Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup From Scratch

This dump and start Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup features tender chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, creamy beans, and sweet corn swimming in an earthy and zesty broth.

It's a great recipe for a gluten-free Tex-Mex delight from scratch in under 30 minutes!

It's the best soup recipe for weeknights! You will be amazed at how flavorful this soup gets in just 30 minutes. The fact that I can dump all the ingredients in my Instant Pot and let it make dinner makes it a total stress-buster meal.

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

This soup is one powerhouse of flavors. Chili powder, cumin, coriander, and fire-roasted tomatoes provide an intense smoky and earthy flavor to the broth, which contrasts so beautifully with the soft chicken, black beans, and corn. Let's take a look at what all we need.

Canned Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilies add an extra layer of smokey flavor. They can be found in the Mexican section of grocery stores - right next to the chips and salsa. Alternatively, regular canned diced plum tomatoes or 2 fresh Roma tomatoes can also be used.

Corn: Frozen corn allows me to make this easy soup recipe year-round. But if corn is in season, by all means, use fresh corn kernels sliced from the cob!

Beans: Black beans are my family's preferred bean, but feel free to use pinto or red kidney beans. Just make sure to rinse and drain beforehand.

Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts come in a variety of sizes. You will need 1-pound total or roughly two 8-ounce chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are another great substitute.

Spices: A special blend of chili powder, coriander, cumin, and paprika adds spice, depth, and aroma. If you want to make it spicy, add a pinch of cayenne.

Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth or stock works best since it helps to control the salt. This recipe requires one 32-ounce box for cooking! If using water instead, add ¼ teaspoon extra of each seasoning.

Toppings: Finish the soup with any of your favorite Mexican toppings - shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, and tortilla chips.

Cooking Tip: Want to make homemade tortilla strips? Cut fresh corn tortillas into thin strips, spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake in 300 degrees F oven for 5-8 minutes, or until crisp.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This easy Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe is part of my dump and start, one-pot meal series. Here's how this delicious dinner is ready in under 30 minutes!

1. Add All Ingredients & Pressure Cook

• Turn ON the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil, tomatoes, corn and black beans (Pic 1).
• Next, add the carrot and celery, if using, along with the garlic. Add the chicken breasts and all the spices. Pour in the chicken broth and stir well (Pic 2).
• Close the lid. Set Manual/Pressure Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes on sealing mode (12 minutes for thicker breast). After cook time is over, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then release remaining pressure manually. Once the pin drops, open lid (Pic 3).

2. Shred the Chicken, Garnish & Serve

• Remove chicken breasts and shred them using two forks (Pic 4).
• Put the shredded chicken back in the soup (Pic 5).
• Finish with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime (Pic 6).

Using Rotisserie Chicken: You can use shredded rotisserie chicken in this soup. Add that instead of the raw chicken, reduce the pressure cooking time to 4 minutes and enjoy!

Alternative Method: Stovetop Recipe

Don't have a pressure cooker, no problem!  It is as easy and simple to make this delicious and healthy soup on the stove, too. Simply:

• Start by placing a tall stock pot on medium-high heat. Add all the ingredients to the pot, give it a stir and let it come to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium, cover and let it cook for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken becomes tender enough to shred.
• Turn off the heat, shred the chicken and add it back to the pot. Finish with chopped cilantro and a freshly squeeze lime juice.

Serving Suggestions - Chicken Tortilla Soup Toppings

What I love most about Mexican food is the variety of garnishing choices. It works out really great in a household like mine, where one kid loves sour cream and the other one absolutely hates it 🙂

Everyone picks their garnishes straight from the fridge - shredded cheese, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, chopped avocados are some popular choices.

And of course, our favorite garnish is tortilla chips. I love to serve them on the side and we all crush them in our soup bowls just before eating. The chips become slightly tender, but still, retain a bite and give this soup its iconic taste.

How to Store - Meal Prep & Freezer-Friendly

This Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup makes meal prep a breeze! The soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This makes for a filling lunch throughout the week, too.

