If all goes well, it’ll be the last few weeks of soup season… but don’t you worry, I AM HERE FOR YOU.
After all, who doesn’t love a good chicken tortilla soup? Especially when it simmers away in your slow cooker while you work, do chores or run errands. The flavors meld and infuse together for hours without you having to do any work.
There’s a restaurant here in Chicago that serves the absolute best slow cooker chicken tortilla soup I’ve ever had. I can’t help but love how authentic and rich the broth is.
My version is a bit of a shortcut as we aren’t using dried ancho chiles and it’s made in the slow cooker; however, you’ll have to trust that you’re still going to love it.
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What do you need to make chicken tortilla soup?
This flavorful chicken tortilla soup recipe is filled with tender chicken, warming spices, and plenty of delicious toppings. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it:
- Chicken: I prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs because they give the soup more flavor and stay nice a juicy. You can also use chicken breats or bone-in chicken thighs, you’ll just need to get rid of the bones when shredding the chicken.
- Onion + Garlic: essential to any soup. That is all.
- Black beans: I love adding protein-packed black beans for wonderful texture and a boost of fiber.
- Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes: personally, I prefer good quality fire-roasted tomatoes because they’re much more flavorful than regular crushed tomatoes. I also recommend using canned crushed tomatoes vs diced.
- Sweet corn: feel free to use canned or frozen sweet corn.
- Chicken broth: I love using a low-sodium chicken broth because then you can control the sodium. Everyone’s salt preferences are different.
- Spices: I used a variety of spices in this recipe including ancho chili powder (or you can use regular or chipotle if you want it a little spicer), cumin, oregano, paprika and cayenne. Don’t forget the salt & pepper, too.
- To garnish: I love topping my bowl with tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheddar, avocado, cilantro & green onion.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Sure! Feel free to omit the chicken and add a second can of black beans to make a vegetarian tortilla soup. Then be sure to also use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
My favorite way to add flavor
I actually like to brown my chicken in the skillet before adding it to the slow cooker because it gives the soup extra flavor. Don’t worry, if you’re short on time, this isn’t an absolutely necessary step.
Choose your soup thickness
I prefer a thicker chicken tortilla soup, so if you like your more brothy feel free to add another cup or two of chicken broth!
How to make chicken tortilla soup on the stovetop
If you prefer to make this recipe on the stovetop, simply:
- Brown the chicken, onions and garlic in a large pot with olive oil.
- Slowly add in broth, crushed tomatoes, black beans, corn, spices and salt. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes.
- Remove chicken, shred, then add back to the pot. Serve with all the fixins.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: this healthy chicken tortilla soup will stay good in your fridge for about 5 days. Once the soup is completely cooled, just place it in an airtight container (or multiple, if you’d like to meal prep it) without the additional toppings and place it in the fridge. To reheat it, simply do so in the microwave with a microwave safe bowl, or feel free to reheat it on the stovetop. Add your toppings once you’re ready to serve!
- To freeze: yes, you can freeze this tortilla soup! Follow the instructions above, but instead of placing the soup in the refrigerator just put it in your freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply thaw the soup overnight and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave when you’re ready to eat.
More healthy slow cooker recipes to try
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Pumpkin Turkey Chili
- Vegan Slow Cooker Tofu Tikka Masala
- Amazing Slow Cooker Turkey Tacos
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Quinoa Pumpkin Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken with Sticky Coconut Purple Rice
Get all of my slow cooker recipes here!
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I hope you love this slow cooker chicken tortilla soup! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 white or yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced (or sub 1 can mild green chiles)
- 1 (28 ounce) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (regular crushed tomatoes will also be fine)
- 1 (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth*
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder (or use regular chili powder)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 small limes, juiced
- To garnish:
- Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
- 1 large diced avocado
- Sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- Shredded monterey jack or cheddar cheese
- Cilantro
- Diced green onion
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large skillet and place over medium high heat. Add in chicken thighs, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and brown on each side; about for 2 minutes per side. You don’t need to cook them all the way, we’re just adding a little flavor to them. Transfer them to the bowl of a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Next add onions, jalapeño and garlic to the hot pan and saute for 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent, scraping up any brown bits as you go. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Next add remaining ingredients to the slow cooker: crushed tomatoes, black beans, sweet corn, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir to combine all ingredients. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Once done, remove chicken with a slotted spoon and shred with two forks. Add back to slow cooker, then add juice from 2 small limes and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary, you may need to add more salt.
- Once ready to serve, ladle into bowls and top with tortilla strips or chips, diced avocado, sour cream/greek yogurt, cheese, cilantro and a little green onion. The toppings really make this soup delicious! Serves 4-6. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by Eat Love Eat
49 comments
YES I canNOT wait to make this! I love chicken tortilla soup but have been waiting for you to post your version because I absolutely love all of the soups (and meals) I’ve made from the AK miracle kitchen! 🙂
I hope you love this one!! So happy to hear you’re loving all of the soups + meals here 🙂 Thanks Becca!
YES I canNOT wait to make this! I love chicken tortilla soup but have been waiting for you to post your version because I absolutely love all of the soups (and meals) I’ve made from the AK miracle kitchen! 🙂
I hope you love this one!! So happy to hear you’re loving all of the soups + meals here 🙂 Thanks Becca!
