The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (Simple & Homemade)
If you’re craving a cozy, comforting meal that’s easy to make and packed with flavor, this Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is exactly what you need. Made with tender shredded chicken, a rich and savory tomato broth, warm spices, and topped with crispy tortilla strips, this homemade chicken tortilla soup is hearty, satisfying, and perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.
Classic Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
This is the kind of easy chicken tortilla soup I love making when I want something comforting but don’t feel like overthinking dinner. Everything cooks in one pot, the ingredients are simple and easy to find, and the flavors taste like they’ve been simmering all day.
You can customize it with your favorite toppings, but I tend to serve it with crunchy tortilla chips, a blend of shredded Mexican cheese, sour cream, avocado, fresh cilantro, and a few slices of jalapeño to give it a little kick. (I just love it when it’s super spicy 🔥).
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to see the complete list of ingredients.
Made with simple pantry staples and fresh ingredients, this soup proves you don’t need anything fancy to get big, bold flavor in every spoonful.
- Chicken. Making this soup with chicken thighs will give you a more flavorful broth. However, you can also use chicken breasts.
- Onion. You will need a white or yellow onion.
- Garlic. We’ll be using fresh, whole garlic cloves. The more, the better!
- Tomatoes. Use Roma tomatoes for their balanced sweet and acidic flavor. They also have a meaty pulp, making them ideal for this soup.
- Jalapeño. An optional ingredient that adds depth and flavor. Remove the seeds and membranes to reduce its heat.
- Dry Chiles (Peppers). Use any dry chiles like ancho, guajillo, pasilla, or chile de ristra, which is what I can usually find in my area. These chiles are mild and typically sweet and fruity, giving the soup an amazing flavor. You can find them dry in the Latin section of your local grocery store.
- Spices. The combination of Mexican or regular oregano, cumin, chili powder, and paprika is what makes this soup amazing.
- Chicken Stock. I usually use low-sodium chicken stock or broth along with 1 cube of chicken bouillon. You can also use plain water if you are out of chicken stock.
- Bay Leaves. I tend to make most of my soups with 2-3 small bay leaves. Do they add more flavor? Some say it’s debatable, but I sure hope so! LOL.
- Corn. Add fresh, frozen, or canned corn. I personally love adding a can of roasted corn!
- Beans. Black beans are the traditional choice here in the US. Make sure to drain and rinse them before adding them to the soup.
- Corn Tortillas. Used to make the tortilla strips. I also add a couple of tortillas to the soup for added texture.
- Toppings. Use your favorite ingredients to serve this soup, like shredded Mexican cheese, cotija, queso fresco, sour cream, cilantro, and jalapeños.
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
Scroll down to the recipe card to see detailed step-by-step instructions.
Whether you’re making this soup for a cozy family dinner, meal prep for the week, or a casual gathering with friends, this homemade chicken tortilla soup recipe is one you’ll come back to again and again.
- Cut the corn tortillas into small strips and fry them until golden brown. Set aside.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add oil to a large pot and sear the chicken on both sides. Remove and set aside.
- Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, jalapeño, and dry chiles to the pot. Stir in the spices and chicken bouillon and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, and seared chicken. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred it.
- Strain the broth into a separate pot to remove the vegetables, and discard the bay leaves.
- Blend the vegetables with a small amount of broth and a couple of corn tortillas. Pour this mixture back into the soup, season with salt and pepper, and add the corn, beans, and shredded chicken. Simmer for a few minutes before serving with the tortilla strips and your favorite toppings.
Watch the Video
What is tortilla soup?
Tortilla soup, also called “sopa azteca,” is a traditional Mexican soup made with a rich tomato-chile broth, shredded chicken, and often topped with fried tortilla strips.
Is chicken tortilla soup an authentic Mexican recipe?
Yes! It’s a very typical dish that is often made in Mexican households. However, unlike many restaurant versions you’ll find here in the U.S., traditional tortilla soups usually don’t include corn or beans. Adding them is more of an Americanized twist and totally optional if you’d like to make it your own.
Is chicken tortilla soup spicy?
