Making this Chicken Tortilla Soup in the crockpot is the perfect easy dinner recipe for busy weeknights. It’s so easy to make and loaded with epic flavor!
Looking for more slow cooker soup recipes? Try this Crockpot French Onion Soup, Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings or Slow Cooker Taco Ranch Chicken Chili!
Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Crockpot
Chicken Tortilla Soup was one of the very first dishes I learned to cook after Jorge and I got married almost 12 years ago. In fact, it was the first soup I ever made…so it holds a very special place in my heart!
However, with the craziness of our life these days with three young kids, I needed to figure out a way to make my Chicken Tortilla Soup in the crockpot.
This recipe is a dump and go style recipe, where we add everything to the crockpot in the morning and it’s hot and ready in the afternoon when we get home!
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
Fresh ingredients will give this tortilla soup the best flavor. Lots of flavor is added from the onion, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro.
The only ingredient we don’t use fresh are the tomatoes. Instead of fresh tomatoes, we use canned fire roasted tomatoes and rotel.
When you try this with fresh tomatoes, they just don’t cook down enough in the crockpot. If you would prefer to use fresh tomatoes, you will need to sauté them in olive oil before adding them to the crockpot.
I use chicken breasts in this recipe, but you can also use boneless thigh meat. Whichever you prefer will work great in this Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.
How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup In The Crockpot
This soup could not be any easier to make. You literally toss all the ingredients in the slow cooker and stir and let it cook all day long.
You can cook it for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on slow. I prefer 8 hours on slow because I feel it has more time to develop a deeper flavor.
Then after it has cooked all day and made your whole house smell amazing, you shred the chicken and stir in some fresh cilantro!
A Meal Prep & Freezer Friendly Soup Recipe
When my babies were newborns, I made this Chicken Tortilla Soup often as a freezer meal prep. It’s so easy to make a few batches ahead and freeze for another day when you have zero time.
To meal prep this meal and freeze:
- Add all ingredients, except the broth and cilantro to a freezer friendly ziplock bag.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready to make, add it to the crockpot straight from the freezer and don’t forget to add the chicken broth! Cook as directed!
Toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup
Once cooked, you will want to add any of your favorite toppings. The toppings is one of the best parts of Chicken Tortilla Soup and adds so much flavor.
I usually like to add them all, but you can pick and choose what you personally prefer to add:
- tortilla strips (or crushed tortilla chips)
- lime wedges
- cilantro
- avocado
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- or crumbled cotija cheese
This Chicken Tortilla Soup is such an easy weeknight dinner that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Serve up a big bowl and watch it disappear! And if you have any, the leftovers are possibly even better the next day!
If you try this recipe, please leave a review or comment below letting me know how it turns out. I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as we do!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Chicken Tortilla Soup:
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and minced
- 2 14.5 oz cans diced fire roasted tomatoes (do not drain)
- 2 10 oz cans original rotel (or mild)
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Optional toppings:
- tortilla strips, or crushed tortilla chips
- lime wedges
- cilantro
- avocado
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- or crumbled cotija cheese
Instructions
- Combine all Chicken Tortilla Sopu ingredients (except cilantro) in slow cooker and stir. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
- Remove chicken breasts from soup and shred. Return to soup. Add fresh cilantro and stir to combine.
- Serve warm with optional toppings!
Notes
Nutrition
Categories:
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What is Rotel?
Rotel is a combination of canned tomatoes and chilis. It comes in mild to extra hot versions and gives this soup an awesome flavor. You will find it at the store next to the canned tomatoes.
[…] Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup […]
Can you make this in the instant pot as well?
You should be able to! I would try it 20 minutes on manual – high pressure, with a 10 minute natural pressure release. Just make sure your chicken is cooked all the way through!
We just made this soup today and loved it! My husband is now a fan of the slow cooker. He has one tortilla soup he loves from a specific restaurant and he said after trying yours, he will never pay for it again. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
I’m going to give this recipe a try. Do you make the tortilla strips or can I buy them already made>
I bought the tortilla strips but you can always make your own!
Your stove top version is on heavy rotation at our house. Can’t wait to try this one!
Is the stovetop recipe still posted somewhere? It is a favorite of mine and I can only find the slow cooker version now. Thanks!
Will be trying this recipe today since I’m running around with appointments today.
I love slow cooker recipes. And this tortilla soup looks so delicious, comfy and full of awesome flavors. Love how easy it is.
My slow cooker is my BFF during the fall! Love this recipe <3
Definitely going to try this one! Good to know about the canned fire roasted tomatoes.