Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Chicken Tortilla Soup is the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Full of shredded chicken, corn, beans, and homemade tortilla strips, this soup is a meal in itself. It’s comforting, hearty, and filling.
What’s even better? Just like our Taco Soup and Beef Chili, this Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe comes together in one pot.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Hi there! My name is Natalya and I run the blog Momsdish. If you already follow me, you know I can’t get enough of easy meals that require simple ingredients
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup:
Chicken tortilla soup is like a taco in soup form. Its rich tomato and chicken broth pairs perfectly with chunky veggies, shredded chicken, beans and sweet corn.
You can sprinkle some tortilla strips right on top with a healthy handful of cheese, or pair the dish with soft Dinner Rolls.
Tips For Tortilla Soup:
- Use Leftover Chicken. Have a rotisserie chicken hanging out in your fridge? What about some leftover chicken breasts you don’t know what to do with? You can always use leftover chicken to make a fresh batch of Chicken Tortilla Soup.
- Bone Broth Makes All The Difference. Use low-sodium bone broth or easily make your own chicken broth.
- 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.
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:
- Place a soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and sautee 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.
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.
Serving Chicken Tortilla Soup:
The only thing that makes Chicken Tortilla Soup taste even better are 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.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love:
- Beef Stew – with tender morsels of beef
- Pasta e Fagioli – easy Olive Garden copycat recipe.
- Loaded Potato Soup – creamy and you’ll love the toppings
- Chicken Noodle Soup – a family favorite
- Cabbage Soup – a soup to warm your soul in winter
- Minestrone Soup – a hearty, tomato-based soup that never gets old.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Chicken Tortilla Soup is the perfect, cold weather weeknight dinner. What’s even better? It comes together in one pot.
Ingredients
Servings: 6 servings
Chicken Tortilla Soup
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper , seeded and diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 lb chicken breasts, (2 medium)
- 20 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 14 oz can corn, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, divided (reserve 1/4 of it for garnish)
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp salt, 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 with oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic and chopped jalapeño and sauté until veggies soften.
- Add whole chicken breasts, corn, beans, chilli powder, cumin, crushed tomatoes, salt, ¼ cup of cilantro and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer for at least 25 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the pot and shred it using 2 forks. Add shredded chicken back to the soup and simmer another 5 minutes then add lime juice.
- Serve the soup with some tortilla strips, pieces of avocado, fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
Nutrition Per Serving
540kcal Calories62g Carbs32g Protein22g Fat
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
540
% Daily Value*
Fat
22
g
34
%
Saturated Fat
3
g
19
%
Cholesterol
48
mg
16
%
Sodium
673
mg
29
%
Potassium
1368
mg
39
%
Carbohydrates
62
g
21
%
Fiber
15
g
63
%
Sugar
9
g
10
%
Protein
32
g
64
%
Vitamin A
663
IU
13
%
Vitamin C
28
mg
34
%
Calcium
111
mg
11
%
Iron
5
mg
28
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Natalya Drozhzhin
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
This has been my go-to soup for a while now. The family loves it. I just made it tonight substituting leftover, cooked turkey for the chicken. It was delicious. I always put out sour cream, shredded cheese, and diced avocado as add-ons.
Great to hear that this is your go-to recipe! Thanks a lot for the good feedback.
Do I use bone broth? Recipe itself just says chicken broth…
Hi Rebecca! Both would be ok to use. Bone broth is more concentrated and so it can give a richer flavor, but either one would work.
Delicious!!! Made it today. Only change was I added a little bit of taco seasoning. 🙂 Mom and husband loved it!!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Charlene! That’s so great!
Really great recipe. I had some chicken already baked and was looking for a good recipe to use it. Huge hit. Thanks!
You’re welcome and glad you like this soup!
hi and thank you I was wondering if you can use rotisserie chicken already prepared👍
Hi Pam, I bet that could work here! Here’s what one of my readers wrote: “We’ve made this with leftover rotisserie chicken, which works great. You can thaw it and add it towards the end of the cooking process.” I hope this helps!
5 stars. I love chicken tortilla soup and this recepie was easy to follow. The dish came out amazing. Very flavorful, my taste buds exploded.
Yay, love it! Thank you for the perfect rating, Todd.
This is a great recipe. We are vegetarians in our household so we subbed chicken stock for veggie stock and used a plant based chicken substitute. It turned out great!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Andrea! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Great Recipe!! This came together so easy. Great for a weeknight dinner. I used some leftover rotisserie chicken and it worked great. Definitely going to make this one again.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for the review.
Great recipe! I believe I made it pretty much as directed…. May have added some extra spices as I went a long. I also took the shortcut of using tortillas chips instead of making my own strips. It worked like a charm. Thank you for this belly warming meal! Bonus points for being one pot!
