This warm, comforting Mexican Tortilla Soup has a rich broth that is layered with authentic flavors, studded with tender chicken, sprinkled with a hint of spice, and thickened with corn tortillas. Top with crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, and the squeeze of a lime wedge for a delicious bowl of soup any time of year.
This Mexican-inspired soup is a meal that lives on repeat in my house. It's the one I make whenever someone in the family has a cold coming on. As a bonus, it can be as mild or as spicy as I want it to be.
Another reason I love this chicken tortilla soup recipe is that it can be thrown together in just a few minutes. Perfect for a busy day.
Another soup that comes together quickly and has a delicious broth is this Sausage Potato Soup Recipe or this Potato and Corn Chowder Recipe.
I first saw the recipe for this soup in a Food Network booklet of 50 soups. Over time I have adjusted it to my family's tastes and added in a couple cooking techniques to perfect it.
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"I LOVE this tortilla soup. It is super easy to make for a weeknight dinner. Lots of lime and crushed tortilla chips on top are a must!" - Patricia
Why this recipe is great
- It's a quick, easy, and delicious soup that's done in only 30 minutes!
- It uses rotisserie chicken! There is no need to roast your own chicken unless you want to. Store-bought shredded chicken soaks up the flavors perfectly!
- It freezes beautifully! Awesome for lunches or nights when I need something quick.
Ingredients for Mexican tortilla soup
- Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes or on-the-vine tomatoes are best.
- Onions and garlic: The essential aromatics for adding flavor to the broth.
- Jalapeno: Adds flavor and a little spice.
- Guajillo chilis: These are dried chilis (affiliate) found in the Mexican section of your supermarket. Ancho chilis are a great choice as well.
- Chicken broth: If you have homemade chicken stock go ahead and use it, but if not, store-bought low-sodium chicken broth will still be yummy.
- Corn tortillas: Perfect time to use leftover tortillas.
- Shredded chicken: Cook your own, use rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken works as well. I have also included instructions for using raw skinless chicken breasts.
Optional toppings
- Tortilla chips: Store-bought tortilla chips makes this easy, but feel free to fry your own homemade tortilla strips.
- Fresh avocado: Diced avocado adds the perfect creamy bite.
- Cheese: Cotija, cheddar, Jack, Colby...they will all work.
- Sour cream: Helps take the spiciness down a notch.
- Lime wedges: A squeeze of fresh lime juice provides a bright acidic note.
- Cilantro: A perfect touch of fresh herby flavor.
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make Mexican tortilla soup
The key to getting this soup right is the temperature of the pot before adding in the blended vegetables. Place a large soup pot or dutch oven over high heat while you add the veggies to the blender.
Add all fresh veggies and the dried chilis to a blender.
Blend until they are smooth. It will be a dark orange-red color with bits of chilis dotted throughout.
Once the veggies are blended add oil to the pan. It should ripple.
Now carefully add the contents of the blender to the pan. If your pan is hot enough the ingredients in the pot will be spitting and sputtering. Cook until the ingredients condense down.
It's time to add stock when a spoon runs through the pot and leaves a trail. On our stovetop that takes just over 5 minutes.
Once the mixture is cooked down, add in the chicken stock and tortillas. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes.
Then add in the shredded chicken and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
Serve this easy chicken tortilla soup in a bowl with toppings of your choice. Our favorites are crunchy tortilla strips, diced avocado, cheese, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.
For a crowd
Mexican Tortilla Soup is a great recipe for a crowd because it is easy to make, doubles or triples very well, and is economical!
The most important part of the soup making process is cooking the vegetables in the super hot pan. If the pan is too small it won't be hot enough to deepen the flavors enough. When doubling the recipe, my recommendation is to use an extra large pot, use two separate pots, or cook in batches.
What to serve with tortilla soup
- Corn Tortilla Quesadillas
- Warmed flour tortillas (Our favorites are the uncooked kind) (affiliate link)
- Mexican Salad Recipe
- Serve as a side or starter alongside tacos- Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken Tacos, Beef Chuck Roast Tacos Recipe, or Crunchy Chicken Tacos Recipe
FAQs
Using raw chicken breasts is great, but they require additional time to simmer. Once the chicken stock is at a gentle simmer, put in a couple sliced chicken breasts. You can leave them whole, but I have found the chicken is more tender and cooks more quickly if sliced. After the chicken has cooked in the broth until tender, add in the tortillas. Continue to simmer gently until the tortillas dissolve and the soup thickens.
