Winner, winner, Chicken Tortilla Soup dinner! Tender chicken thighs, creamy pinto beans, garlic and onions, crushed tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, crushed tomatoes, and ALL the toppings.
Video For How To Make This Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
About Chicken Tortilla Soup
It’s hard to take a parade around Soup Town without a quick jaunt through everyone’s favorite smoky, scoopy, top-able chicken tortilla soup.
Thin, but not too brothy. Just enough to stand up to deep, cozy spoonfuls and piles on piles on piles of toppings but not feel like a chili or stew. Tender chicken shreds, buttery pinto beans, all the veg flavor but no big chunks, just the right amount of heat throughout…
Ugh, is there a park bench somewhere? We might be here a while.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly the origin of tortilla soup, but it is generally attributed to Central Mexico and especially popular in Mexico City, where it was possibly born in the nearby state of Tlaxcala (which in Nahuatl means “land of the corn” or “place where tortillas abound”). In this great guest post by Lorena Masso over on the ful-filled blog, she talks a lot about how this soup in particular represents the blending of Indigenous and Spanish cultures in much of Mexican cuisine. For example, she says Spaniards are generally thought to have introduced the concept of soup while corn is, of course, an important and vital ingredient in native culture.
Lorena also talks about how tortilla soup can be found all over Mexico and the toppings and ingredients can definitely vary from state to state. But no matter where you find it, you can always count on a rich chicken broth, roasted tomatoes, and chilis.
It is a pretty ubiquitous soup here in the U.S. as well, and it seems everyone has a recipe/style they love most. This is ours, with some shifts in ingredients and method based on preferred texture and taste. And oof, do we love it.
Ingredients You Need
The ingredient list in any tortilla soup is usually very simple but the flavor, we assure you, is not.
Aromatic veggies like red onion, a hefty amount of garlic, and jalapeño, but you could sub any kind of pepper you like. A chipotle would be great here, dried guajillo or ancho chili for a more authentically Mexican take, or a green bell pepper if you are on the Midwestern level spice chart.
Crushed tomatoes because to be honest, I’m not all about big tomato chunks in my soup. The real bonus with crushed tomatoes is the ever so slight, almost elegant thickening it brings to this soup. If you are looking for an even thicker soup, some recipes will thicken with blended dried tortillas or cornmeal.
Chicken thighs, or chicken breasts would work too, but chicken thighs are a real flavor-win here.
Beans – pinto beans are used here, but black beans would work as well.
Veggie broth.
All the toppings in the world! Cilantro? Mm hmm. Some crema and cotija cheese? Yep. Homemade fried tortIlla strips? HELLO YOU ANGEL. (More on the tortilla strips below!)
How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
After you’ve assembled all your players, the process is pretty simple. We’ve done it on the stovetop and in the Instant Pot so really, it’s up to your mood.
Veggies. Again, we preferred a buzz through the food processor, but you could certainly do a rough chop if that’s more your soup texture. Sauté until soft and fragrant.
Simmer. Add your crushed tomatoes, broth, and chicken thighs and let them simmer for a bit.
Shred & stir. Once cooked, pull the chicken out to shred and then add back in along with the beans and any extra broth you might want.
Go time, party time. Get topping, friends.
How To Make Homemade Crispy Tortilla Strips
Okay, what is chicken tortilla soup without the tortilla part and this is where we’re going to persuade? beg? demand? that you take a couple extra minutes and fry up your own *homemade* corn tortilla strips. YES, some of your fave tortilla chips would work totally great in a pinch but whoo-boy, these little fresh, crisp, salty strips that you made your ding-dang self?! Unmatched.
Slice up some small corn tortillas into thin strips.
Quick-fry them up in a pan over medium-high heat with oil and salt.
Chomp and enjoy them for the rest of your days.
That’s it. You’ve done it. High five yourself.
Other Toppings For This Soup
Now that we’ve convinced you to make those tortilla strips, here’s what else you need to add to your list.
Piles of bright cilantro
Fresh squeezes of lime juice
Buttery chunks of avocado
Salty sprinkles of cotija
Drizzles of Mexican crema, or thwaps of sour cream.
Build delicious mountains in this soup and then tear them down by the spoonful.
Storage and Freezing
I love a soup that makes for great leftovers AND can be frozen for another weeknight meal. Here’s how to do that:
Storage Instructions: Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeps for 3-4 days.
Freezer Instructions: Make the soup, let it cool, then put it into 1-2 airtight containers in the freezer. It will keep for up to 6 months. When ready to eat, let it thaw overnight (if you can) and reheat on the stove in a pot.
Chicken Tortilla Soup: FAQs
Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs?
Yes! Of note though, there’s a bit more flavor in chicken thighs that’s really, really delicious for this soup.
Can I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs?
Yes and it’ll add a TON of flavor to the soup if you do. It’ll just take a little bit of time to remove the skin and bones when everything finishes cooking.
Could I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes. Just skip the chicken thighs (obviously) and stir in the rotisserie chicken in at the end instead.
What goes with chicken tortilla soup?
Tortilla chips, fried tortilla strips, maybe even these jalapeño corn fritters. SO GOOD!
Can I freeze this soup?
Yes, definitely! Just thaw overnight and rewarm on the stovetop.
How can I thicken this soup?
Blended dried tortilla or cornmeal can help thicken this up.
How can this be made in an Instant Pot?
Yes! Heat the oil and sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeño for 5-10 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add in the crushed tomatoes, broth, chicken thighs, and salt. Seal the lid and set the cook time to 15 minutes with 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Remove the chicken from the pot to shred. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup along with the pinto beans.
How can this be made in a slow cooker?
Yes again! Heat the oil in a pan on the stove and sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeño for 5-10 minutes until soft and fragrant. Transfer to the slow cooker and add in the crushed tomatoes, broth, chicken thighs, and salt. Stir and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker to shred. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup along with the pinto beans.
Can I use black beans instead of pinto beans?
Absolutely! Either will work great.
Print
Description
Winner, winner, Chicken Tortilla Soup dinner! Tender chicken thighs, creamy pinto beans, garlic and onions, crushed tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, crushed tomatoes, and ALL the toppings.
Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeño, and seasonings; sauté for about 5-10 minutes or until very soft and fragrant.
Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, chicken thighs, and salt. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until chicken thighs are cooked through.
Remove chicken from the pot. When cool enough to handle, shred and chop into small bite-sized pieces. Stir back into the pot with the beans. Add more broth depending on how thin you like it. Top with EVERYTHING. Crispy tortilla strips, cilantro, cotija, crema, lime, etc.
Notes
Instant Pot Instructions: Heat the oil and sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeño for 5-10 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add in the crushed tomatoes, broth, chicken thighs, and salt. Seal the lid and set the cook time to 15 minutes with 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Remove the chicken from the pot to shred. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup along with the pinto beans.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Heat the oil in a pan on the stove and sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeño for 5-10 minutes until soft and fragrant. Transfer to the slow cooker and add in the crushed tomatoes, broth, chicken thighs, and salt. Stir and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker to shred. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup along with the pinto beans.
