This Chicken Tortilla Soup gets topped with avocado, pico de gallo, greek yogurt and tortilla chips making it a must-have recipe for the season and giving you the perfect reason to break out your slow cooker!
This post may contain sales affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for details.
Weeknight meals can be a challenge. We all want something that's easy to make and tastes great but at the same time doesn't take hours to prepare. Enter this Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup. Pop all the ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning, set it and let it cook all day while you are working! When you arrive home you just need a little bit more prep and a quick 20 minutes of cooking time before you can spoon the soup into bowls, add some toppings and you are ready to eat. The ultimate weeknight meal is ready without a lot of muss and fuss!
I don't use my slow cooker nearly enough. I mean a slower cooker and small batch recipes don't really seem to go together but here's the thing about most things that come from a slow cooker - they usually freeze pretty well and this soup is no exception! That means you can cook once and eat multiple times - always a big plus in my book!!
I've been making this soup for years and it has always been one of my favorite lunch options in the winter. There is nothing like a warm, hearty bowl of soup and a nice piece of freshly baked bread on a cold winter day. Cooking up a nice pot of soup is a great addition to your weekly meal prep routine. It gives you several days of lunch or dinner ready when you want to eat.
Contents:
One of the great things about this recipe is that it has 6 hours of straight cooking time so you can actually "set it and forget it" - dinner will pretty much be waiting when you get home!
You start by simply tossing most of the ingredients into your crockpot and setting it for 6 hours on low. When it's done cooking you'll shred the chicken at the very end and then add a few things for another 20 minutes of cooking time before it's ready to serve.
With only 15 minutes of prep time, this is sure to become one of your new go-to weeknight dinner recipes!
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast: You are essentially poaching the chicken and then shredding it.
- Corn tortillas: Adding tortillas to the base helps to thicken it up a bit.
- Petite diced tomatoes: You can use regular diced as well, you'll just need to blend the base for a bit longer. I often use fire-roasted tomatoes for this recipe.
- Chicken broth.
- Frozen corn kernels: I generally use white sweet corn but any type works for this recipe.
- Mexican blend shredded cheese: I typically recommend you shred your own cheese as pre-shredded cheese does not always melt as well, however, for this soup you really want the flavors from the Mexican blend and the high heat from the broth melts the cheese well.
- Spices: ground cumin, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, ground pepper
Recommended Tools
Programmable Slow Cooker – Since I'm typically cooking for smaller groups I prefer a smaller slow cooker. This 3.5-quart size is perfect for making 4-6 servings of soup, chili and other slow cooker dishes.
Immersion Blender - This is a super handy kitchen tool that's well worth the investment. I use it all winter long to puree soups. I recommend getting a model that includes a whisk attachment which comes in handy for making sauces and salad dressings. I've owned two different Cuisinart versions and both have lasted for a long time. You can find much less expensive versions on Amazon but I've never tried them so I'm not sure about the quality/durability.
How to make this recipe
Read on to learn more about how to make this Chicken Tortilla Soup, or jump straight to the recipe to start cooking!
Step 1 | Make the soup base. Slow-cooking the chicken with the spices, veggies and broth gives you the base for this soup. That part takes about 6 hours. Once the slow-cooking is done you remove the chicken from the slow cooker and puree the base with an immersion blender.
Step 2 | Shred the chicken. After you've removed the chicken from the slow cooker, use two forks to shred it. Then return it to the slow cooker for the next step.
Step 3 | Add the corn. Turn the slow cooker to low heat and add the corn. Let the soup continue to cook on low for another 20-30 minutes.
Step 4 | Finish the soup. Once the corn has cooked add in a squeeze of lime juice, the cilantro and some cheese. Stir everything up and your soup is ready to serve.
Step 5 | Top and serve. I like to top this with lots of avocado, pico de gallo and tortilla chips along with a dollop of greek yogurt. I typically squeeze in some additional lime juice just before serving too. You can definitely customize with our favorite Mexican inspired toppings.
Instant Pot Variation
If you want to make this in the Instant Pot you can either use the slow cooker function and make as described in the instructions or if you prefer you can use the pressure cooker function. Follow step 1 as described in the recipe instruction except set your Instant Pot to high pressure for 12 minutes. Once done, let the pressure release naturally for 10-15 minutes then use quick release. Follow the rest of the instructions as written below.
