Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This nourishing and comforting Chicken Tortilla Soup is the perfect busy, weekday night meal the whole family will love. Set up a fixing bar with sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheese, avocados, and tortilla chips so everyone can customize their bowl. Plus, I’ve got stovetop and slow cooker options for this recipe too.

Why You’ll Love this Instant Pot Tortilla Soup Recipe

When it’s a cold day, I crave soup. I especially crave this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup. It’s so delicious, yet comforting on a cold day. Actually, who am I kidding, I could eat this any day of the week.

Tortilla soup is a classic Mexican soup made with a tomato (or chicken) base. It usually has ingredients like corn, beans, and often other additions like jalapenos and cilantro. It is simmered, then topped with crispy tortilla strips and whatever you’d like to add. It’s an easy meal to make any day of the week because you can set and forget it, so it’s perfect for busy week nights.

About the Ingredients

• Garlic, onion, carrots, and celery – This winning combination are all sauteed in the instant pot to provide a flavorful base to begin your soup.
• Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breast works best however chicken thighs can also be used.
• Chicken broth – Homemade bone broth is ideal as it provides beneficial protein, amino acids and so many other nutrients. If using store-bought, check it’s free of added sugar.
• Diced tomatoes with chiles– Do not drain the diced tomatoes, the juices are also required for this recipe.
• Black beans – Drain and add at the end after cooking. You can substitute pinto beans.
• Corn – Use frozen or canned corn. Add the end after cooking. You can omit.
• Spices – Make a homemade taco season with the spices in this recipe like cumin, oregano, paprika, white pepper, and salt.

How to Make This Chicken Tortilla Soup – Step by Step

Instant Pot Option

1. Set Instant Pot to saute mode. Add oil, onion, garlic, carrot, and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Then add cumin, oregano, paprika, white pepper, broth/stock, tomatoes and bay leaf.
2. Add chicken to the Instant Pot, covering entirely with broth/tomato mixture.
3. Close lid and be sure valve is sealed. Set to Manual high pressure / pressure cooking for 10 minutes. It will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to reach high pressure, then it will cook for 10 minutes.
4. When timer goes off, let sit for 1-2 minutes. Then set to quick pressure release to vent steam.
5. Remove lid and remove bay leaf and discard. Remove chicken to shred (use an electric mixer or two forks to shred). Return to Instant Pot and mix well with soup.
6. Add corn and black beans, stir well.
7. Serve in bowls and add your favorite toppings.

Stovetop Option

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add oil, onion, garlic, carrot, and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft.
2. Add chicken, cumin, oregano, paprika, white pepper, broth/stock, salt, tomatoes and bay leaf. Let simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
3. When chicken is done, remove chicken to shred (use an electric mixer or two forks to shred). Return to pot and mix well with soup.
4. Remove bay leaf and discard.
5. Add corn and black beans, stir well.
6. Serve in bowls and add your favorite toppings.

Slow Cooker Option

1. In a slow cooker, add oil, poblano pepper, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, chicken, cumin, oregano, paprika, white pepper, broth/stock, salt, tomatoes and bay leaf. Place lid on slow cooker.
2. Cook on low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 3 hours.
3. When chicken is done, remove chicken to shred (use an electric mixer or two forks to shred). Return to pot and mix well with soup.
4. Remove bay leaf and discard.
5. Add corn and black beans, stir well.
6. Serve in bowls and add your favorite toppings.

Can I use frozen chicken?

You can use frozen chicken in this recipe. Just set the Instant Pot cook time to 20 minutes instead of 10. For the stovetop, cook for an extra 5-10 minutes. For the slow cooker, it should be fine with the current time.

How do I shred the chicken?

You can use your stand mixer to shred the cooked chicken for this recipe. It’s so easy! Put the cooked chicken in the bowl of your mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until the chicken is shredded. This will take less than a minute.

Can I use taco seasoning?

Yes, you can. Be sure to omit the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and white pepper. Use salt to your taste. Personally, I prefer to use my own spices over taco seasoning mixes to cut out additives and preservatives.

Can you make chicken tortilla soup ahead of time and freeze it?

Yes. This Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe is great for meal prep as you can batch cook several portions and freeze for later. Or save any leftover chicken tortilla soup in the freezer. Allow the soup to cool fully before transferring to an airtight container and freezing for up to 3 months.

Note: Do not freeze toppings like tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro, and avocados along with the soup. Serve it up fresh when you reheat the soup.

How can I make this chicken tortilla soup thicker or thinner?

This soup will naturally be a bit more thin in consistency. It’s not meant to be a thick soup. Rather when you add toppings like tortilla chips, cheese, avocado chunks, cilantro, etc., it will be more hearty yet still have a thinner broth consistency.

To make your soup thinner you can add water, more broth. If you do need to dilute the soup a little, don’t forget to adjust the seasoning too.

Is this Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup healthy?

Not only is this recipe gluten-free and dairy free (if you omit the cheese topping) but thanks to the chicken, bone broth, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and black beans, it’s packed with vitamins A, C, E and B. It is also high in fiber as well as being fulfilling and delicious.

This chicken tortilla soup recipe is often a family favorite to serve when we’re feeling sick or under the weather. It’s so tasty, yet soothing and satisfying when you’re not feeling well.

What is best to serve with this chicken tortilla soup recipe?

Serve with your favorite toppings, like avocado chunks, cilantro, and tortilla chips. See below for topping suggestions. You could even serve with a toppings bar and let your guests pick and choose what they want on their soup.

Great Toppings

This chicken tortilla soup can be topped with so many things, here are a few ideas:

• Chopped avocado
• Mexican shredded cheese blend (mine had cheddar, queso quesadilla, and Monterey Jack)
• Chopped cilantro
• Tortilla chips
• Lime wedges
• Greek yogurt or sour cream

Top Tips for This Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Use leftover roast chicken or a rotisserie chicken to speed things up
• You can use frozen chicken in this recipe. Just set the Instant Pot cook time to 20 minutes instead of 10.
• Add extra fresh chili for a spicy kick
• Top with sour cream and grated cheddar cheese
• Store in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze for 1-2 months (without garnishes)

More Instant Pot Meals You Might Like

• Instant Pot Taco Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Soup
• Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob

Did you try this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below to let me know how it went. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

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