Try this easy Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup next time you need a warm and cozy dinner that the family will love. Simple ingredients, one pot, and 30 minutes is all it takes to create a flavorful soup loaded with chicken, corn, beans, and tomatoes. It’s a perfect make ahead meal or simple enough to throw together any night of the week.
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup – The EASY Way!
Soup is one of the easiest, most filling, family-friendly dinners you can make. It’s always SO cozy and comforting, but really has endless possibilities for flavor. This super creamy chicken tortilla soup is one of our latest favorites. It’s got everything, from vegetables and protein, to a rich and creamy texture that you’ll definitely want to dip some bread into. If you love soup you have add my creamy chicken noodle soup, southwest chicken soup or my salsa verde chicken soup to you rmust-make list.
It’s perfect for families of all ages too because you can have so much fun with the toppings! Kids can add on cheese and crushed chips while the adults can have all the jalapenos and cilantro they like.
The family cook will be happy too, it comes together very fast with such easy ingredients that require basically no preparation. Easy cooking, easy clean up, happy family – this recipe rocks!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- One Pot Cooking – Every step of this recipe is layered into one big pot. That’s easy cooking at it’s finest!
- Family Friendly Flavor – Creamy Mexican tortilla soup is something kids and adults will both love.
- Easy to Customize – Spice it up, make it cheesy, or add herbs and lime wedges on top to make your bowl exactly how you like it.
- Easy Clean Up – With basically no prep needed and a single cooking pot, this is SO easy to clean up!
Recipe Notes
This easy chicken tortilla soup recipe is as simple as promised! Just one pot and 30 minutes for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Chicken Broth – Chicken stock or vegetable broth are also good choices.
- Corn Tortillas – These are the thickening agent for our soup. It does need to be corn, unfortunately flour tortillas won’t work.
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Oregano
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Cream of Chicken Soup– I use store bought, but you can use homemade if you prefer
- Shredded Chicken – I love to use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken breasts, or chopped boneless chicken thighs for this. You can also make simple baked chicken or even a crock pot rotisserie chicken the day before so you’re ready to go for the soup.
- Canned Sweet Corn
- Canned Black Beans
- Rotel – I prefer original Rotel, but you can use a spicier or smoky version if you like. If you can’t find it, use a canned tomato product with green chiles.
- Heavy Cream
- Toppings – One of the easiest ways to make this the BEST chicken tortilla soup is by adding your favorite toppings. Try shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips or tortilla strips, cilantro, lime juice, pickled jalapenos, diced tomatoes, red onions, sliced avocados, or pico de gallo.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Pour chicken broth in a large pot and add the 2 corn tortillas and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the tortillas disintegrate into the broth mixture.
Whisk in the cream of chicken soup until smooth. Then add shredded chicken, corn, black beans and Rotel.
Add heavy cream and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve warm with your choice of toppings.
Recipe Tips
- Let the tortillas simmer – It’s very important that you give the corn tortillas enough time in the simmering chicken broth to fully disintegrate. Once they break down they act as a thickener and a key flavoring agent. Skipping or rushing this step can cause runny soup and shortchange the delicious taste!
- Whisk after the condensed soup – I like to pause at this step and whisk the condensed soup into the broth and tortilla mixture. It helps the creaminess come together easier and faster.
- Drain the beans and corn – Make sure you get rid of the extra liquid in the canned corn and beans. Adding that in may make your soup runny and affect the flavor.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Use taco seasoning– Save yourself the time it takes to measure individual spices by replacing them with a packet of taco seasoning instead.
- Use pre-cooked chicken– You can often find pre-shredded, pre-cooked chicken ready to go at the grocery store. It’s a great time saver!
- Cook ahead– Soup is so easy to reheat and this recipe is no exception. Just throw it together when you have 30 minutes, then refrigerate it until dinner time. Reheat, top, and serve!
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Spicy Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup– Add in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper to the spice mix and use a can of spicy Rotel instead of original, and add some hot sauce to the mix. Make the recipe as directed, and top with jalapenos for additional heat.
- Cheesy Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup– Make the soup as directed but swap one can of condensed chicken soup for cream of cheddar soup then top with extra shredded cheddar cheese.
- Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup– Make the recipe as directed but replace the condensed chicken soup with two cans of enchilada sauce like I do in my Loaded Beef Enchilada Soup.
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this easy chicken tortilla soup recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Make the soup as directed, but leave out the heavy cream.
- Cool completely.
- Portion into freezer safe storage containers.
- Freeze.
- When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
- Reheat on the stove and add the heavy cream. If reheating less than the full batch, divide the heavy cream accordingly.
What to Serve with Chicken Tortilla Soup
Since this dish has the classic flavors of cumin, tortillas, and chili powder, it will pair well with many of your favorite Mexican side dishes. There are both classic options like Easy Mexican Rice and some healthy options to keep it light. My favorite side dish for this are Mexican Roasted Vegetables – they’re roasted to perfection!
What goes well with soup
- Mexican Corn Casserole – This easy baked side is another one pot wonder to keep your dishes at a minimum.
- Mexican Corn Bread – Enjoy this variation of classic corn bread, perfect for soaking up that delicious soup.
- Crock Pot Beans – Try my Mexican style refried beans or my delicious slow cooker black beans, both are great! Another crowd favorite if you like creamy pinto beans are Borracho Beans and they only take 10 minutes of prep!
- Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice – The zingy lime flavors of this copycat recipe are perfect alongside rich, creamy tortilla soup.
- Mexican Corn Salad – This light and refreshing salad is healthy, delicious, and so easy to make.
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making tortilla soup, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
More EASY Soup Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy chicken recipes here or if you are looking for more stovetop chicken recipes check this out, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Crock Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Chili’s Copycat Southwest Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
- Loaded Beef Enchilada Soup
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 corn tortillas
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 21 ounces cream of chicken soup, (2 cans)
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 15.25 ounce can sweet corn, drained (1 can)
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (1 can)
- 10 ounce can ROTEL, (1 can)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Toppings (optional)
- Sour cream
- shredded cheese
- chopped cilantro
- crushed tortilla chips
- pico de gallo
Instructions
- Pour the chicken broth in a large pot and add the 2 corn tortillas and the spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt.) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the tortillas disintegrate into the broth mixture.
- Whisk in the cream of chicken soup until smooth. Then add the remaining ingredients (shredded chicken, corn, black beans, rotel, and heavy cream.) Stir to combine.
- Simmer for 10 minutes then serve warm with your choice of toppings.
Recipe Notes
- Chicken broth – Chicken stock or vegetable broth
- Spices – Swap in a single packet of taco seasoning
- Black Beans – Pinto can also work.
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
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- Make the soup as directed, but leave out the heavy cream.
-
- Cool completely.
-
- Portion into freezer safe storage containers.
-
- Freeze.
-
- When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
-
- Reheat on the stove and add the heavy cream. If reheating less than the full batch, divide the heavy cream accordingly.
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