I’ve been making my Mexican chicken soup recipe for decades, not years, decades! My family adores it so it’s in our regular dinner rotation fall through the end of spring.
It’s wholesome, hearty, and has an amazingly flavorful broth that really makes this a stand out dish. It’s loaded with chicken, corn, tomatoes, and beans. It’s really thick and chunky, just how I like my soups.
Not quite a stew, but not some wimpy, boring, run of the mill soup, either! Like other chicken soup recipes that we love, this Mexican soup is budget-friendly and appeals to the crowd.
If you’re looking for more traditional chicken soups, I’ve got you covered! My chicken and rice soup is one of the first soups I make when the weather starts to cool. It’s incredibly comforting!
My chicken noodle soup and instant pot chicken noodle soup are also great comforting soups with all the classic flavors. All three are the perfect antidote to tummy troubles, sniffles, or just a difficult day!
Let’s make some soup. Olé!
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What I Love About This Mexican Chicken Soup Recipe
- It’s chunky with goodies
- Great spices
- That delicious, crunchy topping!
- Healthy! Tons of vitamins and protein
Mexican Chicken Soup Recipe Notes
Chicken: If you have chicken thighs on hand, they can be used in place of chicken breasts. Because thighs are denser than breasts, they may require a slightly longer cooking time.
Jalapeño: When choosing a jalapeno, the little white cracks or striations indicate a spicier pepper. If jalapeno is too hot for some members of your family, try a milder pepper like poblano or cubanelle instead.
Since my family doesn’t like a lot of heat, I remove all the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno before chopping.
Canned corn and tomatoes: Canned veggies are picked and preserved at the peak of their freshness. Many varieties are available with little or no added salt.
If fresh vegetables are in season, fresh corn and tomatoes will be delicious in this soup, too. If you’re using frozen corn kernels, be sure to thaw them before adding them to your Mexican chicken soup recipe.
Salsa: There are lots of delicious salsas on the market. Choose your family’s favorite, or be bold and try a new flavor. Different types of salsa will add different, subtle layers of flavor to your Mexican chicken soup recipe. This one is my favorite in this soup.
Black beans: Your grocer may offer black beans with and without seasoning. The seasoning is usually a blend of salt, onion, garlic, and other spices.
These flavors will blend nicely with the Mexican chicken soup if you choose the seasoned beans. If you’re concerned about too much-added salt, opt for the unseasoned beans instead.
Paprika: We love the flavor of smoked paprika in this dish. You can substitute mild paprika plus a dash of smoke flavor if that’s what you have on hand. Feeling bold? Try a dash of hot paprika! Remember, paprika should be stored in the fridge for the longest shelf life.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
Cooked soups, such as the Mexican chicken soup recipe, will be at their peak freshness and flavor if eaten within 3-4 days.
Soups should also be stored in glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. Look for versatile containers that can go from the freezer or fridge, right into the microwave.
Can You Freeze This?
The Mexican chicken soup recipe freezes and reheats beautifully. Be sure to cool the soup completely before placing it in the freezer so the soup forms fewer ice crystals (freezer burn!) and you don’t raise the temperature inside the freezer. Also, omit the toppings when freezing the soup. They will get soggy if frozen.
You can freeze for 4-6 months. For the freshest flavor, sprinkle the toppings on the soup after thawing and reheating.
Make Ahead Tips
Mexican chicken soup is perfect as a make-ahead meal. The flavors blend and taste even more scrumptious a day or two after cooking. Make a big batch of Mexican chicken soup recipe and it will be perfect for lunches as well as a dinner entree.
Serving Recommendations
Mexican salads on the side for a Mexican soup? Why not!
I have a bit of obsession when it comes to themed meals, and one of my first choices is the crave-worthy Mexican corn salad where you can make the most of the excess corn. It’s tangy, sweet, and chalked full of veggies. But if I’m in the mood for some beefy appetizers, I go with Mexican meatballs.
Recipe Variations
Just like many soups, you can jazz up this recipe in tons of ways you’ll never run out of options!
- Add tortilla chips. Wanna level up your Mexican experience? Easy peasy. Just dazzle this soup with taco goodness plus corn chips and you’ll get a pot of chicken taco soup. Don’t worry if you run out of protein because you can still make taco soup using your chicken broth.
- Make it creamier. Grab your cream from the pantry and make the Mexican flavors stand out more with the creaminess of cream of chicken soup.
- Add noodles. Whip up this soup in a crockpot with egg noodles for a Mexicanized crockpot chicken noodle soup packed with rich flavors your family will love.
- Switch up the spices. Sprinkling it with Italian seasoning, rosemary, and parmesan cheese can instantly bring this soup across the Mediterranean and turn into a bowl of flavorful italian chicken soup.
- Add potatoes. Got some potatoes? Chop them up and toss them into this soup to put together a delectable, south-of-the-border chicken potato soup.
More Chicken Soup Recipes
- Crockpot Chicken And Dumplings
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Chicken Posole
- Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Mexican Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breast halves cooked and diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2-1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried ground cumin
- 64 ounces chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa I use mild
- 1 (11-ounce) can whole corn drained
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans drained and rinsed
Toppings:
- 1 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 cup Monterrey jack cheese shredded
- tortilla chips coarsely chopped
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add chicken and cover with 1 inch of water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. On medium-high heat, bring water to a roaring boil. Remove from heat and cover tightly for 30 minutes or until there's no longer any pink in chicken. Remove chicken from pot, let stand until cool enough to handle, then dice.
- Sautee onion, red pepper, and jalapeno in a large pot until very soft. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add salt, black pepper, chili powder, oregano, smoked paprika, and cumin. Saute for about 1 minute.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients except for the chicken. Simmer on medium-low heat for 1 1/2 hours to allow all the flavors to develop. Add water, as needed, to the soup if it gets too thick. Add chicken and heat through. Garnish soup with cilantro, tortilla chips, and cheese. This soup is even better if made and refrigerated a day ahead of serving.
- If you are in a hurry, don't worry about the simmer time. The soup is still wonderful if you heat everything through after you saute the veggies. I like the long simmer because I like the canned veggies to soften and the flavors to really merge.
So amazing during the winter months to have something so warm & yummy
This soup is SO amazing!