You’re welcome, Devon! Thank you for the feedback.
Thanks! I subbed chicken thighs, put the chili powder and cumin on those with a little seasoned salt and browned them in the pan with a little oil before the onions and pepper. My family and friends loved the soup. Some said it tasted like restaurant quality.
Wow, love it! Thanks for sharing that awesome feedback with us, Lanie.
This was very good! I omitted the cilantro (tastes funny to me)but otherwise made per recipe. We loved it! Thanks!
Forgot to leave the five stars. Resubmitted
Thank you, Anita for the perfect comment!
This was very good! I omitted the cilantro (tastes funny to me)but otherwise made per recipe. We loved it! Thanks!
That’s alright, glad you love this!
No flavor, I guess if you were making for kids. I tripled the spices and still was very bland.
Simplicity is what makes this recipe so attractive. Once you taste it though, you’ll see that this is an amazing soup. Thank you.
P.S. Love your fish taco recipe too! Keep it coming.
Thank you, Missy! I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe.
And the fish tacos are so good! A family favorite.
I was looking for a new weeknight meal and this did not disappoint. It was delicious! I ended up adding some hot sauce for an added kick. It was a hit and I would make it again! Thank you!
So glad you loved it, Allie! Thank you.
Need to state the serving size in Cups etc Your nutritional information means absolutely nothing without it makes me look for another recipe instead JMO a lot of people do this and I Think it’s an important part of a recipe … The measurement of the serving
Hi Natasha,
I used your recipe as inspiration for my soup. I had made some pulled pork using chilis in adobo and had maybe got a little carried away with them. It was too spicy for my family so I used it instead of chicken! The soup toned it down to just the right amount of heat. I also did not have corn tortillas so cut up flour ones, added some olive oil and salt and baked until crisp.
Hi Pegi! That sounds great. 🙂
So easy and SOOO good!! Definitely do the tortilla strips. So yummy! Also topped with cilantro, shredded cheddar and sour cream. Very tasty and satisfying!
Thank you, Kathy! I’m happy you loved it.
I used leftover baked chicken and followed the recipe. Served with a hot pico for those who wanted more heat and with grated fresco cheese plus avocado and cilantro. It was delicious!
Glad you loved this recipe, Peggy!
I made this tonight for my spouse and mother in law. It was made 100% to recipe in my Le Creuset dutch oven.
We all loved this so much! Dynamic layers of flavor and so versatile.
Happy to hear that!
This has now become a regular recipe for our family. It’s fantastic!
Nice to know that, Danielle! Thank you for your good comments and feedback.
Why are calories so high?
Does it in lude toetilla strips and avocado? Is it a cup for one serving.
Otherwise, It is a very tasty and easy soup!
Hi Margie, I’m glad you liked this soup. This recipe makes 6 servings. I do not have the exact measurement for each serving. The nutrition facts include avocado, oil, and tortillas.
I made this in a crockpot with a few tweaks it came out awesome.
That’s wonderful, Kandi! Thank you for sharing.
This was so good. I used two cans of Rotel tomatoes with chilis and an extra teaspoon of cumin and chili seasoning. It definitely hit the spot. Thank you.
Yum! Great to know that you enjoyed this soup!
My husband is asking me to make this soup again, just 2 days after I made the first batch…with a request, can you make like double batch? I think that speaks for it all! Thank you
That’s awesome! So glad he loved it.
First time making chicken tortilla soup. So easy and so delicious! Thank you!!
I’m so glad you gave it a try, D! Thank you for your great review!
Can this be made in the crock pot? I usually don’t have a lot of free time in the evenings and it would be great to be able to set it and forget it!
Hi Kevin, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work with a few adjustments. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
My daughter, who isn’t the biggest soup fan, insists that this is how I must make Chicken enchilada soup going forward. Excellent recipe!
Yay, what a great feedback! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us, Jenn.
I was so nervous making this that I didn’t tell my family what I was making for dinner because I figured they would dissuade me. I was in for a huge surprise!! Everyone loved it and agreed this should go into our menu rotation. I used the bone broth and followed the recipe except I used half of the jalapeño pepper. Thank you for this amazing recipe ❤️
Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Leah! I’m so glad it was a hit.
I am going to make this soup in a couple of days and plan on using some cooked and shredded chicken I have in the freezer. Can you please give me some insight on using this? Should I thaw the chicken? When would I put this in the soup as I don’t want to really cook it any more. Thank you.
Hi Debbie! We’ve made this with leftover rotisserie chicken, which works great. You can thaw it and add it towards the end of the cooking process.
Rookie question… do you cover it while it simmers? Thanks!
