There's nothing more comforting than a bowl of Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup-especially when it's packed with bold flavor, tender chicken, and crispy tortilla strips. This recipe delivers all the satisfying warmth of a classic tortilla soup, but with enough substance to make it a full meal. Whether you're cooking for a busy weeknight or craving something cozy on a cold day, this easy one-pot dish hits the spot.
🕒 Ready in 40 minutes | 🍲 Serves 4-6 | 🍴 One-pot stovetop recipe
Main flavors: Smoky dried chiles, savory chicken, lime, crispy tortilla strips
Best for: Easy weeknight dinners, cozy comfort meals, crowd-pleasing lunches
Recipe type: One-pot soup with baked or fried garnishes
In this post, I'll walk you through exactly how to make it, plus share time-saving tips, simple ingredient swaps, and a few tricks to get that restaurant-style flavor at home. Let's dive in!
Read on for all the loving details to make Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup.
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Featured Ingredients
Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Dry chiles - I used to feel a little intimidated by dried chile peppers-how spicy are they? Which ones should I use? And what do I even do with them? But once I gave them a try, I realized they're surprisingly easy to work with. They're inexpensive, last forever in the pantry, and add a rich, complex flavor that ground spices just can't match. If you want to take your chicken tortilla soup to the next level, dried chiles are the secret ingredient that makes it unforgettable.
Heat - I didn't want it to be spicy, so I chose very mild chile peppers. If you want more heat, replace the New Mexico chile with a dried chipotle pepper or chiles de arbol.
Chicken - For this recipe, I use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. The skin and bones add rich depth to the broth, and the dark meat stays tender-even after reheating. That said, chicken breast is often the more familiar choice for tortilla soup. Either works well-just be sure to go bone-in to boost the flavor of the soup.
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools you'll need
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 5-quart or larger pot
- Sharp knife (paid link) and cutting board (paidlink)
- Sheet pan
- Immersion blender
- Tongs, stirring spoon
How to make Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Salt 1 pound of chicken thighs (about ½ teaspoon of salt), getting it under the skin as well, and set aside.
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
Toasting the chiles
- Warm a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Remove the stems from the dried chiles. Toast them in a dry pot for 5-7 minutes, turning often, then set them aside. I will discard the seeds inside to have more control of the overall spiciness of the soup.
- NOTE: If they burn at all, don't use them and start again.
Searing the chicken
- Wipe pepper crumbs from the large pot and return it to medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down, to render out the chicken fat. You will use this fat to cook the vegetables.
- Cook the chicken until the skin is crispy, then flip them over and cook for a few minutes longer. Set the chicken on a plate, discarding the skin.
Building the flavor base
- Next, add onions and garlic to the chicken fat left in the pot. Cook and stir until they've softened.
- Return the skinless chicken thighs to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Also add the diced tomatoes, toasted chile peppers, chicken broth, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, then remove the chicken pieces with tongs and set them aside until they are cool enough to shred the meat off the bone.
Blending the broth
- Use an immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot until smooth. If you're using a traditional blender instead, let the soup cool slightly first-blending hot liquids can cause pressure to build up and may lead to a dangerous spill or burst lid.
- Stir in the lime juice.
Make the tortilla strips
- While the soup is simmering prepare the crunchy tortilla strips.
- Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice the tortillas into thin, even strips
- Coat the sliced tortilla strips with oil or cooking spray and spread them evenly on a sheet pan.
- Cook in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, stirring at least once. You want them crispy and slightly darkened. Keep a close eye on them because they can go from done to burnt very quickly.
Pro Tip!
To give your soup a restaurant quality vibe, deep fry your tortilla strips instead of baking! You can do this in a deep fryer or shallow fry in a heavy skillet filled with 1 inch of oil.
Serving suggestions
- To serve, add the shredded chicken and crispy tortilla strips to a shallow bowl, then ladle the rich, smoky broth over the top. Finish with creamy avocado slices, crumbled cheese, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. For a kick of heat, add a few slices of jalapeño. Serve with a lime wedge on the side for a bright, zesty finish.
- This soup pairs perfectly with something crispy and cheesy like these Sheet Pan Quesadillas de Papa.
