See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.


This Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is a delicious Instant Pot soup recipe that’s packed with flavor. It’s a comforting and easy meal, perfect for any day of the week!

two bowls of instant pot chicken tortilla soup with toppings with instant pot in background

This Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup has it all. Crave-worthy flavor. Loads of topping possibilities. Healthy ingredients. And it is so simple and fast to prepare.

If the fact that I’ve made this soup three times in two weeks doesn’t convince you that it’s a total keeper of a recipe, then I’m not sure what will!

This chicken tortilla soup was one of the first recipes that I made in my Instant Pot, and it’s still a favorite years later. It’s tried-and-true Instant Pot recipes like this one that make me such a fan of using my pressure cooker to cook meals for my family.

I find that pressure cooking soups in the Instant Pot gives them the best flavor. The flavors really meld together as the soup cooks in the pot! While the cook time itself is quick (only 9 minutes), you do need to plan for the time that it takes the pot to pressurize and then release pressure. All in all, this recipe is quick to prep and then you can relax or prepare other parts of the meal while the soup cooks.

chicken tortilla soup on a ladle held over instant pot

This flavorful tortilla soup will fill you up so that you won’t need much in the way of side dishes to go with the meal. I recommend serving Cornbread, tortilla chips or a Green Salad on the side.

Love soup? You might also enjoy these Instant Pot Soup Recipes or my similar Chicken Enchilada Soup

Recipe Ingredients

ingredients for instant pot chicken tortilla soup recipe

  • Olive Oil: For sautéing the onion and garlic.
  • Onion & Garlic: The beginning of any good soup! Use red onion or yellow onion.
  • Diced Green Chiles: A can of mild fire roasted diced green chiles adds flavor. Be sure to look for mild diced green chiles unless you want the soup to be very spicy.
  • Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes: I love using fire roasted diced tomatoes in soups because they add another layer of flavor.
  • Red Enchilada Sauce: Enchilada sauce is an easy way to add lots of flavor to the broth base of the soup. You can use either homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought enchilada sauce.
  • Chili Powder & Cumin: These seasonings add warm spice. Adjust the amount of chili powder to your tastes. I use just 1 teaspoon since my kids don’t like a lot of spice.
  • Black Beans: Canned black beans work perfect here, or feel free to cook your own Instant Pot black beans beforehand.
  • Chicken Broth: Using low sodium chicken broth allows you to better control the amount of salt. 
  • Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts add lean protein and cook up tender and juicy in the Instant Pot. Feel free to substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs, with no other changes to the cook time or recipe.
  • Corn: Both canned corn and frozen corn work well in this recipe. If using canned corn, be sure to drain it.
  • Salt & Pepper: I usually find that this recipe doesn’t need much in the way of added salt or pepper, which is why I recommend cooking the soup and then tasting it to see if it needs any additional seasoning.
  • Toppings: This is the fun part! Some toppings that we love on this soup include crumbled tortilla chips or tortilla strips, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. 

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Here is an overview of the steps to making this recipe. Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. Sauté the onion in olive oil using the Instant Pot sauté function. Then turn off the pot and stir in the garlic. sauteing onion and garlic in instant pot
  2. Add the diced green chiles, diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, black beans and chicken broth. Stir. other ingredients added to pot
  3. Nestle the chicken into the liquid. putting chicken breasts in pot
  4. Pressure cook at high pressure for 9 minutes. 
  5. Allow the pot to release naturally for 10 minutes.
  6. Move the valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. Then carefully open the Instant Pot.
  7. Remove the chicken to a clean plate.
  8. Stir in the corn, cover the pot, and let rest for 5 minutes.
  9. Shred the chicken. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup. adding shredded chicken to soup
  10. Taste soup and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
  11. Serve with toppings and enjoy!

If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, my guide on how to use an Instant Pot is perfect for beginners.

bowl of instant pot chicken tortilla soup topped with sour cream, avocado and tortilla chips

Tips for making this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • You can use your stand mixer to shred the cooked chicken for this recipe. It’s so easy! Put the cooked chicken in the bowl of your mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until the chicken is shredded. This will take less than a minute! See my post on how to shred chicken for more tips.
  • To make this recipe with frozen chicken breasts, increase the pressure cooking time to 12 minutes. Then allow the pot to release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure.
  • To make this recipe vegetarian and vegan, substitute canned cooked chickpeas, pinto beans or a second can of black beans for the chicken breasts. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. This recipe is already gluten-free.
  • To cook this soup in a slow cooker, place all ingredients except for the chicken and corn in the slow cooker. Stir and then add the chicken breasts. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Then stir in the corn and shred the chicken.

Storage and Reheating Tips

Like many soups, this Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup reheats well and also freezes wonderfully. To store:

  • Refrigerator: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Freezer: Let cool completely and then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • To Reheat: Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat, in the Instant Pot using the sauté setting, or in the microwave.

two bowls of instant pot chicken tortilla soup with toppings

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

bowl of instant pot chicken tortilla soup with toppings
4.98 from 40 ratings

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
This delicious Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is easy to make and full of flavor. Load it up with toppings for a healthy one pot dinner!

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 ounce can mild fire roasted diced green chiles
  • 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 15 ounces red enchilada sauce
  • 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 cup canned or frozen corn, drained if canned
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • For serving: lime wedges, crumbled tortilla chips or tortilla strips, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, and/or avocado

Instructions
 

  • Add olive oil to Instant Pot insert and turn on saute function. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot. Stir in the minced garlic.
  • Add the diced green chiles, fire roasted diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, black beans and chicken broth. Stir well, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Nestle the chicken into the liquid.
  • Place the lid on and set it to the closed position. Move the steam valve to the sealing position.
  • Set the Instant Pot to manual/pressure cook, high pressure, for 9 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 20 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will start counting down. When the cook time is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes (this means just leave the Instant Pot alone for 10 minutes). Then, carefully move the steam valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. I usually do this with the handle of a long spoon.
  • When the float valve drops down, the pressure has been released and it is safe to open your instant pot. Carefully remove the lid. Remove the chicken to a clean plate and let it rest for a few minutes.
  • Stir the corn into the Instant Pot, cover and let it sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken.
  • Return the shredded chicken back to the pot. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with toppings as desired.

Notes

  • To use frozen chicken breasts, increase the pressure cooking time to 12 minutes. Then allow the pot to release naturally for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure.
  • Slow Cooker Instructions: Place onion, garlic, diced green chiles, fire roasted diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, black beans and chicken broth in slow cooker. Stir well. Nestle the chicken into the mixture. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken and stir in corn. Shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Leftover soup may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 279kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 1211mg, Potassium: 795mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 901IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Mexican
Course: Main Course, Soup
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