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Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup is an easy and delicious way to make a hearty, flavorful meal. The slow cooker locks in the flavor of all the ingredients, creating a wonderfully rich and comforting soup. The perfect combination of chicken, tomatoes, chilies, and spices creates a tantalizingly spicy taste that will have your family begging for seconds.

slow cooker chicken tortilla soup in a white bowl with tortilla strips and melted cheese on top
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There is something about soup that has been simmering in a slow cooker all day that you really can’t beat. Slow cooker recipes like soups are some of my favorites to make because of how easy they are but also because they’re great for large batch cooking if you need to double the recipe.

Chicken tortilla soup made in a slow cooker is loaded with delicious flavors like tangy tomatoes, jalapeños, smoky cumin and chili powder, sweet corn, and hearty chicken. The combination of these ingredients creates a savory and satisfying dish that will quickly become a family favorite! The aromas of this soup will envelope your kitchen as it slowly cooks throughout the day. It’s the perfect meal to set and forget and have it waiting for you when you get home.

What is chicken tortilla soup?

Chicken tortilla soup is a classic Mexican-style soup made with chicken, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. It’s usually served in broth (like this recipe) or a creamy base. Tortillas are added either as strips to the soup itself or as chips for dipping, adding a delicious crunchy texture. While traditional versions of this dish can take hours to prepare, slow cooker chicken tortilla soup can be prepared in just a few hours – perfect for busy weeknights!

Why You’ll Love This

  • Quick and easy. Simply throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker, turn it on, and let it do its magic! No need for complicated prep or special cooking techniques.
  • Nutritious and flavorful. This dish is packed with vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and corn, plus lean protein from the chicken. Rich flavors like jalapeños, cumin, chili powder, and fresh cilantro come together wonderfully in this dish for a delicious and complex flavor combination that will please everyone.
  • Perfect for meal prep. Whether you are away from the house all day or doing your Sunday meal prep for the week, this soup keeps extremely well so it’s easy to plan ahead. Making for a friend who just had a baby? Or someone who’s sick? This is a great freezer meal as well.
ingredients for slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make crockpot chicken tortilla soup. Make sure to scroll down to view the full recipe for exact measurements.

  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Corn kernels – canned or frozen works here
  • Diced tomato
  • Chicken stock – have you tried my Homemade Chicken Stock yet??
  • Onion
  • Green bell pepper
  • Jalapeno
  • Garlic
  • Chili powder
  • Ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper
  • Shredded cheese
  • Tortilla strips, for topping – surprisingly, this is not in the chips section of the grocery store but it’s in the salad dressing section!

How To Make Crockpot Tortilla Soup

Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup is the exact definition of “dump, set, and forget!” Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

Add mostly all ingredients to the insert of the slow cooker. Add chicken breasts, corn, diced tomato, chicken stock, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to the insert of the slow cooker. Stir to incorporate.

Cook on low. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Serve with toppings. Turn off the slow cooker then serve with shredded cheese and tortilla strips on top. Additional toppings like avocado and sour cream would be great additions as well!

melted cheese and tortilla strips on top of a chicken tortilla soup in a white bowl with a spoon

Recipe Tips, Substitutions, and Variations

There are actually various ways to change up this slow cooker chicken tortilla soup to suit your tastes! It’s a versatile recipe and you can use this as a base for your creations. Here are some tips and variation ideas:

  • Use chicken thighs. If you have chicken thighs and prefer dark meat, boneless skinless chicken thighs in this would be excellent and have a lot of flavor!
  • Add more spice. Prefer things a bit spicier? Add more jalapeno and keep the seeds in tact. Alternatively, add some cayenne pepper or hot salsa or hot sauce.
  • Add beans. To bulk up the soup and make it even heartier, add some beans! Red beans, black beans, or white beans work well in this.
  • Use parmesan crisps. If you like things extra cheesy and crunchy for texture, parmesan crisps would be an awesome topping on this soup!
  • Use low-sodium chicken broth. You can always add more salt but you can’t take it out! Try to opt for low-sodium, if possible.
  • Use at least a 6 quart slow cooker. There is a decent amount of liquid in this soup, as it is a broth-based soup, so you’ll want to use at least a 6 quart slow cooker so it doesn’t overflow!
  • Swap for the Instant Pot. Yes, you can make this in the Instant Pot if you’re pressed for time! Add everything (except the cheese and tortilla strips) and set the manual pressure to high and set the time to 20 minutes. Shred the chicken and add it back into the soup when finished.
a bowl of slow cooker chicken tortilla soup with a spoon in the bowl next to several other filled bowls

