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.
How many grams per serving?
The weight in grams for each serving will vary on the batch. But a serving is 1/8th of the recipe.
Thank you for the nutritional information. I’m looking for one that was low fat, but also one that doesn’t have loads of ingredients. I am a widow, 78, and I’ve jokes for years that I’ve had a rule that I make nothing with more than five ingredients. However, I’m going to try your recipe. All the ingredients looks great so the suit press to be great.
Yay! So happy to hear you want to try the recipe, Maureen! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Hi London! Is there a new place in the recipe where you published the amount of spices to use for just this soup, and not to make a whole jar full? It used to be in your recipe notes and it’s gone again. I swear they were there just a few weeks ago!
Hi Tracy! I’m sorry the measurements are gone. You can simply half the taco seasoning recipe. This soup would need 1.5 Tbsp. cumin, 1.5 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. chili powder, .5 tsp. garlic powder, small dash of cayenne pepper (optional), .75 tsp salt, and .5 tsp pepper.
Busy day today, so I decided to make this recipe for the family early this morning… It took literally 10 minutes prep and 6 hours later it was done! Did the last steps and served – it was an amazing hit. I mean real delicious. This is a healthy recipe as well. Thank you to whoever is responsible for this goodness.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Jorge! It’s so great when recipes are healthy and delicious. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Thank you! I found you on YouTube because of your refrigerator pickles and have since used many of your recipes. Love them all! Just a suggestion to add the cheese and sour cream as optional items on the Week 5 shopping list where this soup appears. Thank you and keep up the awesome work. Xo
Thank you for letting me know and I’m so glad you found the YT channel and blog!
Loved this so much!! Didn’t hurt my stomach and it was just enough of a spicy taste that it was yummy but not overwhelming!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Emily! It is just the right amount of spice. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
I’ve made this soup SO many times throughout the years (like 4 years of making this!) and we love it! Definitely a family favorite and such a comfort food on a chilly night!
So happy to hear that, Melissa!! It’s one of our family’s faves, too and perfect for this cooler weather we’re finally having here in Texas 🙂
This is a fabulous recipe. I used 2 cans of black beans but the rest was the same. Simple but great flavors. Everyone I have served this soup to has asked for the recipe.
Yay! So happy everyone enjoyed it, Elizabeth! Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
Do you have the previous measurement for the individual spices? I’ve used your recipe for years and prefer how it tasted before it was updated, but have been unable to find a copy of the old recipe. Thank you!
Yes, Stacie! The original ratios are in the recipe notes 🙂 Hope this helps!
I love this tortilla soup! So easy to make and take that it is now my go-to recipe for pot luck dinners.
Yay! So happy to hear that, Colleene. Thanks for the comment and rating!