Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of our family's favorites... and this recipe is the BEST! Made with simple ingredients and packed with the most amazing flavor, it's a quick and easy dinner recipe you're sure to come back to time and time again.

As anyone with kids knows, there are few meals the whole family can agree upon. And for us, this Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of them. Not only is it incredibly flavorful and reminiscent of another favorite (tacos!)... but who doesn't love a meal you can load up with all your favorite toppings!?

My kids literally beg me to make tortilla soup for dinner, and I never say no. Because in addition to being complaint-free, it's also super easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes.

We love loading it up with fresh cilantro, avocado, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and even fresh jalapeños for an extra spicy kick. And since it's so customizable, it's the perfect dish to serve for game days, parties, or any type of get togethers! Just be prepared for everyone to ask you for the recipe, because I can almost guarantee they will. It's THAT good.

What is Tortilla Soup?

Tortilla Soup is a classic Mexican soup consisting of a tomato base, Mexican seasonings, and shredded chicken. It may include other ingredients such as onions, black beans, corn, or other vegetables, and is often topped with a variety of ingredients like shredded cheese, avocado, fresh cilantro, and tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

8 c. chicken broth
4 c. shredded chicken
1 large (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 large onion
4 cloves minced garlic
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
Juice of 1 lime
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Toppings (fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado, jalapeños)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring, until onions begin to brown.
Add crushed tomatoes, seasonings, and lime juice.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Add chicken broth, reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 minutes.
Add chicken.
Serve with toppings of your choice.

What to serve with Chicken Tortilla Soup:

Quesadillas
Chips & guacamole
Nachos
Fajitas
Enchiladas
Burritos
Tacos
Side salad

Recipe variations:

This is the perfect recipe to add to or alter depending on your tastes. Some delicious additions would be black beans, rice, corn, diced tomatoes, coriander, minced jalapenos, or your favorite salsa. You can also adjust the spice level by adding more or less cayenne pepper, stirring in some hot sauce, or topping it with fresh sliced jalapeños.

Can you freeze it?

Yes! Soup freezes and reheats extremely well. To freeze this recipe, let it cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container before adding toppings. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat, either defrost it in the refrigerator overnight or just transfer it frozen into a large pot and heat over medium heat.

Side dish ideas:

More Mexican-inspired dishes:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Name: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 8 c. chicken broth; 4 c. shredded chicken; 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes; 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 c.); 4 cloves garlic, minced; 3 Tbsp. olive oil; 2 Tbsp. chili powder; 1 Tbsp. cumin; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1 lime; 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, more to taste; avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, cilantro

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

8 c. chicken broth
4 c. shredded chicken
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 c.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
1 lime
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, more to taste
avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, cilantro

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring, until onions begin to brown.
Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and juice of ½ lime.
Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
Add chicken broth; reduce heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes.
Stir in chicken.
Serve, topped with your choice of fixings!

Notes

To freeze this recipe, let it cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container before adding toppings. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat, either defrost it in the refrigerator overnight or just transfer it frozen into a large pot and heat over medium heat.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 284Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 1391mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 22g

Comments

Happy Valley Chow

January 21, 2014 at 9:26 am

I love Chicken Tortilla Soup and your recipe looks and sounds awesome! It would be perfect for a day like today, after driving through the snow!

Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow

Betty Daniels

January 21, 2014 at 9:41 am

Yum! Add a couple of your amazing appetizers, and you'll be set for the game (IF you choose to watch it. Or not). ☺

Jessica

January 21, 2014 at 11:56 am

This soup looks perfect for game day - or anyday really! Always love your recipes Cathy! Thanks for this one! YUM!

Bailey

January 23, 2014 at 10:03 pm

Mmmmm I wish i was watching the game at YOUR house!!! This soup looks incredible, and so do all the other recipes you linked beneath it. I just pinned this, can't wait to try it out soon!

- Cathy Trochelman
  
  January 25, 2014 at 10:04 pm
  
  Thanks, Bailey! We just decided to host a Superbowl party....you're more than welcome to drop in, my friend! 😉
  
Deb@ Cooking on the Front Burner

January 29, 2014 at 9:53 pm

Thanks for sharing this with us at our Marvelous Monday Party! Pinning and hope to see you again next week! I just love soup and especially this time of year when it is so cold out!

Kim

January 29, 2014 at 10:32 pm

Your recipe looks delicious. I love chicken tortilla soup . I'm pinning this. I'm coming over from wonderful Wednesday blog hop.
Kim ~ This Ole Mom

Sara Welch

November 12, 2019 at 3:51 pm

What an amazing dinner recipe! Has easily become a new family favorite; it was delicious!

jade manning

November 13, 2019 at 7:29 am

This soup is the perfect comfort food with the spice to warm up my evening!

Beth

November 13, 2019 at 10:53 pm

This came out so tasty! It's the perfect comfort food! The whole family loved it!

Katerina @ diethood .com

November 14, 2019 at 10:08 am

mmmm...such a warm, hearty and delicious soup!! I can't wait to try this recipe!

Jacque Hastert

November 14, 2019 at 11:57 am

I am loving this recipe and wishing I had a huge bowl of this right now! Love how simply this comes together.

Jessica | The Novice Chef

November 17, 2019 at 2:00 pm

One of our favorite fall soups! It's perfect for this weekend!

Sandra

November 22, 2019 at 3:33 pm

I love it! Such a satisfying meal for weeknights!

- Abby
  
  January 16, 2021 at 8:17 pm
  
  Absolutely delicious and super easy! Now one of our go-to meals!
  Question though- how many ounces is a large can of crushed tomatoes?
  
  - Cathy Trochelman
    
    January 19, 2021 at 3:09 pm
    
    Sorry... 28 ounces!
    
Rob

December 03, 2019 at 6:42 pm

Finally made this tonight-delicious. Love the toppings as well!

David M. Bagnoni

July 26, 2020 at 9:17 am

Kathy the soup was very good but I did add corn and beans and had to substitute 4 cups of vegetable broth for the chicken broth. However, your seasoning was spot on!

- Cathy Trochelman
  
  July 15, 2021 at 7:39 pm
  
  Great to hear, thanks!
  
anwitasinha

March 08, 2021 at 5:27 am

nice article to read

Pooja

March 11, 2021 at 1:22 am

Since i love chicken and love to try new recipes of chicken this is definitely going to be my next chicken experiment. Btw this i found super easy and yet so yum, cant wait to try this out. thanks for sharing.