Name: Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 yellow onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 3 medium-sized chicken breasts; 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp paprika (Spanish smoked paprika tastes best but regular paprika is fine!); 1 tsp coriander (optional); 1 can black beans; 1 cup frozen corn; 1 (796mL) can diced tomatoes; 4 cups chicken broth; 1 red pepper, diced; 2 tsp lime juice; Tortilla strips; Lime wedges; avocado, sliced; Cilantro; Jalapeno

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This Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is a delicious, quick dinner idea perfect for cozy nights and loaded with Mexican seasonings!

This Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is going to be the most amazing soup you make all winter, and it’s got just enough heat to convince you that you’re sitting on a beach somewhere enjoying some tropical weather.

Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration.

But I swear, this one pot soup recipe is ready in just 45 minutes, and it makes a huge batch so you can also make it for your weekly meal prep. And did I mention you can freeze it as well?!

This Chicken Tortilla Soup pretty much tastes like a mix between a hearty chili and tacos. It’s more of a stew than a soup because there are so many toppings and fillings, but it’s a delicious way to get a full serving of vegetables without having to dirty up a bunch of pots and pans.

Literally, you’re just going to throw everything in the Instant Pot, prep your toppings while it’s pressure cooking, and then you have a fun, fully-loaded soup recipe that is perfect for cozy evenings on the couch.

Get your fluffiest blanket and turn on Netflix because this soup is hands off and you still get that delish slow cooker taste!

To make things simple you are just going to add in full chicken breasts and then shred them with a fork inside the broth once everything is finished pressure cooking.

You will cook this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup on high for 5 minutes and it’s just enough time to cook the chicken through without overcooking it and ensuring it’s still tender.

Though it’s “5 minutes” then Instant Pot will take about 25-30 minutes total time by the time it preheats – there’s a ton of liquid and other ingredients in this soup so it takes a bit longer to preheat than some of my other Instant Pot recipes but I promise the extra time is worth it.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

You likely already have most of the ingredients on hand for this Chicken Tortilla Soup.

I used a blend of chili powder (yes, use the WHOLE tablespoon for the best flavour!) along with cumin and paprika. Use Spanish smoked paprika if you can and add in 1 tsp of coriander too if you have it on hand – both spices will really bring a smokey, delicious flavour to this Instant Pot soup.

From there, you’ll use a can of black beans, diced tomatoes, frozen corn, 1 red bell pepper and then squeeze in some lime juice at the end. Don’t be afraid to add some hot sauce too!

Stovetop Chicken Tortilla Soup

You can also make this chicken tortilla soup on the stovetop so it’s not exclusive to the Instant Pot alone.

Like the Instant Pot instructions, you’ll want to add everything except for your toppings, red pepper and lime juice. Bring everything to a boil and then simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.

Cooking the chicken in the broth with the other ingredients makes it so tender and easy to shred at the end and the added kick of lime juice brings it over the top. Don’t add in the red pepper until the last 5 minutes of cooking time because it does cook super fast. Other than that, it’s super easy!

Another great thing about this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is that you can freeze it for up to 3 months and reheat in the microwave! I usually use these individual serving-size glass bowls that come with lids on them so it’s super simple to grab a soup out of the freezer and then reheat for 7-8 minutes in the microwave. Talk about an easy dinner idea!

Garnish with all the toppings of your choice such as avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, sour cream, tortilla strips and jalapeno and you’re good to go. Basically like nacho soup – SO GOOD!

Will you be making this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup?

You’ll definitely want to freeze the leftovers if you end up liking it – it’s the perfect last minute dinner after a long day and you only need to reheat in the microwave for 7-8 minutes if stored in individual serving sizes.