• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Yellow Bliss Road

Easy, approachable and family friendly recipes for any home cook.

  • About Me
    • Meet the Team
    • My Favorite Tools
  • Contact
    • FAQs
    • Disclosure
    • Sharing Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
  • Collaborate
  • Signup >
Display Search Bar
  • Recipes
    • View ALL Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Asian
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast Recipes
      • Casseroles
      • Egg Recipes
      • Muffins
      • Pancakes
    • Desserts
      • Brownies and Bars
      • Cake and Cupcakes
      • Cookies
      • Fruit Desserts
      • No Bake Desserts
    • Dinner
      • Casseroles
      • Easy Weeknight Dinners
      • One Pot Meals
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Chicken
      • Beef
      • Seafood
    • Lunch
      • Easy Weekday Lunches
      • School Lunches
    • Cooking Method
      • Air Fryer
      • On the Grill
      • Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
      • Slow Cooker
    • Dips and Sauces
    • Mexican
    • Sandwiches
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
      • Vegetables
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soups and Stews
  • Holiday Recipes
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Halloween
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Seasonal Recipes
    • Easter
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Seasonal Recipes
      • Fall
      • Spring
      • Summer
  • Free Printables
    • Christmas
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Easter
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Fourth of July
    • School
    • Birthdays
  • Home/Crafts/DIY
    • Crafts and DIY
    • Gift Ideas
    • Home Decor
    • Photography Tips
  • Family
    • Adoption
      • My Adoption Story
    • Birthdays
    • Travel
Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Instagram!

Home » Recipes » Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Published on August 5, 2019, Updated April 1, 2020 by Kristin Maxwell | 11 Comments

2707shares
  • 53
  • 2603
  • 51
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

My Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe is a family favorite and easy go-to meal for busy weeknights. Use up leftover chicken or a grocery store rotisserie to make it even simpler!

Chicken Tortilla Soup is an easy weeknight recipe for a cold winter night, or anytime of the year. We love it topped with cheese, avocado and crushed tortilla chips and served with a big green salad on the side.

Chicken Tortilla Soup with avocado and cheese

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup (or sometimes we just call it Taco Soup) is a favorite around our house. Everybody loves it – kids and adults alike! It’s incredibly simple to make, and takes just 30 minutes. You could even cut that down to 20 if you’re using pre-cooked chicken. There are so many delicious flavors in this soup, it’s sure to be a hit with your family, too.

I can whip up a big pot of this Chicken Tortilla Soup and have leftovers because my kids love to take it in their thermoses for school lunches; and it makes their PB&J eating friends super jealous!

Chicken Tortilla Soup in a bowl with sliced avocado, cheese and sour cream.

What is Chicken Tortilla Soup made of?

Tortilla soup is a classic Mexican soup made with a chicken broth (or sometimes tomato) base. It is simmered with lots of shredded chicken, beans and corn, then topped with tortilla strips and any other favorite toppings you’d like to include.

The base of this recipe is of course CHICKEN! I use different methods for cooking the chicken. I almost always make a couple extra pieces when I cook my Baked Chicken Breasts, and I always have some Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken on hand. If you don’t have any on hand, pick up a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store and just shred the chicken off the bone.

Other ingredients you’ll need for Chicken Tortilla Soup:

  • Chicken broth – this is the base of your soup. I like to use the low-sodium version so I can control the salt content.
  • Onion and garlic – Two of my favorite ingredients for just about anything. Minced and sauteed in olive oil they make your kitchen smell fantastic.
  • Your favorite salsa – We like Newman’s Own Chunky Salsa, but any variety will work.
  • Corn (canned, frozen or fresh) – I typically use canned unless we happen to have some fresh on hand. 
  • Black beans or Pinto beans – Black beans are my preference for tortilla soup, but if your family are black bean fans, feel free to use those.
  • Taco seasoning – Adds all the flavor!
  • Corn tortillas or tortilla chips (we like to use both) – I like to put soft tortilla strips at the bottom of the bowl; as they soften they actually thicken the soup. Tortilla chips on top add a nice crunchy texture.

Chicken tortilla soup with crushed tortillas.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

Soup is one of the easiest meals to make on busy nights because you pretty much just throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot, stir it up and let it simmer. The simmering gives all the flavors a chance to marry and play nice together. This is a versatile recipe as you can use your favorites – salsa or diced tomatoes? You decide! Pinto beans or black beans? You be the judge! Don’t like corn? Leave it out! Plus you can create a toppings station and add even more ingredients to the bowl, just like on Taco night!

For the Tortilla Soup:

  1. Start by sauteing onions in olive oil in a large soup pot. Once they’re soft, add some garlic and taco seasoning and let that cook for about a minute. You’ll want to keep stirring everything so it doesn’t burn.
  2. Add chicken, corn, beans and salsa to the pot, then pour in the chicken broth. Bring the tortilla soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.
  3. Time to serve! Place corn tortilla strips in the base of the bowl and ladle in the soup. Top with your favorite toppings.

close up image of a bowl of chicken tortilla soup

Serving Suggestions

What really makes this soup Chicken “TORTILLA” Soup is of course the tortillas! You can put some cut up corn tortillas right in the bottom of your bowl and they soften and mix with the soup, making it a little more thick, like a stew. Or you can use tortilla chips, and they won’t melt into the soup quite as much. And if you add the chips as a garnish, they add a lovely crunch to all the softer ingredients.

