Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This crock pot chicken tortilla soup recipe is perfect for a quick, easy weeknight meal. Packed with healthy ingredients and bursting with flavor, it’s a crowd-pleasing dish you’ll want to make again and again.

This is a hearty meal, but sometimes I like to serve it with a simple salad, such as Mexican coleslaw, rocket salad, or cucumber tomato salad.

As a wife, busy mother of two, and dog mom, there are nights when I want a quick and easy dump-and-go crock pot recipe. I saute the onions, garlic, and jalapeno in a separate skillet and fry homemade corn tortilla strips. These steps only take a few minutes and add so much flavor.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Onion: sweet yellow or Vidalia is best for flavor and texture
• Jalapeno: remove the veins and seeds, and mince it. It will add flavor with just a touch of heat.
• Chicken breasts: boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Tomatoes: canned fire-roasted, petite diced, or diced with green chiles. It is hard to go wrong here.
• Corn: canned, fresh, or frozen.
• Spices: common pantry spices are used, except smoked paprika, which I like to use in many of my Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes. Chopped cilantro is a must for flavor and aroma unless you think it tastes like soap.
• Corn tortillas fry up much better than flour tortillas and stay crispier longer.

How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

Saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat until soft. Reduce the heat and add the garlic and jalapeno, cooking for a minute. Add the sauteed vegetables, chicken, chicken broth, tomatoes, black beans, corn, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper to a crock pot. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 4 hours or until the chicken breasts are easily shreddable.

Meanwhile, cut the tortillas into thin strips and fry them in vegetable oil. Sprinkle the hot fried tortilla strips with salt to taste. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the chopped cilantro to the soup, reserving a little for garnish.

Using 2 forks, shred the chicken in the crock pot. Serve the soup garnished with chopped cilantro, tortilla strips, and, if desired, shredded cheese, sour cream, and avocado.

Preparation Tips

• Make the tortilla strips up a day in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can be reheated in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
• Blackened corn is quick and easy to make, adding a smokey, sweet flavor. Add the corn to a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook the corn undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. Toss and cook the corn for 2-3 more minutes or until browned and charred.

Toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Pickled jalapenos
• Avocadoes
• Chopped cilantro
• Pickled red onions
• Monterey Jack cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Pepper Jack cheese
• Sour cream
• Pico de Gallo
• Salsa Verde

Serving Suggestions

• Bread: cornbread, corn muffins, sweet potato cornbread
• Salad: corn salad, Doritos taco salad, Mexican coleslaw
• Drinks: strawberry lemonade, Arnold Palmer drink, grapefruit margarita

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