• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
YouTube
TikTok

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

  • All Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Side Dishes
      • Soups
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches
      • Drinks/Cocktails
      • Sauces & Dressings
    • Method
      • Crockpot
      • Instant Pot
      • One Pot
      • Air Fryer
      • Casseroles
    • Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
      • Italian
      • Mexican
      • European
      • Indian
      • Romanian
      • Mediterranean
      • Middle Eastern
      • American
    • Ingredient
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Beef
      • Seafood
      • Lamb
      • Vegetarian
      • Pasta
      • Spices
    • Holiday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Thanksgiving
      • Game Day
      • Valentine's Day
      • St. Patrick's Day
      • Cinco de Mayo
      • Mother's Day
      • Memorial Day
      • Father's Day
      • 4th Of July
      • Labor Day
      • Halloween
    • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • Shop
  • About Jo
FREE recipe eBook!
Display Search Bar Search...
All Recipes
Instant Pot
30 Minute
One Pot Meals
Soups
Dips & Dressings
Baking
Pasta
Sandwiches
Sides
Chicken Lunch One Pot Mexican
4.7 from 21 votes

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Jump to RecipeVideoPrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •10/8/22 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

pin for tortilla soup.

A homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup made with simple ingredients! This bold flavored soup hosts tender chicken, corn, fire roasted tomatoes and spicy jalapeno all in a rich broth. It’s finally topped off with homemade crispy tortilla strips, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

a blue bowl filled with chicken tortilla soup garnished with tortilla chips and cheese.

If you’ve never enjoyed Tortilla Soup, especially one that’s homemade, you are in for a treat! This is one of my absolute favorite soups ever because it’s so easy to make and the flavors are divine! Using simple ingredients, we can create a bold, rich, and comforting soup in just around 40 minutes!

Why Make This Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • Simple Ingredient List
  • Easy, Straightforward Recipe
  • Comforting Soup
  • Includes Instructions For Slow Cooker/Pressure Cooker
  • Ready In Just About 40 Minutes

Tortilla soup is one of those recipes that warms you from the inside out! It starts off with a rich, well developed broth, full of chicken and corn, then is finally topped off with crispy, crunchy tortilla strips, rich avocado slices, fresh, punchy cilantro and melty shredded cheddar cheese. Talk about easy and delicious!

Ingredient Notes

overhead shot of all the ingredients needed to make tortilla soup.

Tortilla Soup

  • Olive Oil – Substitute sunflower, safflower or avocado oil.
  • Jalapeno – Chopped, with seeds removed!
  • Spices – Mild chili powder,  ground cumin and salt and pepper.
  • Corn Kernels – Fresh or frozen!
  • Tomatoes – I used fire roasted tomatoes because they give a nice, deep, smoky flavor to the soup.
  • Chicken – Cooked chicken, shredded. I usually buy a rotisserie chicken and use that.
  • Chicken Broth – I always opt for low sodium.
  • Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed is best!

Toppings

  • Tortillas – Small corn or flour tortillas, sliced into thin strips!
  • Vegetable Oil – For frying such as canola oil.
  • Cilantro – Fresh, chopped.
  • Lime slices
  • Cheese – I used cheddar cheese, shredded.

How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup

process shots showing how to make tortilla soup.

Tortilla Chips

  1. Cook Tortilla Chips: Add about ¼ cup of vegetable oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla strips, a few at a time, and fry until crisp. Transfer them to a paper-towel lined plate and season with salt. Repeat with remaining strips.

Tortilla Soup

  1. Cook Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
  2. Add Ingredients and Cook: Add the rest of the soup ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Serve: Serve soup with crispy tortilla strips, cheddar cheese and cilantro.

Alternative Cooking Methods

Slow Cooker

  1. Combine Soup: Add all the soup ingredients in your slow cooker and give it a good stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 – 8 hours or HIGH for 3 – 4 hours. Crisp up the tortilla strips as instructed above and serve in bowls topped with cilantro and the additional garnish ingredients.

Pressure Cooker

  1. Saute the Aromatics: Turn the pressure cooker to the saute setting on high and combine olive oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeno as described in the original recipe instructions.
  2. Combine the Soup: Add chicken and remaining soup ingredients and stir before placing the lid on and allowing to lock securely according to manufacturer instructions.
  3. Finish the Soup: Set the cooker to the soup setting or manual on high pressure and cook for 4 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally and add cilantro to the pot. Serve hot garnished with the additional garnish ingredients.
a ladle lifting some tortilla soup above a dutch oven.

FAQs & Expert Tips

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Tortilla Soup?

Tortilla soup is a traditional Mexican dish, loaded with chicken and corn with spicy jalapeno in a tasty tomato and garlic broth. The magic of this dish comes from all the amazing toppings, like the fresh avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips and cheese.

Can I Bake The Tortilla Strips?

If you’d like to bake the strips rather than fry them in the oil:
Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Toss the cut tortilla strips with olive oil and salt on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Can I Make This Soup In Advance?

Yes! If you want to make this soup in advance, you can keep it in the fridge or freezer! Continue scrolling to “Storing Leftovers” section of the post for fridge and freezer instructions!

a blue bowl filled with chicken tortilla soup garnished with tortilla chips and cheese.

Tips

  1. Add a dollop of sour cream in, or on top of the soup for a creamy zing of flavor!
  2. Try adding black beans, chiles or any other Mexican inspired ingredients you see fit.
  3. Avoid using oils with low smoke points for frying the tortilla strips like extra virgin olive oil, butter, or unrefined oils.

