Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup is an easy slow cooker soup recipe that is filling and a definitely family favorite! We love topping it with green onions, cilantro, and sour cream, and then serving leftovers over rice the next day. With only 15 minutes of prep time, this is one of my favorite easy soup recipes and is perfect for a cold night!
I love creamy soups, especially during the fall and winter months (aka soup season!), and even more when they are easy and can be made in the slow cooker! Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup has always been a favorite of mine, and this recipe is definitely going to be on a regular rotation for us this year.
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup is the perfect blend of comfort and flavor, bringing together tender chicken, hearty black beans, sweet corn, and a rich, creamy broth with just the right kick of spice. Topped with crispy tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime, this soup is a satisfying one-pot meal that’s as cozy as it is delicious. Whether you’re making it for a weeknight dinner or serving it to guests, it’s a crowd-pleasing favorite that never disappoints.
Looking for other game day recipes? Check out my Hot Honey Wings, Whipped Feta, and Bacon Jalapeno Crescent Roll ups!
Looking for more cozy soups? Check out my Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup, Creamy Beef Taco Soup, and Marry Me Chicken Orzo Soup!
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - chicken breasts are a great affordable and versatile lean protein in this soup.
- Black Beans - black beans add texture, fiber, and flavor to this chicken tortilla soup recipe.
- Frozen Corn - corn is a common ingredient in tortilla soup. Frozen corn kernels are recommended as it is flash frozen at peak freshness.
- Onion
- Taco Seasoning - use mild, medium, or hot, depending on your spice level preference.
- Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
- Diced Green Chiles - for even more green chile flavor!
- Chicken Broth - I like to use chicken bouillon because I always have it on hand. Chicken bone broth and chicken stock also work well in this creamy tortilla soup.
- Sour Cream - sour cream makes this chicken tortilla soup creamy.
- Cheddar Cheese - Colby jack cheese and Monterey Jack cheese would also work well.
- Favorite Toppings - we love topping this soup recipe with fresh cilantro, diced green onion, diced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips.
Variations
- Swap the beans. If you have kidney beans or pinto beans and not black beans, use those instead.
- Use a different type of corn. You can also use canned whole kernel corn or fresh corn instead of frozen.
- Homemade taco seasoning. In addition, if you don't have taco seasoning, you can use a combination of chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, and paprika. Just add 2 teaspoons of chili powder, and 1 teaspoon each of cumin, oregano, and paprika.
- Add Bell Pepper. Bell peppers are a great addition to soups with taco flavoring. Simply chop up one bell pepper and add along with the onion.
- Swap the Meat. You can use ground chicken, ground turkey, chicken thighs, or rotisserie chicken instead of chicken breast.
- Add some Spice - If you like your food on the spicy side, add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a diced jalapeños, some hot sauce, or medium heat or spicy taco seasoning.
- Sour Cream Swap - instead of sour cream, you could use plain whole milk Greek yogurt, cream cheese, or heavy cream to make this soup creamy.
Step by Step Instructions
This is such an easy crock pot recipe! It is one of our favorite soups that my whole family loves and I love to make because it is so fast and easy to add to the slow cooker and let it cook all day.
Photo 1. Add the chicken breasts, black beans, corn, onion, diced tomatoes, green chiles, taco seasoning, chicken broth, and salt and black pepper to taste to a large slow cooker. Give it a little stir and then cover.
Photo 2. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Photo 3. After cooking, shred the chicken. I like to remove them from the slow cooker and shred them in my stand mixer. You can also shred it using a couple of forks.
Photo 4. Remove 1 cup of the soup broth and transfer it to a medium bowl. Add the sour cream and mix until well combined. Doing the step allows the sour cream to mix in easier with the broth and prevents it from curdling.
Photo 5. Return the sour cream/broth mixture along with the cheese to the slow cooker.
Photo 6. Stir until the shredded cheese until melted. Serve and enjoy!
Now it's time to serve! This soup is delicious with some good garnish toppings! Some options are diced green onions, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, crispy tortilla strips, tortilla chips, a squeeze of lime juice, lime wedges, or additional shredded cheddar cheese.
Expert Tips
Make on the Stovetop - To make this on the stovetop, start by saute the onions in a little bit of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or large Dutch oven for about 5 minutes. Next, add the chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, taco seasoning, and broth, and bring to a simmer. Let it cook/boil for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is easily shreddable. Then remove 1 cup of the broth and combine with the sour cream and then return that mixture to the pot. Stir in the cheddar cheese, and then cook for a few more minutes to let it warm all the way back up.
Adjust the Broth- you can add more or less broth depending on how thick/broth-y you like soup. Adding 3 cups will make it a medium-thick soup. If you like tortilla soup with more broth, add 4-5 cups.
Prep Ahead - If you want to make this even easier on busy weekdays, place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker the night before and store in the refrigerator with the lid on. Then all you have to do is place the slow cooker pot in the slow cooker and turn it on in the morning.
Storage - store leftovers in an airtight container int he fridge for 3-4 days.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. Using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut—just add it during the last 10–15 minutes of cooking to keep it tender.
Yes. Simple add all of the ingredients except for the sour cream and cheese to a freezer bag. I like to use chicken bouillon instead of broth and then add water to the slow cooker once I'm ready to cook it. Then simply follow the instructions for adding the sour cream and cheese.
Add diced jalapeños, extra chili powder, or a splash of hot sauce. Adjust spice gradually so it doesn’t overpower the creamy base.
Classic toppings include crispy tortilla strips, shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, or a squeeze of lime for brightness.
Other Taco Inspired Dishes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 white onion diced
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 4 ounce diced green chiles
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese plus more for topping
- diced green onions, diced avocado, sour cream, cilantro for topping
Instructions
- To the slow cooker, add the chicken, onion, beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, taco seasoning, garlic powder, and broth.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Shred the chicken and then add it back to the slow cooker.
- Remove 1 cup of the broth and in a separate medium bowl, mix together with the sour cream.
- Add the mixture back to the slow cooker, along with the cheese, stirring to combine.
- Cook on high for 15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Make this into a freezer meal by adding all of the ingredients except the sour cream and cheese to a large freezer bag and freeze. Thaw overnight and then add to the slow cooker and follow cooking instructions from there.
I loved the ease of assembly for this recipe! Just what a crockpot soup should be and the results were quite tasty. I only gave 4 stars because I thought the flavor was a little bland initially. However, I added 1/2 Tablespoon of cumin and a generous squeeze of lime juice and that gave it the punch I was looking for. I will make this again!
One of my favorites! Love the flavor
Can this soup be frozen?
I haven't tried freezing it, but I think it should work.
I just made this soup today and was super excited to try it! Unfortunately my cheese curdled when I was stirring it in 🙁
I used Publix cheddar cheese (shredded from a bag) and forgot to bring it to room temp before add it in. But! The soup still taste great and I will definitely be maki bc it again!