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!
Awesome! My most picky eater ate two bowls 🤤🤤
Cassie
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
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Add chicken, broth, and salsa.
Much like the stovetop version, the steps to make this Crock-Pot tortilla soup are simple and easy to follow.
Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the broth and salsa over the chicken.
Season and add veggies.
Whisk together all of the Homemade Taco Seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in the corn and black beans with the chicken and liquids.
Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the top, then stir until everything is just combined.
Cook, then shred the chicken.
Cover and cook the tortilla soup on High for 4-6 hours or on Low for 6-8 hours.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, shred the chicken breasts directly in the slow cooker and stir them back into the soup.
Top it off.
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
FAQs
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.
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.
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!
Leftover soup will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This recipe freezes extremely well. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
You absolutely can! Use the Rotel with green chilis and use the same amount.
This main dish is about a 3-4 out of 10 on the spice scale. 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
- 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa mild or medium*
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning*
- ½ teaspoon salt to taste
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can 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.1 (16-ounce) 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, 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, 1 (15.5-ounce) can corn, 3 tablespoons lime juice
- Towards the last 30 minutes of cooking, shred the chicken. Let continue cooking for the last 30 minutes.
- Serve chicken tortilla soup with tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro and green onions. Enjoy!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.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
If you loved this recipe, you’ll definitely want to try a few more of my cozy and delicious soup recipes that are perfect for weeknight dinners or chilly days.
Hi, I was wondering what the serving size is? It says it serves 8, but not what the serving size is. This recipe sounds delish, and I can’t wait to try it!
Hi! Unfortunately I do not have an exact measurement for the serving size at this time. However, my estimate would be around 1 1/2 cups. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Delicious! It was a crowd pleaser and I have a tough crowd. Extra bonus is it’s simple and clean ingredients.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Rebecca! Thanks for your comment and rating 🙂
I made this the other night for my family and it was a hit! The kids love the tortilla chips and cheese on top and I love how low in WW points the soup is. We’ll definitely be making it again.
Yay, Kristal! So happy you and the littles enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for your comment and rating!
First off this is a great recipe! but I have a question..On the nutrition facts is the sodium for the whole batch? or is that per serving if so how much would a serving be? Just need to know because if that’s per serving that’s a lot of sodium if your watching your intake!😁
Hi Regina! Yes, that is per serving but can be decrease by using a low sodium chicken broth. (Regular broth does have quite a bit!) Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Looks like we will be having 10 to eat this great sounding soup. How would you suggest making more with doubling.
Oh yay!! You can either make it in two separate crock pots, or even add all of the ingredients to a very large pot. Just let it simmer on low for about an hour or two (until the chicken is super tender.) Excited to hear what you think 🙂
Could you please post the original spice breakdown in the comments instead or the taco seasoning recipe? The spice recipe does not make 6 tablespoons so I end up with unused spices. It would be less wasteful to me if i could use the original breakdown. Thanks so much.
Hi Allison! Yes, I have received a few requests for this so have added the individual amounts for each spice into the recipe notes. Hope this helps! Have a Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Hi London! Would you please republish the amount of spices to use for just this soup that used to be provided on the recipe? I see the addition of your recipe for the homemade taco seasoning but I don’t want to make a batch to save.
Thanks!
Hi Tracy! Yes, I have received a few requests for this so have added the individual amounts for each spice into the recipe notes. Hope this helps! Have a Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Ugggghhhhhh where is the dang recipe??? I have used this recipe for two years (this is actually my husband’s favorite meal). I just made it about two weeks ago, and now it says “homemade taco seasoning.” I have two toddlers and not a lot of time. I don’t want to (nor do I have time to) make your batch of taco seasoning, I just want the stinking recipe…why why why. Can’t you just include a link to the batch to get your precious clicks without completely removing it from the entire recipe? I apologize for sounding harsh but on an already rough day you’ve made it more difficult by changing the recipe. Not to mention I don’t have enough spices to make the batch anyway. And I already have Everything else in the stupid crock pot so I’m going to have to try to figure out the ratios for myself
Hi Laura! Yes, I have received a few requests for this so have added the individual amounts for each spice into the recipe notes. Hope this helps and sorry for any inconvenience! Have a Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
I have been using this recipe for years and you recently updated it and changed the recipe from using spices like cumin, chili powder, garlic powder to using taco seasoning. While I understand that it may be easier this way, my family lived the recipe the way it was. Is there anyway to get a copy of the old recipe?
Hi Angela! The taco seasoning recipe is actually the same proportion of spices that were originally used in this tortilla soup recipe – so it should taste the same! Hope this helps 🙂
Your recipe used to show measurements for seasoning, now a link to a separate ad filled website with no specific measurements! So upsetting.
Hi Lynn! You’ll find the taco seasoning measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. There is a “Jump to Recipe” button at the top if you would like to skip the content. Hope this helps!