Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (2024)

  • Chicken Soups
  • Comfort Food
  • Shredded Chicken
  • Mexican
  • Cinco De Mayo

This is truly the best chicken tortilla soup! This classic Mexican soup with chicken and tomatoes is topped with crispy fried tortillas, avocado, Jack cheese, cilantro, and lime.

By

Elise Bauer

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (1)

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated September 29, 2023

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (2)

20 ratings

Tortilla soup encompasses all the things I love best in Mexican cooking.

Do you like salsa? Avocado? Cilantro? Fresh hot tortilla chips? Tortilla soup is like a soup version of my favorite enchilada, with chicken, and tortilla chips. And avocado.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (3)

Don't Skip Frying the Tortillas

The essential step that distinguishes tortilla soup from other Mexican soups is that you fry strips of corn tortillas in oil first, and then use the tortilla cooking oil to build the soup.

Tortillas chips aren't merely a garnish for this soup. By using the tortilla frying oil as a base for the soup you infuse the whole soup with the warm flavor of toasted corn tortillas!

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (4)

Best Tortillas for Chicken Tortilla Soup

The best tortillas to use for tortilla soup are stale yellow corn tortillas. Yellow corn tortillas are sturdier than white corn tortillas and have a richer flavor when cooked. Homemade is best, of course, but store-bought tortillas will also work for this recipe.

The tortillas should be a little stale, or dry; they'll fry up more easily that way. My guess is that tortilla soup was first invented as a way to use leftover tortillas.

Since I don't usually have dry tortillas sitting around, I put my fresh-from-the-fridge corn tortillas in a 200°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. That's just enough heat to dry them sufficiently so they fry easily.

More Mexican Soups to Try

  • Mexican Chicken Lime Soup
  • Mexican Meatball Soup
  • Chicken Pozole
  • Posole Rojo
  • Pork and Poblano Stew

Time-Saving Short-Cut for Chicken Tortilla Soup

If you don't have leftover chicken already in the fridge for this recipe, pick up a rotisserie chicken on your way home from work. (Save the bones to make homemade chicken stock.)

You can also quickly poach a few chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe.

How to Store Chicken Tortilla Soup

Store the fried tortilla chips separately in an airtight container at room temperature. The soup itself can be kept refrigerated for up to five days, or frozen for up to three months.

More Great Mexican Soups & Stews

  • Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Pozole Rojo
  • Albondigas Soup
  • Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup
  • Chicken Pozole
  • Mexican Chicken and Lime Soup

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Servings4 servings

This recipe is easily doubled.

This recipe is adapted from one we found years ago on the website of Muir Glen, makers of organic canned tomatoes. Muir Glen makes a particularly good "fire-roasted" canned tomato, which is well suited to Mexican dishes.

Ingredients

  • 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, preferably a little old and dried out

  • 1/4 cup corn oil, peanut oil, or extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup chopped onion

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chili, seeded, veins removed, chopped (Depending on the hotness and flavor desired. You can also mix chilies—1 Anaheim and a 1/2 jalapeño.)

  • 4 cups chicken broth or homemadechicken stock

  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted)

  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

  • 1 ripe avocado

  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or mild cheddar)

  • Chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Method

  1. Fry the tortilla strips:

    If you are starting with somewhat old, dried-out tortillas, great. If not and you are starting with relatively fresh tortillas, put them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200°F for 10 to 15 minutes to dry them out a bit. It is best to start with tortillas that don't have a lot of moisture in them.

    Cut the tortillas in half, and then cut the halves into 1/4-inch wide strips.

    Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 3-quart pot. Working in three batches, fry the tortilla strips in the oil, until lightly browned and crisp. Remove the tortilla strips from the pan and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.

    Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (5)

    Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (6)

  2. Sauté the vegetables:

    Add the chopped onions to the pan, cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chopped chile and cook for 2-3 minutes more, until the onions and chiles have softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.

  3. Simmer the soup:

    Add the broth, tomatoes, and salt. Increase the heat to high, heat until the soup begins to boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and cook until heated through.

    Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (7)

  4. Serve with tortilla strips and garnishes:

    To serve, pit, peel, and cut the avocado into 1-inch pieces. Divide half of the tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

    Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (8)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
561Calories
38g Fat
38g Carbs
24g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories561
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g49%
Saturated Fat 8g39%
Cholesterol 56mg19%
Sodium 1348mg59%
Total Carbohydrate 38g14%
Dietary Fiber 13g46%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 48mg240%
Calcium 222mg17%
Iron 3mg16%
Potassium 1054mg22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does chicken tortilla soup contain? ›

Chicken tortilla soup actually is an authentic Mexican dish. The traditional soup is made with chicken broth, tomatoes, garlic, onion, chiles, and fried tortilla strips. There are also variations of the soup, like ones that include beans.

What can I use to thicken my tortilla soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

How to make chicken soup without drying out the chicken? ›

Cold-poaching the chicken breasts, then removing them until the end of the cooking process, guarantees a perfectly tender and juicy texture. Using stock reinforces the flavor of the broth, creating a more deeply flavorful soup.

What are the ingredients in Costco chicken tortilla soup? ›

INGREDIENTS: chicken stock, diced tomatoes in juice, cooked chicken meat, cooked white chicken meat, onions, corn, carrots, roasted poblano peppers, roasted red bell peppers, roasted green chiles, tortillas (corn, water, lime), contains 2% or less of: tomato paste, water, cultured dextrose, sea salt, modified food ...

Is chicken tortilla soup good when sick? ›

Chicken tortilla soup is low in calories but high in flavor. The amino acid cysteine, contained in the chicken in this powerful soup, loosens secretions, thinning out mucus and promoting coughing, which is needed to clear your nose and throat.

What is chicken soup broth made of? ›

Chicken Broth Ingredients

Chicken pieces: You can cut up a whole chicken to make broth or use any combination of bony chicken pieces, like legs, wings, necks and/or backbones. Celery, carrots and onions: This veggie trio is known as mirepoix. It adds depth and makes up the aromatic base of broth.

How do you tone down chicken tortilla soup? ›

Add Some Starches

The easiest way to tone down a spicy dish is to serve a smaller portion with plenty of rice, bread, potatoes, pasta, or plain starch to counter the heat. For soups and stews, raw and starchy vegetables like potatoes or carrots work well.

Why is my chicken tortilla soup watery? ›

Sometimes all your soup needs is a little more time on the stove. Allow your chicken tortilla soup to simmer uncovered for an extended period. The heat will help evaporate some of the liquid, naturally thickening the soup.

What does cornstarch do in soup? ›

Cornstarch, or corn flour, can be used to thicken soup through its high starch content. Cornstarch is a great thickener for soup because only a little bit is needed to significantly thicken a soup, and it will not affect the flavor profile of the soup.

Does chicken soup get better the longer you cook it? ›

While broth and stock both get richer and richer the longer you cook them, the problem is that the chicken meat will dry out and get tough if you let it go too long.

Do you simmer chicken soup covered or uncovered? ›

Place chicken, carrots, celery, and onion in a large soup pot; add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until meat falls off of the bone, about 90 minutes. Skim off foam every so often, as needed.

Can I put raw chicken in my soup? ›

We first make the stock and later add the raw chicken meat to cook near the end of the soup-making process. You could also cook the breast and thigh chicken pieces whole, in the broth, and remove them after 15 minutes of cooking or so, cool them and shred them to be added at service.

Why is it called chicken tortilla soup? ›

It's hard to pinpoint exactly the origin of tortilla soup, but it is generally attributed to Central Mexico and especially popular in Mexico City, where it was possibly born in the nearby state of Tlaxcala (which in Nahuatl means “land of the corn” or “place where tortillas abound”).

Who makes Kirkland chicken tortilla soup? ›

The label declares the product, manufactured by Kettle Cuisine Midco, LLC, as gluten-free, which is a false negative claim.

Does chicken tortilla soup go bad? ›

How long will it keep? You can store any leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for 3-4 days.

What is sopa de tortilla made of? ›

Traditional tortilla soup is made of fried corn tortilla pieces, submerged into a broth of tomato, garlic, onion, and epazote. It is served with pieces of pasilla chiles, chicharrón, avocado, queso panela, lime, and Mexican crema.

What goes with chicken tortilla soup? ›

You can enjoy tortilla soup with many things, like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. Mexican rice, chips with guacamole, roasted corn, black beans, and Mexican cornbread are also good choices.

What does caldo de pollo contain? ›

What are the key ingredients in Caldo de Pollo? The main ingredients include chicken pieces (bone-in for flavor), vegetables like carrots, celery, and potatoes, as well as seasonings such as garlic, onions, and herbs.

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