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Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Published / Updated / 90 Comments

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This easy Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe tastes like it's been cooked low and slow, but it's fast and requires minimal effort!

Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup in a bowl and toppings of sour cream, avocado, and lime wedge

I think you'll really like this Tex-Mex chicken soup. It's got a delicious fire-roasted tomato broth, corn, beans, spices, and tender shredded chicken. It's not too spicy, but it's packed with flavor. It's actually pretty healthy too.

The toppings are always my favorite part, though. 😉

Love making soup in the Instant Pot? You may also like my Instant Pot taco soup recipe, my Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, or my Instant Pot chicken tortellini soup.

How to make chicken tortilla soup in an Instant Pot

Sauté your onion right in your Instant Pot, add your chicken breasts and the rest of the ingredients, and cook it on high pressure for 8 minutes. Do a quick release once the Instant Pot has done its thing.

Shred the chicken with two forks then add it back into the pressure cooker. Serve and garnish bowls as desired. Simple as that!

Try my stove top chicken tortilla soup recipe if you prefer.

easy chicken tortilla soup inside an Instant Pot with a ladle

This easy chicken tortilla soup recipe can be topped with a variety of things:

  • Chopped avocado
  • Mexican shredded cheese blend (mine had cheddar, queso quesadilla, and Monterey Jack)
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Tortilla chips
  • Lime wedges
  • Greek yogurt or sour cream

...etc.

close-up of easy Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup in a bowl with a spoon

This Instant Pot tortilla soup is so good that the leftovers went really fast too. And there's only two people who live in this house.

And we always have tons of leftovers because I cook a whole lot for this blog.

easy Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup with suggested toppings in a bowl

Will you try making this electric pressure cooker chicken tortilla soup recipe?

Hope you give it a try! Questions? Ask me in the comments below.

More Instant Pot chicken recipes you may want to try:

This easy Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe tastes like it's been cooked low and slow, but it's fast and requires minimal effort!

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

This easy Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe tastes like it's been cooked low and slow, but it's fast and requires minimal effort!
4.64 from 22 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 13 mins
Inactive time 15 mins
Total Time 33 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Servings 6
Calories 328 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 3 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 (12 fluid ounces) can corn drained
  • 1 (19 fluid ounces) can black beans drained & rinsed
  • 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies 
  • 2 (13.5 fluid ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Toppings (optional, to taste):

  • Chopped avocado
  • Mexican shredded cheese blend
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Tortilla chips
  • Lime wedges
  • Greek yogurt or sour cream

Instructions
 

  • Sauté the onion in your Instant Pot for 5 minutes.
  • Add the other soup ingredients, except for salt & pepper, to your pressure cooker and give it a stir. 
  • Cancel sauté and ensure the lid is on "sealing". Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. It'll take about 10-15 minutes for it to get up to pressure.
  • Once the countdown has finished, carefully do a quick pressure release (soups can splatter a bit).  
  • Take the chicken out and shred it with two forks. Add it back into the soup, dish it up, and top each bowl as desired.

Notes

  • I use this 6-quart Instant Pot.
  • Here is the stovetop version.
  • You can use chicken thighs if you prefer (use about a pound or so).
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 33gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 1359mgPotassium: 987mgFiber: 9gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1036IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup
Author Natasha Bull

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    • Natasha says

      Hi Julie, generally with Instant Pot recipes you don't add extra time when doubling. It'll take longer to get up to pressure, so it'll by default cook longer. My concern with doubling the recipe in a 6 quart is that it may not all fit. Just be sure not to go over that "max fill" line. You could add a bit more chicken and other ingredients and top up the liquids to that line vs. straight doubling.

      Reply

  3. Erika says

    4 stars
    I am confused as to why the instant pot recipe is higher in calories than the stove top version? Maybe I missed something but the ingredients look identical...

    Regardless, sounds delicious. I'm excited to give it a try this weekend! :]

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi!! I did both calories fairly recently, and I can’t exactly remember why they were different, but I thought the same thing. I believe there are subtle differences in the ingredient quantities when I looked more closely haha. Honestly, the calories will vary depending on the exact ingredients you use anyway, so they’re just a guideline.