Hi Summer! You could leave the lid off while it simmers.
Like everyone here has already mentioned, this soup is amazing! I had to bring an entrée to a group function with around 20 people. I love that you include the ability to change the number of servings and it adjusts the amounts accordingly. I pretty much stuck with what you had but cooked it in the Instant Pot. It was such a big hit! Adults and kids alike loved it!
That’s great to hear, Melissa! So glad it was loved. Thank you for the review.
Anyone use parsley instead of cilantro? I have people here that can’t stand the taste of cilantro.
Hi Zuzka! Parsley would be a great alternative.
Absolutely delicious and incredibly easy to make! I used rotisserie chicken in lieu of raw chicken. Delicious. Can’t wait to make again!
Hi Chelsea! I’m so glad you loved this recipe. Thank you for the review.
I don’t usually rate recipes but this one was so good and spot on. The only thing I swapped was 2 cans of Rotel for the tomatoes. Everyone in my family loved it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this today. It was a hit. So delicious. I did change jalapeño to diced green chiles. I can’t eat them. Definitely making this again.
Hi Andrea! I’m so glad you loved it. Thanks for sharing.
SO GOOD!! I made this for the first time a couple weeks ago and now making it again. One of my favorites now!
Yay, that’s awesome! Thanks for sharing that with us, Anna.
made this chicken tortillia soup today. outstanding. another fantastic recipe by Natasha.
Thank you, Jim! 🙂
Natasha, this chicken tortilla soup is so simple to make and delicious, too. My aunt, whom I credit as the family chef, liked it so much that she asked for the recipe! The only substitution I make is using 20 oz. of diced tomatoes in green chilies vs. 20 oz. crushed tomatoes. It is September and the leaves are changing in Alaska, so I’m thrilled to have this guest-worthy soup back on the menu!
That’s wonderful! Thank you for the review, I’m so glad you love this recipe. It’s perfect for fall!
We just made this with a rotisserie chicken and it is delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe
That’s wonderful, Shawnie! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Season To Taste. Depending on the tomatoes and broth you use, you may need to adjust the salt to taste at the end.
This tip from the recipe is spot on. My soup was very bland and I didn’t catch it until serving. Taste as you go!
OMG!!!!!!
This is absolutely awesome!!
So simple, yet so full of flavor!
Thank you so much for this recipe!
I also added some chorizo and that just added to the flavor!
I absolutely love your recipes!!
Please don’t stop posting them!!!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jerry! Thank you for sharing.
This was just perfect! I was looking for a simple, uncomplicated chicken tortilla soup to bring to my daughter and family after they had a baby yesterday and this fit the bill! I used all unsalted ingredients and let the spices do the salting. I’ve already shared the recipe with a bunch of friends. It’s a keeper. PS we skipped the tortilla chips – used bagged chips and made corn muffins.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Fla! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I made this 3 times in the last few weeks, it’s just SO delicious. However, I did substitute Cannellini beans b/c I abhor black beans. I also added ground coriander. Thank you Natasha for a fool proof soup😋
Thank you for the feedback! I’m so glad you enjoy this soup. 🙂
Super easy and super delish. Had to improvise and use chilli flakes (and cilantro paste) but it still turned out great. It’s now simmering on the stovetop but can’t wait until we have it with our barbacoa burritos for dinner. 🥰
I hope you love it! 🙂
This was delicious! I normally make soups without a recipe. I decided to follow this recipe nearly 100%. When I go rogue I end up with good results overall but end up with way to much soup. Easy to make . I had all the ingredients including homemade bone broth. I LEFT IT OUT ALL NIGHT! The worst. A rookie mistake but I’m 65 and always set timer to remind me to put in fridge after cooling. I had no ice for an ice bath. Had to toss. Sad .
So now I have leftover pork loin roast.
Question is do you think I could make a new batch with the pork? Its tender. Thank you
Hi Sandi! So glad you loved this recipe. I think pork would go well with the soup.
I followed this form & OMG! it was the best soup I have made. My boyfriend loved it.
So glad to hear it was enjoyed, Erica! Thank you for sharing that with us.
This was the 1st time I made chicken tortilla soup and I found this recipe super easy and the soul turned out absolutely delicious, my husband said it was better than any restaurant soup he ever had. Thank you
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Cheryl!
Hi Natasha!
Love your blog! Love your recipes!
I substituted the crushed tomatoes in your Chicken Tortilla Soup with a jar of chunky salsa & it bumped up the flavor so much! Plus I have pepper jack cheese as a topper! Just wanted to let you know!
