Soups/Stews
By SarahOn  | Updated:
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This instant pot chicken tortilla soup is made in only 40 minutes in the instant pot and is packed with hearty beans, fall-apart tender chicken, and lots of crispy tortilla strips.
We’re revamping a soup classic today and making it about 10x easier AND better!
The instant pot is our soup savior today and makes this chicken tortilla soup a total breeze to throw together on a weeknight.
And it’s so freaking loaded with flavor and tender chicken, you would’ve thought it took hours to simmer on the stove but we’re totally pulling this off in under an hour!
You’ll soon see why we’ve been practically inhaling bowls of this soup daily the last few weeks!
This Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup features…
- A flavorful, spicy soup base.
- Fall-apart tender shredded chicken.
- Hearty black beans and sweet corn.
- Crispy homemade tortilla strips and lots of toppings.
- Made in the instant pot in less than an hour!
Making the Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Yellow onion
- Vegetable oil
- Sweet corn
- Black beans
- Chicken broth
- Crushed tomatoes
- Diced tomatoes
- Bay leaf
- Spices
- Garlic
- Serrano pepper
- Chicken breasts
- Corn tortillas
- Olive oil
Suggested Toppings for Soup
The sky’s the limit for what you can top this hearty soup with, but check out our favorites below!
- Sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Tips for Perfect Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Saute onions and aromatics – this builds a flavorful soup base!
- Use a mixture of crushed and diced tomatoes – the crushed tomatoes give the soup a perfect consistency, while the diced tomatoes provide some texture.
- Cook chicken breasts whole in soup – 10 minutes on high pressure, then 15 minutes of releasing pressure naturally will cook the chicken to a perfect fall-apart tender texture.
- Shred chicken – use two forks to shred the chicken, then toss back into the soup.
- Bake tortilla strips in air fryer or oven – we prefer the air fryer, since it only takes about 5 minutes to cook, but the oven will also work great!
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this soup!
- Make it mild – feel free to skip the hot pepper if you prefer a milder chicken tortilla soup.
- Add more veggies – try adding diced zucchini, mushrooms, summer squash, or baby spinach.
- Make it a creamy soup – for a creamy version of chicken tortilla soup, fold 4 oz cubed softened cream cheese into soup after cooking.
- Use crushed tortilla chips – you can easily swap out the homemade tortilla strips for crushed tortilla chips. Doritos would also be an amazing substitute!
Storing and Freezing Soup
This soup may be stored in the fridge up to 6 days and can also be frozen up to 2 months.
To freeze soup, cool completely then store in a freezer-safe container, taking care to leave a couple of inches near the top in case the soup expands in the freezer.
Thaw the soup completely in the fridge, then reheat either on stovetop or in microwave until soup registers 165F.
It’s the homemade crunchy tortilla strips that really MAKE this soup! The broth is hearty, just a little bit spicy, and just bursting with tender chicken and beans.
Probably goes without needing to be said, but make sure you load this soup to capacity with toppings! Trust me.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it onInstagramwith #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More instant pot soups to add to your menu!
- Tuscan Ravioli Soup
- Thai Peanut Chicken Ramen
- Potato Leek Soup
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Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
This instant pot chicken tortilla soup is made in only 40 minutes in the instant pot and is packed with hearty beans, fall-apart tender chicken, and lots of crispy tortilla strips.
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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 40 minutes minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 358kcal
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small serrano pepper, finely minced (or skip for a mild version)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
- 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can petite-diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
Tortilla Strips
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
- Optional toppings: diced avocado, fresh tomato, cilantro, lime wedges, and sour cream
Instructions
Soup
Heat a 4-qt instant pot using BROWN/SAUTE function. Add vegetable oil and swirl to coat bottom. Add onion and saute several minutes until tender. Add garlic, serrano, chili powder, cumin, and paprika and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add chicken broth, chicken, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, and bay leaf to instant pot. Seal lid and close vent. Cook soup on high pressure 10 minutes, then allow to release pressure naturally 15 minutes.
Release any remaining pressure from instant pot and unfasten lid. Remove bay leaf and discard. Remove chicken, transfer to a cutting board, and use two forks to shred. Add back to soup, stirring well to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep soup warm until ready to serve.
Tortilla Strips
Preheat oven or an air fryer to 400F. Toss tortilla strips with oil and lay in a single layer on a medium greased sheet pan or lay in a single layer in air fryer. For oven, bake tortilla strips 8-10 minutes, stirring once halfway through until strips are lightly browned and crispy. For air fryer, bake strips 5-7 minutes, shaking basket halfway through. Season strips with salt to taste.
To serve soup ladle into serving bowls and top with tortilla strips and optional toppings. Enjoy!
For a step-by-step guide to making this recipe, check out the video!
Notes
Storing Instructions
Store soup in refrigerator up to 6 days. Store tortilla strips covered on counter up to 6 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 12oz | Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 39.6g | Protein: 28.6g | Fat: 10.7g | Saturated Fat: 1.9g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 916mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 9.2g | Sugar: 8.4g | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 4mg
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