Easy Chicken Taco Soup

Looking for a quick & easy meal? Try our delicious Easy Chicken Taco Soup recipe that’s made with cooked shredded chicken, beans, corn, and perfectly seasoned with chicken taco seasoning. It’s a family favorite that will warm you up and fun to eat with all the delicious taco soup toppings. 

This chicken taco soup recipe always goes great with a batch of my Honey Cornbread Muffins. 

Taco Soup With Chicken

You’re going to love this easy chicken taco soup recipe! I consider a recipe ‘easy’ if I can easily add a protein (like shredded chicken) without having to figure out how to cook it first. I love using a rotisserie chicken for this recipe! It’s quick and a simple way to get dinner on the table with not a lot of effort. You can also use some leftover chicken or prep chicken in the crock pot and refrigerate for through out the week. 

Taco soup is such a versatile recipe. For a ground beef version try my Cheesy Taco Soup or Easy Taco Soup. For a really easy & quick version make this 7 Can Chicken Taco Soup that literally uses 7 cans that you open up and dump into a pot. 

Ingredients Needed

• Cooked Shredded Chicken – Use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, anything you want! Just make sure it’s cooked. 
• Chicken Broth – I prefer the tase of full salted broth but reduced-sodium can be used if that’s what you prefer. 
• Diced Tomatoes – There are a few options here; for some spice use 2 cans (10 oz each) or Rotel or use 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes. 
• Black Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Frozen Corn – I use a bag of gold n’ white frozen corn. 
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves, chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste. 
• Chicken Taco Seasoning Packets
• Fresh Lime Juice

Step-by-Step Directions For Making Easy Chicken Taco Soup in One Pot & 30 Minutes

Learn how to make chicken taco soup at home, in just one pot, with the simple to follow steps below. Be sure and read to the bottom of the page where there is a detailed recipe card, a printable option, and a pin it button. 

• Step 1 : Add the cooked chicken, broth, tomatoes, beans, frozen corn, garlic, and chicken taco seasoning packets into a large pot. Heat over high heat until it comes to a boil, stirring frequently. 
• Step 2 : Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pot with a lid. Allow the soup to simmer for 20-25 minutes while lifting the lid to stir it occasionally. 
• Step 3 : Remove from the heat and add the fresh lime juice. Stir to combine. Serve with all your favorite toppings – we keep it simple with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips for dipping. 

Chicken Taco Soup FAQ’s

• How To Store Leftovers

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 4 days. Heat up leftover servings in the microwave or inside a small saucepan until heated through. 
  • If you want to keep it for longer then put the room temperature soup in a freezer-safe container (or Ziploc bag) and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before heating up and eating. 

• Can I Cook It For Longer

  • This soup can be ready in 30 minutes with delicious results. But if you want the flavors to blend even more and for the soup to thicken, then yes you can certainly cook it for longer. 
  • Allow it to simmer for up to 2 hours, covered (on low heat) making sure to stir it frequently to ensure it’s not burning. 
  • You can also cook it in a slow cooker. Add all the ingredients (not the lime juice) into a slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 6-7 hours. 

• How Can I Adjust The Spice Level In This Soup?

  • This soup is very versatile and can be adjusted to your preferred spice level. Here are some ways and suggestions for change the spice level. 
    • Rotel : This is really the only spicy ingredient in this recipe. Use mild rotel for a milder version or substitute it with a can (14.5 ounces) of petite diced tomatoes. For even more spice use a can of hot Rotel. 
    • Dried Seasonings : Add some hot sauce, red pepper flakes, or some chopped jalapeño into the soup for more spice. 
    • Taco Seasoning Packet : Use a packet of hot & spicy taco seasoning in place of both packets of chicken taco seasoning, or use 1 of each. 
    • Most Mild Version : This is usually how I make it. I use 1 can (14.5 oz) of petite diced tomatoes and then I use 1 packet of mild taco seasoning + 1 packet of chicken taco seasoning.

• Substitution & Variation Ideas

  • Beans : Use any canned bean you prefer. Black beans and pinto beans are the classic ones to use in taco soup. Other great options are white cannelloni beans, white navy beans, chili beans (pinto beans in mild chili sauce), or you can use hominy for a bigger corn taste. 
  • Taco Seasoning Packet : Chicken taco seasoning, fajita seasoning, cheesy taco seasoning packet, or regular taco seasoning can all be used. They also have spicy varieties of the packets that can be used as well. I either use 2 packets of chicken taco seasoning OR I like to use 1 packet chicken taco seasoning + 1 packet mild taco seasoning. 
  • Ground Meat : Ground turkey or ground chicken can also be used. Use one with some fat on it, like 93/7, for the best flavor. Don’t use the 99% lean ground turkey or ground chicken. 
  • Tomatoes : Rotel tomatoes will make the soup spicier (even the mild version) or use a can of regular petite diced tomatoes for a milder flavor. 

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Taco Soup Toppings : This chicken taco soup is best served with lots of toppings that people can add to their bowl and customize. Sour cream, avocado slices, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapeños, and tortilla chips are the usual ones. 
• Make It Mild or Spicy!  : This recipe is very easily to customize to your spice preference. Adjust it to what you prefer and for who you’re serving. If serving kids I recommend using a can of petite diced tomatoes instead of rotel tomatoes. Garnish the soup with shredded cheddar cheese for the most mild version OR garnish with shredded Pepper Jack cheese for some spice. You can also add some spicier seasonings (like red pepper flakes, hot sauce, sliced jalapeño) or use a packet of hot taco seasoning in place of 1 of the packets of chicken taco seasoning. 
• Simmer Time : This is the most important part and it is what will make this soup so flavorful and hearty. Make sure you use a pot with a lid because it’s essential for the simmer time to lock in all the moisture and flavors. You need at least 20-25 minutes of simmer time before serving it. Even with the time, it’s still a 30 minute recipe because it uses already cooked chicken and other convenient canned ingredients that get dumped into the pot. 

More Tex-Mex Inspired Recipes You’ll Love

• Chicken Tortilla Vegetable Soup – A vegetable soup + a tex mex flair with chicken tortilla soup ingredients and seasonings. 
• Taco Chili – So hearty and thick! One of my favorite chili versions. 
• Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chicken – Chunks of seasoned Tex Mex chicken served over rice. 
• Slow Cooker Chicken Mexican Haystacks – Family favorite! A creamy sauce poured over rice and Fritos chips. 
• BBQ Beef Tacos – A bbq twist to classic tacos. 
• Creamy Ground Beef Flautas – Kid favorite dinner idea. 
• Mexican Pasta Salad – Loaded with all the good stuff.
• Burrito Lasagna – Layers of tortilla and burrito ingredients in this simple one pan casserole.