This Easy 20 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is a comforting, flavorful, and filling. Topped with crunchy tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, and creamy avocado, it makes for a delicious and fast weeknight dinner. Great for meal-prepping and make-ahead meals, too!
Love easy and delicious soup recipes? Then you’ve got to try my White Chicken Chili and my Lasagna Soup!
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Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup
We are in the midst of soup season, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been eating soup almost every other night. From my Lasagna Soup and Stuffed Pepper Soup to my Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup and Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, I just can’t get enough of it.
This quick and easy chicken tortilla soup is loaded with all of my favorite Mexican-inspired ingredients — cilantro, lime juice, avocado, tortilla chips, and, of course, the ultra-flavorful tomatoey broth. It’s slightly spicy and full of flavor!
There is very little prep time for this recipe. With pre-shredded cooked chicken, it takes less than 10 minutes to put together and only 10 minutes to cook.
ingredients
- Enchilada sauce: Homemade Enchilada Sauce or store bought enchilada sauce will work! Here is our favorite brand!
- Crushed tomatoes: Along with the enchilada and broth crushed tomatoes are the base of this soup!
- Chicken broth: I like to use low sodium chicken broth to be able to control the saltiness of the soup.
- Black beans: Canned black beans are added however you can use pinto beans or great northern beans instead! I usually rinse my beans to control the salt level! Rinsing your beans cuts the sodium amount in half!
- Sweet corn: I use frozen sweet corn to the soup although summer fresh corn would be amazing in this!
- Onion and Garlic: Add so much flavor to this soup!! I like to add 4 whole garlic cloves!
- Lime juice: Brightens up the soup and adds a nice acidity to it.
optional toppings for the soup
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Crispy tortilla strips or crushed up tortilla chips
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream or crema
how to make chicken tortilla soup
- Add oil to a large saucepan. Add in onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in chicken broth, enchilada sauce, crushed tomatoes, black beans, corn, cumin, paprika and pepper.Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in precooked shredded chicken and warm through.
- Take off of the heat and add in lime juice and cilantro. Serve immediately and garnish with avocado, tortilla strips or cilantro if desired.
kelley’s tips
- Cooking the chicken ahead of time saves a lot of time on prep. Cook and shred the chicken the night before. You could also use leftover rotisserie chicken or turkey for a quick substitute.
- Additionally, I like to double this recipe and freeze any extra to have on hand for busy weeknight meals. It will keep in the freezer for 6 months and in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove over medium heat before serving.
Variations
- Add more veggies to make this homemade tortilla soup even more filling! Sliced peppers, squash, or carrots would be delicious!
- Swap the shredded chicken for shredded turkey, shredded beef, shredded pork, ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground beef.
- Make it vegetarian by using tofu or omitting the meat entirely.
- Take it a step further and make it vegan by using veggie broth.
- Add some freshly grated mozzarella cheese to the bottom of your bowl before ladling the hot soup on top to make it melted and creamy.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
- Store cooled, leftover chicken tortilla soup in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze cooled soup in a freezer-safe airtight container or plastic bag for up to 6 months.
- Reheat frozen or thawed soup in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop until warmed through and simmering.
More Soup Recipes To Try!
- Italian Ham and White Bean Orzo Soup
- Thai Coconut Soup
- Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup with Greek Yogurt
- Italian Meatball Soup
- Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
- Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Easy 20 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 10 ounce can enchilada sauce (medium)
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 15.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded chicken breasts, cooked
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, about half of a lime
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- avocado for garnish, if desired
- tortilla strips for garnish, if desired
- cilantro for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Add oil to a large saucepan. Add in onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in chicken broth, enchilada sauce, crushed tomatoes, black beans, corn, cumin, paprika and pepper.Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in precooked shredded chicken and warm through.
- Take off of the heat and add in lime juice and cilantro. Serve immediately and garnish with avocado, tortilla strips or cilantro if desired.
Nutrition Information
Did you make this?
I’d love to hear your feedback! Leave a review and make sure to share your pictures on social media! Don’t forget to follow @thechefsavvy.
Erica
Mmmmmm this looks amaaaazing! Pinned!
Isadora
I’ve been so into soup lately too, but something I love even more than soup is Mexican food! I don’t think I’ve ever had tortilla soup before, but I need to try it asap because I love everything about this soup 🙂
Kt martinez
Delicious! Used a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes and jalapeños in place of crushed tomatoes. This will be a weekly go to !
Kt martinez
Also I used a rotisserie chicken that I shredded in place of chicken breasts. I also topped the soup with green onions and Monterey Jack shredded cheese in addition to cilantro and avocado and tostitos rolls chips.
Mary
I was looking for a quick soup to make for a chilly night and this was amazing! Its so flavorful, healthy and super simple to make. I added about 1/2 tsp. of chipotle tabasco for a spicy kick. Cubed avocado, shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream made an excellent topping. This is a keeper!
Kelley
So glad you liked it Mary!
NT
Wow! Made this for my family today, very easy to make and sooo good! We love it!!
Kelley
So glad you enjoyed it!
Tammy Alexander
Trying this tonight. I can’t wait!
W. Kevin Christian
Made this last night. Solid recipe, especially considering how quickly it can be made. Definitely good enough to satisfy a tortilla soup hankering, though I did make a few tweaks which I think took it from decent to great:
1. Used bone-in chicken thighs for the meat, cooking them in the soup pot before doing the rest of the recipe. After shredding the cooked meat I threw the bones in the simmering soup as well, removing them when I was ready to serve.
2. Used 15 oz of enchilada sauce instead of 10. Tried it with 10 and felt it just wasn’t quite Mexican-y enough, so I kept adding until it tasted right.
3. Garnished with ample shredded Mexican blend cheese in addition to the tortilla chips, cilantro and avocado.
4. Used 3/4 tsp cumin instead of 1/2 tsp.
5. Used 1/2 black beans, 1/2 pinto beans. Same overall bean volume.
Kelley
So glad you enjoyed this!! Thank you!
Tilda Haines
I made this tortilla soup. It was so good and so easy to make.
Kelley
So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you!
CHRISTINA M TOWNSHEND
This soup is amazing! Making it the second time within a week! I substituted taco seasoning for the spices (didn’t have them all) and used crushed tomatoes with green Chili’s. Awesome!!
Kelley
I am so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you!