Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe is an easy one-pot meal loaded with tender shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and tomatoes in a flavorful Tex-Mex broth. Ready with simple pantry ingredients, this hearty soup is perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, or feeding a hungry family on a budget.
If you have made my Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe or Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup then you will love this stovetop Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe! It is bursting with flavor and the chicken cooks so tender for a soup that everyone will love.
We’ve made this soup countless times for busy weeknights and game day gatherings, and the combination of tender shredded chicken, black beans, and crispy tortilla strips is always a family favorite.
Why You’ll Love this Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
I love making this soup because everything cooks in one pot which makes cleanup a breeze! It brings the delicious Tex-Mex flavor to the table with simple pantry ingredients.
The delicious tomato base sauce cooks the chicken tender and juicy with the addition of the sweet corn and black beans. We always love to serve topped with crispy tortilla strips, sour cream, cheddar cheese and diced avocado.
This soup makes meal prep effortlessly and freezes like a champ! It is the perfect game day or weeknight meal and takes comfort food to a whole new level.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil – Use oil of your choice
- Medium Onion – Chop into small pieces
- Minced Garlic Cloves – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
- Jalapeño Pepper – Seeded and diced. If you prefer a little spicy, keep some seeds in
- Chicken Breasts – You can also make with boneless chicken thighs
- Rotel – Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
- Crushed Tomatoes – Gives the sauce a tomato base
- Black Beans – Drained and rinsed
- Frozen Corn – You can also use canned corn
- Spices – Add in ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Substitute with Taco Seasoning Recipe
- Low Sodium Chicken Broth – See Chicken broth substitutes
- Cilantro – Chopped and divided – You can leave out if you do not like
- Lime Wedges – We like the flavor of fresh lime juice
- Corn Tortillas – Slice into small pieces – Substitute with tortilla chips
Scroll to the recipe card for the full recipe details.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
Step 1 – Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch Oven over medium high heat.
Step 2 – Add in the chopped onion, garlic and jalapeño pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the veggies are tender.
Step 3 – Add in the chicken, Rotel, crushed tomatoes, beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, chicken broth, water and half of the chopped fresh cilantro (¼ cup).
Step 4 – Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Heat for 25-35 minutes until the chicken shreds easily (time will vary based on the size of your chicken breasts).
Step 5 – Remove the chicken, shred and stir it back into the pot.
Step 6 – Simmer for 5-10 more minutes until heated through. Stir in the lime juice.
Step 7 – Heat the olive oil in a skillet or large pan over medium high heat. Cut the tortillas into thin strips.
Step 8 – Fry them in batches in the hot oil until they are crispy (similar to the texture of a chip).
Step 9 – Serve the soup topped with the remaining cilantro and homemade tortilla strips in a bowl and Enjoy!
Pro Tips and Variations
- Soup Consistency – Check the consistency of the soup when ready and if it’s too thick, add in more water until it’s the consistency that you prefer.
- Leftover Chicken – You can easily use pre-shredded chicken instead of raw if you prefer. If so, just cook for 10 minutes until all the flavors are combined. I love using a shredded rotisserie chicken in this recipe.
- Spicy – If you’re sensitive to spice, make sure to use a mild Rotel so that the soup is not too spicy.
Storage & Freezer Instructions
- Fridge – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer – Allow soup to cool completely before freezing. Store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Freeze without tortilla strips and add fresh toppings after reheating.
- Reheating – Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through. Add a splash of broth if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Add approximately 3-4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken and reduce the simmer time to about 10 minutes.
Popular toppings include tortilla strips, avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeños, and fresh lime wedges.
Use mild Rotel and omit the jalapeño for a milder soup.
Chicken Tortilla Soup typically has a thinner broth and is topped with crispy tortilla strips, while Taco Soup is usually thicker and contains more beans and meat.
More Easy Chicken Soup Recipes
We love to hear from you! If you make Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 medium Onion chopped
- 3 garlic Cloves minced (or 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic)
- 1 Jalapeño Pepper seeded and diced
- 2 Chicken Breasts approximately 1 pound chicken breasts
- 10 oz Rotel (Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies)
- 15 oz. Crushed Tomatoes
- 14 oz. Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup Frozen Corn or canned
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Water
- ½ cup Cilantro chopped and divided
- 1 Lime juiced
For the Tortilla Strips:
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- 8 Corn Tortillas approximately 6 inches
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Instructions
For the Soup:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Add 1 medium chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1 seeded and diced jalapeño pepper. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until the veggies are tender.
- Add 2 chicken breasts, 10 oz Rotel, 15 oz crushed tomatoes, 14 oz drained and rinsed black beans, 1 cup frozen corn, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, and ¼ cup chopped cilantro.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low.
- Heat for 25-35 minutes until the chicken shreds easily (time will vary based on the size of your chicken breasts).
- Remove the chicken, shred and stir it back into the pot.
- Cook for 5-10 more minutes until heated through. Stir in the juice from 1 lime.
For the Tortilla Strips:
- Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Cut 8 corn tortillas into thin strips.
- Fry them in batches in the hot oil until they are crispy (similar to the texture of a chip).
- Serve the soup topped with the remaining ¼ cup chopped cilantro and homemade tortilla strips. Enjoy!
Chicken Tortilla Soup is my favorite soup anytime I visit a Mexican Restaurant! This soup recipe was just like the one I get at my local restaurant but tasted better. Plus it was so easy to make.