Creamy crockpot chicken tortilla soup is a dump and go recipe packed with Mexican flavors, tender chicken, black beans, chili peppers & crunchy tortillas. This slow cooker chicken tortilla soup recipe is always a family favorite! It’s filled with all of the flavors from the traditional Taco Tuesday, but the prep work takes less than 15 minutes and you don’t have to stand over the stove!
In case you didn’t know your Instant Pot also has a slow cooker function that you can use as well and get rid of the additional appliance if you don’t have the space. When you are short on time you can also make instant pot chicken tortilla soup in just 30 minutes. Chicken tortilla soup on the stovetop is another family favorite – it’s quick to make on the stovetop.
If you love tex-mex flavors, you have to try my Green Chicken Chili Recipe. It’s another soup that isn’t just for soup season if you know what I mean.
Ingredients Needed for Crockpot Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- boneless skinless chicken breasts – you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs
- taco seasoning – make your own or use a packet that is store-bought – spices like chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt are all tasty in your taco seasoning mix
- Green chiles – mild or hot
- Black beans – we use canned, be sure to rinse them first
- Tomatoes – canned tomatoes are easy, fresh tomatoes will work, too!
- Corn – can swap for frozen corn if that’s all you have
- Chicken broth
- grated Mexican cheese – cheddar cheese, jack cheese, pepper jack cheese, and mozzarella are all good options also
- Heavy cream
- tortilla chips – I’ll show you how to make crunchy strips from corn tortillas!
- Cilantro for garnish
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Crockpot
Add the chicken and seasoning. Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker and cover with taco seasoning.
Add remaining ingredients. Cover the chicken with chiles, beans, corn, and tomatoes. Pour in the chicken broth.
Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.
Shred chicken. Remove the chicken from the soup. Shred it with two forks then add it back to the crockpot. Pour in the heavy cream and shredded cheese, then stir.
Continue cooking. Allow the soup to cook for another 30 minutes to 1 hour or until it has thickened slightly and the cheese has melted.
Serving. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings. You can add the tortilla chips directly to the crockpot or serve them individually.
How to Make Crispy Tortilla Strips for the Soup
To crisp up corn tortillas, cut each one into slices and place them in the air fryer. Spray a good bit of cooking spray and air fry at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through.
Creamy Tortilla Soup Storing Instructions
Keep the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. We do not recommend freezing because of the heavy cream and cheese. It may change the consistency when thawing and reheating.
Tips for Making this Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Crock Pot Recipe
- The chicken tortilla soup will thicken once the cheese and chicken is added back in. Toppings will also thicken the soup.
- No additional salt is needed.
- If you are worried about the level of spiciness, we used hot green chiles and it wasn’t spicy at all. You can use mild chiles instead.
- For more spice, add serrano or jalapeno slices.
- If you want the tortilla strips to be crunchy, follow the directions for making them in the air fryer. Some like to add them raw and let them “cook” to soak up the flavors.
- Tortilla Soup Topping Ideas: Sour cream, onion, avocado, salsa, fresh lime juice or lime wedges.
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup taco seasoning or one taco seasoning packet
- 4 oz. can diced green chiles mild or hot
- 15.5 oz. can black beans drained and rinsed
- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes juices included
- 15.25 oz. can whole kernel corn drained
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups grated Mexican cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- tortilla chips or 6 corn tortillas, cut into strips either air fried or oven baked to crisp them up
- Cilantro one bunch for garnish
Instructions
- Place frozen OR thawed chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top of the chicken breasts.
- Spread green chiles, black beans, tomatoes, and corn over the chicken.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth.
- Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Remove chicken breasts from the soup and shred with two forks.
- Return the chicken to the soup and add the cheese and heavy cream.
- Cook an additional 30-minutes – 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the cheese is fully melted and combined and the soup is thickened slightly.
- You can add the tortilla chips directly to the soup along with the cheese and cream and cook for the final 30-60 minutes or crisp the corn tortillas in the air fryer or oven. To crisp the tortilla chips in the air fryer, spray liberally with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 400° for approximately 5 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking.
- Serve soup with additional chopped cilantro, tortilla strips/chips, and avocado, if desired.
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Comments & Reviews
Caroline Hayes says
Saved this recipe for a true snow day (we ended up getting 25 inches in Colorado!!!) I don’t use my crock pot very often but this recipe inspired me to use it more. This was SO easy, which as a mom of a 2-year-old, I appreciated very much not being in the kitchen all evening chopping, cooking and cleaning. The flavor was delicious. I used half and half instead of the cream because it’s what I had and added little extra cheese at the end. Topped with homeade tortilla strips, cilantro and more cheese. It was a huge hit and my 2-year-old loved it.
Dillon says
How many will this serve?
Stefanie says
This serves about 8 people, Dillon. Enjoy!
Carol says
LOVE this recipe. A new bi-weekly treat! Many thanks. I’m always looking for slow cooker recipes.
Stefanie says
Yay!!! So glad to hear it! My family loves it, too.
Christina says
If I have the time, would cooking the recipe on LOW benefit the recipe? Or hinder it? If you feel indifferent, would I cook for 7-8hrs on LOW?
Stefanie says
Hi Christina, I don’t think it would necessarily benefit the recipe, although I haven’t tried it to see if there’s a magical texture to the chicken. lol. With tough cuts of meat, like a pot roast, it definitely makes a difference cooking on low for longer rather than on high (low highly recommended). But if you needed more time – say you wanted to pop it into the crockpot before work, I think 7-8 hours for frozen chicken breasts would work and probably more like 6-7 hours for thawed chicken breasts on LOW.
Nancy says
Love this soup. So easy and delicious. Just one question…how can I make it thicker
Thank you so much 😊
Stefanie says
When it comes out of the pot, it is a bit thinner – my family loves to load up their bowls with tortilla chips, even more cheese, avocado, etc., so that thickens up the soup. But if you wanted it thicker straight away, you can reduce the amount of broth – maybe by a cup? Or let it cook on high for 30-min-1 hour with the lid off after the initial cook time to reduce down some of the liquid. You could also add cream cheese or extra grated cheese.