When scaling (2x or 3x), the light gray ingredient amount doesn’t scale. Please adjust those accordingly.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ large Onion, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Chili 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
TAYLER ROSS says
I made this soup for dinner last night and it was incredible! My whole family devoured it!
Traci says
Woohoo! I love it when the family loves it! Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy!
Bobby says
This recipe is amazing. I loved the soup AND the tortilla strips. Will definitely be making again!
Traci says
Yay! So glad you're loving it. The tortilla strips are essential lol. Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy!
Ieva says
We made this soup a handful of times now, and there are never any leftovers! It's really tasty, and we always load it up with all the possible toppings! Our favourite cold-season dish for sure! Thanks for the recipe.
Traci says
Awesome! So glad you're loving this one as much as we do. It really reminds me of a restaurant soup but so much better at home. Thanks and enjoy!
Nikki says
I am loving all the flavors in this hearty and comforting chicken tortilla soup. I can't wait to dig into a big bowl of this deliciousness.
Nathan says
This looks like a fantastic tortilla soup! The chicken for some added protein is a fantastic idea. Can't wait to try this, added the ingredients to my shopping list already!
Sheila Davis says
How hot is the oven for the tortilla strips?
Traci says
Hiya! It's 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Also please note the instructions for tortilla strips are located in the recipe footnotes. Let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks and enjoy!
Katie says
I made this tonight with leftover shredded chicken from ranch chicken tacos and it was delicious!!! I opted to use a can of diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers in it and only used half of the crushed red pepper flakes and my husband and I kept going back for more!!! My kids kept asking for more salt or milk (oops!) so it may have been a little too spicy for them. My 7 year old was a big help with dicing the red pepper, and she made the tortilla strips all by herself! Great recipe!! We will definitely be making this again (mayyybe with less spice for the kids).
Thanks again!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Katie! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe as much as we do. We always go back for more too LOL. I love it that you got your little one involved in the tortilla strips. Thanks for the review. Much appreciated! Cheers!
Christine says
This was a knockout! I used a full can of tomatoes (about 28 oz) so upped the chicken stock by about 5/6 cups, added some Adobo spices and added a full bag of frozen corn, and let it all stew for a few hours. It was absolutely fantastic! Best way to use up leftover Rotisserie chicken!
The Kitchen Girl says
Oh, I'm so glad to hear it, Christine! I love your changes...esp the Adobo spices YUM! Chicken Tortilla soup might just be my fav way to use up rotisserie chicken Thanks so much for your feedback
MJ says
Loved this soup and so did my husband, who can be like a stubborn two year old when it comes to eating his vegetables.
Traci Antonovich says
Haha well, I'm so glad you both enjoyed this one! It's a fav over here too 🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback!
JB says
Great recipe for chicken tortilla soup. Utilizing rotisserie chicken made this an extremely easy prep. Delicious!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, JB! It's one of my favorite soups of all time. I'm glad you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂
Sara says
The hardest part of this recipe was not eating all the tortilla strips before it was ready lol. But seriously so yummy!!
Traci Antonovich says
Haha, that is TOTALLY my problem too, Sarah. Every. Single. Time And thank you for the kind words
Andrea says
Wow, this looks fabulous. Really like how easy this is to make too.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Andrea! Love hearing that...and it really is so easy to make 🙂
Denise says
What a great and flavorful recipe! I am saving this for the fall/winter when we are eating soup often!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay, so glad you'll enjoy this soup, Denise 🙂
Claudia Lamascolo says
this is one beautiful bowl of comfort food I love soups with so much in it .. that makes a whole meal in itself!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Claudia! This soup does have a fair amount of ingredients 🙂
Liz says
I am SO excited for soup weather! and I bet this soup has so much flavor. Perfect for a healthy dinner!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Liz! Yes, I feel like chicken tortilla soup is pretty healthy...and SO flavorful 🙂
Cookilicious says
How hearty and delicious this soup is!
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome! So glad you like it! 🙂
Chichi says
This soup is a regular in my home. So so delicious
Traci Antonovich says
Yay Chichi! Us too...we always look so forward to this one!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I've heard of tortilla soup, but didn't realise it actually had strips of tortilla. Thought it was more just Mexican flavours and you might have served the tortillas with the soup. You learn something new every day.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Jacqueline...actually, I like to serve my tortilla soup with tortillas on the side too, sometimes 🙂
Dannii says
This is one of my favourite comforting soups. It just has so many layers to it.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Dannii! You are so right about the layers! 🙂
Morgan Eisenberg says
Love adding cornmeal to this soup! Double whammy, adds flavor and texture.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Morgan! Meee too! Great minds... 😉
Danielle Wolter says
it's been so long since i had tortilla soup - this version sounds divine! I really look forward to trying it 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Danielle...hope you love it like we do! 🙂
Alexandra says
This is such a fantastic recipe - it is full of flavour, and one for the whole family to enjoy. It is such a great use of chicken!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Alexandra...yes! Hard to believe all of the flavor in a 30-minute soup 🙂
Brian Jones says
This was delicious, simple and really easy to make, loved it!
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome, Brian! So glad you enjoyed it. Chicken tortillas soup IS so easy, isn't it! 🙂
Jeannette says
I love what you've done with the leftovers! The tortillas add that perfectly satisfying crunch! Yum!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Jeanette! The garnish ingredients are really what takes this soup to the next level 🙂
Natalie says
Looks so delicious and comforting! I love tortilla soup!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Natalie...I'm right there with you in the tortilla soup fan club 🙂