It’s no secret how much I love soup recipes, but this Chicken Tortilla Soup is seriously one of my all time favorites! It’s made with tender chicken breast meat, juicy tomatoes, black beans, sweet corn, and lots of smoky spices. This is an easy one pot recipe that's worth keeping in rotation all year long, but especially during soup season. And of course there’s no better way to serve it than with some crispy homemade tortilla strips on top!😉
This recipe was originally published in September 2020. It has been completely updated and refreshed with new photos and information.
I love this recipe so much that I decided to make a vegetarian version for my veggie lovers out there! My Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tortilla Soup includes the same smoky, flavorful taste and is complimented with the subtle sweetness of chunks of sweet potato. It’s so good and a must-try if you’re a big sweet potato lover like me!
Here’s What You Need
These are the main ingredients needed to make this delicious chicken tortilla soup recipe:
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook right in the soup to create tender and flavorful meat. You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs instead.
- Peppers and Onion: The foundation of this soup starts with sautéed onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño which provides tons of flavor!
- Tomatoes: I use two different kinds of tomatoes in my recipe - fire roasted tomatoes and a can of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies.
- Black Beans and Corn: Black beans and corn are added for more flavor, color, and texture.
- Spices: I love the spice combination in this recipe which includes chili powder, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. It adds the perfect amount of smokiness and bold flavor to the soup!
- Chicken Broth: You’ll want to make sure you use a good quality chicken broth for this recipe. I use better than bouillon to make my broth.
- Corn Tortillas: Yellow corn tortillas to make those crispy homemade tortilla strips to add on top!
How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
The full instructions are included in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick step-by-step overview:
Step One: Saute the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic in a large pot or dutch oven.
Step Two: Stir in the spices. I like to toast the spices for 30-60 seconds in the bottom of the pot.
Step Three: Add the tomato paste, corn, fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, and chicken broth. Gently stir everything together until the tomato paste has dissolved.
Step Four: Add the chicken breasts to the pot and cover it with a lid. Bring the pot to a boil then immediately turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes.
Step Five: After 45 minutes remove the cooked chicken breasts from the pot and shred the chicken with two forks.
Step Six: Add the chicken back to the pot along with fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Stir well and serve with your favorite toppings!
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 ahead of time. This way you can throw everything in the 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 and the meat from the bones, shred the chicken, then add it to the soup. Let the soup simmer for about 15-20 minutes so the flavors can marry together.
- Make homemade tortilla strips! I highly recommend making your own crispy tortilla strips to add on top of your tortilla soup. Trust me, it’s really easy and it tastes 1000x better than any pre-packaged chips.
If you love this recipe, please leave a rating and review down below. And don’t forget to try out some of our other popular soup recipes like this Creamy Tortellini Soup or this Easy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe!
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 14.5 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
- 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1lb.)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
- Homemade Tortilla Strips
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or dutch oven, add the olive oil, onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and minced garlic. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add the spices to the pot (ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper). Mix the spices with the sautéed veggies and allow them to toast in the bottom of the pot for 30-60 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste, fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, rotel tomatoes, frozen corn, and the chicken broth. Stir all the ingredients together and scrap up any spices that may be stuck at the bottom of the pot.
- Now add the chicken breasts to the pot on top of the rest of the ingredients. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the soup up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer for 45 minutes. Make sure the soup is just at a steady simmer at this point.
- After 45 minutes, remove the cooked chicken breasts and place them on a clean cutting board. Shred the chicken with two forks then return the shredded chicken back to the soup. Stir well.
- Stir in the fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Serve with crispy tortilla strips, a little more cilantro, and any of your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Homemade Tortilla Strips
- Cut some yellow corn tortillas into strips roughly ½ inch thick and 2-inch long pieces.
- Heat ½ cup of vegetable oil in a small fry pan on medium-high heat.
- Fry the tortilla strips in batches until crispy. Should only take about 60-90 seconds per batch.
- Once the strips are golden brown, use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil. Repeat until all the strips are done.
- Add a sprinkle of salt immediately to each batch of strips while they are hot. Add on top of your favorite soups or salad recipes.
Tiana N Heggins says
This soup is really good! Just made it for the second time tonight.
Connie says
I love this recipe. Have used it twice and can't wait to use it this fall and winter
Marsha McDougal says
I love it too!! Definitely a favorite to make this time of year.
Renay says
Made this last night and it was absolutely fantastic but even better today for lunch!
Marsha McDougal says
I'm so happy to hear that. And yes the leftovers are the best! I'm not ashamed to admit I usually eat it 3 days in a row whenever I make a batch😄
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!!! 🙂