Storing Leftover Tortilla Soup

Be sure to let your tortilla soup fully cool, then transfer to a shallow, airtight container. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.

The tortilla strips can be placed in a bag with the air pushed out and stored for up to 3 days in the cupboard!

Freezing

Let the tortilla soup cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for 4-6 months.

Tip: Place it near the back of the freezer where the temperature is the most consistent.

When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove. Prepare all the garnishes when ready to serve.

a ladle lifting some tortilla soup above a dutch oven.

More Great Recipes To Try

  • Flour Tortillas
  • Parmesan Chicken Strips
  • Taco Soup
  • Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
  • Salmon Quesadillas

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

a blue bowl filled with chicken tortilla soup garnished with tortilla chips and cheese.
Print
4.72 from 21 votes

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 40 minutes
Rate Recipe
A homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup made with simple ingredients! This bold flavored soup hosts tender chicken, corn, fire roasted tomatoes and spicy jalapeno all in a rich broth. It's finally topped off with homemade crispy tortilla strips, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.
8

Ingredients

Tortilla Soup

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 medium jalapeno (seeds removed and chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder (mild)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin (ground)
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 3 cups cooked chicken (shredded)
  • 28 ounce fire roasted tomatoes ((1 large can))
  • 4 cups chicken broth (low sodium)

Toppings

  • 4 small tortillas (corn or flour sliced into thin strips)
  • vegetable oil (for frying)
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 avocado
  • cheddar cheese (shredded)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

Tortilla Chips

  • Add about ¼ cup of vegetable oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla strips, a few at a time, and fry until crisp. Transfer them to a paper-towel lined plate and season with salt. Repeat with remaining strips.

Tortilla Soup

  • Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
  • Add the rest of the soup ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Serve soup with crispy tortilla strips, cheddar cheese and cilantro.

Equipment

  • 6 Quart Dutch Oven

Video

Notes

  1. Be sure to let your tortilla soup fully cool, then transfer to a shallow, airtight container. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  2. The tortilla strips can be placed in a bag with the air pushed out and stored for up to 3 days in the cupboard!
  3. To freeze, let the tortilla soup cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for 4-6 months. 
  4. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove. Prepare all the garnishes when ready to serve.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 316kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 22g (7%)Protein: 19g (38%)Fat: 18g (28%)Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)Cholesterol: 39mg (13%)Sodium: 377mg (16%)Potassium: 432mg (12%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 590IU (12%)Vitamin C: 9mg (11%)Calcium: 68mg (7%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

a blue bowl filled with chicken tortilla soup garnished with tortilla chips and cheese.

Did You Make This?

We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @jocooks or hashtag #jocooks so we can see your creations!

Rate Recipe
Add Your Photo!
  • 156
Home Recipes
Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More
iPad showing title of ebook 30 recipes from around the world
Subscribe

Get our FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

Loading

guest
Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.

guest
Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

4 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Mark McC
Mark McC
Posted: 2 years ago

4 stars
Great flavor. I made 1/2 batch last night. I did not half the chili powder or cumin because we like spicy.

0
Reply
SJ
SJ
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
This is a “keeper”! We loved it. Thank you, Jo.

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  SJ
Posted: 2 years ago

You are so welcome!

0
Reply
Nancy A
Nancy A
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
This is Hands down the absolute BEST soup ever. I loved it so much, I ate it 3 days in a row. I didn’t have any tortillas but the taste was just so amazingly delicious, that it didn’t even matter! Thanks Jo, this is going in my special recipe box.

0
Reply

sidebar

Headshot of Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More
Collage of recipe ebooks
Subscribe

Get our FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

Loading

Pasta Favorites

baked mac and cheese in a black cast iron skillet.
45 mins

Baked Mac And Cheese

freshly made crack chicken penne with a wooden spoon in a skillet.
40 mins

Crack Chicken Penne

chicken pot pie pasta in a white serving bowl with a wooden serving spoon.
50 mins

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

freshly made one pot pasta in a dutch oven.
20 mins

One Pot Pasta

tomato spinach chicken pasta in a white bowl.
30 mins

Tomato Spinach Chicken Pasta

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.
30 mins

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

baked feta pasta in a white bowl garnished with fresh basil.
50 mins

Baked Feta Pasta (Tik Tok Pasta)

sideview shot of chicken fajita pasta in a white bowl with a fork inside
45 mins

Chicken Fajita Pasta

side close up shot of swedish meatball pasta in a beige braised garnished with parsley
30 mins

Swedish Meatball Pasta

overhead shot of a bowl of haluski
40 mins

Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)

A stack of cookbooks
Grab a copy!

My Cookbooks

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Dinner Favorites

smothered pork chops in a skillet garnished with parsley.
1 hr 15 mins

Smothered Pork Chops

a wooden spoon lifting a salisbury steak out of the skillet
30 mins

Salisbury Steak

beef lo mein in a black wok.
30 mins

Beef Lo Mein

side shot of beef and broccoli in a skillet
15 mins

Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

shepherd's pie in a skillet with a serving taken out of it.
1 hr 25 mins

Skillet Shepherd’s Pie

a serving spoon inside a skillet with chicken broccoli rice casserole.
30 mins

One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

side view shot of two italian stuffed peppers in a bowl
2 hrs 30 mins

Italian Stuffed Peppers

side view shot of a bowl with a scoop of spaghetti bolognese in it
40 mins

Spaghetti Bolognese

Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
YouTube
TikTok
Visit our Other Site: Craving Home Cooked

Explore

Recipes
Cookbooks
About Jo
Contact

Legal

Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
© 2023 Jo Cooks
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
wpDiscuz