Just made this today and it turned out great! My husband said it’s the best taco soup I’ve made. I subbed regular tomatoes as didn’t have fire roasted on hand. Sooo good!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Just made this today and it turned out great! My husband said it’s the best taco soup I’ve made. I subbed regular tomatoes as didn’t have fire roasted on hand. Sooo good!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
thanks so much – this looks awesome – looking to add more bone broth to our diet. Do you think I could substitute bone broth for some of the chicken broth? I may just give it a shot!
Yes that will work! Hope you love this one 🙂
I made this recipe last night on stove top and WOW. I used chicken thighs as suggested and i agree it’s much juicier. I used 1 large jalapeno with seeds, 1 tsp. regular chili and 1/2 tsp chipotle chili, added the optional 1/2 tsp cayenne and only 1 tsp cumin. Results were phenomenal. I agree the fresh toppings make alllll the difference (we used cheddar, tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro). The soup is spicy but that’s how we like it. Thanks for a great recipe we’ll be making all winter!!
Perfect! Love the spice in this one. So happy you enjoyed!
OMG this was to soooo delicious!! I made this recipe in my slow cooker with a few changes, only because I didn’t have a few of the ingredients on hand. I used regular crushed tomatoes & 1 jalapeño pepper, 3 chipotle peppers in Adobe sauce & 1 1/4 tsp of chili powder. It turned out amazing!! Monique I am a huge fan of everything you do! Happy New Year and congratulations on your soon to be new baby boy. Much love Vera
Perfect! So happy you enjoyed. And thank you so much, Vera! Happy new year 🙂
Hey, I’ve made this on my slowcooker for tomorrow and cannot wait – it looks great! One question though – I’ve put the ingredients into my fitness pal and it comes out with a much higher amount of fat than your guidelines suggest! Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi! Apps like myfitnesspal can tend to be inaccurate as people can input any nutritional info they’d like for each ingredient. The only fat here is coming from a bit of olive oil and the chicken, so what’s written should be accurate (and doesn’t include the optional toppings) 🙂
So tasty, we didn’t include jalapeños and the chili powder because, toddlers and it was still delish (just topped w Hot sauce instead). Super easy, threw in the slow cooker and fork-shredded the chicken. Topped with siete chips and perfect. Leftovers for tomorrow too!
Perfect! So glad everyone enjoyed 🙂
This soup is insanely good! I topped it with lots of cheese and crushed tortilla chips and it was so comforting. This is definitely a new go-to soup for me!
Delicious! Glad you loved it!
I’ve made this twice in the last two weeks! My picky eater husband loves it, so delish!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
This soup was so good! I love that it’s on the thicker side and so hearty for these chilly months. Will definitely be making again!
Absolutely! Perfect for fall & winter.
Used leftover thanksgiving turkey instead of chicken and did the stove top version— this was a hit! Saving this recipe for sure! Thank you!
Love that idea! So happy to hear that 🙂
I’ve made this three times— twice using the faster stovetop method and it’s amazing! I use smoked paprika and frozen fire roasted corn. It’s now a family staple!
Love it! Perfect cozy dinner 🙂
Can’t wait to try out this recipe! Curious, in general is there a notable flavor difference between stove cooking and slow cooker cooking when cooking such soups, etc.? Thanks! Trying out this recipe today!!
I don’t notice one! Enjoy 🙂
I’ve had a lot of tortilla soups and wasn’t setting my expectations too high but OMG this might be the best soup I have ever had. Definitely the best soup I have ever made. Will be putting this into the regular rotation. Thank you!!
New favorite ambitious kitchen recipe! Was planning on doing the crockpot version but ran short on time to prep this morning. Stovetop version is quick, easy and full of flavor! Left the jalapeño seeds in for added heat. Delicious!
Amazing! Glad you enjoyed!
This quick and healthy recipe is a go-to for us. Always in the weeknight rotation!
This is one of my favorite soups EVER. I always make it stovetop and it turns out perfect every single time. Quick tip- one of my favorite things to make to dip in this soup (especially if you make your soup spicy)? A warm tortilla rolled up with butter and honey. Trust me.
Omg that tortilla with butter and honeyyyyy WOW sounds amazing!! I’m glad you love this soup so much!
Fantastic soup and very easy recipe to follow! I only had chicken breasts on hand so I had to sub out the thighs and was short a jalapeno but it still turned out great! I especially enjoy how quick and easy it was to put this together before heading out the door for a couple of hours — I will absolutely be making this again. Thank you!
Used boneless chicken breasts because that’s what I had and it was great!
Awesome, so happy you loved it!
This is THE BEST chicken tortilla soup I’ve had. Better than at any restaurant! My 2 year old also devoured it. It’s so flavorful!
Aw thank you so much, Linda! Happy you guys are loving it 🙂
Very savory and full of flavor! Absolutely delicious and big hit with the family, so glad I made a double batch so we can have it again this week. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, came out great.
Nice! I’m so glad you all loved it 🙂
This is hands down the best tortilla soup we’ve ever made. The whole family (some picky tweens) said they loved it and went for seconds. Thank you for sharing your talents!!
So easy, delicious and filling!
So glad you loved it!
Made this in the slow cooker for a make ahead lunch for the week! It was flavorful and came together easily. Will be a repeat!
Perfect! So glad you loved it!