Give your slow cooker supper a spicy kick with this easy slow cooker chicken tortilla soup recipe that cooks all day by itself into deliciousness!
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Why we love this recipe
If there is any kitchen appliance more helpful, cooperative and just plain satisfying than the good old slow cooker, I don’t know what it is.
Sure, the food processor is all dramatic with the instant chopping, and the KitchenAid mixer is the 800 pound gorilla, towering over all the other gadgets.
And every once in a while, my trusty rice cooker comes out to work on some rice or oatmeal or grits.
But my heart belongs to the slow cooker, for two reasons.
First of all, pretty much anything you throw in there comes out tasting great. Beef barley soup. Bolognese sauce.
Even a chocolate pudding cake that Is one of the very favorite dessert treats in our house!
And second of all — and this happens to me every time — you toss whatever it is into the slow cooker first thing in the morning.
Then you go off about your day while whatever it is cooks in perfect slowness for eight hours.
Then you slog back in the door at the end of the day, weary from the day, working up your energy to make dinner…and HAPPINESS!!
You’ve forgotten that dinner is already made because you put it in the slow cooker that morning. And not only is it MADE, but it is scrumptious, because there is nothing to bring out the flavor in a whole lot of things like cooking them at a really low temperature for hours on end.
Which brings me to this soup, which is a spicy, hearty, easy mixture of shredded chicken, corn, chopped chili peppers, chopped tomatoes, some chicken broth and a bunch of spices that will open up your sinuses, and I mean this in a good way!
I serve it with a little bowl of crumbled tortilla chips right at the table so people can sprinkle some crunchiness right into their bowls.
So go find those slow cookers – I know you have one somewhere – and it give this super soup recipe some love!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Chicken: We like chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can also use boneless chicken thighs.
- Corn: Either fresh or frozen corn will work!
- Enchilada Sauce: You can swap in taco sauce if you prefer, and this is one of the ways you can adjust the spiciness of this soup. Use the mild version if you want to keep things less spicy, or the regular (or hot!) version if you want to sass things up! Look for this canned sauce in the international foods section of your supermarket.
- Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the boxed version for the freshest taste.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Pour some chicken broth into your slow cooker and and stir in some enchilada sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and a bay leaf.
STEP 2: Add some boneless chicken, canned tomatoes with their juices, chopped onion, canned green chilis, garlic and corn. Give it all a stir, put the lid on the slow cooker, set it for 8 hours on low and go enjoy your day!
STEP 3: After 8 hours are up, scoop out the chicken and shred it into bite sized pieces. If you see the bay leaf, fish it out and toss it – it’s work is done.
STEP 4: Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup. And…you are ready to serve it up!
We like to pass a bowl of crush tortilla chips around the table and let folks sprinkle them on top, but a dollop of sour cream would also be delectable.
Recipe FAQs
We love our Bear Paws Shredder Claws for this job, but pulling it apart with two forks works just as well. And I know some folks swear by putting your cooked chicken in a mixing bowl and shredding it by running a hand mixer through it!
The very best and safest way is to measure the temperature with an instant read thermometer…it should read 165 degrees.
I wish I could say yes…but the USDA says no. Even if your chicken thaws out and cooks to 165 degrees, the thawing process could leave behind some unwanted bacteria. And nobody wants that for dinner!
That is up to you! I am a spice wimp and so I always go for the mild version of enchilada sauce and peppers…if you like more heat, you can use regular or hot!
Leave your question (or comment or suggestion) in the Comments box below the recipe and I will answer pronto!
Want to round out your meal?
We love this polenta with corn on the side of this soup, and we also are always happy with a slice of warm sheet pan focaccia.
And for dessert, let’s cool things down with this peanut butter and chocolate ice cream cake!
Other chicken soup recipes we love
Could you leave us a review?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Give your slow cooker supper a spicy kick with this easy chicken tortilla soup recipe that cooks all day by itself into deliciousness!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 10 ounce can enchilada sauce
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/5 pounds boneless chicken breast
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 4 ounce can chopped green chile peppers
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups corn (fresh or frozen is okay)
- Crumbled tortilla chips
Instructions
- Pour chicken broth into your slow cooker and stir in enchilada sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf.
- Stir in tomatoes, onion, green chiles, garlic and corn. Add the chicken.
- Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken, shred it into bite sized pieces and return it to the slow cooker. Give everything a stir.
- To serve, sprinkle crumbled tortilla chips over soup…I like to have a bowl of these on the table so everyone can sprinkle their own!
Notes
-
- Chicken: We like chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can also use boneless chicken thighs.
-
- Corn: Either fresh or frozen corn will work!
-
- Enchilada Sauce: You can swap in taco sauce if you prefer, and this is one of the ways you can adjust the spiciness of this soup. Use the mild version if you want to keep things less spicy, or the regular (or hot!) version if you want to sass things up! Look for this canned sauce in the international foods section of your supermarket.
-
- Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the boxed version for the freshest taste.
Ashley Fowler says
I have made this countless times over the years, and it never disappoints. It couldn’t be easier, I follow the recipe to a T, and it’s the best chicken tortilla soup recipe I’ve come across – I’ll be using this one forever! My sister recently had her second child, and I’ve been preparing meals ahead of time for her and her family. Her three year old is a picky eater, and even he loves this recipe! Stop what you’re doing and save this recipe – you will not be disappointed!
Ashley! Thank you so much for these sweet words, and congrats to you on your new niece or nephew! I love it that the three year old loves it too. :)
FramedCooks says
Hatch – I hadn't heard about them but now I will look – thanks! :)
Marisa says
This looks very similar to my favorite tortilla soup recipe—"Michele's Crock Pot Tortilla Soup" from the label of Hatch enchilada sauce. At the time, we lived near Hatch, NM, and even went to the Hatch Chile Festival. We've since moved to the NW, but I found one local store that carries Hatch products. I've made the soup several times this holiday season, and it's always a big hit! Hatch is THE BEST for green enchilada sauce and green chiles. Yum. I can still smell them roasting. . .
FramedCooks says
Simone, thank you so much! :)
Simone Collins says
This looks so good! Featured your recipe in my Food Trend article today on the RecipeLion blog. http://is.gd/QgEcu4
Kate Morgan Jackson says
Thanks all! And yes…everyone NEEDS a crockpot. It's just the best. :)
Kelly says
looks amazingly delicious! can't wait to try it!
megferdaze says
this looks so tasty and perfect for a raining summer day! or a baseball game!
Kate says
This looks wonderful!! I love the idea of doing it in the crockpot.
Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger) says
What a simple lovely soup. Anything with tortillas is a winner in my book.
Marcella Alyssa says
This looks wonderful! I have to add "slow cooker" to my list of things to buy when I get my own apartment. I think I would also have a little bowl of shredded cheddar cheese to sprinkle on the soup :)
Christine says
yum, I've always wanted to try making tortilla soup! I'm adding this recipe to my list of things to try out :)
Melissa @IWasBornToCook says
I'm a big fan of my crockpot. And I'll be trying this soon…looks great!
Joanne says
Can you remind me that the slow cooker exists the next time I have five million things to do and really don't have time to cook? because I always seem to forget. This tortilla soup looks delicious!
PoetessWug says
Yummy Yummy Yum Yum Yum!!!,,,,Thank you! :-) And…Uh….don't be such a 'SLOW COOKER' about that chocolate pudding cake….HUH?!! ^_^