Yes, this freezes and reheats perfectly. My favorite container for freezing dinner-size soups and chilis are these large plastic containers. You can also freeze individual-size meals in round containers or these amazing Souper Cubes for a quick, no-brainer lunch. Both containers can be found at Walmart or Target for a bit cheaper. Defrost it in the microwave, overnight in the fridge, or at room temperature on the counter.
Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat the next day on the stove or in the microwave.
More soup recipes
- Potato Soup - The next time you need a filling soup this one is a favorite for sure.
- Roasted Tomato Soup - Fellow soup lovers will find this deeply flavorful!
- White Chicken Chili - One of my favorite soups filled with green chilies and hearty beans made in the slow cooker or instant pot.
- Italian Sausage Soup with Pasta - An easy soup recipe that is great for busy nights!
Tips & tricks
- Get the pan very, very hot. Without this step the blended vegetables will not be able to reach the depth of flavor that makes this soup so amazing.
- Cook the vegetables long enough that they condense down. You will know they are ready when a spoon leaves a trail after running through the pot.
Recipe
30 Minute Mexican Tortilla Soup (with Shredded Chicken)
Equipment
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes roma or on-the-vine, roughly chopped
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
- 1 jalapeno roughly chopped
- 2 dried guajillo peppers tops and seeds removed, ancho may be substituted
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 4 corn tortillas torn
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- tortilla chips
- avocado diced
- cheese
- sour cream
- lime
- cilantro
Instructions
- Place the soup pot over high heat. Then add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeno, and dried peppers to the blender. Blend until they are smooth.2 tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 jalapeno, 2 dried guajillo peppers
- Once the pot is hot add the oil. It should be hot enough to ripple. Carefully pour in the contents of the blender. It will be spitting and sputtering. Stir frequently for approximately 5-7 minutes. Once a spoon runs through and leaves a trail, pour in the chicken broth and torn pieces of corn tortilla.2 tablespoon oil, 8 cups chicken broth, 4 corn tortillas
- Allow to simmer for 10 minutes then add in the shredded chicken for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.3 cups shredded chicken, salt and pepper
- Serve with toppings of your choice.tortilla chips, avocado, cheese, sour cream, lime, cilantro
Notes
- Get the pan very, very hot. Without this step the blended vegetables will not be able to reach the depth of flavor that makes this soup so amazing.
- Cook the vegetables long enough that they condense down. You will know they are ready when a spoon leaves a trail after running through the pot.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Jeffrey Z. in SC says
This is one of my favorites but, I have not made this type of soup in YEARS. I'm going to buy the few ingredients that I don't already have and cook up a fresh batch today. There are two things not mentioned here which will add to the overall explosive flavor without changing the base soup broth notes. These are Real butter and black garlic. You can also halve the store bought chicken bullion or broth and use Celtic sea salt to raise the taste levels back up to where you need them to be. The 84 minerals in Celtic grey sea salt boost the flavor to new heights. Thank you for posting this. Jeffrey Z. in SC
Misty says
Hope you enjoy it!
Mel says
Can I double recipe? :))
Danielle says
Absolutely! See the section "For A Crowd" for all our tips and tricks when doubling.
Aspen says
This is so stinkin flavorful! Personally I like it super brothy. With a quesadilla on the side... it's Mexican food heaven.
Misty says
It's never a bad idea to add extra broth if you like it more brothy. My favorite tortillas to serve on the side are the kind that you cook yourself in a hot skillet. So good, hope you try them!
Patricia says
I LOVE this tortilla soup. It is super easy to make for a weeknight dinner. Lots of lime and crushed tortilla chips on top are a must!
Delani says
This looks amazing! Perfect for someone like me. Can’t wait to try it!
Misty says
Yay, hope you enjoy!
Karen says
Sooooo good!
Misty says
Glad you liked it!
Kimberly Jones says
So excited to have Danielle recipes in my inbox! I’ve waited like 15 years for this.