Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is a simple, yet flavorful recipe that delivers restaurant-quality results in under 30 minutes.
When the craving for Tortilla Soup hits, this quick and easy Instant Pot Recipe will satisfy your craving fast! This healthy 30-minute meal is made with affordable, wholesome ingredients yet is loaded with flavor.
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Quick and Easy Recipe. Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of the easiest Instant Pot chicken breast recipes to make and will be on the table in under 30 minutes.
- Simple Ingredients. Just like my recipes for Instant Pot Tomato Soup and Instant Pot Lentil Soup, Instant Pot Tortilla Soup is a simple, no-fuss, versatile recipe that is made with basic staples.
- Superb Flavor. From the richly seasoned broth to the hearty chicken to the beans and corn, each spoonful of this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup delivers restaurant-quality taste at home.
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: Use either boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts for this recipe. I have included the timing for both fresh and frozen chicken.
- Onions and Garlic: I recommend starting this recipe by sauteeing freshly minced onion and garlic for the optimum flavor, but you can opt to skip the step of sauteeing the onion and garlic and instead use a 1 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder to keep this recipe super simple.
- Broth/Stock: Use either store-bought or homemade instant pot chicken stock. Low sodium is best to control the level of sodium in the soup.
- Diced Tomatoes: To add another dimension of flavor, use diced tomatoes with green chiles (AKA Rotel Tomatoes), instead of plain diced tomatoes.
- Corn: Frozen corn is optional, but adds a nice sweetness to counteract the mild spiciness of the soup.
- Beans: Use black beans, pinto beans, or a combination of the two in this tortilla soup recipe. If starting with dried beans, use my recipe for Instant Pot Beans BEFORE proceeding with the recipe for the soup.
- Spices: This recipe calls for cumin, paprika, pepper, chili powder, and salt. I typically opt for using 2 teaspoons of homemade taco seasoning instead of the individual spices. Do whatever works best for you.
- Lime: Do NOT overlook the fresh lime, it adds incredible acidity and balance to the soup and helps the flavors to pop in your mouth.
- Tortilla Strips: A good tortilla soup needs to be topped with tortilla strips! While you can purchase tortilla strips or use tortilla chips, I have included easy instructions for homemade tortilla strips. You simply need corn tortillas, a bit of oil, salt, and cumin. Super simple and delicious!
- Toppings: In addition to the tortilla strips, this taco tortilla soup is delicious topped as you would classic tacos, with cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc.
Notes on Equipment
- Instant Pot: This recipe works with either a 6-quart Instant Pot or an 8-quart Instant Pot. If you are using a 3-quart Instant Pot, it is best to cut the recipe in half but leave the cooking time the same.
Recipe Modifications
- Vegan-Friendly/Vegetarian Tortilla Soup: In place of the chicken stock, use vegetable broth. You also will want to omit the chicken and double the number of beans used to bulk up the soup.
- Spicy Tortilla Soup: Add up to one finely minced jalapeno, along with the onion for a spicy version of Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup.
- Speed It Up: If you are really on a time crunch, skip sauteing the onions and garlic. Instead, omit the oil and minced onion from the recipe and add 1 teaspoon of dried onion powder to the inner pot along with the remaining ingredients. Cook as directed.
How to Make Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One: Saute the Onions. Taking an extra couple of minutes to soften the onions, will aid in developing flavor in this easy soup. As the onions soften, they caramelize and release their natural sweet flavor.
Step Two: Layer Ingredients. After sauteing the onions, add the stock, along with the seasonings, beans, and corn to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Nestle the chicken into the soup and add the diced tomatoes, but don't mix the tomatoes into the soup. Tomatoes can easily cause a burn notice in electric pressure cookers. To help prevent this from happening, I strongly suggest adding the tomatoes last and don't stir them into the remaining ingredients. It is okay if they sink naturally!
Step Three: Pressure Cook. After pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally. Allowing the pressure to release for 15 minutes will help to ensure that the chicken remains tender.
Step Four: Shred Chicken. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred or dice it into small chunks, then add it back into the soup.
Step Five: Make Homemade Tortilla Strips. There is no judgment if you use tortilla chips or pre-made tortilla strips! But making them with flour tortillas is super simple and allows you to flavor them, further enhancing the flavor of the chicken tortilla soup.
Step Six: Serve. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, along with lime juice. Then dish the soup out into bowls, topping with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, and tortilla strips.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup once cooled slightly, can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze the leftover cooled soup in an airtight freezer-safe container, being sure to leave 1 inch of space for expansion, for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: If needed, defrost the soup overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat the tortilla soup in individual savings in heat-safe bowls at 60-second intervals in the microwave.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Orzo Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Instant Pot French Onion Soup
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
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If you enjoyed this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Easy 30-Minutes Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ small onion minced or 1 teaspoon dried onion powder
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (15oz) can pinto or black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels optional
- 1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- Juice of 1 fresh lime
- Optional toppings: tortilla strips, diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, etc
Tortilla Strips
- 5 small corn or flour tortillas
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Turn the Instant Pot to the saute function and add in the oil. Once the oil is heated, add in the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until just softened. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Turn the Instant Pot off.
