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This easy Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe tastes like it’s been cooked low and slow, but it’s fast and low effort! It has plenty of bold flavor in the rich broth.
Try my Stovetop Chicken Tortilla Soup or Creamy Taco Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
I’m a big fan of how the Instant Pot really concentrates flavors in such a quick timespan. That’s especially true in this richly flavored easy chicken tortilla soup recipe! It’s a no muss, no fuss dinner when you’re craving ultra comforting Mexican-inspired food.
All you need is a few canned goods and spices to make the best Instant Pot Tex-Mex soup. We’ve got plenty of canned corn and beans, and fire-roasted tomatoes make the broth extra flavorful in this chicken tortilla soup! It’s not too spicy and packed with flavor.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – our tasty aromatics. I like a sweet onion like Vidalia.
- Chicken – we’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Seasoning – my tasty blend includes ground cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder
- Canned goods – we’re using corn, black beans, mild green chilies, and fire-roasted diced tomatoes. So convenient!
- Chicken broth – the savory base of the soup
Pro tip
Note that most chili powder brands are mild, but it can vary. If heat level is a concern, be sure to check yours!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is the Instant Pot model I use.
- There’s a good amount of canned ingredients in this recipe, and my trusty OXO can opener makes opening them effortless.
- Mince the garlic quickly with a metal garlic press, and measure the seasonings with this nested measuring spoon set.
How to make Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Sauté your onion in the Instant Pot. Add the chicken breasts and the rest of the ingredients (except for salt & pepper). Seal it up, and cook on high pressure.
- Let the pressure release naturally, then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Shred the chicken with two forks, then add it back into the pressure cooker. Give it a taste, and season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve and garnish bowls as desired.
Substitutions and variations
- If you prefer chicken thighs, you can definitely make the swap. In fact, they may be even more juicy than chicken breasts since they’re more forgiving when cooking.
- This soup isn’t what I’d call spicy. If you do want to add some heat, start with 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and/or use hot green chilies instead.
What to serve with Instant Pot tortilla soup
- My favorite part is the toppings! Try sliced avocado, Mexican blend cheese, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips/strips, lime wedges, and sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- I like to prepare my Easy Guacamole and chips while it’s cooking.
- For salad pairings, try my Chipotle Ranch Dressing with spring mix or my bright Avocado Corn Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- This Instant Pot tortilla soup is so good that the leftovers always go really fast too. They’re even better for lunch the next day! Use fresh toppings.
- Store in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days, and reheat over low until warmed through.
- You can freeze this one (without toppings) for up to 3 months.
If you tried this simple chicken tortilla soup recipe in the pressure cooker, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me in your photos on Instagram.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 (12 fluid ounce) can corn drained
- 1 (15 fluid ounce) can black beans drained & rinsed
- 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
- 2 (13.5 fluid ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt & pepper to taste
Toppings (optional, to taste):
- Chopped avocado, Mexican shredded cheese blend, cilantro, tortilla chips/strips, lime wedges, sour cream
Instructions
- Sauté the onion in your Instant Pot for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the other soup ingredients, except for salt & pepper, to your pressure cooker and give it a stir.
- Cancel sauté, close the lid, and ensure the valve is on the "sealing" position. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. It'll take about 10-15 minutes for it to get up to pressure.
- Once the countdown has finished, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, and then do a quick pressure release.
- Take the chicken out and shred it with two forks. Add it back into the soup, dish it up, and top each bowl as desired.
Notes
- I use this 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Here is the stovetop version.
- You can use chicken thighs if you prefer (use about a pound or so).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Can’t wait to try this recipe! How many pounds of chicken would say you used?
Hi Brittney, I don’t usually worry too much about the actual weight of the chicken (I just pick up whatever’s at the grocery store and it all cooks up fine in the IP), but an average size chicken breast is about 6-8 ounces, so that would be just over a pound to a pound and a half of chicken. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I have shredded chicken already and wonder if this could be modified to use the already shredded chicken?
Hi Shannon! I’d recommend cooking it on the stove if you’re using already cooked chicken, because it’ll way over cook it. If you really want to use the IP, maybe you could add the chicken in after the high pressure part is done and turn the valve so it’s ‘venting’ rather than sealing.
This recipe looks fantastic. I am an IP newbie so one question: if I use chicken thighs – do I need to alter the cook time?
Thank you!
KC
Thank you! I’d keep the cooking time the same. Hope you like the recipe!
Delish. Did not motify whatsoever. Served with squeeze of lime, sour cream, cilantro,
So glad to hear that!! 🙂
I have a question what kind of tomatoes do you use. Never heard of them. Can I use stewed tomatoes i did from my garden last summer?
Hi Amanda! Sure, stewed tomatoes would work just fine. I just used canned diced tomatoes that happen to be fire-roasted (try the Muir Glen brand if you’re curious), but any diced or stewed tomato will be fine. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
I’m testing out my new Pampered Chef Quick Cooker and this recipe was amazing in it! I’ll be sharing your recipe link on my FB page so everyone I know can enjoy this very tasty meal! Thanks so much.
Yay!! So happy you liked it, Elisabeth!
Looks yummy and I can’t wait to make it! Queation- how long would you cook it for if you used canned shredded chicken instead?
Thanks, Michelle!! I’d probably just do it on the stove, in that case. The pressure cooker is great for quickly cooking entire pieces of chicken, but it tends to turn already cooked things into mush and/or it’ll make chicken dry and rubbery.
Can you leave in in the instant pot on warm for a few hours after it’s done cooking or should I move it out of the pot?
You can definitely do that if you wish. I usually just take it out and portion it up right away, but there’s only 2 of us in the house. 🙂
How full was your Instant Pot? Specifically, I have a 6 qt pot, and I’m trying to figure out if I could double the recipe safely or if I’d have to do it in 2 batches. Thanks 🙂
I can’t exactly remember, but I am pretty sure it would go over the “safe” line if you doubled it, so I would try with 2 batches (at least at first). Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
This was really good. Glad I used this recipe.
Cheers!
Awesome! So happy to hear that. Thanks for letting me know!