Easy Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup: Best 10-Minute Prep
This easy crockpot chicken tortilla soup is a comforting, flavorful meal that requires just 10 minutes of prep. With simple ingredients like fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, and a smoky chipotle kick, it’s a set-it-and-forget-it dinner perfect for busy weeknights.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours (low) or 3-4 hours (high)
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes to 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2–3 breasts)
- 1 can (15 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) sweet corn, drained (or 1.5 cups frozen corn)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles, mild or hot
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper, to taste (start with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
- Tortilla chips, crushed or whole (for topping)
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese or cheddar (for topping)
- Fresh avocado, diced (for topping)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for topping)
- Lime wedges (for topping)
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt (for topping)
- Sliced jalapeños (for topping)
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients: Dice the onion and mince the garlic and chipotle pepper. Drain and rinse the black beans. Drain the corn. Open all the cans.
- Layer everything in the crockpot: Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, corn, green chiles, and minced chipotle pepper on top.
- Add the seasonings: Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper over the ingredients. Do not stir yet.
- Pour in the broth: Slowly pour the chicken broth around the edges so you don’t wash away the spices. If using olive oil, drizzle it in now. Give everything a gentle stir to combine.
- Cook low and slow: Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. I prefer cooking on low for 7 hours.
- Shred the chicken: Once the cooking time is up, carefully remove the chicken breasts using tongs and place them on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat. Return the shredded chicken to the soup and stir well.
- Taste and adjust: Give the soup a taste. Add more salt, cumin, or a squeeze of lime juice if needed.
- Serve with toppings: Ladle the soup into bowls and let everyone customize their own toppings with tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, and jalapeños.
Notes
Don’t skip the chipotle pepper for smoky depth. Layer ingredients properly with chicken at the bottom. Resist peeking during cooking. Shred chicken while hot. Soup tastes even better the next day. For a thicker soup, mash some black beans or add a cornstarch slurry. For a spicier version, add an extra chipotle pepper and cayenne. For a vegetarian version, swap chicken for 2 cans of pinto beans or chickpeas and use vegetable broth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cu
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 1.5
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 32
Keywords: crockpot chicken tortilla soup, easy tortilla soup, slow cooker chicken soup, Mexican soup, weeknight dinner