- Want to make it a full meal? Serve with my Sour Cream Rice for extra comfort.
Variations and Ingredient Swaps
- Vegetarian - Replace the chicken with black beans stirred in at the end and swap the broth for vegetable broth.
- Tortillas - Use flour tortilla instead of corn
- Rotisserie chicken - This is a great, time-saving shortcut. Just keep in mind that without the rendered fat from the chicken skin, you'll need to add a bit of oil when sautéing the onion and garlic to build that flavorful base.
- Fresh tomatoes - If you need (or want) to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned, you can roast your own! Set the oven to broil and place 8 tomato halves, cut side up, on a sheet pan, oiled and salted. Broil for about 10 minutes, remove the skins, and add them to the soup when you add the broth and chile peppers.
Storage Tips for Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Refrigerate leftover soup for up to 5 days.
- Keep leftover tortilla strips on the counter in a zip-top bag or sealed container for 1-2 days.
- Freeze leftover soup without the tortillas & toppings for up to 1 year.
FAQ
Yes! Canned chicken can be stirred in at the end of cooking, but for the best flavor and texture, fresh or rotisserie chicken is ideal. If using rotisserie, sauté your onions and garlic in a little oil first-since you won't have rendered chicken fat from the skin.
For a mild, earthy flavor, use New Mexico or guajillo chiles. Want more heat? Try chipotle peppers or chiles de árbol. Removing the seeds helps control the spiciness either way.
You can substitute 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne or chipotle powder. Add them when sautéing the onions and garlic so they can bloom in the oil and deepen the flavor.
Absolutely. This soup freezes beautifully-just leave out the tortilla strips and fresh toppings. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat gently on the stove.
Swap the chicken for black beans and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You'll still get that smoky, rich flavor thanks to the dried chiles.
Food Safety
- Cook the chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
More Latin inspired recipes
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Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This hearty chicken tortilla soup gets its rich, smoky flavor from dried chile peppers and a deeply savory homemade broth. Whether you're using bone-in chicken thighs or a quick rotisserie chicken shortcut, this soup is packed with bold taste, tender meat, and crispy tortilla strips. It's an easy, satisfying one-pot meal that feels restaurant-worthy-perfect for cold nights or anytime you crave comfort in a bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 dry ancho chile pepper
- 1 dry New Mexico chile pepper
- 1 dry guajillo chile pepper
- 2 quarts chicken broth, divided
- 1 pound skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, salted
- 1 cup finely diced yellow or sweet onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, with or without green chilies
- 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 8 small corn tortillas, sliced 1" wide
- oil or cooking spray
Toppings
- queso fresco or cotija, crumbled
- fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- avocado, diced or sliced
- jalapeño rings, fresh or pickled
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Salt 1 pound of chicken thighs (about ½ teaspoon of salt), getting it under the skin as well, and set aside.
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Warm a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Remove the stems from the dry chile peppers. Toast them in a dry pot for 5-7 minutes, turning often, then set them aside. (Discard the seeds inside to have more control of the overall spiciness of the soup)
- Wipe the pepper crumbs from the large pot and return it to medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook the chicken until the skin is crispy, then flip them over and cook for about 5 minutes longer. Set the chicken on a plate, discarding the skin.
- Next, add onions and garlic to the chicken fat left in the pot. Cook and stir until they've softened.
- Return the skinless chicken thighs to the pot with the diced tomatoes, toasted chile peppers, chicken broth, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes, then remove the chicken pieces with tongs and set them aside until they are cool enough to shred the meat off the bone.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the remaining contents in the pot.
- Stir in lime juice.
- While the soup is simmering, oil or spray the sliced tortilla strips and spread them evenly on a sheet pan. Cook in the oven for about 5-10 minutes or until slightly darkened.
- To serve, place tortilla strips and shredded chicken in a bowl and pour the rich broth over them. Add avocado, crumbled cheese, and cilantro for garnish. Serve with a lime wedge.
Notes
If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a stand blender, but be sure to cool the liquid a bit otherwise the heat could cause the liquids to burst out of the blender.
Delicious additions to this soup include corn or beans, which can be added to the pot after the broth has been pureed to warm up for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove-top, oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
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