More soup recipes
If you are looking for more small batch soup recipes check out these reader favorites:
- Tuscan White Bean Soup. This rustic soup is warming comfort food in a bowl! It includes kale and some sausage to give you the perfect fall or winter weeknight meal for two.
- Tomato Bisque with Grilled Cheese Sticks. This classic combo is another great option for chilly winter days.
Click here to subscribe to Urban Foodie Kitchen's Newsletter for free and fresh small batch recipes right to your inbox!
If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment with a star rating below. You can also take a photo & tag @urbanfoodiekitchen on Instagram.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 6" corn tortillas, sliced into strips
- 1 teaspoon jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1 (14- ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 6-8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 24 ounces chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- ⅓ cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese, plus more for serving
- juice of one lime
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 avocado, chopped
- ⅓ cup pico de gallo
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 handfuls of tortilla chips
Instructions
- Make the soup base. Add onion, garlic, tortillas, jalapeño, tomatoes, chicken and spices to a 3.5-quart or larger slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth over the other ingredients. Cook on low for 6 hours.
- Shred the chicken. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the chicken. Using an immersion blender blend the soup, making sure the tortillas get pureed. Shred the chicken and return it to the crockpot.
- Add the corn. Add the corn and cook on low for 20 - 30 minutes. You can also leave it on warm for an hour or so if you are not going to be ready to eat in 30 minutes.
- Finish the soup. Squeeze in the lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cilantro and cheese, stir to combine.
- Add the toppings. Spoon into bowls and top with avocado, pico de gallo, yogurt and tortilla chips.
Notes
This post was originally published in February 2018. It was updated in January 2025 with some new information and photos. Some minor changes were made to the original recipe.
Jenni
I love this soup! Its so easy to make and so warm and filling and delicious!
Veena Azmanov
I love anything simple and easy for cooking and ever since I got the slow cooker I've loved the slow compared to fast. This sounds so incredibly delicious. Saving for later.
Julie
First off, the food styling in this picture is gorgeous! Those toppings on the soup are pure perfection.
Secondly, I really want to warm up with a bowl of this right now! Between a bad cold and all the snow dumped on us this week, chicken tortilla soup sounds like a perfect dinner.
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Julie! I'm a big fan of soup, especially in this less than warm early spring weather!
Abby @ WinsteadWandering
I love the idea of adding tortillas right into your soup! I'll be using that trick next time I make chicken tortilla soup.
Kushi
I am in love with the way it's presented! This soup is perfect for the weather here. So delicious!
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Kushi! As much as I love soup I'm hoping we all get some warmer weather soon!! 🙂
Paige
Looks great and love the idea of having a pot of this ready when I get home!
Carol Borchardt
I have gone all winter without making a good chicken tortilla soup! That needs to change and doing it in the slow cooker is the perfect way. Thanks for the inspiration!
Sues
I don't use my slow cooker enough either, but now I feel like I need to lug it out so I can make this gorgeous soup! The perfect weeknight meal!
Stacey
This is my kind of food, cooked low and slow and with plenty of the flavors that I adore!
Matt Kearns
Oh man Kathryn I'm craving a bowl of this tortilla soup. I love all of the seasonings and flavors you used and can't wait to make a batch of it!
Amy Nash
This is one of my all time favorite soups, which is saying something since I'm such a huge soup fanatic! I've got a busy week coming up with rain in the forecast and this is definitely going on the menu plan. Printing now so I've got the recipe handy!
Amelie van der Aa
This looks really perfect to keep us warm while we wait for Spring to finally break free. I love that it only requires a small amount of prep time and that you can just forget it in the slow cooker afterwards.
Susan
When do you add the 1/3 cup cheese? is it sprinkled on top of the soup?
Urban Foodie Kitchen
Hi Susan. You can either stir it in at the end when you add the cilantro or sprinkle it on top. Thanks for asking - I'll be sure to add a note to the recipe!
Jere Cassidy
Every year I have s soup party and I like using the slow cooker to free up my stove and your soup is going on the menu. I haven't served a tortilla soup yet and I know this will be a winner. Love all your toppings too!
Liz
I made this soup the other night and it was delicious! I have made other versions of chicken tortilla soup, but this recipe has the best flavor! I also love all the colors within the soup!