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Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup is a delicious, quick and easy dinner that you can throw together in less than thirty minutes.

Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup in two white bowls shot overhead with tortilla chips, limes and cilantro

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!

Instant pot chicken tortilla soup in the inner pot with ladle and red towel

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.

two hands shredding cooked chicken breasts on a white plate with a green towel underneath

It takes like three minutes tops. Then you just return all that yummy chicken to the pot, and serve it.

shredded chicken breast on white plate with two forks, used to make Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup

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.

Instant pot chicken tortilla soup in white bowl with spoon

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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Instant pot chicken tortilla soup in white bowl with spoon
5 from 8 votes
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Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot

Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup is a delicious, quick and easy dinner that you can throw together in less than thirty minutes.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword chicken tortilla soup, instant pot
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 197 kcal
Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

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

  1. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, onion and garlic to the pot. 

  2. Place the chicken breasts on top, and sprinkled the spices on top of that.

  3. Last, add the black beans and corn on top, and do not stir.

  4. 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)

  5. 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.

  6. When the pot has depressurized, remove the chicken and shred it with two forks.

    Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup is a delicious, quick and easy dinner that you can throw together in less than thirty minutes. | APinchOfHealthy.com

  7. Return the chicken to the pot, and add lime juice and ciliantro for additional flavor.

  8. 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!

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot
Amount Per Serving
Calories 197 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 5%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 463mg 19%
Potassium 676mg 19%
Total Carbohydrates 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Sugars 3g
Protein 23g 46%
Vitamin A 8.3%
Vitamin C 12.2%
Calcium 5.7%
Iron 14.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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.

Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup in a white bowl, on a plate with chips and spoons

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Related posts:

  1. Tomato Vegetable Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
  2. Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
  3. Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
  4. Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Slow Cooker

Reader Interactions

Comments


  1. 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!!

    Reply


    • 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!!!

      Reply


  3. 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!!

    Reply

  6. OK I’ve seriously made this soup 10+ times and every time it’s perfect, chk breast’s & chk thighs both delicious and the timing as perfect, super tender. I typically never leave comments but this soup is so easy & so delicious I had to tell you how much it’s saved my butt in a pinch!

    Reply

  7. I’m confused – your directions say to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes with a 10 minute NPR, but when answering some questions, you state it’s 13 minutes. What am I missing?

    THanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Brenda! Great question. The original recipe calls for chicken breasts, which should be cooked per the original instructions at 5 minutes. Some people prefer to make this recipe using chicken thighs instead, which I recommend cooking for 13 minutes. Make sense?

      Reply

  9. Hi Rachel! I think it should work with cooked chicken, such as rotisserie chicken cut into pieces. I would cook the onions and garlic first for about 5 minutes on sauté. And then I would quick release after about 5 minutes of NPR, instead of 10. I make a chicken noodle soup this way, and it does fine. The chicken may or may not be as flavorful.I’d be curious to hear how it turns out.

    Reply

  14. Made this for dinner and it was a huge hit. Tastes just like tortilla soup I have at restaurants. I used Better Than Bouillon instead of broth and I think that helped a lot for flavor. This recipe was so easy to follow! Thank you!

    Reply

  15. You could try adding more salt and pepper. I often use bullion + water as my chicken stock, which tends to be waaay saltier than regular broth/stock. Meaning that I add less salt. And you can always add more seasoning to taste too. But I would be willing to be you need more salt. Better luck next time!

    Reply


  18. I made this last night and it was a HUGE hit in my house! My boyfriend devoured two bowls. When we went to pick my son up after we ate, my son said the car even smelled delicious – I guess we brought the smell with us. He devoured a bowl when he got home and they both took it for lunch today. I doubled the chicken but kept the liquid & time the same. I usually prefer chicken thighs for this type of soup, too, but I had breasts so I used those. The chicken was absolutely perfect and juicy – it tasted so good! Thanks so much for such a wonderful recipe. This will absolutely be going in our regular meal rotation. The Instant Pot makes things so easy – I was able to load it up, turn it on and then run to the store while it cooked.

    Reply


  19. Made this tonight -amazing! I didn’t have coriander so I left it out. My chicken breasts were a little over 8oz so I moved it up to 8 minutes.
    I think it’s the best instant pot recipe we have tried so far.

    Reply

    • Your chicken breasts would need to be un-frozen enough to split up into individual breasts, not one frozen block. I have heard others say that it should be the same cook time, with the rationale that it will take it longer to come to pressure. Makes sense, but I would add an extra minute or 2 to cook time, just to be sure. And it never hurts to use a meat thermomoter to make sure. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  22. I notice you call for a can of black beans. How come you didn’t cook black beans from dry in the Instant Pot?

    Reply

    • Hmmmm, I have not tried this so I cannot guarantee results. But if I had to guess, I would say add everything (plus some extra stock since the beans will absorb – not exactly sure how much…maybe an extra 2 cups?) except the chicken and corn, and cook about 40 minutes. Then quick release pressure, add the chicken and corn, and cook another 5 minutes. If you do try it, let me know how it turns out!

      Reply


  24. I made this the other night, and it was awesome! I think this is my favorite soup ever. I usually won’t touch leftovers, but this has been my lunch for the last three days. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply


  27. This was so delicious!!! Thanks for this recipe! It may be our favorite IP recipe so far! Husband, son, and I all raved and couldn’t get enough! Chips and avocado is a must! 😀

    Reply

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