It doesn’t have to be spicy at all; it’s totally up to you! If you love heat, you can kick it up by adding jalapeños and dried chiles with the seeds. Prefer something milder? Just remove the seeds and membranes from the chiles. And if you’d rather skip the spice altogether, you can simply use the dried spices for lots of flavor without the heat.
How long can chicken tortilla soup be stored in the fridge or freezer?
Store chicken tortilla soup in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3-5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Gently reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot.
Diana’s Tips
- Make it spicy by removing some or none of the seeds in the jalapeños or dry chiles. Warning, it may come out really spicy!
- For a milder version, remove the seeds and membranes of all peppers. You can still garnish it with slices of jalapeños to give it spice (this is my favorite way to serve it).
- Make it with lots of flavor and zero spice by not adding any of the chiles. The dry spices will be enough to give it a lot of flavor.
- If you don’t have corn tortillas on hand, you can serve it with regular tortilla chips. Ain’t no shame in doing that. 😉
- Make a quick and easy version by using rotisserie chicken or any leftover cooked chicken to make this soup. It saves time, and it also adds a rich, pre-seasoned flavor to the broth.
Tools for Making a Chicken Tortilla Soup
- A heavy-bottomed pot (4-6 quarts or larger) or Dutch oven is what I usually use to make all of my soups because of their even heat retention and distribution.
- A good quality blender to blend the cooked vegetables and add texture to the soup.
- A soup Ladle: For serving the finished soup into bowls.
- Storage Containers or Silicone Freezer Soup Cubes: To refrigerate or freeze any leftovers.
More Easy One-Pot Meals
- Creamy Lasagna Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar soup
- Loaded Potato Soup
- Classic Pot Roast Recipe
- 30-Minute Arroz Con Camarones (Shrimp and Rice)
Did you make this recipe?
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Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Chicken Tortilla Soup
- 1 lb chicken (5-6 chicken thighs or 2 chicken breasts)
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 white or yellow onion, cut in half
- 3 Roma tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 jalapeño, cut in half (Seeds and stems removed)
- 4 whole garlic cloves
- 3 dry chiles (Seeds removed*)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dry Mexican or regular oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 chicken bouillon (Optional)
- 6 cups (1.5 liters) low-sodium chicken stock or broth**
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1-2 medium-sized corn tortillas (Optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 (15 oz) can fire-roasted corn, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Tortilla Strips
- ¼ cup (59 ml) Oil for frying
- 8 medium-sized corn tortillas
Toppings
- Avocados, diced
- Your favorite cheese (Mexican Blend shredded cheese, crumbled cotija, or queso fresco)
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
- Jalapeño slices
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Make the tortilla strips:
- Heat the oil for frying in a pan over medium-high heat. Cut the corn tortillas into thin strips and fry them in batches until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oil and drain them on paper towels.
Make the chicken tortilla soup:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and sear until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Add the onion, Roma tomatoes, jalapeño, garlic, and dry chiles to the pot. Stir in the ground cumin, oregano, chili powder, paprika, and chicken bouillon. Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and brown in spots.
- Pour the chicken broth into the pot and add the bay leaves and the seared chicken. Cover, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred using your hands, two forks, or a hand mixer.
- Place a strainer or sieve over a separate pot, then slowly pour the broth into the clean pot***. Discard the bay leaves and blend the rest of the vegetables with a small amount of broth, along with 1-2 corn tortillas, until smooth (This will help thicken the soup). Strain this mixture into the rest of the broth, and season with salt to taste.
- Add the fire-roasted corn, black beans, and shredded chicken to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve the soup with a handful of tortilla strips and your favorite toppings.
Notes
- * Use any type of dry chiles like ancho, guajillo, pasilla, or chiles de ristra. To remove the seeds, just cut off the tops with a knife or kitchen scissors and then shake off the chiles until all seeds are removed.
- ** I usually use low-sodium chicken broth or stock, but regular chicken broth or stock can be used instead. You can also make this soup with just water, but the flavor won’t be as rich.
- *** I find that this is the easiest way to strain any broth. Another way would be to remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon, but I find that this is not as effective.
- You can use fresh corn kernels, canned, or frozen.
