This homemade take on the popular soup will satisfy and impress both family and friends—no one has to know how easy cooking it from scratch actually is!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Comforting, hearty soup filled with southwest flavors
- Temperature and spice warm your soul during chilly winter months
- Easiest of soup recipes—the slow cooker does all the work
Crockpot chicken tortilla soup is a restaurant favorite that you can now make from the comfort of your very own kitchen!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Add the chicken breasts, cumin, garlic, black beans, and cilantro to crock pot.
- Pour in chicken broth, Rotel, and salsa. Cook.
- Shred the chicken with two forks.
- Mix shredded chicken back in and ladle into bowls with cheese and tortilla chips.
🥫 Storage
You'll look forward to eating crock pot chicken tortilla soup leftovers—the flavors are just as good (or even better) the next day! Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
The best way to reheat homemade chicken tortilla soup is on the stove in a large soup pot. Let it simmer over low heat until warm. However, if you're in a pinch for time, you can heat the leftover soup in the microwave and it'll taste just fine, too.
Don't forget to serve leftovers with extra cheese, chips, and your favorite toppings!
📖 Variations
- Use up leftover cooked chicken (like rotisserie chicken) by stirring it in at the end of the recipe instructions, around steps 7 or 8.
- If you don't have black beans, you can use two cans of cannellini beans, kidney beans, or a combination of different kinds of beans.
- Homemade chicken stock is especially delicious in this chicken soup.
- If you can't find Rotel, use a can of diced tomatoes and a small can of green chilies—just remember not to drain the cans of their liquid.
- Add a can of whole kernel corn and/or a can of cream-style corn if you want—some people don't do chicken tortilla soup without it!
- Chop some red bell pepper and throw it in for extra Tex-Mex flavor.
- Add some cayenne pepper and chili powder, or increase to three teaspoons cumin, if you want an extra kick of heat during the colder months of the year—no better way to warm up than with spice!
- Strong feelings against cilantro? You can omit it. Use a tablespoon or so of dried oregano, instead, to maintain a delicious herbal flavor.
- Swap the cloves of garlic for garlic powder, if you prefer. The flavor isn't as strong, but it'll work.
- Serve with homemade tortilla strips, instead of chips, if you have 'em.
- Garnish with chopped green onion and fresh lime juice—the perfect kick of citrus. Don't forget a large dollop of sour cream! Yum!
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Don't skip draining and rinsing your beans—the slimy bean liquid can throw off the texture and flavor of your delicious soup! Rinse them in a colander or strainer for best results.
- Cut off any large chunks of fat from your chicken breasts before placing them in the crock pot. Kitchen shears make trimming fat super easy!
- Don't like handling garlic? You can usually find pre-peeled and minced cloves of garlic in the produce section for even faster prep.
- Make your own crispy tortilla strips by frying sliced flour or corn tortillas in a little bit of hot olive oil. Use medium heat to prevent burning, and don't forget to sprinkle with some flaky sea salt!
👩🍳 FAQs
It's close to a copycat recipe! The popular copycat Chick-fil-A tortilla soup has a creamier base and uses a can of navy beans, as well as cream corn.
My entire family prefers the seasonal soup as is in this recipe, but the best part about cooking at home is you can easily make your own preference swaps! Try it out and see for yourself!
In the South, more creaminess is never wrong! For a really creamy soup, add a half cup or so of heavy cream and half a block of cream cheese right at the end. Some people use an entire block of cream cheese, but just know it adds a bit of tang to the savory dish.
Or, blitz a can of cannellini beans in the food processor. Stir in the pureed beans to add a creamy feel to the delicious soup without the need for heavy whipping cream.
Sure! Combine all the ingredients (including the cooked chicken) in a large pot on the stove. Bring it to a boil, then let simmer. You can pretty much enjoy it as soon as it's warmed, but the flavors are best once they've mingled together. I'd give it a half hour or so minimum.
📚 Related recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup simmers all day in the crock pot (or you can make it on the stove!) and warms the house with enticing Tex-Mex aromas—garnish with avocado and dinner is done!
- Delicious Stuffed Pepper Soup has the perfect blend of spices and flavors you crave from the classic meal but in a warm, comforting soup!
- This copycat soup recipe is more valuable than gold: Panera doesn't serve their Black Bean Soup anymore, but you can make the creamy, flavorful, southwestern delicacy anytime you want! Save it ASAP!
- This Angel Chicken isn't a soup but it's one of our favorites - I hope you try it.
🍽️ Serve with...
📞 The last word
I LOVE that old Campbell's soup commercial where the snowman comes inside, eats soup, and turns into a kid.
I think it captures the whole point of soup - soul warming comfort food. And, for me?
If it's got Tex-Mex flavor so much the better! I know you're gonna love it.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 2 teaspoons cumin, or to taste
- 30 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 21 ounces RoTel tomatoes with chiles, don't drain
- 1 cup salsa
- ½ cup sour cream
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, cubed
- 1 cup tortilla chips, slightly crushed
- more cilantro for garnish
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Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker with no stick cooking spray.
- Place the chicken in the bottom.
- Sprinkle with the cumin.
- Add the beans, garlic, and cilantro.
- Pour the stock, Rotel, and salsa over the top.
- Cover and set slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
- After 7 hours remove the chicken, shred with 2 forks, and replace in slow cooker.
- Cover and finish the last hour of cooking.
- place a few cubes of pepper jack cheese and some chips in the bottom of a bowl.
- Ladle the soup over the top.
- Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.
- Serve.
Notes
- Don't skip draining and rinsing your beans—the slimy bean liquid can throw off the texture and flavor of your delicious soup! Rinse them in a colander or strainer for best results.
- Don't like handling garlic? You can usually find pre-peeled and minced cloves of garlic in the produce section for even faster prep.
- Make your own crispy tortilla strips by frying sliced flour or corn tortillas in a little bit of hot olive oil. Use medium heat to prevent burning, and don't forget to sprinkle with some flaky sea salt!
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