Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is a simple, dump-and-forget meal! With shredded chicken, black beans, crisp corn, tomatoes, and a flavorful broth, it’s unforgettable.
If you’re looking for a quick 20-minute stovetop version of this recipe, check out this Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
This chicken tortilla soup stands out thanks to a “secret ingredient” that adds flavor, thickness, and is as easy as opening a can. Instead of using just vegetable or chicken broth, I combine chicken broth with red enchilada sauce for an unforgettable base.
Just one can of enchilada sauce transforms the soup, adding layers of flavor, seasoning, and a touch of heat—all with minimal effort. Just open the can and dump it in!
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
- Chicken: While chicken breasts work, boneless chicken thighs are highly recommended.
- Red Enchilada Sauce: Enchilada sauces can vary in heat. I love Old El Paso® mild red enchilada sauce.
- Chicken Stock: A high-quality stock adds great flavor and reduces the need for extra spices.
- Chili Powder: I prefer McCormick®, which is very mild.
How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Sauté: Use the Instant Pot’s sauté function to cook the onion, garlic, spices, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes in stages.
- Add Everything: Once the base is ready, add the remaining ingredients.
- Pressure Cook: Cook for just 7 mins, followed by 15 minutes of natural release.
- Finishing Touches: After releasing the pressure, shred chicken, add cilantro and lime juice, and serve the soup with your favorite toppings!
Quick Tip
When making this soup in the Instant Pot, don’t hurry the pressure release. A quick change in temperature and pressure can make the chicken tough. Let the pressure release on its own for at least 10 (preferably 15) minutes before opening the valve fully.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Toppings
- Tortilla strips: I use pre-packaged tortilla strips found near croutons and salad toppings.
- Cheese: I love adding a Mexican blend of sharp Cheddar or Monterey-Colby Jack cheese.
- Fresh lime: A squeeze of fresh lime in each bowl adds a refreshing touch.
- Fresh cilantro: If you’re a cilantro lover, I recommend adding some extra on top.
- Avocado: A perfectly ripe avocado adds creaminess and freshness. I also love using guacamole.
- Sour cream: This is another favorite for creaminess! I opt for fat-free or low-fat for a lighter option that still adds richness.
Variations
To make your own baked tortilla strips: Stack 2-3 corn or flour tortillas and slice in half. Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips and place on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Toss with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread into an even layer and bake until golden brown and crisp (turn halfway through), about 7-10 minutes.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Spice
With not hot enchilada sauce (Old El Paso) and McCormick chili powder, we consider this soup medium spicy. Putting on add-ons like cheese, sour cream, and avocado will significantly reduce the heat.
If you don’t like spicy soup, we suggest reducing or leaving out the chili powder, though this may lessen the flavor.
Storage
Leftovers?
Store the instant pot chicken tortilla soup (without toppings) in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 days.
Reheat in a pot over low heat or in the microwave (cover to prevent splatter).
Freeze the soup (without toppings) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Here are some thawing methods.
More Instant Pot Favorites:
- From-scratch Pinto Beans in the pressure cooker or slow cooker
- Instant Pot Beef Stew with carrots and potatoes
- Taco Chili with ground beef
- From-scratch Black Beans in the pressure cooker or slow cooker
- Sweet Potato Stew with carrots, corn, and sweet potatoes
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (~1-1/2 cups)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (~3 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder Note 1
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (14.5 oz.; 411g) diced tomatoes fire-roasted (or plain) or whole canned tomatoes
- 1 pound (16 oz.; 470g) uncooked boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts) Note 2
- 1 can (10 oz.; 283g) red enchilada sauce Note 3
- 1 can (4 oz.; 113g) fire-roasted diced green chiles
- 1 can (15.25 oz; 432g) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15.25 oz.; 432g) corn undrained, fire-roasted (or plain)
- 1 container (32 oz.; 907g) chicken stock (broth works) Note 4
- 1 bay leaf
- Fine sea salt and cracked pepper
- Finishing touches: 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, optional but recommended!
