The easiest Crock-pot soup for soup season!
Cooler weather + packed schedules = soup season is in full swing
(Anyone else feel that shift the second September hits?)
If you’re like me and craving something cozy but EASY, this Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of the best soups you can make.
It’s inspired by the traditional tortilla soups I used to order at our favorite little Mexican spots growing up.
But this version? It’s lighter, packed with flavor from a homemade taco seasoning, only takes a few simple ingredients, and made easily right in the slow cooker.
Toss everything in, let it simmer a few hours, and then top with crispy tortilla strips, avocado, a little cheese, and maybe a squeeze of lime!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Please see the recipe card for more detailed ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Chicken Breasts – This is the best cut since it consists of lean meat that tenderizes easily while slow cooking.
- Salsa – A medium salsa, instead of diced tomatoes, gives the bulk of the tomato flavor and spice to this soup.
- Taco Seasoning – Using a homemade taco seasoning mix is the quickest way to give your recipe authentic Mexican flavor.
- Sweet Kernel Corn – Canned corn as well as frozen corn will both work great.
- Black Beans – Canned beans are used in this recipe. Make sure you rinse and drain them before adding them into the soup!
- Lime – The juice of a lime gives the taco soup a bit more acidity. You can also use a lemon if that is what you have on hand.
Step-by-step Instructions
Much like the stovetop version, the steps to make this Crock-Pot tortilla soup are simple and easy to follow.
You simply throw all of the ingredients into your slow cooker and wait for the magic to happen!
(Read recipe card below for more in-depth instructions.)
- Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Pour broth and salsa into the Crock-Pot.
- Whisk together Homemade Taco Seasoning ingredients.
- Add corn and black beans.
- Sprinkle spices on top and stir ingredients until just combined.
- Cook tortilla soup in the Crock-Pot on High for 4-6 hours or Low for 6-8 hours.
- Shred chicken breasts during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Toppings to Try Out
While this slow cooker tortilla soup recipe tastes incredible on it’s own…
Adding a variety of toppings can make it even better!
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Crushed tortilla chips <– A must!!
- You can also make your own fried tortilla strips at home.
- Sliced Avocados
- Sour Cream – Or dairy-free sour cream by Tofutti.)
- Shredded Cheese – Cheddar cheese, Mexican blend, or Monterrey Jack all taste great!
- Fresh Cilantro
- Sliced Jalapeños
Can I Make this in the Instant Pot?
This Crock-Pot tortilla soup can easily be made in the Instant Pot. You can either check out how in this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup post, or read the quick directions below!
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Add all of your ingredients to a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Lift the chicken breasts to make sure there is some liquid underneath them.
- Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure and cook for 8 minutes.
- Allow it to have a Natural Pressure Release of 10 minutes.
- Once chicken is cooked, shred and let sit for 10 minutes in the soup before serving.
What Size Slow Cooker Should I Use?
Slow cookers are an extremely affordable kitchen appliance that are well worth the space they take up in your kitchen.
They come in various sizes, but I would highly encourage you to get at least a 6-QT Crock-Pot.
This will give you plenty of room to make big batches of White Chicken Chili and Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
Can I use a Liner?
Slow Cooker Liners are a great option to use if you want to make clean-up a breeze.
They can be thrown away after each use and keep your Crock-Pot sparkly clean!
Storing
How long will leftover soup last?
Leftover soup will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Can I freeze chicken tortilla soup?
This recipe freezes extremely well. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
FAQs
Can I use Rotel in place of the salsa?
You absolutely can! Use the Rotel with green chilis and use the same amount.
How spicy is this recipe?
This main dish is about a 3-4 out of 10 on the spice scale.
Read below if you would like to adjust the spice level.
How can I change the spice level of this soup?
Use a MILD salsa instead of the medium salsa and decrease the cayenne pepper in the DIY taco seasoning.
Use a HOT salsa instead of the medium salsa and increase the cayenne pepper in the DIY taco seasoning.
You can also add sliced, fresh jalapenos to give it a spicy kick.
