This slow cooker chicken tortilla soup is one of our favorite Mexican soup recipes! Toss everything in your slow cooker for this easy tortilla soup. In the last few minutes before serving, quickly bake sliced tortillas for a crispy topping!
Easy Tortilla Soup Recipe
This is the best chicken tortilla soup recipe! It is one of the easiest slow cooker tortilla soup recipes because everything is placed right into the slow cooker bowl and you can forget about it for hours. Once it's done cooking, shred the chicken while it's still in the slow cooker so you don't have to dirty another plate.
My family loves soup. We'll eat chicken noodle soup, tortellini soup, butternut squash soup, french onion soup, baked potato soup, taco soup and of course our regular meal plan rotation of sausage, kale and potato soup.
What is Tortilla Soup Made Of?
Tortilla soup is a Mexican soup made of shredded cooked chicken in a broth of chicken and enchilada sauce with your favorite Mexican spices. Chicken tortilla soup is topped with crispy tortilla strips. It is typically served with additional toppings like avocado, cilantro, shredded cheese and sour cream.
Some chicken tortilla soup recipes include corn and/or beans. This recipe is a basic tortilla soup recipe but corn and beans can definitely be added!
Homemade Crispy Tortilla Strips
We love topping our tortilla soup with crispy homemade tortilla strips. It is SUPER simple and quick! Use store-bought corn tortillas, sliced them with a pizza cutter then bake on a baking sheet for a few minutes. It is THAT easy! You can do this during the last 20 minutes of the soup cooking, or just keep the slow cooker setting on warm.
(I've used store-bought flour tortillas to make cinnamon chips for an apple pie dip! Same sort of idea here!)
How Long is Chicken Tortilla Soup Good?
I love making soup recipes that yield a bunch. You might consider doubling this slow cooker chicken tortilla soup recipe to freeze leftovers. This tortilla soup stores well in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, but you can freeze it for much longer! Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove. It's so great when you can make two meals in one setting!
Tips for Making Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Use a large 6 quart slow cooker or crock pot.
- To make a heartier soup, add 1 cup frozen or canned corn (drained) and a 15 oz. can of black beans (rinsed and drained).
- The diced tomatoes and chicken broth can be substituted for a lower-sodium version to create a healthier soup.
- For a more kid-friendly (less spicy) soup, omit or use less of the green chiles and chipotle peppers.
- Prepare tortilla strips 20 minutes before serving.
I hope you love this tortilla soup as much as we do! What is your favorite soup recipe?
Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (10 oz.) can red enchilada sauce
- 1 medium yellow onion , peeled and chopped
- 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
- 1 clove garlic , minced or pressed
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 (15 oz.) can chicken broth
- 1 to 2 chipotles in adobo sauce (from a can), minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 whole bay leaf
For crispy tortilla strips:
- 6 corn tortillas
- Oil spray
Optional toppings:
- Handful of cilantro , washed and chopped
- Avocado , sliced
- Sour Cream
- Shredded cheese
Instructions
For the soup:
- Combine all of the soup ingredients listed, through the bay leaf, in a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Use two forks to shred the chicken in the pot. Stir in cilantro and discard bay leaf. Keep warm while making the tortilla strips.
For the crispy tortilla strips:
- When there is about 20 minutes left before serving, prepare the tortilla strips: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray each side of the tortillas with the oil spray, sprinkle with a small about of salt (optional).
- Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice each tortilla in half, then into ½-inch strips. Layer on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven, turning frequently, for 5-8 minutes, or until crispy. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Serve soup in individual bowls, topped with the tortilla strips and other optional toppings.
Notes
- To make a heartier soup, add 1 cup frozen or canned corn (drained) and a 15 oz. can of black beans (rinsed and drained).
- The diced tomatoes and chicken broth can be substituted for a lower-sodium version to create a healthier soup. I'll leave it up to you to choose!
- For a more kid-friendly (less spicy) soup, omit or use less of the green chiles and chipotle peppers.
- Nutritional value is an estimate and does not include optional toppings.
- Recipe adapted from: Prevention RD's Everyday Healthy Cooking
Nutrition
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This recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup was originally published on January 7, 2014 and updated with new tips on October 23, 2019.