- Toppings: Tortilla strips, Freshly squeezed lime juice, freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese, ripe avocados, fresh cilantro Note 5
Instructions
- PREP: Trim fat from the chicken. If using breasts, cut each one into 2-3 larger pieces. Turn instant pot on by pressing the "sauté" button to begin warming it up.
- SOUP BASE: Once the instant pot is on the sauté function, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the diced onion for 4-6 minutes or until the onion starts to soften and turn golden. Add in minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds to a minute or until fragrant. Add in the seasonings and tomato paste. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until slightly darkened and very fragrant (but nothing should be burning!) Add in the diced tomatoes and continue to sauté, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits (this is important to avoid a burn warning).
- COOK: Add prepared chicken to the instant pot along with all of the other ingredients up until the finishing touches (Don't add these yet!). Season to taste with salt and pepper; we add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt & 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Secure the lid, making sure to seal and cook on high pressure (manually select) for 7 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes (10 minutes for breasts, 15 for thighs) before using quick release to release the remaining pressure. Remove the chicken and transfer to a separate bowl. Using two forks, shred chicken, and then return to the pot along with the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust any seasonings (salt + pepper) to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- SERVE: Serve bowls of soup with your favorite toppings. We love freshly grated cheese, a large spoonful of sour cream, additional cilantro, chopped avocado or guac, fresh lime, and lots of tortilla strips!
- SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS: Follow steps 1-2. Sauté ingredients in slow cooker base if your slow cooker has that function; otherwise, sauté in a separate pot and then add everything to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 3-5 hours on high or 5-7 hours on low or until the chicken is cooked through, tender, and easily shreds. Remove the chicken and transfer to a separate bowl. Using two forks, shred chicken, and then return to the pot along with the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust any seasonings (salt + pepper) to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Follow step 4 for serving. Enjoy!
- STORAGE: This soup (without any toppings) stores nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 days. To reheat, add the soup to a small pot and heat over low heat until warmed to desired preference. Or reheat in the microwave. (Make sure to cover it so it doesn’t splatter!) Freezing: This soup (without any toppings) will freeze well for up to 3 months. Here are some best methods for thawing frozen soup.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family and I love this soup! We make it weekly!
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Sara!
Delicious!! The only change I made was cutting the chicken thighs before I cooked them so I didn’t have to shred after.
Love it! So glad this was a hit!
Really good! I have made CTS for years with
squash and peppers, potatoes and carrots. I did not have on hand so looked this up and love it! I used two cans of beans, no ortega chilis so subbed diced red bell pepper and added
two diced carrots. Had a 28 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes (they are the best for this kind of soup!) I added the corn at the end to heat thru while shredding the chicken as well as thin sliced beet greens. I had some aging corn tortillas so I sliced thin and steamed lightly to add to the top of the soup. Works to add to cold bowl and microwave. I upped the spice since I did not add the enchilada sauce, but that is a good idea I will use later. Thanks for doing this!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much Julie! 🙂
I highly recommend adding a cup of water/another cup of chicken stock and adding a cup of rice! So good! I cooked for 9 minutes on the soup setting and it turned out great. Just make sure you rinse your rice first as the extra starch may not be good. Great recipe!
Love it! Thanks for your tips! 🙂
So flavorful, flexible and easy using my Instant Pot! I was out of black beans so used garbanzo beans (chickpeas), which reminded me of hominy in texture, and swapped canned corn for frozen. I also added the lime juice to the whole pot at the end because we love that citrus kick. Definitely adding this tasty tummy-warmer to our regular rotation!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment Cali! 🙂
Could I add rice to this recipe?
This is my go meal!!
If you’d like! I’d scoop out some already steamed rice to mix through individual bowls
This is the best Chicken Tortilla Soup I’ve had/made in my Instant Pot! Thank you for the recipe…quick and easy!
Yay! So happy to hear that, thank you so much Lele! 🙂
Big hit with the teens tonight… this recipe is a keeper!
So happy to hear that! Thank you Angela 🙂
My daughter shared this recipe and it’s now a family favorite! I’ve modified it a bit to taste, but I love that it’s easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
So happy to hear that! Thanks so much for the comment and review 🙂