Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup (No Chopping) + Video
Not only is this Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup simple to make, it’s also a family favorite! With a step by step how to recipe video. The best easy crockpot taco soup recipe!
This recipe was a hit. With me, with the hubby, and with the kids. It’s going to be on repeat for the rest of the fall and winter season, I’ve decided!
My slow cooker is my favorite kitchen tool for getting a healthy dinner on the table fast. And this taco soup is one of the easiest slow cooker recipes out there! If you love taco flavors and easy slow cooker meals then I recommend you also try my easy Slow Cooker Taco Pasta. It’s healthy comfort food and I can’t get enough of the stuff!
It took me a few tries to get this slow cooker chicken taco soup recipe just right. The first version was good, but took more effort than I wanted. That recipe took some chopping, and I want to give you a dump-and-go taco soup recipe that you can prep in just minutes.
For the second version, I tried making this soup creamy. We liked that one okay, but I decided that it didn’t really need the cream that I added to it. We much prefer this simpler version, with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top if we’re craving a little creaminess.
Finally, I decided to forgo all chopping and pour in some salsa. The salsa adds more flavor (and some extra spice!) to this soup, without extra effort. The one that I used already has onion and jalapeno in it, which saves us prep time and ingredients.
Between the salsa and taco seasoning, this soup has so much delicious flavor!
Just 8 ready-to-go ingredients. Less than 10 minutes prep. Dump it into your crock pot, set it and forget it! That’s how easy this flavor-packed Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup is!
We like to serve this soup with tortilla chips for crumbling on top or scooping. My cornbread recipe is also delicious with this taco soup.
How to make freezer to crockpot taco soup
This crockpot taco soup recipe can be made as a freezer meal for an even quicker dinner! You can prep the ingredients and freeze before cooking. You’ll put everything except for the broth in a heavy duty zip-top plastic bag and freeze flat. Full freezer meal instructions are in the recipe card below.
When you are ready to cook the taco soup, thaw and transfer the bag contents to your slow cooker. It’s so easy, and you will have a home cooked dinner for almost no effort!
I use these freezer bag holders when I prep my freezer meals. They aren’t necessary, but now that I’ve tried them I can’t believe how much faster and easier they make the process of preparing freezer meals!
If you like this slow cooker chicken taco soup recipe, I also recommend:
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup mild salsa
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can corn, drained
- 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning, or store-bought
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Optional toppings: cilantro, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, grated cheese, avocado, green onion, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Place salsa, black beans, pinto beans, corn, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, and chicken broth in slow cooker. Stir to combine. Nestle chicken into the slow cooker so that it’s completely covered by the liquid and other ingredients.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken and shred or cut into bite-size pieces. Stir chicken back into the soup.
- Serve with toppings as desired.
Notes
- Freezer to Slow Cooker Directions:
(1) Place all ingredients except for broth in a heavy duty zip top plastic bag. Freeze flat for up to 3 months.
(2) Thaw the bag (either 24 hours in refrigerator or in a bowl of water).
(3) Transfer bag contents to slow cooker, add the broth and cook according to directions above. - As written, this soup is medium-spicy. You can use 1 tablespoon less taco seasoning for a mild version.
- The taco soup can cook for longer than 6 hours if needed. I wouldn't recommend cooking it more than 8 hours (on low).
Oh this definitely looks like this soup would be a hit in my house, too! I love taco soup, and made in the slow cooker is even better! It’s going to get cold this weekend, so I would love to have a bowl or two of this for dinner!
Thanks, Gayle! This is perfect for chilly days!
No chopping is the best add on I’ve ever seen on a recipe- with so many awesome flavors, it’s amazing that there’s so little prep involved!
Ha! I was doubting if I should add it to the recipe title. I’m glad you approve! 😉
I wish you had a print button!
There’s a print button under the thumbnail photo in the recipe card. 🙂
12/30/2016. Tried this tonight …I substituted red kidney beans for the pinto beans. You must try this….it was really really good! Served it with cheddar cheese and sour cream; I ate mine with blue corn tortilla chips and my husband threw a handful of Fritos corn chips in his. This one is a keeper! Thanks, Kristine ???
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Renee! This one is always a hit in my house too. Happy New Year!
