Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup — Chicken, tomatoes, corn, black beans, avocado, cheese, and addictively crunchy tortilla strips! Fast, easy weeknight meal, and better than from a restaurant!!
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Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
When I see chicken tortilla soup on a restaurant menu, I get excited. There’s something about the slightly spicy broth with tender chicken, the corn and black beans, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and those addictively good tortilla strips on top that I can’t resist.
Rather than making a trip out for it, you can make Mexican tortilla soup with chicken at home in 30 minutes and it’s easy.
So many ingredients get tossed into the pot all at once and before you know it this hearty, comforting soup is ready. And it tastes better than my favorite restaurant version!
My family loved this easy tortilla soup and I love that it’s ready so quickly and with very minimal effort.
It makes enough that I stashed half in the freezer for those nights when I just want to pull something out of the freezer for dinner. And with winter cold and flu season around the corner, soup is perfect.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
To make this easy tortilla soup recipe, you’ll need:
- Corn tortillas
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Yellow onion
- Jalapeño pepper
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Diced tomatoes
- Black beans
- Cooked shredded chicken
- Corn
- Lime juice
- Spices
- Fresh cilantro
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
This really is such an EASY recipe for chicken tortilla soup! Here’s a look at how it’s made:
- Sauté the onion and jalapeño in an oiled Dutch oven, then add the diced garlic and continue cooking until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, black beans, chicken, corn, lime juice, spices and bring to a boil.
- Let the mixture boil for 5 minutes, then stir in fresh cilantro and boil another minute.
- Ladle the homemade chicken tortilla soup into bowls and top with homemade crispy tortilla strips (I’ve given the recipe in the recipe card below), cubed avocado, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream.
Tips for the Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
To save time, use store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken that you have on hand. Of course you can roast or pan sauté chicken if you’re so inclined.
Salt your soup to taste. I use low-sodium chicken broth and no-salt-added tomatoes and add a bit of salt to my soup so I can control the overall salt level.
The saltiness of low-sodium broth, rotisserie chickens, canned tomatoes, black beans, and personal preferences for salt all vary so salt to taste.
Recipe FAQs
I’m sure you could, but when a recipe is as quick and easy as this one I’d rather use the stove to avoid dirtying extra dishes.
Absolutely! Buy pre-shredded rotisserie chicken at your local grocery store to save yourself some prep work and reduce the cook time.
We love garnishing out individual bowls of soup with fresh cilantro, cubed avocado, a little shredded cheese (like cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend), and / or sour cream. And tortilla strips, of course! But use any toppings that sound good to you!
As written, this homemade recipe has a nice kick to it without being burn-your-tongue-off spicy. You can easily reduce the amount of spice by removing the seeds from the jalapeño pepper or using half of the jalapeño instead of the whole thing. For more spice, keep the seeds in the jalapeño or add another jalapeño to the pot of soup.
Storage Instructions
This easy tortilla soup will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Extra tortilla strips will keep in airtight at room temp for up to 5 days.
Can the Soup Be Frozen?
Yes! You can freeze the soup (without the tortilla strips on top) for up to 6 months.
What to Serve with Chicken Tortilla Soup
This simple tortilla soup pairs well with crusty bread or a green side salad. Here are a few side dishes to serve with chicken tortilla soup:
- Grilled Mexican Corn
- Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Salsa (Pineapple Chipotle Salsa or Restaurant-Style)
- Guacamole
- Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad
- Mexican Wedge Salad
Pair your bowl of soup with a homemade margarita or refreshing glass of horchata to wash it all down!
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Easy 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Tortilla Strips
- 10 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 1 medium onion)
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, about 4 to 5 inches long, diced very small (the seeds are where the heat is concentrated; included or discard them based on preference)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 32 ounces 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes and juice, I used petite diced, no-salt-added
- one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, use storebought rotisserie chicken to save time; or roast or cook your own chicken in a skillet
- 1 ½ cups corn, I used frozen straight from the freezer, fresh may be substituted
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, regular paprika may be substituted
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced
- diced avocado for serving, optional for serving
- shredded cheese, optional for serving
- sour cream, optional for serving
Instructions
Make the Tortilla Strips:
- Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or foil to save cleanup time.
- Loosely scatter the tortilla strips, evenly drizzle with olive oil, evenly sprinkle with kosher salt, toss with hands to coat evenly, and bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until crisp and lightly golden brown; set aside.
- While strips bake, begin making the soup.
Make the Soup:
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
- Add the onion, jalapeno, and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, black beans, chicken, corn, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, smoked paprika, optional cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Allow mixture to boil gently for about 5 to 7 minutes. If at any point the overall liquid level looks low or you prefer your soup to have more broth, add 1 to 2 cups of water; you’ll adjust the salt and seasoning levels at the end.
- Add the cilantro and boil 1 minute.
- Taste soup and add salt to taste. This will vary based on how salty the chicken broth, tomatoes, black beans, and rotisserie chicken are, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, etc.).
- Ladle soup into bowls, top with tortilla strips to taste, optionally garnish with avocado, cheese and/or sour cream; serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Extra tortilla strips will keep in airtight at room temp for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Chicken Soup Recipes:
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Chicken Poblano Soup — All the familiar flavors of chicken tortilla soup but with the addition of roasted poblanos and tomatillos to give extra heartiness and depth of flavor!
Easy 30-Minute Chicken Enchilada Soup — Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This EASY, hearty, healthier chili full of Mexican-inspired flavors is ready in 30 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights!!
