A good chicken tortilla soup should be hearty enough to count as dinner but still feel like soup—not a thick bowl of beans with a little broth hiding underneath.
This version starts with onion, garlic, tomatoes, green chiles, and warm spices, then simmers chicken directly in the seasoned broth so it stays tender and adds flavor to the whole pot. Black beans and corn make every bowl substantial, while fresh lime at the end keeps all those deeper cumin and chili flavors from tasting heavy.
Then come the tortilla strips.
That crisp, salty topping against the hot tomato-chicken broth is what makes the bowl so good. Add avocado, cilantro, cheese, or sour cream if you like, but even with nothing more than tortilla strips and lime, this soup holds its own.
It is an easy one-pot dinner, it reheats beautifully, and most of the ingredients are pantry staples.
What Makes This Chicken Tortilla Soup So Good
The broth is the part worth paying attention to.
Chicken tortilla soup can sometimes taste like chicken broth with salsa stirred into it. Here, the onion gets enough time to soften before the garlic and spices go in. Briefly cooking the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and oregano in the oil wakes up their flavor before any liquid is added.
Fire-roasted tomatoes add a slightly deeper tomato flavor without turning the soup into tomato sauce. Green chiles give it a little bite, but not enough to make the soup aggressively spicy.
The chicken cooks right in that broth, then gets shredded and returned to the pot along with black beans and corn. Everything has a chance to taste like everything else.
If you like this combination of chicken, tomatoes, and a little Southwestern heat, my Cheesy Rotel Chicken Soup goes in a creamier, cheesier direction. This recipe stays lighter and more brothy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You don’t need anything unusual for homemade chicken tortilla soup.
Olive oil gives the onion and spices a good base without adding too much richness.
Yellow onion needs a few minutes in the pot before the garlic goes in. Let it soften until the edges are translucent.
Garlic adds more savory depth. Add it after the onion so it doesn’t burn.
Ground cumin is one of the main flavors in the broth. It gives the soup that earthy, warm background that works so well with tomato and lime.
Chili powder adds mild chile flavor rather than straight heat.
Smoked paprika isn’t absolutely traditional to every tortilla soup, but a small amount adds a gentle smoky edge without needing to char the vegetables.
Dried oregano rounds out the spice mixture.
Fire-roasted diced tomatoes give the broth more depth than plain diced tomatoes. Regular canned diced tomatoes still work if that’s what you have.
Diced green chiles add flavor and mild heat.
Chicken broth forms the base, so low-sodium broth gives you more control over the final seasoning.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs both work. Breasts give you leaner pieces; thighs stay particularly juicy.
Black beans make the soup more filling and add a creamy contrast to the broth.
Corn brings little pops of sweetness. Frozen corn is convenient because you can pour it directly into the pot.
Fresh lime juice goes in near the end. Don’t skip it unless absolutely necessary—the acidity makes a big difference after the soup has been simmering.
Corn tortillas become the crunchy tortilla strips that finish each bowl.
You can also have avocado, cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, and extra lime ready for serving.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
Start With the Onion
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
Add the diced onion with a small pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes. You’re not looking for deep browning. The onion should simply soften and become translucent.
Stir it occasionally so the smaller pieces don’t catch on the bottom.
Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Toast the Spices Briefly
Add the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and oregano directly to the onion mixture.
Stir for about 30 seconds.
You’ll notice the aroma almost immediately. That’s enough—you don’t want the spices sitting dry against the bottom of the pot for several minutes because they can become bitter.
Build the Broth
Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes, green chiles, and chicken broth.
Scrape the bottom of the pot with your spoon as the liquid goes in. Any browned bits from the onions and spices can go right into the broth.
Add the chicken.
Bring everything just to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so the broth stays at a gentle simmer.
Partially cover the pot and cook until the chicken is cooked through, usually around 15 to 20 minutes depending on its thickness.
Shred the Chicken
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or shallow bowl.
Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then shred it with two forks.
Don’t shred it too finely. Slightly larger pieces give the soup much better texture than tiny chicken threads.
Return the chicken to the pot.
Add the Beans and Corn
Drain and rinse the black beans, then stir them into the soup with the corn.
Simmer for another 7 to 10 minutes.
At this point, taste the broth before adding more salt. Canned tomatoes, broth, and beans all contribute different amounts of sodium.
Add salt and black pepper as needed.
Finish With Lime
Turn the heat down and stir in the fresh lime juice.
Start with about 2 tablespoons, taste the soup, and add another splash if it needs more brightness.
The soup should taste savory and warmly spiced first, followed by tomato, chicken, and a clean little lift from the lime.
Don’t Add the Tortilla Strips to the Pot
This is one small detail that makes a surprisingly big difference.
Keep the tortilla strips separate until serving.
If you dump them into the soup, they absorb broth almost immediately and turn soft. A few softened pieces in the bottom of the bowl can be delicious, but you want most of that crunchy texture to survive until you’re eating.
Cut corn tortillas into thin strips and fry them briefly in a shallow layer of oil until crisp, or bake them if you’d rather use less oil.
A bag of good tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips also works when you need dinner quickly.
How Spicy Is It?
As written, the soup has noticeable flavor but only mild heat.
For a milder bowl, make sure you’re using mild canned green chiles and a standard mild chili powder.
For more heat, add a minced jalapeño with the onion or a small amount of cayenne with the other spices.
You can also leave the soup relatively mild and put sliced jalapeños or hot sauce on the table. That works especially well when you’re feeding people with different spice preferences.
The Best Toppings
You don’t need to cover every inch of the soup.
A handful of crunchy tortilla strips and a squeeze of lime are enough.
