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When the craving for a bold and flavorful soup hits, Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup the recipe you need! Ready in under 30 minutes, this easy recipe uses simple, affordable ingredients to deliver restaurant-quality flavor without the excess fat or sodium.
When you are craving comfort, but want to spice things up a bit, skip the classics like Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup or Instant Pot Chicken Orzo Soup, and make Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup.
While still being cozy and soul-satisfying like the classics, the flavors in this tortilla soup are bold and bright. From the richly seasoned broth to the hearty chicken, earthy beans, and sweet corn, every spoonful is pure Tex-Mex comfort. Not to mention this recipe is extremely easy to make!
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients
- Chicken: This soup can be made with either thawed or frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
- Broth/Stock: Use low-sodium chicken stock or broth to control the overall sodium in the soup.
- Beans: Black beans, pinto beans, or red beans all work well. Use what you have on hand or prefer.
- Corn: Use frozen corn kernels, canned corn, or even fresh corn kernels cut from corn cobs.
- Seasonings/Aromatics: Onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and paprika will work to develop the bold flavor chicken tortilla soup is known for.
- Rotel Tomatoes: To add another dimension of flavor, use diced tomatoes with green chiles (AKA Rotel Tomatoes) instead of plain diced tomatoes.
- Lime: The acidity and freshness of fresh lime juice adds dimension and brightens the soup up.
- 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
While this is an incredibly simple recipe, if you are unfamiliar with cooking in an Instant Pot or the functions of your Instant Pot, be sure to start with How to Use an Instant Pot for the best results on this and future recipes. You will find the full recipe in detail in the recipe card below.
- Sauté the Onions & Garlic. Using the sauté function, sauté the onion until softened. Add in the garlic and continue to sauté until just fragrant.
- Deglaze the Inner Pot. To prevent a burn notice, add in a small amount of the chicken broth to the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom or the inner pot.
- Layer Ingredients, adding Tomatoes Last. Add the remaining broth, seasonings, beans, and corn to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Nestle the chicken into the soup. And finally top with the diced tomatoes–but do not stir! It is okay if tomatoes sink naturally, but stirring them into the soup may cause a burn notice to occur.
- Pressure Cook with Natural Pressure Release. 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.
- 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, along with the juice of a fresh lime.
- 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.
Homemade Tortilla Strips
There is no judgment if you use tortilla chips or pre-made tortilla strips! But making them yourself with flour tortillas or corn tortillas is super simple and allows you to flavor them, further enhancing the flavor of this soup.
- While the chicken tortilla soup is pressure cooking, cut the tortillas into thin strips.
- Season with a bit of oil, salt, and cumin and spread out onto a baking sheet.
- Broil for 2-3 minutes per side, until just toasted.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Spicy Tortilla Soup: Add up to one finely minced jalapeno, along with the onion for a spicy version of Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup.
- 3-Quart Instant Pot Modifications: 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.
- Doubling the Soup: You can double this recipe in a 6 or an 8-quart Instant Pot. Keep the cooking time the same, but plan for it to take longer to come to pressure.
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
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Easy 30-Minutes Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
An easy, hearty, yet healthy recipe for Classic Chicken Tortilla Soup made in the Instant Pot.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 188kcal
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Ingredients
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
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.
Notes
Chicken: Both boneless, skinless chicken thighs and chicken breasts can be used and the cooking time will remain the same. Chicken Breasts shred easier and chicken thighs may need to be diced up instead of shredded.
Seasonings: In place of cumin, paprika, chili powder, and salt, feel free to use 2 teaspoons of homemade taco seasoning.
Vegan-Friendly/Vegetarian Tortilla Soup: In place of the chicken stock, use vegetable broth. You also will want to omit the chicken and use 2-3 cans of beans to bulk the soup up.
Spicy Tortilla Soup: Add in up to one finely minced jalapeno, along with the onion for a spicy version of Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Speed It Up: 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 191mg | Potassium: 612mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg
This recipe was originally published in 2020 but updated 2025.
