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This chicken taco soup turns chicken tacos into a creamy, cozy, and filling bowl of comfort food. It’s also easy enough to make on a weeknight!
Whether you call it a chicken taco soup or a chicken tortilla soup, one thing is certain: you won’t settle for boring chicken soups again once you try this recipe.
It brings together the bold Tex-Mex flavors of tacos and the comfort of chicken soup, with extra creaminess and cheese for the ultimate cozy goodness.
So grab your tortilla chips and let’s make this cold-weather must-have!
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Don’t settle for canned soups!
These stovetop chicken noodle and baked potato soup recipes prove you can make something cozy and scrumptious without complicated ingredients or steps.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Taco Soup Recipe
- This creamy chicken taco soup packs all the savory flavors of chicken tacos into a rich, warm soup, perfect for the holidays, cold winter nights, and Taco Tuesdays.
- No Crockpot? No problem! Anyone can make this taco soup because it’s all done on the stovetop.
- This chicken taco soup recipe is flexible, and you can load it up with your favorite taco toppings or sneak in healthy vegetables.
Ingredients
Olive oil– For cooking the aromatics.
Onion– For building a flavorful base.
Crushed tomatoes with green chilies, whole kernel corn, black beans, and red bell pepper– You can add your go-to vegetables for comfort soup recipes, but be aware of their cooking times.
Paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper– To give our homemade soup recipe all the deliciousness of a taco. Taco seasoning also works!
Chicken broth– You can use a low-sodium variety to better control the saltiness of your chicken taco soup.
Cream cheese– Don’t forget to take it out of the fridge before starting the recipe so it softens and melts easily into our hearty chicken soup.
Shredded chicken– Read on for our trick to cooking chicken breasts without drying them out! (If you have some leftover rotisserie chicken, that also works.)
Fresh cilantro, Mexican blend cheese, avocado, tortilla chips– Turn the taco soup into a fiesta in a bowl by loading it with your favorite taco toppings!
Ingredient Substitutions For Taco Soup
Protein
If you’re worried about overcooking your chicken breasts, use the more forgiving boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
Want something lighter? Make a turkey taco soup with ground turkey!
Veggies
Just like tacos, this easy chicken taco soup is adaptable.
You can use fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead of tomatoes with green chilis, swap black beans with pinto beans, add more peppers, or sneak in extra vegetables like zucchini and carrots.
Dairy
It’s not an ultimate comfort food without the richness and creaminess of cream cheese! But if you only have heavy cream, feel free to use it as well.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Shredding the Chicken
You can use two forks to shred your chicken breasts, but to save time and effort, just place them in the bowl of a stand mixer. You can use the paddle attachment and shred the chicken breasts on low!
Cooking the Chicken
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 minutes. Once slightly golden, flip them over and add some broth to the pan to keep them from drying out. Cover and cook for about 7 minutes or until cooked through.
Make it Thicker
If you prefer a thicker chicken taco soup, whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Whisk the slurry into the simmering soup and cook for a few minutes until you get your desired consistency.
Taco Soup Recipe FAQs
What is the difference between chicken tortilla soup and chicken taco soup?
The difference between chicken tortilla soup and chicken taco soup is that tortilla soup is lighter than taco soup. However, this recipe can work as both a chicken taco soup and a cheesy chicken tortilla soup. Taco soup is also usually made with ground beef, while tortilla soup is typically made with chicken.
What else is needed for the best taco soup?
This taco soup recipe can be taken up a notch with a variety of toppings! Add a dollop of sour cream, extra shredded cheese (some shredded cheddar cheese would be perfect), and sliced jalapenos, and lime wedges to amp up its flavor.
Can I make this chicken taco soup recipe with uncooked chicken?
I prefer cooking the chicken separately so it doesn’t get too dry and tough. But for convenience, you can cut up the chicken breasts into pieces and cook them with the sautéed onions in the skillet.
How do you cook taco soup in a slow cooker?
We haven’t tried making this chicken taco soup recipe in the Crockpot. That said, you can lightly grease a Crockpot, add the raw chicken breasts and soup ingredients (except the cream cheese), stir, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. Remove and shred the chicken, return it to the soup, and add the cream cheese. Allow it to melt on High for 30 minutes, stirring as needed until it’s incorporated into the soup.
How to store chicken taco soup?
Allow your Mexican chicken soup to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. You can keep it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, reheat gently over low heat.
More Delicious Cozy Meals
- Pumpkin Soup
- Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Cream Cheese
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Onion Soup Mix
- Healthy Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- Nigerian Chicken Stew
I found this recipe for Pork Chop Soup that I HAVE to try!
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Chicken Taco Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 10-oz can diced tomatoes with chili
- 1 15-oz can corn, drained
- 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- Salt to taste
- Pinch ground black pepper
- 7 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- Mexican blend cheese for garnish
- Avocado, sliced for garnish
- Crushed tortilla chips for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden.
- Transfer the sautéed onion to a pot. Add the diced tomatoes with green chiles, corn, and black beans, and stir to combine.
- Add the chopped red bell pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix well.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the cream cheese and stir until completely melted and incorporated into the soup.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and cook for another 7 to 10 minutes.
- Serve with fresh cilantro, Mexican blend cheese, avocado slices, and tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use two forks to shred your chicken breasts, but to save time and effort, just place them in the bowl of a stand mixer. You can use the paddle attachment and shred the chicken breasts on low!
- Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 minutes. Once slightly golden, flip them over and add some broth to the pan to keep them from drying out. Cover and cook for about 7 minutes or until cooked through.
- If you prefer a thicker chicken taco soup, whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Whisk the slurry into the simmering soup and cook for a few minutes until you get your desired consistency.
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