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Allow the soup to cool to room temperature then put into an airtight container with a lid and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, pop in the microwave or stovetop until heated through.

To freeze, allow the soup to cool then add into freezer-safe containers (such as Souper Cubes) and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, place into a pot on the stove and reheat through. You may need to add more liquid, if desired.

What to Serve with Chicken Tortilla Soup

4.34 from 6 votes

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Easy slow cooker chicken tortilla soup to warm you right up! The perfect combination of chicken, tomatoes, chilies, and spices creates a tantalizingly spicy taste that will have your family begging for seconds.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound (454 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 15 ounce (425 g) can of sweet whole corn kernels, drained
  • 15 ounce (425 g) can of diced tomatoes, drained
  • 5 cups (1183 ml) chicken stock
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, de-seeded, de-veined, and chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Monterey jack cheese, shredded
  • Tortilla strips, for topping
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Instructions 

  • In the insert of your crockpot, add all ingredients except cheese & tortilla strips. Stir around in crockpot to make sure seasonings are well mixed.
  • Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
  • Prior to serving, remove chicken breasts with tongs and put into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, on low speed, shred the chicken.
  • Place back in the slow cooker, stir around to distribute evenly.
  • Serve hot topped with cheese and tortilla strips.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 211kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 7g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Photographs by Eat Love Eat

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85 Comments

  1. Shannon @ Pretty Plain Janes says:

    This is in the crockpot now and smells SO delicious! Thanks for a great new crockpot recipe to add to my monthly rotation!! :)
    -Shan

  2. Erin says:

    Do you think it would be ok to use a can of Rotel instead of the can of diced tomatoes?

    1. Julie says:

      Yes, that would be a tasty addition :)

  3. Celina says:

    Oh my goodness! I made this last night for my family, and they loved it! I’m having a bowl right now for lunch, but it is amazing, and it’s something I will make forever!

  4. Margaret says:

    I made this on Monday. It’s delicious!

    A few comments-
    -I chopped everything up and got it ready to go on Sunday afternoon; then threw it all in the crockpot Monday morning. Soooo easy. I even got home late on Monday, and this had been in the crockpot for 10 hours, but it was perfect.
    -I shredded the chicken with a fork. Less to clean.
    -I did not drain the tomatoes because i love tomatoes; I used water instead of chicken broth, and I used a jalapeno instead of serrano. I stirred in a can of black beans at the end.

    I really enjoyed this. Great way to use the crockpot!!

  5. Shannon says:

    I loved this! So it would go buy faster I boiled the whole chicken or chicken breast and deboned it then put it the it all together on the stove top! Didnt take long at all to get everythinh else to cook It was amazing thank you for sharing

  6. Denise Flores says:

    Questions, can you make this ahead of time and put in the freezer? Im big on finding meals i can prepp and put in the freezer and use at a later time.

    Busy Mom from Mchenry.

    1. Julie says:

      Yes, you definitely can!

  7. Ronda says:

    I love this recipe. I make it in my new pressure cooker on high pressure for 45 min. Served with sour cream and Mexican cheese on top with sprinkles of tortilla strips.

  8. victoria says:

    this may be a weird question, but do you have to cook the chicken breast first or just throw it in raw?

  9. Kristina says:

    This soup was my very first crockpot recipe….DELICIOUS :)
    Thanks for the recipe!

  10. Barb says:

    Made it today and it was very good, thank you! I added avocado to it. thanks!