Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is the best healthy Crock-Pot soup recipe that is quick and easy to make. This authentic Mexican soup recipe is topped with tortilla chips and creamy avocado for an easy weeknight dinner.
Want a few other healthy Crock-Pot recipes? You might also enjoy these Stuffed Peppers, Shredded Chicken, White Chicken Chili, and Chicken Curry.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup – Healthy & Easy
Cooler weather and busy schedules mean that soup recipes start appearing on the dinner table.
Is that true for you too?
And this Crock-Pot chicken tortilla soup is BY FAR one of the BEST soup recipes out there.
(Or slow cooker, if you like to call it that!)
Growing up I often order tortilla soup at the authentic Mexican restaurants.
So this recipe is a recreation of those traditional recipes.
Except it’s pretty healthy and super easy to make so you can get it on the table for dinner!
Healthy Crockpot Tortilla Soup
This healthy recipe also has an intoxicating aroma to come home to with its…
Authentic Mexican spices from a homemade taco seasoning…
Mixed together with slow cooked shredded chicken breasts…
Creamy tomatoes and broth….
And black beans with sweet kernel corn.
You’ll feel like a rock star when you come home to this comforting meal for dinner!
How to Make
Much like the stovetop version, the steps to make this Crock-Pot tortilla soup are simple and easy to follow.
You simply throw all of the ingredients into your slow cooker and wait for the magic to happen!
(Read recipe card below for more in-depth instructions.)
- Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Pour broth and salsa into the Crock-Pot.
- Whisk together Homemade Taco Seasoning ingredients.
- Add corn and black beans.
- Sprinkle spices on top and stir ingredients until just combined.
- Cook tortilla soup in the Crock-Pot on High for 4-6 hours or Low for 6-8 hours.
- Shred chicken breasts during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Ingredients
The ingredients needed to make this soup are super easy to find.
You probably already have the majority of them in your pantry and refrigerator!
- Chicken Breasts – This is the best cut since it consists of lean meat that tenderizes easily while slow cooking.
- Salsa – A medium salsa, instead of diced tomatoes, gives the bulk of the tomato flavor and spice to this soup.
- Taco Seasoning – Using a homemade taco seasoning mix is the quickest way to give your recipe authentic Mexican flavor.
- Sweet Kernel Corn – Canned corn as well as frozen corn will both work great.
- Black Beans – Canned beans are used in this recipe. Make sure you rinse and drain them before adding them into the soup!
- Lime – The juice of a lime gives the taco soup a bit more acidity. You can also use a lemon if that is what you have on hand.
Toppings
While this slow cooker tortilla soup recipe tastes incredible on it’s own…
Adding a variety of toppings can make it even better!
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Crushed tortilla chips <– A must!!
- You can also make your own fried tortilla strips at home.
- Sliced Avocados
- Sour Cream – Or dairy-free sour cream by Tofutti.)
- Shredded Cheese – Cheddar cheese, Mexican blend, or Monterrey Jack all taste great!
- Fresh Cilantro
- Sliced Jalapeños
Can I Make this in the Instant Pot?
This Crock-Pot tortilla soup can easily be made in the Instant Pot. You can either check out how in this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup post, or read the quick directions below!
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Add all of your ingredients to a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Lift the chicken breasts to make sure there is some liquid underneath them.
- Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure and cook for 8 minutes.
- Allow it to have a Natural Pressure Release of 10 minutes.
- Once chicken is cooked, shred and let sit for 10 minutes in the soup before serving.
What Size Slow Cooker Should I Use?
Slow cookers are an extremely affordable kitchen appliance that are well worth the space they take up in your kitchen.
They come in various sizes, but I would highly encourage you to get at least a 6-QT Crock-Pot
.
This will give you plenty of room to make big batches of White Chicken Chili and Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
Can I use a Liner?
Slow Cooker Liners are a great option to use if you want to make clean-up a breeze.
They can be thrown away after each use and keep your Crock-Pot sparkly clean!
Storing
How long will leftover soup last?
Leftover soup will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Can I freeze chicken tortilla soup?
This recipe freezes extremely well. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
FAQs
Can I use Rotel in place of the salsa?
You absolutely can! Use the Rotel with green chilis and use the same amount.
How spicy is this recipe?
This main dish is about a 3-4 out of 10 on the spice scale.
Read below if you would like to adjust the spice level.
How can I change the spice level of this soup?
Use a MILD salsa instead of the medium salsa and decrease the cayenne pepper in the DIY taco seasoning.
Use a HOT salsa instead of the medium salsa and increase the cayenne pepper in the DIY taco seasoning.
You can also add sliced, fresh jalapenos to give it a spicy kick.