For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then, reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, while stirring occasionally, until hot and bubbly.

Note: If planning to freeze, omit the garnish and toppings. Reserve for the day you are going to serve!

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Slice the chicken, if necessary. If the chicken breast are thicker than 1-inch, slice them through the middle, or increase the cooking time to 12 minutes.
• Use chicken thighs. If you prefer dark meat chicken thighs (boneless skinless), reduce the cooking time to 8 minutes.
• Use rotisserie chicken: To use cooked rotisserie chicken in this recipe, shred it and add it to the pot and reduce the pressure cooking time to 4 minutes.
• Make it spicy. If you like spicy chicken tortilla soup, you can add some cayenne while cooking. Alternatively, serve some hot sauce or sriracha on the side.
• Make it bean-free. Use 3 cups of frozen corn (one whole bag) to replace the volume of black beans in the recipe.
• Cook it in the slow cooker or crock pot. Simply add all the ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Reheat as instructed in the post.

Frequently Asked Questions

Popular Soup Recipes From My Kitchen

These recipes are part of the Instant Pot Soup Recipes collection:

More Tex-Mex Recipes

My family loves eating Mexican food. Being in California, we get some of the best dishes. Here is my take on some of our favorites. All these recipes are Gluten-free :

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Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Aneesha Gupta

This Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup features tender chicken, tomatoes, beans and corn in an earthy, zesty broth ready in under 30 minutes!

4.46 from 62 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6 people

Calories 246 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Instant Pot

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• ▢ 1½ cups frozen corn
• ▢ 1 can black beans (15 oz) rinsed and drained
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 lb chicken breast sliced through the middle - see notes
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 32 oz chicken broth low sodium

Optional Add-Ons

• ▢ 1 medium carrot chopped
• ▢ 1 rib celery chopped

Garnish

• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• ▢ juice of 1 lime

Toppings

• ▢ shredded cheese
• ▢ sour cream
• ▢ diced avocado
• ▢ tortilla chips

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

Add All Ingredients & Pressure Cook

• Turn ON the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil, tomatoes, corn, and black beans.
• Next, add the carrot and celery, if using, along with the garlic, chicken breasts and all the spices. Pour in the chicken broth and stir well.
• Close the lid and set the pressure valve to the sealing position. Select Manual/Pressure Cook and set it for 10 minutes (12 minutes for thicker breast). After cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes followed by a quick release. Open the lid after the pin drops.

Shred the Chicken, Garnish & Serve

• Remove chicken breasts and shred them using two forks. Put the shredded chicken back in the soup.
• Finish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Ladle into bowls and top with your favorite toppings - cheese, sour cream, avocado and tortilla chips!

Alternative Method: Stovetop Recipe

• Start by placing a tall stock pot on medium-high heat. Add all the ingredients to the pot, give it a stir and let it come to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium, cover and let it cook for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender enough to shred.
• Once its done, turn off the heat, shred your chicken and add it back to the pot. Finish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Serve with your favorite toppings - cheese, sour cream, diced avocado or tortilla chips!

Video

Notes

• Slice the chicken, if necessary. If the chicken breast are thicker than 1-inch, slice them through the middle, or increase the cooking time to 12 minutes.
• Use chicken thighs. If you prefer dark meat chicken thighs (boneless skinless), reduce the cooking time to 8 minutes.
• Use Rotisserie chicken: To use cooked rotisserie chicken in this recipe, shred it and add it to the pot and reduce the pressure cooking time to 4 minutes.
• Make it spicy. If you like spicy chicken tortilla soup, you can add some cayenne while cooking. Alternatively, serve some hot sauce or sriracha on the side.
• Make it bean-free. Use 3 cups of frozen corn (one whole bag) to replace the volume of black beans in the recipe.
• Cook it in the slow cooker or crock pot. Simply add all the ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Reheat as instructed in the post.

 

Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates and do not include toppings. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1336mg | Potassium: 817mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2396IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3mg

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This recipe has been updated in with latest images, process shots and detailed instructions.