Sounds great, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This was my first attempt at making Tortilla soup. I chose this recipe based on the reviews I was not disappointed with it- it turned out great 👍🏼 I will continue to use this recipe 👍🏼
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, S!
hi natasha ….. i made this few months ago. wow, delicious . and i will made this tomorrow. thank natasha . still my favorite chef.
That’s wonderful, Sandra! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
Best Chicken Tortilla Soup I’ve ever had! I’ve already shared it with friends. It’s going in my permanent file! Easy and amazing!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Trisha!
Cosco stopped selling my favorite Chicken Tortilla soup. Pannera’s is infinitely inferior and I found myself missing an essential taste from my life until tonight. This recipe is excellent. Thank you, Natasha
You’re very welcome, Dorothy! So glad you enjoy it! 🙂
I’ve tried many chicken tortilla soup recipes, most more complicated than this, but this one beats them all hands down! It is simple and delicious and everyone loved it 😍
Love it, thank you for sharing that with us, Denise!
Cooking with Natasha,
Greetings from Springfield Illinois the home of Abraham Lincoln.
I retired a few weeks ago and have been bored until one day I was looking for a recipe and discovered Natasha’s Kitchen. The last few weeks I have been doing a new recipe from your site every night. Tonight Chicken Tortilla soup tomorrow Classic beef Stew. Every one at my local store now ask me every day what Natasha and I am cooking. Thanks from bringing me from boredom to discovering the world of garlic.
Sincerely,
Gregg Donalson
Hi Gregg, great to hear that you’re been enjoying my recipes and have been loving them! I hope you will love all the recipes that you will try.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I added some dehydrated bell peppers and green onion. My husband and 2 young boys approved.
That’s great! So glad it was enjoyed.
Ok—I may have missed it. When you add the chicken is it suppose to already be cooked (like using a rotisserie chicken) or raw and the boiling will cook it?
Hi Charity, we used raw chicken in Step two. In step three we take it out and shred it. I hope that helps!
So glad you asked! I was specifically looking for this answer in all of the comments. Can’t wait to try this soup tonight!
Is there a way to do this without tomatoes? Or could I possibly purée them. I love the flavor but don’t like the texture.
Hi Amanda, one of our readers shared this comment “Love it. I just substitute the 20 oz crushed tomatoes for Old El Paso medium Restaurant style salsa. Much better not so thick. Tastes amazing!” I hope that helps.
I forgot to add stars to my review, but this absolutely deserves 5 stars! Yum.
Thank you so much!
This soup is phenomenal! I was out of cumin so I used a cumin-heavy taco seasoning, and omitted jalapenos for my son’s sake. It turned out amazing, and I’ll be making this again for sure.
Thanks for the great feedback, Taylor! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Love it. I just substitute the 20 oz crushed tomatoes for Old El Paso medium Restaurant style salsa. Much better not so thick. Tastes amazing!
Sounds good and great to hear that the result was a success!
Hi there,
What size Staub did you cook this full recipe in? It looks like mine is the same as yours from the photo, but hard to say. I am worried mine might be too small.
Thank you!
Julia
Hi Julia, this works with the 5 1/2 quart which is what I used.
Excellent and delicious recipe. Often double the corn and black beans, mmm!
Yum! So glad you enjoy this recipe, Miriam.
Hello! How many cups of broth? I don’t see it listed in the ingredients, but it says to add broth in the directions. Thanks!
Hi Eve, we have it listed right under the crushed tomatoes on the ingredients list: “32 oz chicken broth” I hope that helps!
Made this for the first time tonight. Absolutely delicious, and so easy to make.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Caroline!
We have has this twice, so yummy! Are the 540 kcals per serving or the whole pot?
This recipe makes 6 servings, so that is the amount per serving.
This is the best Tortilla Soup recipe. It was easy and family loved it. I made them with chicken thighs instead of breasts and no cumin. Added sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese to the toppings. Have this page on my favorites. 🙂
That is great, Jennie! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the excellent review!
This turned out amazing! I actually added some mushrooms to add a little more veggies and made some cornbread (which complimented it amazingly). Definitely will be making this again!!!
I bet this was so good with mushrooms! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Alexa!
By far, the best chicken tortilla soup I’ve had. My family LOVED it! And so easy to make. The crispy tortilla strips are must. Thanks for another great recipe!
You’re welcome, Liz! Happy to know that you loved this soup!
Hi! If I were to add rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken…how would I go about adding it to the mix, since it’s already cooked?
Hi Alexia, you can add it at the end and keep everything else the same.
This soup is soooo delicious! My mom and I absolutely loved it, all of the flavors melded together so well, it was impossible to have just one bowl! Will definitely be making this again, and next time I think I’ll double the recipe. Thank you for sharing this, it is now one of our favorite soups!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Rachel!
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.