A hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe! This easy soup recipe comes together in under 45 minutes. Simple and absolutely loaded with flavor! I’ll also show you how to make your own crispy tortilla strips in a matter of minutes.
The Coziest Soup
This chicken tortilla soup is all you need this cold-weather season.
Hearty, super filling (loaded with shredded chicken and beans… protein!), a touch of cream cheese to make things slightly creamy (without being too rich, so you’re still eating a mostly-wholesome meal). It’s easily customizable with your favorite toppings (I like cotija cheese and avocado), has the perfect subtle crunch from home-toasted tortilla strips, and did I mention that it comes together in under 45 minutes?!
With the weather changing I’ve been living for hearty comfort food, Zach and I could live on potato soup, chili, and this very cozy chicken tortilla soup for the past few weeks (oh, and my chicken pot pie, have you tried it yet!?)
Let’s get right to it, starting with this soup’s crowning glory: those crispy tortilla strips.
How to Make Tortilla Strips
Crispy corn tortilla strips are possibly my favorite part of this soup. While you could just buy pre-made strips (where’s the fun in that?), it takes only minutes to make them at home using corn tortillas.
- Start with 10 corn tortillas. Cut into strips that are 1/4″ thick (mine usually end up thicker than this, but I always aim or 1/4″) and then cut strips to be about 2″ in length
- Place on a baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher sat. Toss until all strips are lightly coated and spread evenly over pan.
- Bake on 415F until crisp (about 10 minutes) and allow to cool.
I always toast my tortilla strips while my soup is simmering.
How to Make It (Overview)
The ingredient list on this recipe might be long, but the actual process is simple.
- Cook bacon pieces until crisp, remove to a paper towel lined plate. If you don’t wish to use bacon, simply melt 2 Tablespoons of salted butter over medium heat instead.
- Add onion, pepper, and jalapeno to bacon grease and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add chicken stock, diced tomatoes, beans, enchilada sauce, corn, chilis, spices, and chicken. Simmer.
- While chicken tortilla soup is simmering, prepare tortilla strips (as indicated above).
- Add cream cheese and lime juice to soup and stir until cream cheese is melted. If you don’t love creamy soups, you can always leave the cream cheese out for a thinner soup with a more tomato-y base, but I love the flavor and creaminess that the cream cheese adds.
- Serve, topped with tortilla strips and other toppings (avocado, sour cream, cilantro, etc.), and with a side of my famous cornbread.
What Kind of Chicken Should I use?
My personal preference is to use rotisserie chicken when making this soup. It’s easy and inexpensive to pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred it, then toss it into the soup before simmering.
Another alternative would be to make a my easy crockpot shredded chicken and use that instead.
Enjoy!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
- White Chicken Chili
- The Best Chili Recipe (seriously, the BEST, it’s won over a dozen chili cook-offs!)
- Corn Chowder
- Turkey Pot Pie
Join me in the kitchen! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 strips (uncooked) bacon cut into small pieces¹
- 1 cup chopped onion about one medium onion (115g)
- 1 cup diced red pepper about one red pepper (115g)
- 1 finely chopped jalapeno seeds removed
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic about 4-5 cloves for me
- 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock (830ml)
- 14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes undrained (396g)
- 14 oz can black beans rinsed and drained (396g)
- 10 oz mild enchilada sauce (283g)
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn
- 7 oz can diced green chilis (200g)
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder I like use ½ Tbsp ancho chili powder and ½ Tbsp regular chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups shredded chicken I use shredded rotisserie chicken
- 4 oz cream cheese² cut into cubes (113g)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Optional toppings: Avocado cotija cheese, cilantro, sour cream, etc.
TORTILLA Strips:
- 10 corn tortillas
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Kosher salt for sprinkling
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 415F/215C (this is to cook your tortillas, you want the oven preheating and it can take some time for it to reach this temperature so preheat it now).
