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This easy slow cooker chicken tortilla soup is hearty, healthy, and full of flavor! Made with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, green chiles, and a rich, flavorful broth. It’s the perfect comforting dinner for busy weeknights. With just 15 minutes of prep, the crockpot does all the work for you!
Slow cooker soups like my creamy green chile chicken enchilada soup and this chicken tortilla soup are welcomed on busy weeknights. I love that dinner is ready to go when I finish working and I don’t have to do any cooking.
This slow cooker chicken tortilla soup is a nutritious and healthy soup that’s full of protein and fiber. It’s a broth based soup without any heavy cream, which is nice if you’re looking for a lower fat soup. So soup isn’t carb heavy so I suggest serving it with tortillas or cornbread muffins. You can also add cooked rice or cilantro lime rice into each individual serving of soup.
I’ve made this soup many times and love that it’s easily customizable. I like my food on the spicy side and this tortilla soup does have a bit of a spicy kick. However, it can easily be modified if you’re sensitive to heat. Use a mild red enchilada sauce and make sure the chili powder blend you are using is a standard mild “American” version that is most commonly found in grocery stores.
Ingredient Notes
- Onion, garlic – The aromatics for the soup. I like to grate the garlic so it melts into the broth and you don’t bite into any chunks.
- Chicken breasts – Chicken thighs can also be used and won’t dry out as quickly if you need to cook the soup longer than what the recipe calls for.
- Chili powder, cumin, coriander – The blend of spices that give the soup great southwest flavor. You could also use a packet of taco seasoning, but be cautious of the amount of salt they have in them.
- Green chiles, black beans, and corn – They all make the soup heartier, add fiber, and give it lots of southwest flavor
- Red enchilada sauce – The secret ingredient that gives the soup way more flavor than a can of diced tomatoes!
- Low sodium chicken broth – Stick with low sodium so the soup isn’t too salty.
- Cilantro – Cilantro adds a great fresh, slightly citrusy flavor to the soup.
Tips for Making Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Cook the onion and garlic before adding them to the crock pot. You can either do this in a skillet on the stove or put them in a microwave safe dish with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute.
- A 6 quart slow cooker is the perfect size for this soup.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Many slow cooker soups say to cook for 8 hours, but if you do with this soup the chicken will be very dry. Depending on the size of your chicken breasts the soup only needs to cook for 5-6 hours on low and 3-4 hours on high.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it vegetarian. Use vegetable broth and in place of the chicken, double the amount of beans, corn, and green chiles that the recipe calls for.
- Use different veggies. Swap yellow onion with green onions, add bell pepper, and a can of fire roasted tomatoes if you like chunks of tomatoes in your soup.
- Make the soup creamy. Whisk in 4 ounces of room temperature cream cheese. You can also make my creamy chicken tortilla soup instead.
- Swap the red enchilada sauce with green enchilada sauce. Red enchilada sauce has an earthy, savory flavor while green enchilada sauces has a brighter, tangier flavor. Both types of enchilada sauce come in mild, medium, and hot variations.
Topping Ideas
- Crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese. You could also do shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Slices or chunks of avocado for healthy fats. Green chile guacamole would also be delicious!
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt are a great way to balance the spiciness of the soup and add a creamy element.
- Crushed tortilla chips or crispy baked tortilla strips like I made for this southwest chicken salad.
- Lime wedges. A squeeze of fresh lime juice really livens up the flavor of the soup!
Storage, Freezing, Reheating
Storage – The soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing – Once the soup has cooled completely, store it in a freezer bag or other freezer safe container. The soup will keep for up to 3 months when properly stored in the freezer.
Reheating – Remove the soup from the freezer and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat the soup on the stovetop in a pot or saucepan over medium heat until hot. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic grated or minced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 15 ounces red enchilada sauce
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- Avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, tortilla chips, cheese for toppings
Instructions
- Saute the onion and garlic with a little olive oil in a skillet on the stove for 3-4 minutes. You can also put them in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 3-4 minutes stirring every minute.
- Add the onions and garlic into the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients and cover with the lid.
- Cook for approximately 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. Return it to the slow cooker and stir everything together. Serve the soup topped tortilla chips, cilantro, avocado slices, queso fresco or cheese of choice and lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Soup Recipes
If you make this Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup, please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you and do my best to respond to your comments. And if you’re on Instagram tag @reciperunner so I can see your beautiful creations!
Love this recipe! Super delicious!
Happy to hear that! Thanks for leaving a review.
How much is one serving
So delicious on a chilly winter day. Thank you!
Thank you for making it Elizabeth!
This is delicious! I added a bit more chicken to mine. Can you tell me the ounces per serving? Trying to track my calories.
Delicious and easy! The only change we make is upping the chicken to 1.5 lbs :)
I’m so glad you found this to be an easy recipe to make! Always one of my top goals!
Sounds delish – Can’t wait to make this!
The recipe says cook 3-4 hours on High AND 5-6 hours on Low. Typically it’s an either/or High or Low time option. Just confirming this is corrrect to cook on both settings for up to 10 hours. Thank you!
Sorry for the confusion. It is 3-4 hours on high OR 5-6 hours on low.
How many ounces is a serving, please?
Divide the recipe into 6 equal portions and the nutrition facts will be correct.
You got it!
how much is one serving for the nutrition facts you posted?