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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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I am confused as to why the instant pot recipe is higher in calories than the stove top version? Maybe I missed something but the ingredients look identical…
Regardless, sounds delicious. I’m excited to give it a try this weekend! :]
Hi!! I did both calories fairly recently, and I can’t exactly remember why they were different, but I thought the same thing. I believe there are subtle differences in the ingredient quantities when I looked more closely haha. Honestly, the calories will vary depending on the exact ingredients you use anyway, so they’re just a guideline.
My fave chicken tortilla soup ever!!! I’ve made this 3 times but it’s the only recipe I’ll use from now on. I changed it up a bit this time around and used garbanzo beans instead of the corn and added some carrot. Delicious! I add a small amount of sugar just to smoothen out the acidity from the tomatoes but other than that, I follow the recipe and I’m left with a flavorful soup that comes together quickly yet tastes like I’ve slaved over a hot stove for hours. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
I’m so happy you like it!! Thanks for letting me know! I sometimes use the sugar trick too with tomatoes. ☺️♥️
XOXOXOXO!!! I could not find my old fashioned recipe, and I wanted to try my newish IP, so I jumped on Pinterest and viola! Your post was yummy looking, so I copied it into my recipe folder, and I know I will surely be preparing this one again! I did dismiss the first post b/c there were ingredients I don’t normally use, and I love that yours are so simple. I also applaud your EZ instructions! It has exactly the results I was looking for! BTW, I used leftover rotisserie chicken, so precooked assured me that 8 minutes was going to be perfect…. And PERFECT IS WAS!!!
one more thing, we dont dunk our tortilla chips into the soup, we eat them like crackers, so they stay crunchy!
Good idea!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Brenda!! Thanks for leaving me a comment! 😀
This is the most delicious chicken tortilla soup I’ve ever eaten!! Perfectly seasoned! Added cilantro, avocado and some crushed tortilla chips to serve, really outstanding!
Aww so glad to hear it, Joanne!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
My whole family loved this! Pinning to my current rotation list!! Thank you!
Excellent! Thanks for letting me know!
I just made this and I have to say it definitely is a fast, easy recipe I can build into the weeknight rotation. I eat dairy free and gluten free, so I made some mods to get the thickness I was looking for without sour cream (which may be the only dairy I truly miss). First off, I’ll admit I used my own homemade veggie broth bc it was a week old and needed to go. I also added a pinch of cayenne bc…why the heck not?! When the recipe was finished, it was a little thin of a broth for me so I just added a can of Muir Glen tomato sauce. Lots of salt and pepper. And of course I couldn’t stop myself from adding green onions. Also I’m so lazy so I shredded the chicken with the flat beater. Great 30 minute dairy free gluten free recipe for me! Thanks so much! Also, if you don’t have fresh lime, don’t even make this recipe as it’s unfair to the soup. Makes the whole thing pop!
So glad you liked it, Tara! Your additions sound delish. 🙂
I have been using this specific recipe ever since I got the instant pot for Christmas in 2017. It is the best tasting, I tell you! I didn’t need to try others after trying this one. Totally yummy with sour cream added after it’s served. Gosh it’s good!
I am so happy you like it! Thanks so much for the sweet comment. ❤️
The BEST chicken tortilla soup I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for this! I used frozen corn since that was all I had and it turned out wonderful. Great flavor, very easy and so quick. I’ve passed it along to all my friends that have an instant pot.
Your comment made my day! Thank you. 🙂
Oh my yum!! Made this for dinner tonight! Love it! Cooked a little extra chicken to keep on the side for little mini quesadillas to dip in the soup.
Yay I’m so glad you liked it! Mini quesadillas?? Genius. 🙂
I’m not one to comment very often, but when my self proclaimed soup hater husband goes back for seconds…that is about the best compliment a person can get. I’ve heard for 25 years of marriage that soup is not a meal. This man ate two LARGE helpings of this soup tonight and said that this is his favorite soup I’ve made.
The only thing I changed up was I used 4 chicken breasts (I was too lazy to freeze the last one) and frozen corn (I didn’t have canned).
Thanks for a great recipe to come back to time and time again! It was super easy with great flavor!!
That’s awesome!! Haha this made my night. 🙂
Can I use frozen chicken breast for this? If so, how long should it cook in the instant pot? I’m a new instant pot user! Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tested frozen chicken. Maybe try 10 minutes? If the chicken at all seems to not be cooked, please use a meat thermometer to ensure it’s 165F in the middle.