Description
This Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is a hearty and flavorful slow-cooked Mexican-inspired soup featuring tender shredded chicken, corn, tomatoes with green chiles, and a rich enchilada-seasoned broth. Perfect for an easy and comforting meal with minimal prep, topped with shredded cheese and crunchy tortilla strips for extra texture.
Ingredients
Chicken & Seasoning
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 15.25 ounce can corn, undrained
- 10 ounce can diced tomatoes and green chiles (Rotel), undrained
Liquids & Sauces
- 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 10 ounce can enchilada sauce
Toppings
- Shredded cheese, as desired
- Crunchy tortilla strips, as desired
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Place 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts at the bottom of a 5-quart crock pot to form the protein base of the soup.
- Season chicken: Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper according to your taste preferences to enhance flavor.
- Add aromatics: Add 1 finely diced medium onion and 2 minced garlic cloves on top of the chicken to build depth of flavor.
- Combine liquids and vegetables: Pour in 14.5 ounces of chicken broth, 1 cup of water, the undrained 15.25-ounce can of corn, undrained 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel), and 10-ounce can of enchilada sauce over the chicken and aromatics.
- Season the soup: Sprinkle 1 packet of taco seasoning and ½ teaspoon chili powder over the mixture, then stir gently to evenly distribute all ingredients.
- Slow cook: Cover with the crock pot lid and cook the soup on low heat for 8 to 10 hours, allowing flavors to meld and chicken to become tender.
- Shred the chicken: About 15 minutes before serving, carefully remove the chicken breasts and shred them using two forks; the chicken will shred easily due to slow cooking.
- Recombine shredded chicken: Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot and stir it back into the soup.
- Final simmer: Cook the reunited soup for an additional 15 minutes to heat through and blend flavors before serving.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with shredded cheese and crunchy tortilla strips for delicious texture and flavor contrast.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken thighs for breasts for a juicier texture.
- Adjust chili powder and taco seasoning according to desired spice level.
- For a thicker soup, reduce the amount of water slightly or allow soup to cook uncovered for the last 30 minutes.
- Use gluten-free taco seasoning and enchilada sauce to make this recipe gluten free if needed.
- Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 3 days and freeze nicely for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