Loved it! With cheese, sour cream and crunchy tortilla strips!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this!
This looks great! Trying it now while the temperature is 5* here in Chicago! Good looking out :).
I hope you like this taco soup, Bryan! It’s one of our favorites.
Hi! Can I cook this on High for 3 hours instead of the 6-on-low?
Yes, 3 hours on high should be fine. Just make sure your chicken is cooked through.
I’m doing 4 hours on high! And see
Hi Lucy, Let me know how you like it!
Yummmm do you have the nutritional info on this???
Hi Erin, I don’t have the nutritional information but there are online calculators (such as My Fitness Pal) that you can use to calculate it.
Is there anyway to get your recipe label you have on the freezer bag? I see the print button under the pic but it prints the full recipe. I would love to have just the instructions you put on the actual bag.
I don’t have the recipe label for this particular recipe available.
?Yo! Just threw everything in the crockpot, can’t wait till it’s done. But six hours on low? Can it be cooked on high? If so, how many hours?
#Cold&RaineyDays
#SeattleWA!!
Thanks
~Moe~
This will take 3-4 hours on high. I hope you enjoyed it!
Okay if I wanted to cook on medium, how many hours would it take, and would it work out the same? I want to try this yummy soup!!
This recipe will take 3-4 hours on the high setting in a slow cooker, and 6 hours on low. If your slow cooker has a medium setting, the cook time should be somewhere in the middle. Let me know if you try the recipe! 🙂
Is it possible to cook this in an instant pot? If so, what do you recommend for time.
This recipe will work great in an Instant Pot. I would recommend 8 minutes of cooking at high pressure, followed by a 10 minute natural release. Then quick release the remaining pressure. Enjoy!
Can I subsitute ground chicken instead of boneless skinless breasts?
Yes, but if using ground meat you should brown it in a skillet on the stove before adding it to the slow cooker.
This looks amazing! What mild salsa did you use? Thank you!
Thanks, Isela! I used Safeway’s O Organics brand.
Do you precook the chicken? I didn’t see that anywhere?!
No, you do not pre-cook the chicken. It cooks in the slow cooker along with the rest of the soup. Enjoy!
Hi! Can’t wait to try this for my family tomorrow night. Just wondering if you think it’s possible to throw the chicken breast in while it’s still frozen?
Hi Shana, I never cook frozen chicken breasts in my slow cooker for food safety concerns. I’d recommend thawing them first. I hope you like this taco soup. It’s one of my very favorites!
I just made this today and it was SO good! I cut up the chicken into large bite size pieces ahead of time and put it in a container. I put all the other ingredients in a separate container and refrigerated it all. The next day I dumped everything in the crock pot. It was so easy and so good! Thank you for the recipe!
Made this tonight. Amazing…Cooking for 6 hours filled my condo with an unbelievable smell. It was like heaven. I added a small onion and one jalapeno as well as used the crushed tomatoes with green chiles to add some additional heat. This was the best soup I’ve made in a long time.
Hey! Could I do this stovetop??
Thanks!
Sure! I’d cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, cook it in the pan in some olive oil, and then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes. Let me know how it turns out!
I would like to make it with an already cooked rotisserie chicken. Boned and skinned to have white and dark meat. What do you think?
I think that would work! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
The beans that you use, are those the canned beans or do you use dried in a bag? Would either work? Thanks!
I used canned beans. If you want to use dried I think you would need to cook them first.
I made this for dinner and it was super fantastic! Especially because with the leftovers I made nachos. Not one night but two nights! The nachos were delicious. And the broth part… I could drink it by the cupfuls. I think this would also be great in a wrap served hot or cold. Thanks for sharing a tasty fabulous recipe!!!?
Has anyone put this in My Fitness Pal?
Can you put all of these ingredients together in a freezer bag and freeze this? Thaw overnight then cooked in a crock pot later on?
I think that would work, so long as you thaw in the refrigerator before adding to the crock pot. That would be a great way to save time in the morning!
What is the serving size for this recipe? Thanks so much!
How long can you freeze this for?
Generally 3 months is a good estimate for how long dishes will stay at best quality in the freezer.
