I appoint chicken taco soup the uncontested King of Easy dinners. It packs the plethora of taste-bud tingling spices you’d expect from chicken tacos. It’s one of those chicken recipes that you can toss into the crockpot or instant pot if you’re pressed for time.
Chicken taco soup will be a benevolent King over all other chicken soup recipes — and I know that once you see how easy it, you’ll be singing its praises and giving it a place of honor in your recipe book.
Make room in your weekly meal plan — chicken taco soup recipe is here!
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What I Love About Chicken Taco Soup Recipe
I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like tacos. And they’re endlessly versatile too, right? Regular tacos. Spaghetti tacos. Softshell tacos. Ice cream tacos. So it’s no wonder that chicken taco soup is beloved by everyone who tastes it.
Plus, did I mention you can whip this up in forty minutes (or less, if you use a crockpot or instant pot)?
- Quick, easy, healthy. The trifecta of weeknight dinners.
- Customization — everyone gets to finish their soup with the toppings they love most.
- Cooking with one pot means you clean only one pot!
- TACOS. Need I say more?
Recipe Notes
One of the things that makes chicken taco soup recipe so easy to pull together is our use of canned veggies. Normally, I’d harp on the importance of fresh, but for this recipe, canned really is the way to go. Read on for why!
Ingredient Notes
Beans: Now, you know I love me some fresh ingredients. Fresh herbs. Fresh veggies. Fresh meat, if you can find it. But there’s one ingredient that I rarely, if ever, add fresh — and that is beans. Dried beans take at least a day to properly prepare, so for time-crunched recipes, like this one, canned is absolutely the way to go!
Got leftovers? Another reason chicken taco soup recipe comes together so quickly is by using pre-cooked chicken. Got a few breasts leftover from your weekend BBQ? Snatched a sale rotisserie chicken at the grocer? This is the perfect recipe for that extra chicken you’ve been hoarding! You can even use canned chicken — but make sure if you use leftover chicken that it hasn’t been sitting in the fridge for more than four days.
Salsa shake-up: Adding a whole jar of salsa to this recipe is one of my favorite parts because it allows for so much diversity! You can use sweet corn and black bean salsa for extra depth, or spicy salsa if your family likes some heat. You can even try tomatillo salsa verde for that iconic fresh bite. Experiment! The possibilities are endless.
Storing Tips
I love having a big ol’ tub of chicken taco soup recipe on hand during those chilly autumn and winter days. It’s perfect for a bone-warming lunch on the fly! But how long will it last?
Can You Freeze This?
Of course! Luckily, chicken taco soup’s ingredients should all do just fine in the freezer. The beans and corn may be a bit on the softer side after thawing, but the overall integrity of the soup should still be yummy!
You can store Chicken Taco Soup in the freezer for up to three months.
Make-Ahead Tips
This recipe is a make-ahead friendly to the MAX! Most of the ingredients are already pre-made or canned. But if you really want to make it easy on yourself, you can follow Step 1 below,which will make your soup base, and refrigerate it for up to four days.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
Chicken taco soup recipe, though King of all Easy, Healthy Meals, must adhere to the same fridge timeline as all other soups. So alas, you can only store it for up to four days.
Recipe Variations
Can I Make This Soup With Cream?
Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes. Creamy chicken noodle soup is one of my all-time faves, so turning this into creamy chicken tortilla soup… I just started drooling. Splash in some heavy whipping cream or even a big dollop of sour cream to crank the delicious level up to the top!
You can use cream cheese too! Cook as instructed below and add an 8 oz block of softened cream cheese once the chicken has been heated through. To make incorporation faster, you can mix some hot broth with the cream cheese to melt it and then stir it into the soup. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until completely melted.
Can I Cook This In An Instant Pot?
I promised you could! Use your instant pot in lieu of the stovetop in the recipe below, and set it according to your pot’s timer for soups and stews. In no time, you’ll have instant pot chicken tortilla soup!