If you want a more loaded bowl, try diced avocado, chopped cilantro, shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar, thinly sliced jalapeño, diced red onion, or a spoonful of sour cream.
Avocado is especially good because its creamy texture balances the acidity of the tomato broth.
Cheese should be used lightly. Too much can melt into the soup and mute the brighter tomato-lime flavor.
For another easy chicken dinner with similar Southwestern flavors, the Fajita Chicken Casserole is a good option when you’re in the mood for something baked and cheesy instead of brothy.
Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs?
Either works.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts are convenient, lean, and easy to shred. The main thing is not to keep simmering them long after they’re done.
Chicken thighs are more forgiving. They contain a little more fat and tend to stay tender even if the soup simmers a few minutes longer than planned.
You can also use already-cooked chicken.
If using rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken, make the broth without raw chicken, simmer it for about 15 minutes so the flavors develop, then add roughly 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken with the beans and corn.
Let everything simmer together for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Can I Make It Thicker?
Chicken tortilla soup is normally a fairly brothy soup, and that’s how I prefer this version.
But you can make it slightly thicker without adding cream or flour.
Scoop about ½ cup of the black beans from the pot, mash them thoroughly with a fork, and stir them back into the broth.
They’ll naturally give it a little more body.
Another option is to crush a few corn tortilla chips very finely and stir them into the soup during the last several minutes of simmering.
Start small. Tortillas absorb more liquid than you might expect.
Easy Substitutions
Regular diced tomatoes can replace fire-roasted tomatoes.
Pinto beans can replace the black beans.
Fresh or canned corn can replace frozen corn. If using canned corn, drain it first.
Vegetable broth technically works, although chicken broth gives the best overall flavor when you’re already making a chicken-based soup.
If you don’t have smoked paprika, simply leave it out rather than replacing it with a large amount of regular paprika.
And if your family prefers casseroles to soup, the same chicken-and-tortilla combination shows up in a completely different way in this Mexican Tortilla Casserole.
What to Serve With Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is already a complete meal, so I usually wouldn’t pair it with anything heavy.
Cornbread, warm tortillas, a simple green salad, or a corn-based side all work.
One particularly easy option is Honey Butter Skillet Corn. Its buttery sweetness contrasts nicely with the tomatoes, chile, cumin, and lime in the soup.
For a casual dinner, though, one large bowl with avocado and tortilla strips is plenty.
Make It Ahead
Chicken tortilla soup is a very good make-ahead dinner because the broth tastes even more cohesive after the spices, tomatoes, and chicken have had time together.
Make the soup through the lime-juice step, cool it, and refrigerate it in a covered container.
Keep the tortilla strips and other toppings separate.
When you’re ready to eat, reheat the soup gently on the stovetop and add a splash of chicken broth if it has thickened.
Taste it again after reheating. Sometimes leftovers need another squeeze of lime to bring the flavors back into focus.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Refrigerate cooled chicken tortilla soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm a larger amount over medium-low heat on the stovetop.
If the beans absorb some of the liquid during storage, simply add a splash of broth or water.
Keep avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and tortilla strips out of the storage container and add them fresh to each reheated bowl.
Can You Freeze Chicken Tortilla Soup?
Yes.
This is actually a freezer-friendly soup because there is no cream or pasta to cause texture problems.
Cool it completely, transfer it to freezer-safe containers, and leave a little room at the top for expansion.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop.
Again, freeze only the soup itself. Add your tortilla strips, avocado, lime, cheese, and other toppings after reheating.
A Few Questions That Come Up
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Absolutely. You’ll need about 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken. Add it toward the end so it gets hot without becoming dry.
Do I need fire-roasted tomatoes?
No. They’re a nice flavor boost, but regular diced tomatoes work perfectly well.
Should I drain the tomatoes?
No. Use the tomatoes and their juices. That liquid becomes part of the broth.
Can I make it in a slow cooker?
Yes. Add the onion, garlic, seasonings, tomatoes, green chiles, broth, and raw chicken to the slow cooker. Cook until the chicken is tender, shred it, then return it with the beans and corn. Add the lime juice just before serving.
Can I make it without black beans?
Yes. Leave them out or replace them with pinto beans. Without beans, the soup will simply be a little lighter.
Why does my soup taste flat?
It usually needs one of three things: salt, lime, or slightly more seasoning.
Taste before automatically adding more chili powder. A little salt or fresh lime juice often fixes the problem faster than adding more spices.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 can 14.5 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 can 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 6 small corn tortillas cut into thin strips
- Vegetable oil as needed for frying tortilla strips
- Diced avocado optional
- Chopped fresh cilantro optional
- Shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese optional
- Sour cream optional
- Sliced jalapeños optional
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and oregano. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices, green chiles, chicken broth, and chicken.
- Bring the soup just to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- Stir in the drained black beans and frozen corn.
- Simmer uncovered for another 7 to 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, taste, and add more lime if needed.
- While the soup finishes cooking, heat about ¼ inch of vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
- Fry the tortilla strips in small batches for 1 to 2 minutes, turning as needed, until crisp and lightly golden.
- Transfer the tortilla strips to a paper-towel-lined plate and season immediately with a small pinch of salt.
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls and finish with crispy tortilla strips. Add avocado, cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapeño, and fresh lime as desired.
Notes
- Don't add the tortilla strips to the entire pot. They soften quickly, so add them directly to each bowl just before eating.
- Cooked rotisserie chicken can replace the raw chicken. Use about 3 cups and add it with the beans and corn.
- For a thicker broth, mash about ½ cup of the black beans before stirring them back into the soup.
- If the soup thickens after refrigeration, add a splash of chicken broth while reheating.
