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Spoon lifting creamy chicken tortilla soup showing shredded chicken, black beans, corn, avocado, and melted cheese in a rich broth

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

A cozy, one-pot dinner with bold Tex-Mex flavor and a smooth, creamy broth. This soup comes together quickly, reheats well, and is perfect topped any way your table likes it.
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Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Keyword: classic comfort food, cozy winter dinner, easy weeknight soup, family friendly meals, gluten free soup, make ahead dinner, one pot dinner
Prep Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 282kcal
Author: Jennifer Locklin
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Ingredients

Toppings:

Instructions

Prepare the base

  • Crush enough tortilla chips to measure ¼ cup and set aside
    ¼ cup crushed corn tortilla chips
  • Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil
    2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Add the diced onion and cook until softened and translucent
    1 yellow onion
  • Add the diced jalapeños and cook briefly
    3 jalapeño peppers
  • Add the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant
    4 cloves garlic

Build the soup

  • Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes with green chilies, corn, black beans, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, and crushed tortilla chips
    6 cups chicken broth, 2 (14.5-ouce) cans Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, 1 (11-ounce) can whole kernel corn, 1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Bring the soup to a gentle simmer

Cook the chicken

  • Add the chicken breasts, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked
    3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Remove the chicken breasts and shred with two forks
  • Return the shredded chicken to the pot
  • If using rotisserie chicken, add it at this stage instead of simmering

Finish the soup

  • Stir in the lime juice and heavy cream
    2 limes, 1 cup heavy cream
  • Season with kosher salt and black pepper
    ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
  • Cook just until heated through
  • Right before serving, stir in the fresh cilantro
    ¼ cup fresh cilantro

Serve

  • Ladle the soup into bowls
  • Garnish with cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and avocado as desired
  • Serve with lime wedges on the side

Notes

Calories are for 1 cup of soup only, without toppings.
Substitutions
• Boneless chicken thighs may be used in place of chicken breasts
• Half-and-half can be substituted for heavy cream for a lighter soup
• Pinto beans may replace black beans
Serving Suggestions and Pairings
• Serve with warm flour tortillas or cornbread
• Pair with a simple green salad or citrus slaw
Storage
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
Freezing
• Freeze without toppings in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months
• Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently, stirring well before serving. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cup | Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 1294mg | Potassium: 414mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1382IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg

*Nutrition information is automatically calculated based on ingredient data and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient options are provided, the first listed is used for calculation. Optional ingredients and garnishes are not included in the nutrition analysis.