- Add in ½ cup of the chicken stock and using a wooden or metal spatula, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot. This will prevent a burn notice.
- Add the remaining chicken stock, along with the seasonings, beans, and corn to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Nestle the chicken into the soup and then top with the diced tomatoes. DO NOT STIR.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and be sure the vent knob is closed. Set cook time, using the manual or pressure cook button, for 9 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE for fresh chicken OR 14 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE if the chicken is frozen.
- Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally, or for at least 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place it in a large bowl or on a cutting board. Shred or cut the chicken into bite-size bites.
- Mix the chicken back into the Instant Pot with lime juice and stir together.
- Serve with cilantro, cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, etc.
Tortilla Strips
- Cut the tortillas into ½" strips using a pizza cutter or sharp knife and place the strips on a large baking sheet. Toss the tortillas with oil, cumin, and salt and toss to coat. Spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Broil for 2-3 minutes per side, watching closely, so as not to burn. Remove from the oven and serve with the soup.
Annie
Delicious! Hubby has a bad cold and he said this made him feel better. Made exactly as instructed, including the tortilla chips. Was quick, easy, and healthy, too! Thank you very much!
Kristen Chidsey
I am sorry your husband dosen't feel well, but happy he enjoyed this soup! I hope he feels 100% ASAP!
Annette Kreamer Kreamer
I want your recipe please that look so Good.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Annette! The recipe is in the recipe card 🙂 Enjoy!
Kaycee
Hi, Kristen--I made this a couple of days ago and I used 1 can Rotel with Habanero and 1 can regular diced tomatoes. WHEW....let me tell you, that Habanero can sure packed a punch! The flavor of this soup is good, but in my case it is simply TOO SPICY to enjoy (my bad).
Can you suggest a way I can tone this down so that we may actually enjoy it?
OR is there a way I may use this as a base for another recipe that could benefit from some of this heat?
THANKS!!
Kristen Chidsey
Hey there Kaycee! Certain varieties of Rotel can be really hot! That is why I suggest using mild, it really is a huge difference. To remedy this now, you can opt to add in some cream, corn, and additional chicken broth. OR you can strain off the liquid and mix softened cream cheese and use it for the filling in Chicken Enchiladas. I think either way, you will find you can salvage this 🙂
Kaycee
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I will try both ideas. I froze the entire batch into 1 cup cubes, so now I will be able to utilize my "mistake" and turn them into 2 different great meals.
Kristen Chidsey
You bet!! So happy to help prevent food waste.
Marjorie
This was absolutely delicious and used up a few boneless thighs that I had in the freezer as well as a few canned items from the pantry (I even used a can of corn (drained) because I had no frozen corn). This soup has a nice kick without being too spicy and the toppings of cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips took it to a new level. Not only that, it was ready in under an hour for our lunch....the instant pot is perfect for us spur-of-the moment cooks. I always say that Instant Pots were invented for people who can't plan ahead enough to use a slow cooker! BTW, I have used and loved so many of your recipes, that it is now the first site I check when I'm looking for a new recipe to try based on ingredients that I have on hand.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Marjorie! Thank you so much for sharing! I love hearing you rely on my recipes to deliver 🙂
Fred
Hi. I’m going to make this for a group of 8 adults. The recipe says it makes 8 servings. I’m wondering if it will really be enough. I have a 6 quart Instant Pot. Do you think there would be room to double the recipe? I suppose I could make two batches if I had to.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Fred! I think you may want to increase the servings to 9 for best bets. You can adjust the serving size to 9 using the arrow. That will fit perfectly in a 6 quart Instant Pot. It may be a bit tight to double the recipe.
Elaine
This was the best tasting soup I have ever made. Everyone loved it and wanted more
Kristen Chidsey
That is the best kind of compliment! Thanks for sharing Elaine!
Gina
This recipe is delicious and one of my favorite soups! Love the convenience of making it in the instant Pot. I will definitely be making this all winter long!
Katherine
mmmmmmm I love all the great flavors in this chicken tortilla soup! And so handy to make it in the IP.
Mommy of 9
OMG this recipe is one of the best recipes I’ve ever tried. All of my kids loved it and thanks to my oldest daughter for sharing this wonderful recipe with me and of course to the lady that shared her recipe as well. Thank you 😊 😋
Laurie
I made the vegetarian version. It’s absolutely delicious! I used your recipes for taco seasoning and instant pot black beans (from dried beans) for the soup. I use a low sodium veggie broth and doubled the black beans per your suggestion. Restaurant quality, and easy, for sure.
Kristen Chidsey
Fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications and review Laurie!
Laurie
Yum! Made the chicken version for my son’s family using boneless thighs. Perfect, tender shredded chicken and great flavor.. As another reviewer stated, you are my “go to” for instant pot recipes. I wish that there had been instant pots and excellent web sites such as yours 15-20 years ago when I was working full time and cooking for a young family. My kids would have had a lot less blue box and a lot more home cooked fresh meals with not much more effort!
Kristen Chidsey
Oh thank you so much Laurie for your kind words! I am so glad you have come to count on my recipes!
Marla
This has been in our rotation since I made it a few months ago. Everyone loves it!
Kristen Chidsey
I absolutely love hearing that Marla! Thanks for sharing!