Hi Kristine I was wondering if you have the nutritional information for this available
I haven’t calculated nutrition information for this recipe yet. I’ll try to add it soon, but in the meantime you can use an online calculator such as My Fitness Pal to find it.
Hi there, I was wondering if it would have a good taste without the salsa and replaced the broth with water since I don’t have these ingredients and we are in the middle of a snow storm!
Thanks
Hi Johanna, I definitely think you could replace the broth with water. I haven’t tried this without the salsa. I’d recommend adding a little more taco seasoning or chili powder to boost the flavor if you don’t have salsa. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
How many weight watchers points is this?
Hi Cecilia, I’ve never used WW points so I’m not sure.
Hi,
Does the chicken need to be thawed before adding to grab crockpot?
Thanks in advance.
Yes, for food safety chicken should be thawed before cooking it in the slow cooker.
Do you have any help on how I could cook this in my InstantPot?
Hi Karen, I think this recipe would be perfect for the Instant Pot! I haven’t had a chance to test it myself, but I would try combining everything except the chicken in your Instant Pot, stirring well, and then adding the chicken. Cook for 9 minutes at high pressure (manual) and then do a 10 minute natural release. Let me know how you like it!
This sounds very good, but I need the nutrition information.
Thanks for the recipe I am trying it now! Only I’m doing it on high and I used one can green enchilada sauce. Can’t wait to try this with some sliced Avocado, Cheese and Fritos!
That sounds so delicious! I hope you loved it!
Healthy, absolutely delicious, and filling! 1 serving of this delicious soup is only 1 freestyle smartpoint per serving, and doesn’t leave you hungry. Delicious even as leftovers the next day. Out here in the sticks where I live, we often have bonfire potlucks in the fall. This would be perfect to take to one of those! I love this soup!
Excellent recipe!! I put it on top of rice with a dollop of sour cream. So delicious.
If you pre-cook the chicken do you still cook it for 6 hours in the crock pot or will it ruin the chicken?
I’ve never tried this with cooked chicken. It might dry out if cooked for 6 hours. You could cook this soup for less time if using cooked chicken.
Is there a way to make this and serve within an hour or 2? I want this tonight!!! Looks so yummy!
Thank you! We love this recipe! You could cook it on the stove. I would just add everything to a large pot or Dutch oven, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is done. Add more broth if needed.
Do you have an Instant Pot? I have made this in my Instant Pot – I can’t remember exactly how long I cooked it but I would try 12 minutes (high pressure/manual) with a 10 minute natural release. You might also like my Instant Pot Chicken tortilla soup! 🙂
This recipe is easy specially for me I’m so not a cook. My family loves it the flavor the soup has at the end is amazing!
It makes me so happy to hear that, Carmen!
Can you cook this meal and then freeze it as individual serving sizes?
Yes, that works well. Enjoy!
Hi Kristine – I love this recipe! Is it possible to double it in the crockpot? If so, how does that impact the cook times?
You can double it if it will fit in your crockpot. I would increase the cook time a little bit since there will be more volume to heat up. I would guess it would need an extra hour on low or half hour on high – just check to make sure your chicken has cooked through to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
This Chicken Taco soup is awesome and so easy to make. The taste is out of this world. I added a little more taco seasoning then it called for to enhance the taste. I will be making this quite often.
P. S. Can’t download ebook down loads but would love to have by email
I’m glad you loved the soup, Karen! Did you purchase the eBook? If so, send me an email at kristineskitchen (at) gmail (dot) com and I can offer download assistance. 🙂
What size is your crockpot? I have a smaller one and not sure all that would fit.
I have a 5 quart slow cooker.
How much is a serving, 1 cup, 2 cups?
I believe about 2 cups. I will be sure to measure the next time I make this and update the recipe card.
What size crock do you use for your recipes? I am new to making these types of meals and would like to try yours. Thanks.
Hi Mary Ann, I use this 5 quart slow cooker. I’ve had it for years and love it!
How long can it freeze for? I want to use it as a freezer meal before baby and want to know what date to mark it with.
I find that freezer meals such as this are best used within 3 months.
I forgot to drain the beans and corn , will that be okay? I hope i didn’t ruin it.
