Easy Restaurant-Quality Chicken Tortilla Soup
This easy restaurant-quality Chicken Tortilla Soup can be a meal in itself or a tasty appetizer, but the secret ingredient in this recipe is what really sets this recipe apart from others and makes this dish “restaurant-quality”!
Ready in 40-minutes, this zesty Tex-Mex chicken soup is loaded with the flavors of Mexico and ready in no time! Feel free to use a deli or rotisserie chicken if you don’t have time to bake chicken.
Southwestern, or Mexican Chicken Tortilla soup, is a staple menu item in the southwest and you’ll find it in Mexican restaurants from El Paso to Oklahoma.
Some versions are tomato based; however, this easy tortilla soup recipe is chicken-broth based, with tender bites of chicken swimming in a flavorful broth of tomatoes, green chiles, corn tortillas, tomatoes, Mexican seasonings and avocado!
Why this recipe works
The secret seasoning ingredient is what differentiates this Mexican Tortilla soup from other tortilla soups.
- Super flavorful – the secret ingredient sets this recipe apart from others!
- Quick and easy to make – just add all the ingredients into a stockpot and it’s ready in about 40-minutes!
- Affordable -the ingredients aren’t expensive or complicated; in fact, you probably have most of these in your pantry right now!
- Gluten-free and dairy-free – no flour, no milk, no heavy cream and no sour cream
There’s nothing more comforting than a warm bowl of soup on a chilly night! This homemade tortilla soup recipe packs as much heat and flavor as you like!
I often serve a cup of this tortilla soup as an appetizer with fajitas or slow cooker Adobo chicken tacos!
Here’s what you’ll need
Chicken breasts or thighs (about 3-4 cups cooked and shredded.)The rest of the ingredients are: onion (white onion or yellow onion), chicken broth or chicken stock, ground chile powder, ground cumin, Rotel tomatoes, corn tortillas, diced green chiles, the secret ingredient – Sazon Goya Mexican seasoning, salt and pepper.
Also, Rotel tomatoes are a Texas brand…their kind of a Mexican-tomato mixture with onions and green chiles.
If you can’t find them in your store, get stewed tomatoes with onions or use canned plain tomatoes and chop up some bell pepper, onion and/or more green chiles
How to make Chicken tortilla soup
This easy homemade chicken tortilla recipe comes together in no time!
For the most authentic tortilla soup flavor, I recommed you first bake the chicken. Use chicken thighs (or chicken breasts if that’s all you have); lightly season the chicken with a little salt, pepper, ground cumin and chili powder. Place in a lightly oiled baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
Once the chicken cooled a bit, shred it or cut it into bite size cubes and set aside.
If you want to use a deli or rotisserie chicken, then by all means do! You need about 3-4 pounds of uncooked chicken to start with.
Next, tear, shred or cut about 6 corn tortillas into small pieces and set aside. The masa flour from the corn tortillas are a second layer of flavoring in this restaurant-quality tortilla soup.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven on medium heat; saute chopped onions and shredded corn tortillas about 5 minutes, until both are tender
Next, add in a can of Rotel tomatoes (with their juice), and a few Southwest, or Tex-Mex seasonings: a can of diced green chiles, chicken broth, ground cumin, chile powder and the Sazon Goya mexican seasoning.
Add in the seasoned, cooked chicken, combine well and allow to simmer on low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes. Garnish with crispty tortilla strips, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro and a quick squeeze of fresh lime juice!
How to cook the chicken
There are three ways to cook the chicken: bake, boil, saute. Baking results in the best texture and flavor!
- If you want shredded chicken in your soup, bake it; if you want cubes of chicken in your soup, cut the chicken breast into cubes, then saute on the stove.
- To bake: lightly season with a sprinkling of salt, ground cumin and chili powder, place in a lightly oiled baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 350ºF until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Boil it: place it in lightly salted water and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
- Stove-top saute method is the quickest. Cut the breast and thighs into small pieces and place them a bit of oil in a hot skillet.
Once it’s cooked, simply saute corn tortillas and add remaining ingredients. The flavor of this delicious tortilla soup really develops if you let it simmer for 20-minutes or so.
There’s really no reason to go to your favorite Mexican restaurant when you can make this delicious restaurant quality tortilla soup at home!
Recipe FAQ
For a really nice, robust tortilla soup, use a combination of white and dark. I usually use one large breast and about eight boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
The ingredient that really sets this recipe apart from others is the Latin American seasoning: Sazon Goya Coriander and Annatto.
This unique spice brings out the flavor and is what makes this easy chicken tortilla soup of “restaurant-quality.”
It comes in an orange box (see ingredients above) and is usually found on the general spice aisle, or sometimes in the mexican food section of your grocer.
Corn tortillas are made from Masa flour which has a unique flavor and texture that make this a true restaurant quality tortilla soup.
Flour tortillas are made of plain white flour and do not have the flavor or texture for this recipe, so you’ll definitely want to use corn tortillas!
Vegan version
For a vegan version of tortilla soup, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and obviously no meat. Once you’ve got the broth the way you like it, add black beans, jackfruit, mushroom, corn or carrots!
Recipe Tips
Don’t skip the step of adding the torn corn tortillas to the sauteed onions! This is what gives this soup part of it’s delicious flavor!