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Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts
- 16 ounces jar salsa mild or medium*
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning*
- ½ teaspoon salt to taste
- 15 ounces can black beans rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces can whole kernel corn drained
- 3 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
Toppings:
- Tortilla chips optional
- Cilantro optional
- Green Onions optional
- Avocado
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts on the bottom of slow cooker.1 ½ pounds chicken breasts
- Pour salsa and chicken broth into the Crock-pot or slow cooker and make sure to pick up chicken breasts so some liquid gets underneath them.16 ounces jar salsa, 5 cups chicken broth
- Add beans, corn, seasoning, and lime juice to the slow cooker. Give liquid a good stir, cover, and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning*, ½ teaspoon salt, 15 ounces can black beans, 15 ounces can whole kernel corn, 3 tablespoons lime juice
- Towards the last 30 minutes of cooking, shred the chicken. Let continue cooking for the last 30 minutes.
- Tortilla chips, Cilantro, Green Onions, Avocado
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Notes
- Cheese: Leave it out if necessary, or opt for a dairy-free version.
- Seasonings. Make your own taco seasoning for the best flavor.
- Prep-Ahead: Since the flavors will continue to get better over time, this is a great soup to make in advance. Just wait to add the tortilla chips and toppings until serving.
- Storage: Leftover soup will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: This recipe freezes extremely well. Seal in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
- Reheating: Warm in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or microwave, until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I add a jalapeno to this recipe? Will it work well in a slow cooker?
Hi Michelle! You absolutely can, and I highly encourage it! Just finely dice the jalapeno (removing or including the seeds depending on your desired spice level) and add them to the slow cooker along with the other ingredients. Can’t wait to hear how this recipe turns out for you!
I have uncooked raw black beans. Can I use these instead of canned beans, perhaps if I soak them the night before?
Hi Peter! I would try to at least partially cook them before adding them into the soup. They may take quite a bit longer to cook than the soup will if completely uncooked!
This recipe was amazing! First time having and making chicken tortilla soup and I am so glad I found this recipe. I only had fire roasted corn in my pantry, but I thought it was still amazing and might have added a lil somethin-somethin..maybe not. Either way, thank you for this amazing recipe!
I bet the fire roasted corn gave it some great flavor!! I am so happy you enjoyed it, Heidi! Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
Hi! I am looking to make this recipe on the stove instead of the crock pot for lack of time. If I cook the chicken seaprately, how long should I heat up the other ingredients on the stove? Thanks!
Hi Lindsey! You should be able to heat up the ingredients in as little as 15-20 minutes over medium-low heat. The longer you can the better, though, since the flavors will really meld together! Also, try to add your cooked chicken in there for at least half of the time so it soaks up some of the flavor, too. Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
I’ve made the soup twice now, once over the stove, and once in the crockpot. It is so delicious!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🙂
So happy you have enjoyed it so much, Lindsey!! Thanks for your comment and rating!
This soup is out of this world!!!! I followed the recipe exactly using spicy, chunky-style salsa and extra hot cayenne. Let’s just say my husband will put hot sauce on EVERYTHING and over the years I have developed a spicy palette. I will be making this again and again for a delicious and healthy lunch. Thank you so much for the recipe. I look forward to trying more.
That’s great to hear, Kathy!! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for your review and rating 🙂
I have this in the crock pot right now and omg my house smells amazing! Dinner is about an hour away and I can’t wait to eat! Thanks for the recipe, I’m truly excited to try this soup!
You’re so welcome, Mary!! I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
This is one my husband’s favorite when I make it. Thank you for an easy to follow and yet extremely delicious meal.
Happy New Year 2019
Jose P
Hi Jose! I am SO happy you and your hubby enjoy it so much. Thanks for the comment/rating. Happy New Year 2019 to you too!
If you wanted to make this soup vegetarian could you make it without the chicken? Would that alter cook time/etc.?
Hi Sarah! You totally could make this without chicken. I would suggest adding chickpeas or more beans to keep the volume of ingredients about the same. Since there is no meat to be cooked, it should only take about 3-4 hours. Would love to know how it turns out for you!
If i would like to make this for a potluck can i start it the night before and then refrigerate it until morning so that all it needs is to be warmed up?!
Hi Jessica! Yes, that will work out great! You can heat it up in the Crock-Pot (I would give it at least an hour!) or on the stovetop (max 30 minutes or so). Can’t wait to hear what you think!
If you were going to make this with already cooked chicken breasts would you stil be able to put it in a slow cooker?
Hi Tamzie! Yes! You totally can, but just know the chicken probably won’t be nearly as tender as it would otherwise be. Also, you should only need to cook it on Low for about 2 hours. Would love to hear how it turns out for you!