When the craving for Tortilla Soup hits, turn to this quick and easy Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup! Made with simple ingredients, this boldly seasoned Instant Pot Tortilla Soup delivers restaurant-quality results in under 30 minutes and is guaranteed to satisfy your craving!
When I am craving comfort, I find myself making this Instant Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe time and time again.
Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with the classics like a bowl of Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup or Instant Pot Chicken Orzo Soup, but when you want to spice things up a bit, yet still enjoy a cozy, comforting soup, you can't go wrong with Chicken Tortilla Soup--especially one this good and this easy to make!
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Restaurant-Quality but Better! 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, without the excess fat and sodium!
- Quick and Easy Recipe. This Tex-Mex comfort food will be on the table in under 30 minutes with very minimal hands-on prep.
- Affordable. Just like my recipes for Instant Pot Tomato Soup, Instant Pot Black Bean Soup, and Instant Pot Lentil Soup, this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup takes staple ingredients and turns them into a delicious, hearty soup filled with flavor.
- Versatile and Adaptable. Not feeling like chicken? Use extra beans! Frozen chicken? Not a problem when using an Instant Pot! Not a fan of bean? Use more chicken. You can alter the ingredients to fit your dietary and taste preferences.
Ingredients For Chicken Tortilla Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup features the classic ingredients you find in a tortilla soup recipe--chicken, chicken stock, seasonings, diced tomatoes, beans, corn, onions, garlic, and of course tortillas! I have included ingredient notes to help you achieve the BEST results!
- Chicken: This soup can be made with either thawed or frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
- Diced Tomatoes: To add another dimension of flavor, use diced tomatoes with green chiles (AKA Rotel Tomatoes) instead of plain diced tomatoes.
- 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!
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
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.
Sauté the Onions & Garlic
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.
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.
Deglaze the Inner Pot
Any time you sauté anything in your Instant Pot, you need to add in thin liquid and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom or the inner pot, which is the process of deglazing. This will prevent a burn notice from happening!
Add Tomatoes Last
After deglazing the inner pot, add the remaining broth, 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!
Pressure Cook
Set the cooking time based on whether your chicken is fresh or frozen. After pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes, as this will help to ensure that the chicken remains tender.
Make Tortilla Strips
There is no judgment if you use tortilla chips or pre-made tortilla strips! But making them with flour tortillas or corn tortillas is super simple and allows you to flavor them, further enhancing the flavor of the chicken tortilla soup. I recommend doing this while the chicken tortilla soup is pressure cooking to maximize time.
Shred Chicken
Remove the cooked chicken from the Instant Pot and place it on a cutting board. Shred or dice it into small chunks, then add it back into the soup.
Add Lime Juice
Do NOT overlook the fresh lime, it adds incredible acidity and balance to the soup and helps the flavors to pop in your mouth. I recommend adding to the soup after pressure cooking, when stirring the shredded chicken back into the inner pot.
Serve with Toppings
Chicken Tortilla Soup is obviously topped with tortilla strips or chips, but I also love serving with sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, and cilantro to allow people to top their individual bowls as desired.
Recipe Modifications
- 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.
- 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.
- 3-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.
- Spicy Tortilla Soup: Add up to one finely minced jalapeno, along with the onion for a spicy version of Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup.
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 Gnocchi Soup
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Instant Pot French Onion Soup
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
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.
Molly
If not adding chicken, or in my case, in using preshredded rotisserie chicken from the store, how long would you cook just the liquid and beans?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Molly! I would suggest cooking for 5 minutes for high pressure with a full natural pressure release.
Marla
We love this! My husband wants it once a week!
Kristen Chidsey
That's the best compliment! Thanks!
Cara
I’m writing this as I eat it…so good! I ended up using a can of pinto and black beans and used a packet of taco seasoning since I didn’t have the spices to make my own. Even my picky 7 yr old is devouring it! Makes enough to freeze some and have left overs for a few days! I’ve tried many tortillas soups and this is by far is my favorite!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! I am honored this is your favorite! Thanks for sharing.
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!