- Place bacon pieces in a large heavy bottomed pot (I like to use my Dutch Oven) and cook over medium heat until browned, crisp, and cooked through. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Add onion, pepper, and jalapeno to pan and cook until translucent (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds)
- Add chicken stock, tomatoes, beans, enchilada sauce, corn, chilis, chili powder, sugar, cumin, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, paprika, black pepper, and chicken. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile prepare your tortillas.
TORTILLA STRIPS
- Cut tortillas into strips that are ¼” thick by 2” long. Scatter evenly over parchment paper lined baking sheet, drizzle lightly with olive oil (about 1 Tbsp), sprinkle with kosher salt and use a spatula to evenly coat with olive oil.
- Transfer to 415F (215C) and cook until crisp, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet.
- Meanwhile, once soup has finished simmering, add cream cheese and lime juice and stir well until cream cheese is melted. Return bacon to the pot and stir well.
- Serve topped with your crisp tortilla strips and other toppings, as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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Janet says
can you freeze this soup? before or after the cream cheese?
Sam says
Hi Janet! I haven’t tried freezing the soup. I would be worried that if it was frozen with the cream cheese you could run into some texture changes.
Lori says
This is the best chicken tortilla soup recipe I’ve used. I omitted jalapeño and lime because I forgot to Buy at the store, it was still delicious. My husband even said this was the best one I’ve ever made. I will definitely be making again.
Sam says
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Lori! 🙂
Jillian Smith says
SO yummy! This is only one of 3 kinds of soup I like and its the best version I’ve had of it
Sam says
I am SO happy to hear you liked it so much, Jillian! Thank you so much for commenting, it means a lot to me 🙂
Elena says
Hi Jennifer, I used a enchilada sauce recipe from another source. Not sure if I can post it here but I’m sure this soup will come out great with whatever enchilada sauce you use.
Elena says
Love your web site and this recipe is amazing! I used your Crock Pot Shredded Chicken recipe and homemade enchilada sauce and it came out perfect! Just let it simmer in the crock pot until we were ready to eat. It had the right amount of spice for a cold winter day. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that the chicken tortilla soup was such a hit, Elena! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. I hope that you stay warm. 🙂
Jennifer says
Where is the homemade enchilada sauce recipe? I looked and can’t find it- thx
Ami says
Made this tonight, it was delicious! The family loved it.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the chicken tortilla soup, Ami! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Priscilla says
The chicken tortilla soup is excellent. I should have held back a little on the lime juice – maybe half instead. Anyway, a wonderful soup for a cold day.
I also made the Corn Chowder soup that was even better. I took some to work and it was such a hit that a co-worker went home that night to make it for her family.
I am really enjoying your website.
Priscilla
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you very much, Priscilla! I am so glad you have enjoyed my recipes. Thank you for trying them and for taking a comment to leave such a sweet comment. I can’t wait to hear what you try next! 🙂
Melanie says
This was delicious!! I left out the bacon and used ground chuck because I didn’t have a rotisserie.
My family devoured it. Thanks for the recipe!!
Sam says
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the soup, Melanie! 🙂
Kara says
Does the bacon actually get added or do you just use the grease?
Sam says
Sorry about the confusion, Kara! Add it in once the cream cheese is melted into the soup. I hope you love it!
Kara says
I made this and a few other soups including your potato and they were a huge hit at my party. I had 50 high school kids over for Halloween and it was 30 degrees out so these were exactly what they wanted. I think kids are picky and these kids were coming back for seconds and thirds, thank you for the bomb recipes that made me look good haha. Bookmarking your page! Hope you add more soups in the future and I look forward to trying other items, FYI you use a lot of bacon I see so that made me know I was gonna love your recipes.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you, Kara! I am so glad that the Chicken Tortilla Soup and Potato Soup were such a hit at your Halloween Party. Bacon adds so much flavor so I do use it often, plus it’s my husband’s favorite as well. Thanks for bookmarking my page, I hope that you continue to try more of recipes and find them just as enjoyable! Thanks again. 🙂
Kara says
Hi there is this a recipe that works if I make a day in advance and reheat?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Kara! Yes, that will be fine. I hope that you enjoy the Tortilla Soup! 🙂