Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup is a delicious, quick and easy dinner that you can throw together in less than thirty minutes.
Did y’all catch the Amazon deals on the Instant Pot over the holidays? There were some CRAZY good deals! (Amazon affiliate)
If you are an Instant Pot newbie, welcome to the world of pressure cooking. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but once you get a few home run recipes under your belt, you will never look back. Check out my full Instant Pot recipe collection if you are interested.
No Instant Pot? No problem! If you want to make this same recipe in the slow cooker, you can get that recipe here.
But back to this Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe!
My whole family loved it. And it was one of those throw-it-all-in-and-press-a-button recipes that is totally hands off. My favorite kind of recipe!😎👌🏻 Also known as “dump recipes.”
The one thing you have to do is shred the chicken when it is ready, but that is no biggie.
It takes like three minutes tops. Then you just return all that yummy chicken to the pot, and serve it.
My preferred cut of chicken for the Instant Pot is usually the chicken thigh. Why? Because it is least likely to dry out.
But! I wanted to do a chicken breast recipe for y’all because so many of y’all have been asking about recipe adaptions for chicken breasts. So this fits the bill.🙌🏻 And it turned out great, y’all! The chicken was so tender and juicy.
That being said, you can make this recipe as written with chicken breasts. Or you can opt to make it with chicken thighs instead, if you just adjust the cooking time to about 13 minutes.
Quick release for fresh chicken thighs, or add ten minutes of natural release for frozen thighs. (Note: you will have to separate out the individual thighs because one big block of thighs will not cook all the way).
A note about those chicken breasts: You may need to adjust cook time if the size of your chicken breasts is significantly bigger or smaller than the ones I used. Mine were around 7 to 8 ounces each, FYI. I have not tested this recipe with frozen chicken breasts. But if I do, I will come back and update this!
Tools Used to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
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Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 5 cups chicken stock or broth (or 5 cups water + 1.5 Tablespoon Better Than Bullion chicken base)
- 14.5 ounces (1 can) diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander (ground)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 14.5 ounces (1 can) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
- Optional toppings: tortilla chips, diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream or guacamole. (not included in nutritional info)
Instructions
Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, onion and garlic to the pot.
Place the chicken breasts on top, and sprinkled the spices on top of that.
Last, add the black beans and corn on top, and do not stir.
Place the lid on, lock it, and cook the mixture on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. (Note: It will take several minutes to build pressure)
Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes (do not use the quick lever for 10 minutes). Then quick release the rest, using the release lever.
When the pot has depressurized, remove the chicken and shred it with two forks.
Return the chicken to the pot, and add lime juice and ciliantro for additional flavor.
Top with whatever sounds good! Options: tortilla chips, diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream or guacamole.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Cook time includes time to come up to pressure.
Note about those chicken breasts: You may need to adjust cook time if the size of your chicken breasts is significantly bigger or smaller than the ones I used. Mine were around 7 ounces each, FYI.
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Original recipe is written for chicken breasts. But! If you prefer chicken thighs, you can follow the same recipe, and just increase the cook time to 13 minute with quick release.
You may need to adjust cook time if the size of your chicken breasts is significantly bigger or smaller than the ones I used. Mine were around 7 to 8 ounces each, FYI. I have not tested this recipe with frozen chicken breasts. But if I do, I will come back and update this!
Note: This post originally appeared on A Pinch of healthy November 28, 2o16. The post has been refreshed with updated photos and a video. Here is an original photo, in case you are curious.
Danita says
excellent recipe, perfect spice blend, will definitely be making this again. I used better than bouillon vegetable base as I’m out of the chicken base. It turned out fine. I did add a large chunk of chopped fresh green chili as we like a little heat.
Stephany says
What a beautiful soup! I’ve made it twice already. I added some bell pepper to it and it gives it a nice sweetness without being overpowering.
I always make it when I have avocado and tortilla strips on hand. (I always have cheese and sour cream)
Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay Stephany! I am so glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for taking the time to leave that feedback.🙏🏻
Sandi says
I got my instapot as a Valentine’s Day gift and immediately a friend recommended this recipe to me. Ive been making it once a week since. My fiancé and kids love it. I usually make it to the recipe but I’ve added different veggies ( carrots, peppers, hominey) and I’ve added adobe peppers and sauce and tomato sauce as well. Each time the soup turns out great. We top it with avocado, extra lime, cotija cheese, chips whatever we have on hand and sometimes I’ll serve it with simple cheese quesadillas. This recipe makes a lot so we always have it for leftovers as well thank you for sharing this recipe. Im making it right now and decided it was time to give a comment!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Awesome Sandi!💖 I am so glad y’all are enjoying it. Thank you so much for that feedback!🙏🏻
Annah says
This recipe was so good! This is actually my first Instant Pot recipe- I was looking for something easy and healthy to make and this is it!! I was so surprised how absolutely delicious and tender the chicken was, the soup was super tasty. I topped with Plain Greek Yogurt, lots of cilantro, a little bit of cheese, and some baked Tostidos for a crunch. I have enough for the rest of the week!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay Annah! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it.
Robin says
I am a big fan of the instant pot. Use it for delicious yogurt often too. This recipe is outstanding. I used 2 large chicken breast and added 2 minutes to the cook time. I did not have lime on hand but was still yummy. Also on hand was canned no salt. I added the can of corn to the pot while I was shredding the chicken. Did not pressure it. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. definately will make it again. My husband is pretty picky and enjoyed it too. Made corn bread to go with it. Thanks for sharing!!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Glad you enjoyed it Robin!
carly says
What is the serving size that corresponds to that nutritional information label?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
It is 1/8 of the recipe, which comes out to approximately 1 2/3 cups.
Deniz Goss says
holy moly this was delicious! the soup has a nice flavor as is, but what makes it really amazing is what you put on top. i laid out more lime (must!), more fresh cilantro (must!), pickled jalapenos, ff plain greek yoghurt, fresh avocado(yes!), shredded cheese, and tortilla chips to crumble on top. something to please every palate. fyi, i doubled the chicken and the lime juice, and added a chopped red pepper. made it for a big family dinner and even my picky kids drained their bowls. huge win!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yaaaay Deniz! I am so glad you liked it.🙌🏻 And YES, I am all about some toppings. Yours sound delicious! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback!🙏🏻
Robin says
Oh yes. I make my own yogurt will try adding some rather than sour cream to change it up a bit. 😊