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Healthy chicken tortilla soup made right in an instant pot! It’s practically dump n’ go and loaded with tender chicken, black beans, tomato, corn, and simmers in the pressure cooker, instant pot, or express cooker. Top with tortilla strips, cheese, and avocado for a healthy and easy dinner.
I mentioned, when I posted these instant pot santa fe chicken burrito bowls, that I am kind of new to this whole instant pot craze. The past few weeks I have been testing out different recipes and really trying to figure out the instant pot. I’ve had several fails but only when I am making soup. Have you noticed that with your instant pot? Maybe soup just has too much liquid so therefore it takes to long to come to pressure, but I always get an error message when I am attempting soup in the instant pot.
This chicken tortilla soup was the first soup recipe that actually worked! I love what the instant pot does to soup and sauces. It’s like a concentrated flavor that you just can’t get with a slow cooker. The broth of this tortilla soup is amazing. Chicken broth + some spices is all you need, and then add in some diced tomatoes, chicken, corn, cilantro, and beans.
I actually don’t have the name brand instant pot. I opted for the Crock Pot brand of pressure cooker, called the express cooker. I love that the insert is no-stick! That’s what made me decide on that one.
I do love that you can cook things in less than half the time it would normally take, and that the flavor seems to be super concentrated in an instant pot. Normally with a slow cooker, it tends to mute the spices and seasonings. But with the Instant Pot I’ve noticed that less is more when it comes to spices and seasonings.
Fill each bowl with a big scoop of chicken tortilla soup and top it off with shredded cheese, avocado slices, and tortilla strips. Or just use tortilla chips and crush them up.
You could also use sour cream, jalapenos, additional cilantro, green onions, black olives. The sky is the limit with this. Put different toppings in bowls and then set it all out on the table and let everyone dish up their bowl and top it with what they want. My kids tend to eat better when they can make their own food. Makes them feel like they have control 🙂
I love this version of chicken tortilla soup because there is no chopping required. Unless of course, you are using fresh garlic, but if you use the minced garlic in the jar or the garlic paste in the tube (I love that stuff), then there won’t be any need to get out a knife and a cutting board. I love those types of dinners.
Tips for making this instant pot chicken tortilla soup
- Cut the chicken breasts into 3 smaller chunks. This ensures that the chicken gets really tender in the shorter cooking time.
- I love using the garlic paste that you buy in the produce section of the grocery store. I think it tastes fresher and has a better garlic taste than the minced stuff in a jar. It tastes more like fresh garlic but without all the work of peeling and pressing, and chopping fresh garlic 🙂
- I know cilantro is hit and miss for most people. You either love it or you hate it. But…… it gives so much flavor to this soup that I really have to say it’s a must. I’ve never tried this soup without it so I can’t say for sure what it would do to the flavor without it. If you can handle cilantro, then use it!
- If you don’t have a instant pot, express cooker, or pressure cooker. No worries! Simply follow the recipe but add it all into your slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
- 1 can (15 oz) petite diced tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 lime, squeezed
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (each breast cut into 2-3 smaller pieces) about 2 large or 3 small
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into the insert of the instant pot or other pressure cooker. Give it a good stir.
- On high pressure with the steam release valve closed, push the 'soup' setting and manually set the time to 25 minutes. Let instant pot come to pressure (takes about 10 minutes).
- Once done, release the steam valve (or let it release naturally for a few minutes). Shred the chicken either inside the instant pot insert, or remove it to a plate and shred it and add it back in. Serve the soup alongside your favorite toppings; sour cream, avocado, cheese, tortilla strips or chips, etc.
- *** to prepare this in the SLOW COOKER : add all ingredients in the slow cooker (except for the corn) and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours. 1 hour before done, take chicken out and shred it and add in the corn. Cover with lid and finish the remainder of the cooking time.
Notes
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I use a 6 QT as well and this recipe will work just fine. I probably should make note of that in the recipe. Thank you 🙂
Made this tonight as my first-ever Instant Pot meal. My husband raved about the richness of the flavors. Thank you for a successful recipe. We’ll be making this again!
Made this before and it was super tasty and a big hit with my friend that was over for dinner! Thinking about making it again but wondering if anyone has ever tried it with bone in chicken thighs instead? I have some on hand so would save me a trip to the grocery store.
I am not familiar with chicken thighs so I am not sure how they would work in this recipe. It seems like the chicken thighs in the slow cooker would just make the skin soft and unappetizing…. that’s just a guess. It may work just fine for all I know.
New to my instant pot. Made your minestrone soup recipe tonight and love it!
With the chicken tortilla soup, can you use frozen chicken breasts?
Yes you can. I would add 5-8 minutes depending on how large the chicken breasts are that you use. You definitely will have to cook it longer if you use frozen chicken.
Super new to the instapot, just made the chicken tortilla soup and hoping it turns out because I didn’t realize that my instapot is a smaller size and I couldn’t use all of the broth required. I hope it works. ??
Oh darn. I hope it was ok. Fingers crossed for you.
Very good! Hubby said, “Can you make this tomorrow night also?”