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Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts
- 16 ounces jar salsa mild or medium*
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning*
- ½ teaspoon salt to taste
- 15 ounces can black beans rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces can whole kernel corn drained
- 3 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
Toppings:
- Tortilla chips optional
- Cilantro optional
- Green Onions optional
- Avocado
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts on the bottom of slow cooker.1 ½ pounds chicken breasts
- Pour salsa and chicken broth into the Crock-pot or slow cooker and make sure to pick up chicken breasts so some liquid gets underneath them.16 ounces jar salsa, 5 cups chicken broth
- Add beans, corn, seasoning, and lime juice to the slow cooker. Give liquid a good stir, cover, and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning*, ½ teaspoon salt, 15 ounces can black beans, 15 ounces can whole kernel corn, 3 tablespoons lime juice
- Towards the last 30 minutes of cooking, shred the chicken. Let continue cooking for the last 30 minutes.
- Tortilla chips, Cilantro, Green Onions, Avocado
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Video
Notes
- Cheese: Leave it out if necessary, or opt for a dairy-free version.
- Seasonings. Make your own taco seasoning for the best flavor.
- Prep-Ahead: Since the flavors will continue to get better over time, this is a great soup to make in advance. Just wait to add the tortilla chips and toppings until serving.
- Storage: Leftover soup will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: This recipe freezes extremely well. Seal in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
- Reheating: Warm in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or microwave, until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I forgot salsa and want to cry, is it possible that if I have everything else, it will still be delicious? I have a red bell pepper…maybe it would be a good addition?
Hi Stephanie!! If you have any tomato paste or crushed tomatoes you can add those instead! You’ll definitely want to add a little extra spice to make up for the lack of salsa. Let me know how it turns out for you!
This is the best soup recipe I have ever made! I used Pace Medium Salsa (a little thicker / chunky) and actually just cooked it all over a stovetop in a pot since I didn’t have time to do the crockpot. I put baked shredded chicken in and simmered for about 10 minutes before serving. Holy cow! I mean really, amazing recipe!
Yay, Aubrey!! I am SO happy you enjoyed the soup so much. Yes, Pace is a great brand to use! I love the chunky kind in this soup. Thanks so much for your kind comment and rating!! 🙂
Do you think you could use a rotisserie chicken instead of the chicken breasts?
Hi Danielle! Yes! You absolutely could use a rotisserie chicken. Simply shred the chicken, place all ingredients in your Crock-Pot and heat until everything is cooked through (will probably take an hour, at most two hours!) Would love to know how this works for you 🙂
Hi there! Can I cook this in the high setting? How long would you recommend?
Absolutely, Christina! It should cook in about 4-4 1/2 hours at a high setting. Hope you enjoy it!
this soup is cooking in my crockpot right now! I am a vegetarian and don’t usually eat “fake” meat either, but I decided to try Gardein chick’n scallopini in place of the chicken breast…I’m not sure if it will hold up or not but I really used to LOVE chicken tortilla soup so I’m hoping it works out! I also added a tiny bit of chipotle powder and used veggie broth. Thanks for the recipe!
What a great idea, Kyla!! I have never personally tried the Gardein chick’n so am excited to hear how it turns out for you! Please let me know what you think 🙂
This was so delicious!!! Definitely will be one we will make again and again!
Yay, Vanessa!! So very excited you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
Made this last night and it was delish. The whole family liked it. Used 1 1/2 cans of rotel in place of jar of salsa. So good!! Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Meredith! So so happy you and the fam enjoyed the recipe. Rotel is a great substitute! Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
For the ingridients when it says T is that TBS or TSP?
It stands for tablespoon! Sorry about the confusion, Nina. I will update the recipe to reflect this. Thank you for asking!
Can you use Rotel instead of salsa to spice it up?
Absolutely, Jenn!! That’s a great idea. It will definitely give it a bit more spice!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! Amazing, make it almost every week.
Yay! So happy you enjoy the recipe, Olivia! Thanks so much for leaving a comment!