It will probably be ok but I’d definitely recommend draining the beans (and rinsing them) and corn next time.
Your pictures look like you haven’t drained the beans- but your directions say to drain them. Is one can of chicken broth really enough liquid for this?
Yes, the salsa and (undrained) diced tomatoes will also add some liquid. If you prefer more broth, you can add it.
Hi! I just saw this recipe and it looks easy and delicious. I have boneless chicken thighs to use instead of chicken breasts. Would that be ok to use and would cooking time be the same?
Boneless chicken thighs work great and the cook time will be the same. You can cook the soup 6-8 hours and it will be perfect!
This is the best recipe!!!! So easy. We make it all the time. Thank you! We use chicken thighs and vegetable broth, but everything else the same. It turns out so yummy every time.
Could I put red and green pepper s in to
Yes, peppers will be great in this.
Could you substitute beef for chicken in this recipe? Use whole slices of steak instead of whole chicken breasts and then shred at the end in the same way? I regularly do pulled beef in my slow cooker and that is an enormous thick lump. Maybe just check the “shreddability” of the meat at 6 hours and extend if needed? I am iron deficient and need to increase in healthy ways….
You would need to use a cut of beef that would get tender/shred easily after slow cooking. I’m not sure about slices of steak, but maybe boneless chuck roast?
Love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times and it’s a hit every time! Curious though, could I double the recipe?? I’ve got a big group to feed and wondering if it would be okay to double in the crockpot?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! You can double the recipe, as long as it will fit in your crockpot. Since the volume of liquid will be greater, it will take longer to heat up and you might need to increase the cook time a bit – maybe just 30 minutes to an hour more.
Hello,
Is it possible to do this recipie in a cast iron casserole, instead of slow cooker ?
Thank you for your answer and sorry for my english….I’m french ?
Yes, I think you could. You would want to simmer the soup until the chicken is cooked through.
My family LOVES this recipe! I love the ease of it, and we all love the flavor. Any time I make this for guests they ask for the recipe, and I’m often sharing it with friends. Thank you for sharing it!
This is our favourite soup right now! So easy, tasty and lots of leftovers. Love it, thanks for sharing.
Love this soup it’s so yummy and easy to make!
I used this recipe but used some cooked chicken I already had in freezer. I kinda doubled things as I wanted more soup and added a few things I had on hand, like some canned chilis; nice thing about soup…you can add or subtract and improvise!! So I’m going to cook it on high for awhile then turn it down to low. Thinking I may need to cook a little longer with it being more soup. Thanks!!
HELLO !!
I was wondering what size slow cooker you used? I only have a 4 quart crock pot as there’s only 2 of us .
thanks
Hi, I believe mine is a 5 quart.
Hi! My family and I love this soup! It has quickly become an easy and delicious meal to put together that everyone loves. I doubled the recipe and froze half for another night but I forgot and added the chicken broth as well. Did I ruin it? I know your instructions says to leave the broth out before freezing.
Thanks!!
It will be fine with the chicken broth added for freezing. I’m glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Can you use rotisserie chicken for this? Thanks
Yes, you can. Stir it in near the end of the cook time, just to warm the chicken since it’s already fully cooked.
Hi ! My daughter is away for college, and first year in an apartment. Every time she comes home (not often enough:( I send this back with her… the frozen version. She has a crockpot and they all LOVE it!!! Thank you so much for sharing! I also purchased that tool from Amazon so the gallon ziploc stands up. Do you have any other easy dump crockpot meals? Thanks!
Hi Sue,
I’m so glad your family is enjoying this recipe! I do have a few other dump and go crockpot meals: Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili, Slow Cooker Meatballs, Crockpot Sesame Chicken, Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken. Enjoy!
I absolutely love, love this recipe. I had never had chicken taco soup before and I just love this recipe at how simple and delicious it is!
I was wondering if it would be okay to put some cream cheese in towards the end for creamy chicken taco soup?
I’m glad you are enjoying this recipe! Yes, I think that would work fine. 🙂
Easy and satisgying
What is the serving size? 1.5 cup?
One serving would be 1/6 of the total recipe. I have not measured it out.
I love this recipe. I added baby carrots and a can of Enchilada Sauce.