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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.
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 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!
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.
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
- Bread. Who doesn’t love using some good ole fashioned carbs to sop up all the soupy goodness? Try these bread options: Garlic Herb Parker House Rolls, Homemade Naan, Garlicky and Cheesy Bread, Easy Garlic Knots.
- Salad. Soup and salad, just like at the restaurant! Here are some ideas: Quick Basic Chopped Salad, Warm Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad, BLT Pasta Salad, Broccoli Salad, Harvest Chopped Salad Bowl.
- Dessert. Dessert is always a must after dinner. Here are my favorites: Tres Leches Cake, Chocolate Tres Leches Cake, The Best Chocolate Mug Cake.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
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
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
Photographs by Eat Love Eat
I’m sorry, did not care for this soup. First, I don’t think the tomatoes should be drained. Also, I feel there is far too much broth. I added black bean and more chicken for the ratio of all the broth.
It is a frigid day, custom made for this soup. It is in my crock pot now and smells wonderful. I followed your recipe but added black beans and some rice. I can,t wait to dig in! Thanks
I think that this soup is a great base to start with. I made it as is and then thought it was too bland, chunky, and not thick enough for my liking. So, I added a can of black beans, half a stick of cream cheese, a cup of montery jack cheese with jalepeanos, a can of red enchilada sauce, and a can of cream of chicken with herbs. I used my immersion blender just for a few shorts pulses to break down the diced tomatoes and green peppers. I served it over rice and it was amazing, however it needed those changes to suit my preference. The next day the soup had thickened and I didn’t even need the rice and was amazing again.
I am so picky about chicken soups and this was delicious! I had to substitute a few things that I had on hand – jalapeno and a tin of diced green chilis instead of the serrano. I also added a can of black beans and a can of green enchilada sauce because I’d had it so long. Delicious! I’m glad it made so many servings because I’m definitely planning to make it again this winter. Thanks! :)
Chicken Tortilla Soup must have avacado slices, chopped cilantro and purple onion added at the end also.
This looks amazing! Question, if i wanted to use leftover shredded chicken would i just add it in the last hour and warm it up? I always have marinated chicken taco meat in the freezer and was curious when to add it.
Hi Heather, yes you can absolutely do that! Add it in the last hour to heat it through. :)
I just realized I’ve never commented on this recipe before–shame on me! My husband and I LOVE this recipe and make it at least twice a month. It is seriously our favorite! We go without the serrano (I’m a baby and can barely handle mild salsa) but my husband usually adds green chilies to his to make up for it. Most recently I replaced a cup of the stock with one can of red enchilada sauce and it was delicious!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It’s the perfect “I don’t want to think about dinner” recipe.
So glad you and your husband make this so often, Kayla!
I made this a few weeks ago and it was delicious! I just thawed and reheated the leftovers with some extra chicken broth and it was even tastier than I remembered. I figured I ought to come back and thank you for such a great recipe…so thanks! I cannot wait to try more of your Crock-Pot dishes.
Thanks Gabrielle! I’ve got a few new crockpot recipes coming in the next few months so you should look out for them :) I’m so happy you enjoyed this soup!
Just made this and it was soooo yummy! Oh my goodness I don’t even like corn but I love it in this! Threw in some beans and at the end dissolved some tomato paste with some of the broth to make it a bit thicker and more tomato-y. I have never made anything from your site that I didn’t absolutely love! Thanks for posting!
made this yesterday and loved it! always great to have other slow cooker recipers, they make my life so much easier. thanks!