For garnishes we use things like sliced avocado, fresh lime, cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and diced tomatoes.

What spices are used in Chicken Tortilla Soup?

I use my yummy homemade Taco Seasoning, but you can use a pre-mixed from the store (I like this one). The main seasonings you want to include if you’re not using a taco seasoning blend are chili powder and cumin.

Chicken Tortilla Soup in a bowl stirred with sour cream and topped with avocado.

Here are some more soup recipes to try:

  • Turkey Taco Soup
  • Easy Beef & Macaroni Soup (Goulash Soup)
  • Broccoli Cheese Soup
  • Homemade Chicken Soup
  • White Bean, Kale & Sausage Soup
  • Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Kristin
Chicken Tortilla Soup is a family favorite and my go-to dinner for busy weeknights. Flavor packed with chicken and spices, black beans, salsa and more!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6 servings
Calories 266 kcal

Ingredients
  

Soup:

  • 1 small onion diced (about ¾ cup)
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup of your favorite salsa
  • 1 ½ cups corn kernels canned, frozen or fresh
  • 1 can pinto or black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt more or less, according to taste
  • Corn tortillas or tortilla chips

Garnishes:

  • Cilantro
  • Sour cream
  • Tortilla chips
  • Avocado
  • Sliced green onions
  • Shredded Cheddar or Jack  cheese

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large pot with a tablespoon of oil. Add diced onions and cook, stirring often, until translucent and soft; about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in taco seasoning and salt and cook an additional minute.
  • Stir in chicken, corn and black beans, then pour in chicken broth and salsa. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and add salt as desired.
  • Place a small handful of corn tortillas or tortilla chips into the bottoms of the bowls. Pour ladlefuls of soup over the chips in the bowls and top with desired garnishes, like cilantro, sour cream, cheese, avocado, and of course lots tortilla chips!

Notes

*Nutritional count does not include optional garnishes.

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 36gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1652mgPotassium: 978mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 311IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Chicken Tortilla Soup in a bowl topped with avocado, cilantro, cheese and sour cream

Previous Post
Next Post

About Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook. Read more about Kristin HERE.

5 Secrets to Dinnertime Sanity

free email bonus
Tested, Tasted & Terrific!

Reader Interactions

Join the Conversation

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Heather says

    December 13, 2020 at 3:34 pm

    Just made this for my family and it was delicious. I tossed in a cup of heavy cream about halfway through the simmer. Also used crispy jalapeños by Fresh Gourmet as a topping. YUMMY!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 14, 2020 at 1:01 am

      Awesome feedback Heather! Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  2. Donna says

    December 16, 2019 at 1:37 am

    Absolutely delicious!! I’m always looking for a recipe that all four of us enjoy, and this one hit the spot! Thank you so much for sharing it 😃😃😃

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 17, 2019 at 5:35 pm

      You are so welcome Donna, thank you so much for taking the time to leave some positive feedback.

      Reply
  3. Gail says

    May 2, 2019 at 3:31 pm

    This was delicious! I added the whole can of corn and the whole packet of taco seasoning- simply because I’m going away and didn’t want to have left overs. Amazingly easy and super tasty.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      May 6, 2019 at 10:39 am

      Thank you Gail! and thanks for the positive feedback.

      Reply
  4. Lori Wells says

    October 28, 2018 at 6:31 am

    This is a really good soup! I will put 2 cans of black beans in next time but other than that, excellent!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      October 28, 2018 at 10:26 am

      Thank you Lori!

      Reply
  5. Steph says

    October 8, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    When do I add in the salsa?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      October 10, 2018 at 8:33 am

      Same time as the broth.

      Reply
  6. Ellen Scott says

    August 6, 2018 at 7:38 am

    Oh God, I cant remember the last time I cook tortilla soup .Your post make me really miss its flavor. I realise that i really like the way you share your recipe. It help me can read and know your tip, your special, your change in every recipe easily.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I’m KRISTIN!

I'm a busy wife and mom who loves to cook, bake and create. All of the recipes and tips you will find here are created with your busy family (and mine!) in mind.

Read More »
Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Twitter! Follow me on Instagram! Email me!

5 Secrets to Dinnertime Sanity

free email bonus
Tested, Tasted & Terrific!

Trending

  • Healthy Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowl
  • Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
  • Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
  • Ground Beef Enchiladas
  • Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach
  • Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

ALL-TIME FAVORITES

  • Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
  • Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (Au Gratin)
  • How to Make Authentic Mexican Rice
  • Cheesecake Cookies
  • All-Natural Mattress Cleaner – How to Clean Odors and Stains from Your Mattress
  • Healthy Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowl
  • Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
  • How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey

Yellow Bliss Road, Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Browse Around

  • Chicken
  • On the Grill
  • Pasta
  • Dinner
  • Soups
  • Sides
  • Salads
  • Desserts
Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Instagram!
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Collaborate
  • Privacy & Copyright
  • Recipes by Category
Copyright © 2021 Yellow Bliss RoadTheme by Once Coupled