This Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is only 5 minutes of prep and at just 300 calories a bowl, it’s such a delicious and healthy dinner! You will want to make this chicken tortilla soup recipe over and over!
Don’t want to wait all day? Make this chicken taco soup in your pressure cooker with my Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup!
Hello friends! I’m so excited to bring you this updated Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe! This recipe is hugely popular on my blog. Every time I share it on social media, people flock to it and tell me how it is a staple in their house. With how easy it is to make and how healthy it is, I can totally see why.
I’m switching up the photos today, but the recipe is staying exactly the same as you’ve always known it. It’s a regular dinner in our house, and I know it is in some of yours as well.
Why We Love Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
This taco soup recipe only takes five minutes to prepare and is just a matter of dumping things into your crockpot and forgetting it.
At only about 300 calories a bowl (for 1 1/2 cups), this is a filling and healthy chicken tortilla soup recipe. I always feel good about this tortilla soup; even when I add some sour cream, cheese, and a few chips. Additionally, the lean protein, legumes, and vegetables that make up this soup make this taco soup a really healthy dinner.
Because I have instructions for how to make this using frozen ingredients, you can keep the ingredients for this easy chicken tortilla soup on hand all the time.
Perhaps the biggest reason: My picky eaters LOVE this! Seriously, dinner is never a fight when this guy is on the table.
Making Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot
The only draw back I really see to this soup is that you can’t make it last minute. Except! You totally can. Break out your instant pot and follow the instructions in my Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup Recipe. Same recipe, same great taste, just using the pressure cooker instead.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
There are a few simple ingredients in this taco soup.
- Chicken Stock – I like to buy chicken stock base to use in this. It cuts down on the cost of so many recipes.
- Taco Seasoning – Make my small batch version or use 3 tablespoons of the big batch.
- Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- Kidney Beans
- Black Beans
- Corn – You can use canned or frozen, both work fine.
- Chicken – You can use fresh or frozen, see my note below
Isn’t it incredible that you can make such a delicious soup with so few ingredients and time?
Using Frozen Chicken
This slow cooker chicken tortilla soup is perfect for using either fresh or frozen chicken. I just suggest you find a brand that you really love. It makes a big difference in how the chicken cooks and comes out.
When using frozen chicken you just need to add a little time:
- Cook on low for 8 hours or
- Cook on high for 4 hours
Toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup
I think this is a great one pot meal. We like to jazz it up a little by adding some of the following toppings:
- jalapeños
- sour cream
- cheese
- tortilla chips
Freezing and Storing Leftovers
This chicken tortilla soup recipe makes 9 cups. That is enough for 6 servings that are 1 1/2 cups each. While we often eat our left overs, if your family is smaller you may have some to freeze.
I love soups because they do freeze so well. This crock pot chicken tortilla soup is no exception. My suggestion is to freeze this soup (and soup in general) in individual servings. That way it can be taken for lunch and you are only thawing and heating what you want. It also makes the reheating process much quicker.
Ziplock sandwich bags work great for freezing individual soup servings.
If you know you will eat the left overs within four days, then store in the refrigerator in an air tight container. Only take out and heat what you want to eat. It’s never a good idea to put left overs back in the refrigerator that have already been reheated once.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
I think that this dinner really works on it’s own. Especially if you serve it with toppings. But if you know your family loves their side dishes, here are some ideas:
Other Great Slow Cooker Soups
I’m obsessed with soup for dinner. I feel like it is the original one pot meal. And I love how easy it is to make them in the slow cooker. Here are more great crock pot soups!
- Creamy Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Crock Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Soup
If you make this slow cooker chicken tortilla soup or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know. I love hearing from you!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (or 1 ounce)
- 16 ounces kidney beans drained
- 15.5 ounces black beans drained
- 11 ounces corn not in liquid, vacuum packed
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless, skinless, raw
Toppings
- tortilla strips or chips
- sour cream
- jalapeños pickled or fresh
- shredded cheese
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
- At the end of the cooking time, remove the chicken from the crock pot, shred it, and return to the soup.
- Serve topped with light sour cream and shredded cheese.
Notes
Angie says
Is this low carb as well??
Based on the ingredients I used, it has about 40 grams of carbs, so I would say its on the lower side. If you wanted to lower it more, you could cut out the corn.
Melissa says
Do you Cook the chicken breast first?
Nope! It’s one of the things I love so much about this recipe, Melissa. There is so little prep :)
Kelly says
This was good, but my hubby and I had to add Tobasco to our bowls. Will probably use Rotel next time instead of just regular crushed tomatoes.
Yeah, we made it pretty tame since we have toddlers eating it. But you could always increase the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp or even 1/2 tsp if you are feeling dangerous :)
Sophia says
I made this tonight to go along with the rainy weather. It was great! We also added tortilla chips before serving and I made corn bread muffins as well. Love this and will make it again often.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Sophia!
Sabrina Tonn says
Has anyone tried making this with dried black beans vs the canned ones since the sodium is so high in the canned version? Just curious!!
Judith says
Where does one find vacuum packed corn? Do you mean frozen corn?
Hi Judith! Vacuum packed corn can be found in the canned vegetable section. If you can’t find it, just get the regular corn and drain it :)
Rachael says
If I wanted to make this ahead of time and freeze how would you recommend I go about it?
Cook it all and then freeze? – And if so what might be the best way to go about reheating?
Or would it work all right to freeze all of the uncooked ingredients together, thaw overnight in fridge when ready to cook, and then pop into slower cooker that way?
I would cook it all and then freeze. But honestly, it takes so little time to throw together, that you could make it the day you want it. Like seriously five minutes tops.
Taylor says
Delicious recipe!! If I wanted to speed it up a bit and cook it on high would that be okay? How long do you think? I might just try it and find out but wanted to make sure it would still be the same, especially cooking the chicken all the way through. Will make this tonight to beat the snow!
I would cook this on high for about 3 hours. Though crock pots vary really GREATLY in temperature. I hope you like it!
Shannon says
This is excellent. The whole family loves it. Has become a regular at our house. Hubby requests it over and over! I use epicure chili seasoning and chili powder in ours. Thanks so much for the recipe oh I should mention even my picky 4 and 5 year old girls love it
I’m so glad your family likes it Shannon! It’s a regular in my house too!
Emily @ mommysnotperfect.com says
This looks delicious! I’m always looking for new soups to get us through the winters that never seem to end :)