Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

It’s the best soup recipe for weeknights! You will be amazed at how flavorful this soup gets in just 30 minutes. The fact that I can dump all the ingredients in my Instant Pot and let it make dinner makes it a total stress-buster meal.

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

This soup is one powerhouse of flavors. Chili powder, cumin, coriander, and fire-roasted tomatoes provide an intense smoky and earthy flavor to the broth, which contrasts so beautifully with the soft chicken, black beans, and corn. Let’s take a look at what all we need. Canned Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilies add an extra layer of smokey flavor. They can be found in the Mexican section of grocery stores - right next to the chips and salsa. Alternatively, regular canned diced plum tomatoes or 2 fresh Roma tomatoes can also be used. Corn: Frozen corn allows me to make this easy soup recipe year-round. But if corn is in season, by all means, use fresh corn kernels sliced from the cob! Beans: Black beans are my family’s preferred bean, but feel free to use pinto or red kidney beans. Just make sure to rinse and drain beforehand. Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts come in a variety of sizes. You will need 1-pound total or roughly two 8-ounce chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are another great substitute. Spices: A special blend of chili powder, coriander, cumin, and paprika adds spice, depth, and aroma. If you want to make it spicy, add a pinch of cayenne. Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth or stock works best since it helps to control the salt. This recipe requires one 32-ounce box for cooking! If using water instead, add ¼ teaspoon extra of each seasoning. Toppings: Finish the soup with any of your favorite Mexican toppings - shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, and tortilla chips. Cooking Tip: Want to make homemade tortilla strips? Cut fresh corn tortillas into thin strips, spray with olive oil spray, and sprinkle with salt. Bake in 300 degrees F oven for 5-8 minutes, or until crisp.

How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup - Instant Pot

This easy Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe is part of my dump-and-start, one-pot meal series. Here’s how this delicious dinner is ready in under 30 minutes!

1. Add All Ingredients & Pressure Cook

Turn ON the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil, tomatoes, corn, and black beans (Pic 1). Next, add the carrot and celery, if using, along with the garlic. Add the chicken breasts and all the spices. Pour in the chicken broth and stir well (Pic 2). Close the lid. Set Manual/Pressure Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes on sealing mode (12 minutes for thicker breasts). After cook time is over, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually. Once the pin drops, open the lid (Pic 3).

2. Shred the Chicken, Garnish & Serve

Remove chicken breasts and shred them using two forks (Pic 4). Put the shredded chicken back in the soup (Pic 5). Finish with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime (Pic 6).

Using Rotisserie Chicken: You can use shredded rotisserie chicken in this soup. Add that instead of the raw chicken, reduce the pressure cooking time to 4 minutes and enjoy!

Alternative Method: Stovetop Recipe

Don’t have a pressure cooker, no problem! It is as easy and simple to make this delicious and healthy soup on the stove, too. Simply:

Start by placing a tall stock pot on medium-high heat. Add all the ingredients to the pot, give it a stir, and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and let it cook for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken becomes tender enough to shred. Turn off the heat, shred the chicken, and add it back to the pot. Finish with chopped cilantro and freshly squeeze lime juice.

Serving Suggestions

What I love most about this chicken tortilla soup is the variety of garnishing choices. It works out really great in a household like mine, where one kid loves sour cream and the other one absolutely hates it 🙂 Everyone picks their garnishes straight from the fridge - shredded cheese, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, and chopped avocados are some popular choices. And of course, our favorite garnish is tortilla chips. I love to serve them on the side and we all crush them in our soup bowls just before eating. The chips become slightly tender, but still, retain a bite and give this soup its iconic taste.

How to Store - Meal Prep & Freezer-Friendly

This Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup makes meal prep a breeze! The soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This makes for a filling lunch throughout the week, too. For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then, reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, while stirring occasionally, until hot and bubbly. Note: If planning to freeze, omit the garnish and toppings. Reserve for the day you are going to serve!

Recipe Tips & Notes

Slice the chicken, if necessary. If the chicken breast are thicker than 1-inch, slice them through the middle, or increase the cooking time to 12 minutes. Use chicken thighs. If you prefer dark meat chicken thighs (boneless skinless), reduce the cooking time to 8 minutes. Use rotisserie chicken: To use cooked rotisserie chicken in this recipe, shred it and add it to the pot and reduce the pressure cooking time to 4 minutes. Make it spicy. If you like spicy chicken tortilla soup, you can add some cayenne while cooking. Alternatively, serve some hot sauce or sriracha on the side. Make it bean-free. Use 3 cups of frozen corn (one whole bag) to replace the volume of black beans in the recipe. Cook it in the slow cooker or crock pot. Simply add all the ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Reheat as instructed in the post.

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