Easy 30-Minute Homemade White Chicken Chili — Hearty, healthy, loaded with tender chicken, and packed with bold flavor!! Fast and easy comfort food that everyone loves!! It’ll be on rotation all winter!!
Easy 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup — Classic, comforting, and tastes just like grandma made but way easier and faster! This soup is amazing and it’ll be your new favorite recipe!
Chicken Tortellini Soup — This chicken tortellini soup has all the comforting qualities you want in classic chicken noodle soup but with the unexpected twist of cheesy tortellini.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup — All the comfort food feels of pot pie, but in soup form! Rich, hearty, creamy and ready in just 30 minutes!
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup — Why have regular chicken noodle soup when you can have CREAMY instead? Pure comfort food at its finest! Ready in 30 minutes, an instant family favorite, and PERFECT for chilly weather!!
Originally posted September 15, 2015 and reposted September 4, 2020 with updated text.
Good, but turned out tart (because of the tomatoes). If I do it again, I’d add a heaping tablespoon of sugar.
In many of my tomato-based soup recipes I do indicate to optionally add sugar at the end to taste, but in this one I don’t. No one has ever mentioned it being tart, but all tomatoes and tomato-based products vary. I’m glad it was good overall for you.
Just wondering if you have the nutritional break down, serving size? If not I’ll try and figure it out. I’ve made this before and it’s so yum! It’s my go too tortilla soup recipe
I’m glad you love it!
I am working on converting all my recipes (2500+) over into a recipe format that includes nutritional stats but I haven’t gotten to this one yet.
Okay thanks so much! I broke it down with the Lose It app with the ingredients I used for now! Thanks for taking the time to reply back and for all the hard work!
You’re welcome and thanks for visiting my site!
I love making soup. When I made this one, and later on a version of using my own recipe, my husband said it was the best soup I had ever made. The balance of spices are what make it excellent.
Glad it was the best soup you’ve ever made according to your husband! That’s high praise :)
Easy, straight forward, full flavor deliciousness that make my husband nearly fall out of his chair. He was literally moaning in soup ecstasy, and even before that when he could smell the tortilla strips baking. Top notch stuff, thanks for the amazing recipe! Can’t wait to try more of your stuff!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I glad this hit the spot for you and your husband!
I made this last night and my husband insists it is the best soup he’s ever had! I went light on the salt because we try to stick to a low sodium diet, but otherwise followed the recipe and it was outstanding. We think it was even better for lunch today, if that’s possible!!
I am glad he insists it’s the best soup he’s ever had – what a high compliment and thank you!
Averie, thank you for sharing this delicious soup recipe! I shared it with grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner with two of my Grandkids under the age of 10, and they BOTH loved it!
And…yes, I even made the tortilla chips. They were so easy to make, and I felt quiet fancy garnishing the top with chips, sour cream, and cheese.
One more soup receipe that feeds more than two people at a time. We love this. 🥰 Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 96
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that the grandkids approved! And yes, topping with those homemade tortilla chips, I agree, it feels pretty fancy :)
We had a lot of left over fajita chicken meat and looked up a recipe for Tortilla Soup and came upon this one. Glad we did. It’s awesome and both of my daughters loved it. Don’t skip making the tortilla strips in the oven, it’s the best part!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad your daughters loved it! Glad you didn’t skip making the tortilla strips :)
Fantastic recipe! Doubled up on the tortilla strips. My whole family enjoyed it, even picky kiddos left their bowls empty!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out fantastic for you!
My wife had to work late and asked me to do something with the left over rotisserie chicken in the fridge. Made a quick trip to the market for some ingredients we didn’t have. I added celery, carrots & red bell pepper. About half an hour prep time. Came out great!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad that it came out great and was a perfect way to use the leftover rotisserie chicken!
I made this tortilla soup last night. My husband and I ate the whole pot!!!! It was delicious.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad it was so delicious you ate the whole pot!
This is my favorite soup recipe ever! I used one big Poblano because that’s what was in the garden, and fresh tomatoes (cherry mostly), onion from the garden as well and fresh corn. For the chicken I roasted one whole, and then made stock from the carcass (it was my day off). This has fed us 7 meals! (And there was leftover chicken) That makes it both delicious and *super* affordable!! Thank you!!! ☺️
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad it’s your favorite soup recipe ever!!
The fact that you have many of the ingredients growing in your garden and made your own stock from a whole roasted chicken, I can only imagine just how incredible your soup was! And even more impressive that it’s so economical!
I can already tell this is 5 stars!
As an amateur I just want to make sure I do the chicken right, I want to put raw chicken breasts into the soup – it’s my favorite way of getting it cooked and shredded to perfection.
Do I need to keep the chicken in for certain amount of time? Bring to a boil? Any advise on how to cook the chicken in the soup?
Thank you!!
The ingredients clearly state: 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (use storebought rotisserie chicken to save time; or roast or cook your own chicken in a skillet)
Cooked chicken only.
I love brothy soups and this one has lots of flavor.
I added some zucchini and fire roasted corn. Delicious
I am glad it was delicious!
My husband really liked this recipe. It’s probably the best chicken tortilla soup I’ve made. I’ll make it again!
Thanks for the 5 star review, glad it was the best chicken tortilla soup, and that you’ll make it again!
Sorry…my comment should say “wouldn’t” ..not would.
Haha! Yes I knew what you meant! A little spiciness and sinus clearing is good for the soul, right :)
This was amazing! Just a tip though…learn from my mistake… I used canned jalapenos, thinking canned would be too spicy…I also used the cayenne pepper…ok…to much together…but it was so good that we suffered thru it!! Can’t wait to do it right next time.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was amazing!