How Do You Make Tortilla Strips For Chicken Tortilla Soup
Making your own homemade tortilla strips is so crazy easy and delivers chip quality results -AND you can never guess these tortilla strips are BAKED not fried. Not only is this healthier but it is way simpler. We make our tortilla strips while our chicken is simmering so it requires no extra time!
How To Make It
*See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Soften onions, jalapeno peppers, and garlic in butter. Add tomato paste, corn, undrained diced tomatoes, black beans, taco seasoning, cayenne pepper, cumin, and hot sauce.
Add chicken broth and chicken breasts. Bubble gently for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Remove and use 2 forks to shred.
Add the chicken back to the soup and reduce heat to low. Add cheddar and softened cream cheese and stir until smooth and combined. Garnish, and serve!
What Kind Of Chicken Should I Use
When it comes to chicken for chicken soup, I always use store bought rotisserie chicken that I shred quickly.
My grocery store even sells their own rotisserie chickens, already shredded in plastic containers in the deli area which is another time saver.
However, if you have leftover grilled chicken, baked chicken, or want to poach some fresh chicken for the soup and then shred it, by all means go for it.
Also Check: Dave’s Hot Chicken Delivery
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Layer tortilla chips and cheese in the bottom of a bowl.
- Fill your bowl with the soup over the tortilla chips and cheese.
- Top with avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges and serve immediately.
Dont forget to share your easy chicken tortilla soup with us on using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations! And if youre looking for more quick and delicious recipes you can find them all right here with a few desserts to go along with them!
How Do I Thicken Chicken Tortilla Soup

I dont think youll need to thicken this Chicken Tortilla Soup because we use enchilada sauce which is already thick. If you would still like thicker soup, then you can use either masa masa harina or cornstarch.
- Masa harina: Masa harina is a very finely ground corn flour made from corn thats dried, cooked in water with slaked lime. It has a very distinctive flavor. To use, whisk 3 tablespoons with 1 cup of water until a paste forms. Add to the soup at the end of cooking and bring to a simmer until thickened.
- Cornstarch: Whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch with ½ cup water until dissolved. Add to the soup at the end of cooking and bring to a simmer until thickened.
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How To Make Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Make this delicious soup recipe with ease! Making Chicken Tortilla Soup is a simple process, easy enough to make any time. You can even make it ahead if time during weekend meal prep, and refrigerate it for later in the week.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
When ready to serve, just make a big bowl and add in your favorite toppings. We love using shredded cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream, and avocado!
What Goes With Chicken Tortilla Soup
Topping your Chicken Tortilla Soup with your favorite garnishes is half of the fun and the most important part for added texture and flavor. You can create a toppings bar and let everyone pile on their favorites of:
- Cheese: a must in my book! use freshly grated cheese for superior taste and melting ability.
- Sour cream: adds a wonderful creaminess to the Chicken Tortilla Soup and is my favorite topping! Its refreshing tanginess also cuts through and compliments the robust, rich flavors. You can also use fat free sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Cilantro: chopped cilantro adds a fresh, zesty flair.
- Lime Juice: you can use bottled juice or fresh lime juice, but whatever you do dont skip! The lime juice awakens the flavors of the entire soup!
- Tortilla Strips: tortilla Strips are the tortilla in Chicken TORTILLA Soup! You can use store bought or homemade or crushed tortilla chips work great too.
- Avocado: chopped or sliced avocados add a wonderful creaminess. I prefer chopped so I can get a bite of avocado in every spoonful.
- Pico de gallo: a spoonful of pico de gallo inst necessary but adds a depth of freshness I love.
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Why Is It So Popular
Our authentic chicken tortilla soup is chunky, perfectly spiced, and so quick to make.
The deep rich essence of the broth comes from sautéing the onions, garlic, and cilantro to release their flavor, before adding the broth and spices.
Cheese is also very important in this recipe for tortilla soupCheese and crushed tortilla chips are added at the end to thicken the soup base and give it a comforting luxurious feel.
There is so much depth and flavor in each bowl of soup, this will quickly become a family favorite!
The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe Ever
It would seem that everyone has their own version of chicken tortilla soup. Some are thick like gravy. Some thin and watery.
I prefer a thin, but not watery, broth-based chicken tortilla soup with lots of veggies and toppings.
Todays Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe is exactly how I like it. Rich, zesty, and ultra comforting, with a slightly spicy finish.
