This delicious homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup has tons of flavor and is packed with juicy, tender chicken breast, fire-roasted tomatoes, whole sweet corn, black beans and more! And there is no better way to serve it than with some homemade tortilla strips on top!
How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
Full instructions are included in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview:
Step One: Prep your ingredients! Chop your red bell pepper, onion, garlic and jalapeño. Next measure out all of your seasoning and spices ahead of time. It will make the cooking process a lot easier.
Step Two: In a large pot over medium heat, saute onions, garlic, bell pepper and jalapeño with a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Next, in the same pot, add tomato paste and spices. I also like to add a little bit of water or chicken broth to smooth out the paste.
Step Three: Add the frozen corn, tomatoes, black beans, and chicken broth. Gently stir everything together.
Step Four: Lay the chicken breasts in the soup and cover with a lid. Bring the pot to a boil then immediately turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes. (Make sure the pot is not boiling, but still has a steady simmer).
Step Five: Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the soup and place on a clean cutting board. Shred the chicken with 2 forks, then place the shredded chicken back into the soup and stir well. Squeeze in some lime juice and add fresh cilantro. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
I highly suggest making your own homemade tortilla strips to add on top. (Recipe for homemade tortilla strips plus step-by-step video below)
Recipe Tips
Prep your ingredients first. To make this recipe go smoothly, prep all of your ingredients first. Chop your veggies, measure out your spices, and drain and rinse the black beans. This way you can throw everything in your pot quickly when you need to.
Use a Rotisserie Chicken. Grab a rotisserie chicken from your local store if you want to save some time. Just remove the skin, shred the chicken and add it to the soup once all of the rest of the ingredients are added. Let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes so the flavors can merry together. Then add the lime juice, chopped cilantro, and serve with your favorite toppings!
Make homemade tortilla strips. If you want to add tortilla strips as a topping, make your own. Trust me it’s really easy and it tastes 1000x better than any pre-packaged chips. Tutorial below.
How To Make Homemade Tortilla Strips
- Cut some corn tortilla strips into roughly ½ inch thick and 2-inch long pieces.
- Heat ½ cup of vegetable oil in a small sauté pan on medium-high heat.
- Fry tortilla strips in batches until crispy. Should only take about 60-90 seconds per batch.
- Once strips are golden brown, quickly transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
- Add a sprinkle of salt immediately to the strips while they are hot and enjoy!
Topping Suggestions
- Homemade tortilla strips (highly recommend)
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheese
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- More chopped jalapeno
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 14.5 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 15 oz. can black beans drained & rinsed
- 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or dutch oven, add the olive oil, diced onion, diced red bell pepper, and diced jalapeño. Saute over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add minced garlic to the pot and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add all the spices including the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Mix the spices with the diced veggies and allow the spices to toast in the bottom of the pot for 30 seconds.
- Now add the tomato paste to the pot along with a splash of water to help smooth out the paste.
- Add the frozen corn, fire roasted tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, black beans, and chicken broth. Stir all the ingredients together and scrap up any spices that may be stuck at the bottom of the pot.
- Lay both chicken breasts inside the pot on top of the rest of the ingredients. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, immediately turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer for 45 minutes. (Make sure the soup is at a steady simmer).
- After 45 minutes, remove the cooked chicken breasts and place on a clean cutting board. Shred the chicken with two forks then return the shredded chicken back to the soup.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice and half of the chopped cilantro. Serve the chicken tortilla soup with some fresh tortilla strips, a little more cilantro and more of your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Nicole L-O says
I used all your specs but was short on time so I put everything in a crock pot closed the lid. I cooked it for 6 hours on low and omg my husband and I nearly finished the whole pot. An amazing recipe worth leaving a fantastic review on! I will be adding this in my rotation of cold day soups!
Marsha says
Hi Nicole! I'm so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for trying it out and sharing your review! 🙂
Abby says
This was so warm and healthy with none of the processed ingredients like a soup from the store. My roommate and I had this last night and loved it. Can't wait to make it again!
Marsha says
Hi Abby! I'm so glad to hear that. It's one of my favorite soups! Thanks so much for sharing.
Sheronda Blanton says
I LOVE IT!!!!!
Marsha says
Yay! Glad to hear it! 🙂
Christina says
This recipe is flavorful and the homemade tortilla chips are the perfect compliment. Do yourself a favor and follow her boiling chicken instructions as well!.
Delish!!!
Marsha says
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Those homemade tortilla chips are SO good!!
Vladislava says
I made it! I've reviewed a lot of recipes, and I liked this one the most. Very tasty and simple! Thank you from Moscow!
Marsha says
Awesome!! So glad to hear that. Thanks for sharing!
Sydelle says
I made this with shrimp as well as it’s one of my favourite proteins and I was obsessed that I finished my entire pot. Great recipe!
Marsha says
Awesome! So glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Britney Brown says
I always used to buy this from the store but when I saw your recipe I wanted to try it for myself! This recipe was even better than the store and so easy to make. I will be making this over and over!
Marsha says
Hi Britney! Yes I agree, the homemade version tastes so much better. Glad you enjoyed it!
Jazz says
Perfect for the cold weather we had last week. I made this soup on Sunday night and enjoyed it for lunch til Friday!
Marsha says
Yes! One of my favorite soups to eat during the winter months. So glad you enjoyed it!
Chenée Lewis says
So delicious! This was so simple to put together and so full of flavor. I loved the homemade tortilla strips!
Marsha says
Thank you. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. The homemade tortilla strips are key!
Robin Sparks says
The addition of homemade tortilla strips made this soup even that more special.
Marsha says
YES! That's my favorite part lol! Thank you!
Chef Mireille says
This was such a delicious soup and I love the variety of spices used. It definitely hit the spot on a cold winter night.
Marta says
It's been quite chilly here in Texas, so I figured, "we're in the land of Tex-Mex, why not make chicken tortilla soup?" I'm so glad I stumbled upon this recipe. It was easy to make and so flavorful. We'll definitely be making it again.
Marsha says
Yay! I'm so glad you like it Marta! It's definitely one of my favs! 🙂
Lilly says
This soup is so delicious and flavorful! Thanks for the recipe!
Marsha says
You are very welcome! 🙂
Dionne Brady says
This looks great! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Marsha says
Thank you!! Please let me know how you like it when you do!😊
Della Fannin says
This sounds so delicious, can't wait to make it.
Renia says
So happy to find an easy recipe for chicken tortilla soup that's also allergy friendly. Can't wait to get this in front of my face again!
Marsha says
Yay!!! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Marsha says
Thank you!!! 🙂