Start by adding 32-ounces of chicken broth. After you add the chicken, the soup will thicken; if you want a thinner soup, add the remaining 16-ounces of broth
Seasonings: Chile powder & cumin: These are bold, but important seasonings. Start by using 2 tablespoons of each in the soup; let the soup simmer awhile, then re-taste. Add more of the spices if you like. Remember, you can add more heat, but it’s hard to remove heat from a recipe.
If you want to add canned black or pinto beans or corn, rinse and drain before adding
Want it spicier?
Add spicy-heat to this quick and easy chicken tortilla soup with more chili powder or add fresh jalapenos, hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco) or cayenne pepper.
Of course, you can also add really hot peppers to this dish (think Habanero peppers), or a spicy meat like chorizo.
Storage and reheating
Store the chicken tortilla soup in airtight container for up to 3-days in refrigerator or up to 3-months in the freezer.
Upon reheating, soup may thicken a bit and you might have to add a little water or broth.
Serving suggestions
This Mexican Chicken tortilla soup can be served as an appetizer or an entree. It pairs beautifully with other Tex-Mex or Mexican dishes and is a must-have on your Cinco de Mayo menu!
I often serve this with tamales and a Mexican street corn casserole – naturally, we have crispy corn tortillas and salsa for dipping on the side! Serve with an ice cold Michelada and you’ve got a full-fledged restaurant-quality Mexican dinner in your own home.
The beauty of this easy chicken tortilla soup recipe is it’s flavoring and the secret ingredient that creates an authentic Mexican flavor, but nothing too “over-the-top” and, you can make it as mild or spicy as you like!
More Mexican recipes
- Slow Cooker Adobo Chicken
- Green Chile Chicken Soup
- Southwestern Navy Bean Soup
- Authentic Mexican Rice
- Red Enchilada Sauce
- Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce
- Sweet Chipotle Corn Casserole
- Tex Mex Fajitas
- How to Fix Over Salted Foods
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you!
Easy Restaurant Quality Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. chicken See Recipe Notes
- 1 tablespoon oil , canola or vegetable
- 4 5" inch corn tortillas see recipe notes
- 1 cup yellow onion .diced
- 8 ounces green chiles , canned, diced, not drained
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin to season chicken
- 1 tablespoon chili powder to season chicken
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin, for soup
- 2 tablespoons chili powder, for soup
- 1 pkg. Sazon Goya Seasoning see recipe notes
- 10 ounces Rotel tomatoes , not drained
- 1 bunch cilantro (garnish)
- 48 oz. chicken broth , low-sodium
- 2 avocados sliced (garnish)
- 1 can black beans drained (optional)
- 1 can sweet yellow corn drained (optional)
Instructions
First Things First – Cook The Chicken (See Recipe Notes)
- Set cooked, shredded chicken aside4 lbs. chicken, 1 tablespoon ground cumin to season chicken, 1 tablespoon chili powder to season chicken
Make the soup
- Add oil to stockpot on medium heat; add onions and 3 torn corn tortillas; cook 5 minutes or until the tortillas soften1 tablespoon oil, 4 5" inch corn tortillas, 1 cup yellow onion
- Add Rotel tomatoes, green chiles, chicken broth, remaining cumin and chili powder and Sazon Goya (see recipe notes about adding the chicken broth)8 ounces green chiles, 2 tablespoons ground cumin, for soup, 1 pkg. Sazon Goya Seasoning, 10 ounces Rotel tomatoes, 48 oz. chicken broth, 2 tablespoons chili powder, for soup
- Add cooked chicken to the stockpot; allow to simmer on low 15-20 minutes4 lbs. chicken
- Garnish with cilantro and sliced avocado and serve1 bunch cilantro, 2 avocados
Optional Additions
- Black Beans: if you want to add black beans, drain a can and rinse them; add them about 10 minutes before serving; always taste and adjust seasonings after you add anything to the soup1 can black beans
- Sweet Corn: if you want to add sweet corn, drain a can and rinse; add the corn about 10 minutes before serving; always taste and adjust seasonings after you add anything to the soup1 can sweet yellow corn
Fried Tortilla Strips (optional)
- While your soup is simmering, put 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a skillet on medium high heat
- Take four tortillas and cut them into fine strips; place tortilla strips into hot oil; remove and place on paper towel; garnish soup with fried tortilla strips
Notes
- Bake: season lightly with salt, pepper, cumin and chile powder; place in a lightly oiled baking dish, covered, and bake at 350° F until it reaches 165ºF internal temperature (about 45 minutes, depending upon how much chicken you have) – OR-
- Saute on the stove: cut into cubes, place in a big bowl, add seasonings, toss, and add to hot skillet
- I like to use a combination of white and dark meat; I usually us one large chicken breast and 6-8 chicken thighs (boneless/skinless)
- If you use chicken thighs with the skin on, remove the skin before adding to the soup and season them lightly with cumin, salt and chili powder (about 1 tablespoon each)
I be made this several times., it’s always a hit!
I made this with a change from two cans of green chilis to one because the Rotel I used had habernero peppers! It was/ is awesome— very spicy, too. I also added a can of black beans!! Wonderful!!
I love chicken tortilla soup. Have you tried adding juice of one lime? I sometimes add more.
Thanks Smartypants
Hi Pat! Thanks for the idea! I add lime if I have any…:)