Also Check: Marie Calender Chicken Pot Pie
This Recipe For Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Is A Simple 5
This Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup is full of flavor, easy to prepare and makes the house smell insanely amazing. Made with chicken broth, rotisserie chicken, canned diced tomatoes, ranch dressing, and fiesta corn mix, and seasoned with taco seasoning, it makes a large batch that feeds my family of seven plus a few more.
Perfect for a busy night, serve this Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup as a quick & delicious dinner or meal to feed your company.
This is so easy to throw together but if you are looking for a slow cooker meal, that is just as simple to put together try my Slow Cooker Authentic Tortilla Soup or Chicken Tortilla Crock Pot Soup. All three of these soups are absolutely mouthwatering!
Imagine Organic Product has sponsored this blog post, although, the content represents my own personal opinion/experience.
I love recipes that taste like youve been working at the stove all day developing flavors even though youve really only taken a few minutes like this Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup. The secret to this dish is the base of the soup, Imagine® Free-Range Chicken Broth. Seriously, I love this broth. The amount of flavor in this 5-ingredient recipe is amazing!
When I first used this broth to make green chili, I loved how thick it was. It didnt look like your typical watered down broth it was rich and beautiful in color. This stems from Imagine using farm-grown vegetables and organic free-range chicken and no artificial ingredients or preservatives.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients And Substitutes
- Olive oil just a little is used for sauteing. Vegetable oil will work great too.
- Yellow onion a red onion will work too, increase to 1 1/2 cups since its a little more mild.
- Jalapeno this is adds a little spicy kick to the soup. A substitute would be cayenne pepper to taste in a pinch.
- Garlic fresh garlic is really always my favorite option, it adds so much fresh flavor. If you prefer bottled will work but please dont substitute dried.
- Chili powder and cumin this offers the soup those classic Mexican flavors. In a pinch, taco seasoning to taste will work great too, just use low-sodium or omit the salt as needed.
- Chicken broth I use my go-to brand which is Swanson. It always has a deliciously, consistently, reliable flavor and no strange ingredients. Unsalted, low sodium or standard seasoned will all work great here. Just adjust salt amount added accordingly.
- Tomato sauce Again, if you are looking to cut sodium there are unsalted tomato sauce options available now. In other countries use tomato passata.
- Canned fire roasted tomatoes I like to use the fire roasted kind here for an extra boost in flavor, but in a pinch the standard diced will work.
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How To Adjust The Spice Level To Your Soup
You can adjust the heat level by adding more or less chili powder, or by adding or removing jalapeños.
When working with jalapeños, be sure to keep your hands away from your face and especially your eyes.
The juice from jalapeños can burn sensitive skin and eyes. So make sure to wash your hands well after dicing them.
Serving Ideas For Chicken Tortilla Soup

Each bowl of soup can be made unique and individual for each person!
You can set out all of the toppings and let everyone make their own bowl.
But here are a few ideas for toppings you can set out and offer-theyre fresh and flavorful!
I recommend corn tortilla chips and cheese for the bottom of the bowl. The cheese gets nice and melted and stringy and is just SO delicious.
Chop the avocado into slices or small chunks. Squeeze lime juice over them if they wont be served immediately.
Sour cream is a great option to help cool down a bowl of soup that might be too spicy for some.
Wedges of lime add a fresh bit of zing, and the flavor compliments the chili and spice.
Extra fresh cilantro and chopped green onions can be a nice to have on the side for those who love the flavor.
For extra spice, I love green chilies and fire-roasted tomatoes as an optional topping for anyone who can handle the heat.
Recommended Reading: Best Recipe For Chicken Fajitas
Easy Dips For Tortilla Chips:
Now that you know how to make chips out of tortillas, its time to get dipping! Below are some of my favorite dips for homemade baked tortilla chips.
Cheesy Baked Mexican Corn Dip A hot corn dip reminiscent of Mexican street corn!! Creamy, cheesy, spiked with lime juice, chili powder, and a serrano chile or jalapeno for a touch of heat!
The BEST Spinach Artichoke Dip This baked spinach artichoke dip is rich, creamy, and its a crowd FAVORITE sure to disappear at parties!! Its so cheesy thanks to both mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses!
BLT Dip This cheesy BLT dip is loaded with two types of cheese, bacon, fresh tomatoes, and more! Its perfect for holiday parties and tailgating and is SO easy to make!
Beef Queso Dip Caramelized onions, ground beef, taco seasoning, and CHEESE in this EASY queso dip everyone loves!! Great for game days, PARTIES, holidays, and events!!
Restaurant-Style Salsa This easy salsa recipe is a blessing and a curse. Because chips and salsa. The more you have, the more you want. But lucky you, this salsa recipe will teach you how to make salsa at home in just a few minutes in the blender, so youll never run out!