For an added scrumptious twist, try instant pot chicken and dumplings — the heartier cousin of chicken taco soup recipe!
Can I Change The Seasoning?
That’s one of the things I love most about chicken-based soups — what can’t you do to them?
Chicken curry soup is only a few swaps away — exclude the taco seasoning in favor of curry spice, toss in some thicker veggies like potatoes and carrots, and don’t forget to buy naan to dip in it! You could even get fancy and add a can of coconut milk and some fresh grated ginger.
And if you thought chicken curry soup wasn’t far off, how about chicken fajita soup? Grab a bag of fajita seasoning instead of taco seasoning, which tends to have less chili powder and more subtle taste.
What Carbs I Can Add To This Recipe?
Need an extra umph of sturdiness? You can always turn this into chicken noodle soup by adding some dried pasta of your choice when you add the rest of the ingredients. Or go for gnocchi to make this a chicken gnocchi soup — most grocery stores sell gnocchi in the pasta section, but if you want to give it a whirl, homemade gnocchi is actually easier than you’d might think!
What Other Mexican Chicken Soup I Can Try?
Mexican chicken soup is a deliciously broad category of soups. If chicken taco soup recipe has you hankering for more, I definitely recommend you try chicken tortilla soup. The added crunch of tortillas takes it over the top!
Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper ribs and seeds removed, and chopped
- 1 jalapeno ribs and seeds removed, and minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 envelope taco seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 (14.5- ounce) can petite diced tomatoes with the juice
- 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa with the juice
- 1 (11-ounce) can corn drained
- 1 (16-ounce) can ranch style beans chili beans with the juice
- 1 (14-ounce) carton chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
Optional Toppings:
- tortilla chips crumbled
- jack or cheddar cheese shredded
- sour cream
- sliced avocado
- fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. When the oil is warm saute onion, red pepper, and jalapeno over medium heat until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute about 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the rest of the soup ingredients, except chicken, to the pot. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered for 30-40 minutes.
- Add chicken and continue to simmer until heated through. Taste soup and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Garnish individual soup bowls as desired with tortillas chips, cheese, sour cream, avocado, and or cilantro.
Video
Nutrition
More Chicken Soup Recipes
Looking for more mouth-watering chicken soup recipes? I’ve tested the best and pulled my favorites. It’s a tough job, but for you, I do it!
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Chicken Potato Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Chicken Vegetable Soup
Conclusion
Hear ye, hear ye, by order of Gonna Want Seconds, I officially declare chicken taco soup recipe to be King of the Soup realm. Make it in a cinch, eat even quicker, and clean up in a blink — what more could you want?
I’d ask you all to swear fealty, but I know your mouths are full of flavorful broth and tender chicken pieces. Just raise your spoons if you agree that chicken taco soup recipe is the best!
What toppings did you add? Comment below!
Laurie says
December 26, 2018 at 10:12 pmI could not find ranch style beans so I picked up pinto, is that OK?
Kathleen says
January 13, 2019 at 4:25 amHi Laurie. Well, the Ranch Style Chili Beans are canned with a sauce and the sauce is a component of the recipe. So, subbing them out will alter the taste a bit. Hope that info helps <3
Beverly Purtlebaugh says
November 30, 2018 at 6:14 pmI made this soup for overnight guests. I doubled the recipe. It was so good! And…with leftovers it gets better and better everyday. Easy and delicious….the perfect combination!
Kathleen says
November 30, 2018 at 6:26 pmI’m so happy you and your guests enjoyed the soup. <3
Lindsey Boureston says
November 26, 2018 at 4:41 pmThis is my kind of soup recipe!! Can’t wait to give it a try !
Debbie says
November 23, 2018 at 6:06 pmI enjoy reading your recipes, but most are very high in sodium, fat and calories. But you do have some very good ideas. Some I am able to make healthier
Kathleen says
December 1, 2018 at 12:51 amHi, Debbie. Thanks for asking. Maybe use low sodium version of those canned ingredients. <3 <3