Kroger Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Long collage image of Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Front shot of a spoon in a bowl of chicken tortilla soup with a text title box at the top

Overhead shot of a bowl of chicken tortilla soup with a text title box at the top

Make this Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Crock Pot, on the stovetop, or in the Instant Pot for a simple and flavorful meal that suits your busy life! Customize the healthy soup with all of your favorite toppings and enjoy a homemade Mexican-inspired feast.

Bowl of Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup with cilantro and tortilla chips on top

How to Make Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup | 1-Minute Video

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Nothing beats the convenience of stirring ingredients together in the slow cooker and walking away for a few hours. Coming home to a simmering pot of Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup is a great way to end the day! Best of all, this recipe is very flexible. Adjust the seasoning, tweak the ingredients, or omit the chicken altogether (and add extra beans instead). It's satisfying, it's hearty, and it's incredibly easy!

What is Chicken Tortilla Soup?

An authentic Chicken Tortilla Soup is a traditional Mexican soup made with a tomato or chicken base, which often includes ingredients such as corn, beans, and cheese. It gets its name from the crispy tortilla chips or tortilla strips that are either stirred into the soup or used as a garnish on top. There are creamy versions, spicy versions, and cheesy versions, and most include zesty taco seasoning, cumin, jalapeño, and other classic Mexican spices.

Which Chicken to Use for Soup?

You will need a total of about 3-4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken for this recipe. That's about the amount of meat from one store-bought rotisserie chicken, which is a nice shortcut for quick meal prep.

If you'd prefer to start with raw chicken breasts or chicken thighs, you will need about 1½-2 lbs. of raw meat. Add the raw chicken directly to the slow cooker, or if you're using the stovetop or Instant Pot method, you'll need to dice and brown the chicken before making the soup. Those instructions are included below.

Side shot of a spoon scooping up slow cooker chicken tortilla soup from a bowl

How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

This Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe works well in the slow cooker, in a pressure cooker (like the Instant Pot) or on the stovetop. Pick the method that's most convenient for you!

Ingredients for Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken broth
Chicken
Frozen corn
Diced tomatoes
Black beans
Diced green chilies
Salsa
Onion
Garlic powder and cumin
Taco seasoning
Tortilla chips

Step 1: Combine Ingredients

Place all of the ingredients (except the tortilla chips) in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 1½-2 hours. If you're starting with raw chicken breasts rather than cooked chicken, you'll need to increase the cooking time to 4-6 hours on LOW or 2-3 hours on HIGH.

Step 2: Serve

Place a handful of tortilla chips in the bottom of each serving bowl, then ladle the soup over top.

Close overhead image of a spoon in a bowl of easy chicken tortilla soup

How to serve Chicken Tortilla Soup

Set up a toppings bar and let your family garnish their individual bowls of soup, then offer a couple of easy Mexican-inspired sides to round out the meal.

Toppings for Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Grated cheese
Sliced green onion or minced red onion
Sour cream
Diced avocado
Fresh cilantro
Tortilla strips or additional crushed tortilla chips

Sides to Serve with the Soup

Quesadillas (like a Mexican version of grilled cheese and tomato soup)
Easy Guacamole with tortilla chips for dipping
Spanish rice
A simple green salad dressed in a cool Buttermilk Dressing
Refried beans or Ranch-Style Beans
Chips and Homemade 5-Minute Salsa or 3-Ingredient Queso Dip
Healthy and Easy Corn Salad
Quick and Easy Pico de Gallo
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Texas Caviar with tortilla chips for dipping

Storage

Make the soup in advance, allow it to cool completely, and store in an airtight container in therefrigerator for up to 3 days.

To Freeze

Allow the soup to cool completely, package in airtight containers or Ziploc freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Reheat

Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight. Place the soup in a saucepan or pot and reheat on low, just until warmed through.

Tips for the Best Chicken Tortilla Soup

Make it Spicy: This particular recipe is pretty mild, since I'm serving my soup to young kids. If you want it spicier, add an extra tablespoon of taco seasoning, use spicy salsa, add diced jalapeño, or season with hot sauce at the end.
Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for quicker prep.
Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice at the very end for a bright, acidic touch.
Use crushed tortilla chips or strips of flour tortillas to thicken the soup when you ladle it into the individual bowls.

Front shot of a bowl of easy chicken tortilla soup on a white table

More Soup Recipes

Southwestern Black Bean Soup
Lentil Soup
Minestrone
Taco Soup
Tomato Soup
Crock Pot Vegetable Soup

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

An easy and healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup that can be made in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker), in a slow cooker, or on the stovetop!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chicken tortilla soup, crock pot, Mexican soup, slow cooker, tortilla soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 12 cups

Calories 121 kcal

4 cups chicken broth
3-4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (the meat from about 1 rotisserie chicken) (or sub with 1 ½ - 2 lbs. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs)
2 cups frozen corn
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chilies
1 cup salsa
1 cup diced onion
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Optional garnish for serving: shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, lime, cilantro, sliced avocado, sour cream
Bag of tortilla chips

SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine chicken broth, chicken, corn, diced tomatoes, black beans, green chilies, salsa, onion, garlic powder, cumin, and taco seasoning in slow cooker.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1 ½ - 2 hours.
Crumble a handful of tortilla chips and place in bottom of individual bowls. Ladle soup over chips and garnish with desired toppings.

Note: If using raw chicken breasts, you will need to increase the cooking time to 4-6 hours on LOW or 2-3 hours on HIGH. At the end of cooking, shred or chop the chicken breasts, return to the pot, and serve.

INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS:

If using uncooked chicken breasts, start by cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Turn instant pot on sauté setting and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once heated, add the chicken and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
Note: If you're starting with cooked chicken, you can skip the first step and just add the chicken to the Instant Pot with the rest of the ingredients.
Turn off instant pot.
Add the chicken broth, corn, diced tomatoes, black beans, green chilies, salsa, onion, garlic powder, cumin, and taco seasoning to the pot with the chicken. Stir well.
Seal the Instant Pot lid and turn the valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 2 minutes (by leaving it off after it finishes cooking). Then, carefully do a quick pressure release by using a towel or potholder to carefully turn the valve to venting to release the steam and pressure.
Crumble a handful of tortilla chips and place in bottom of individual bowls. Ladle soup over chips and garnish with desired toppings.

STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS:

If using uncooked chicken, start by heating 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken and cook, stirring regularly, just until chicken is browned (it doesn't need to be cooked through).
Note: If you're starting with diced, cooked chicken, you can skip the first step and just add the chicken to the pot with the rest of the ingredients.
Add the chicken broth, corn, diced tomatoes, black beans, green chilies, salsa, onion, garlic powder, cumin, and taco seasoning to the pot with the chicken. Stir well.
Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and reduce heat to a low simmer.
Let soup simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Crumble a handful of tortilla chips and place in bottom of individual bowls. Ladle soup over chips and garnish with desired toppings.

Make it Spicy: This particular recipe is pretty mild, since I'm serving my soup to young kids. If you want it spicier, add an extra tablespoon of taco seasoning, use spicy salsa, add diced jalapeño, or season with hot sauce at the end.
Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for quicker prep.
Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice at the very end for a bright, acidic touch.
Use crushed tortilla chips or strips of flour tortillas to thicken the soup when you ladle it into the individual bowls.