Easy Pineapple Salsa This pineapple salsa recipe is made with frozen pineapple chunks, bell peppers, Roma tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Its so quick to make and pairs well with grilled chicken, tacos, fish, and more!
originally published April 14, 2021 April 14, 2022//2
Best Tortillas For Chicken Tortilla Soup
The best tortillas to use for tortilla soup are stale yellow corn tortillas. Yellow corn tortillas are sturdier than white corn tortillas and have a richer flavor when cooked. Homemade is best, of course, but store-bought tortillas will also work for this recipe.
The tortillas should be a little stale, or dry they’ll fry up more easily that way. My guess is that tortilla soup was first invented as a way to use leftover tortillas.
Since I don’t usually have dry tortillas sitting around, I put my fresh-from-the-fridge corn tortillas in a 200°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. That’s just enough heat to dry them sufficiently so they fry easily.
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Ingredients In Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Not only is this recipe loaded with both protein and vegetables, it is made with many pantry staples you likely already have on hand. The bulk of the ingredients include:
- Chicken: I used two large, boneless skinless chicken breasts here . Feel free to use chicken thighs here if you prefer!
- Black Beans: Ups the protein content of this soup to keep you feeling full all day. Also loaded with fiber.
- Corn: I love how the sweetness of the corn contrasts with the spices in this soup. I used 1 can of corn, but you could easily sub frozen or even fresh corn here.
- Fire roasted tomatoes: Using diced tomatoes here brings so much flavor to the broth! Youll need two, 14.5oz cans
- Chicken broth: Forms the base of the broth. Vegetable broth will also work if thats all you have on hand.
- Chopped green chilies: You can typically find these in a small can in the Mexican food aisle. They come in both spicy and mild form . You can also use a chopped jalapeno if youre a big fan of spice!
- Cilantro: I love the flavor that cilantro adds to the broth. I know some people are very anti-cilantro, so feel free to leave this out, but youll be missing some of the flavor.
- Spices: The spice profile in this soup is pretty similar to a Mexican dish or chili cumin, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne.
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
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Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of my favorite fall soup recipes. Its creamy, its delicious, and its filled with all of my favorite Tex-Mex ingredients. This easy tortilla soup recipe is perfect for any night of the week, and its so easy to save and reheat later!
- Pin this recipe for later!
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Tips For The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
To save time, use store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken that you have on hand. Of course you can roast or pan sauté chicken if youre so inclined.
Salt your soup to taste. I use low-sodium chicken broth and no-salt-added tomatoes and add a bit of salt to my soup so I can control the overall salt level.
The saltiness of low-sodium broth, rotisserie chickens, canned tomatoes, black beans, and personal preferences for salt all vary so salt to taste.
Frying Tortilla Strips For Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Frying tortilla strips could not be easier. You literally heat up some oil, and while the oil heats, thinly slice up some flour or corn tortillas. A couple minutes of cooking in the hot oil, remove them with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Salt lightly. Try not to eat them all while you make the soup. for more tips on frying tortilla strips.
Need one more shortcut? Skip the frying of the tortillas, grab a bag of tortilla chips, lightly crush a few handfuls, and use those instead.
Chicken Tortilla Soup: This divine soup is scented with chili, cumin and coriander, and topped with all kinds of deliciousness, like avocado and tortilla crisps.
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Can I Freeze It
You can absolutely freeze this soup!
When youre ready to serve it, theres not need to let it thaw. Just place the frozen soup back into the Crockpot on the low setting and stir it every so often, that way it reheats evenly. When its fully reheated, itll be as delicious as when you first made it!
How To Make Chicken Poblano Soup

After youve got your poblano peppers roasted and sliced and the tomatillos have been blended, youre ready to move on.
Tip: To save time, dont wait to actually to start the soup once you get the poblanos and tomatillos roasting in the oven. Move right onto making the soup so youre not standing idle and wasting time!
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The Best & Easiest Soup
Im in Soup Mode right now and taking advantage of this cool fall weather to try out even more soups.
I mean, how can you NOT love them?
Todays recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup tastes so good and is so simple that we wanted to make sure you could try it too. Being Hispanic, our family loves anything with tortillas, so this recipe was right up our alley.
We ended up topping it off with some homemade tortilla strips and cubed avocado, which made it even that much better!
If Im going to be honest, if a recipe calls for Chicken and Avocados, I pretty much know Ill love it. Put it in a soup form, and I love it even more. This really is the best and easiest soup!