      Reply

  4. Iris says

    5 stars
    My fave chicken tortilla soup ever!!! I've made this 3 times but it's the only recipe I'll use from now on. I changed it up a bit this time around and used garbanzo beans instead of the corn and added some carrot. Delicious! I add a small amount of sugar just to smoothen out the acidity from the tomatoes but other than that, I follow the recipe and I'm left with a flavorful soup that comes together quickly yet tastes like I've slaved over a hot stove for hours. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I’m so happy you like it!! Thanks for letting me know! I sometimes use the sugar trick too with tomatoes. ☺️♥️

      Reply

  5. Brenda says

    XOXOXOXO!!! I could not find my old fashioned recipe, and I wanted to try my newish IP, so I jumped on Pinterest and viola! Your post was yummy looking, so I copied it into my recipe folder, and I know I will surely be preparing this one again! I did dismiss the first post b/c there were ingredients I don't normally use, and I love that yours are so simple. I also applaud your EZ instructions! It has exactly the results I was looking for! BTW, I used leftover rotisserie chicken, so precooked assured me that 8 minutes was going to be perfect.... And PERFECT IS WAS!!!

    Reply

  6. JoanneB says

    5 stars
    This is the most delicious chicken tortilla soup I’ve ever eaten!! Perfectly seasoned! Added cilantro, avocado and some crushed tortilla chips to serve, really outstanding!

    Reply

  8. Tara says

    I just made this and I have to say it definitely is a fast, easy recipe I can build into the weeknight rotation. I eat dairy free and gluten free, so I made some mods to get the thickness I was looking for without sour cream (which may be the only dairy I truly miss). First off, I’ll admit I used my own homemade veggie broth bc it was a week old and needed to go. I also added a pinch of cayenne bc...why the heck not?! When the recipe was finished, it was a little thin of a broth for me so I just added a can of Muir Glen tomato sauce. Lots of salt and pepper. And of course I couldn’t stop myself from adding green onions. Also I’m so lazy so I shredded the chicken with the flat beater. Great 30 minute dairy free gluten free recipe for me! Thanks so much! Also, if you don’t have fresh lime, don’t even make this recipe as it’s unfair to the soup. Makes the whole thing pop!

    Reply

  9. Cheyenne Wendegatz says

    5 stars
    I have been using this specific recipe ever since I got the instant pot for Christmas in 2017. It is the best tasting, I tell you! I didn't need to try others after trying this one. Totally yummy with sour cream added after it's served. Gosh it's good!

    Reply

  10. Carly Leonhard says

    5 stars
    The BEST chicken tortilla soup I've ever made. Thank you so much for this! I used frozen corn since that was all I had and it turned out wonderful. Great flavor, very easy and so quick. I've passed it along to all my friends that have an instant pot.

    Reply

  11. Vicki Nguyen says

    5 stars
    Oh my yum!! Made this for dinner tonight! Love it! Cooked a little extra chicken to keep on the side for little mini quesadillas to dip in the soup.

    Reply

  12. Christine says

    I’m not one to comment very often, but when my self proclaimed soup hater husband goes back for seconds...that is about the best compliment a person can get. I’ve heard for 25 years of marriage that soup is not a meal. This man ate two LARGE helpings of this soup tonight and said that this is his favorite soup I’ve made.

    The only thing I changed up was I used 4 chicken breasts (I was too lazy to freeze the last one) and frozen corn (I didn’t have canned).

    Thanks for a great recipe to come back to time and time again! It was super easy with great flavor!!

    Reply

      • Morgan says

        Can I use frozen chicken breast for this? If so, how long should it cook in the instant pot? I’m a new instant pot user! Thanks!

        Reply

        • Natasha says

          Hi! I haven't tested frozen chicken. Maybe try 10 minutes? If the chicken at all seems to not be cooked, please use a meat thermometer to ensure it's 165F in the middle.

          Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Stephanie! Yes.. just follow the steps and take the chicken out to shred once you think it's done. I don't know exactly how long it'll take since I haven't tested it. You could even do it with already cooked chicken (like rotisserie) and then it'll take less time. Let me know how it goes! 🙂

      Reply

  14. stewart king says

    3 stars
    I'm grateful for online recipes, but I'm getting a bit jaded with the concept of "prep time." How in Hades can anyone prep this in five minutes? For the sake of research, I busted my anus on this one, didn't even throw cans away, and chopped faster than I'd usually do, and it still took me 25 minutes. Don't you folks have to peel your onions and garlic, open your cans, measure your spices? I even had all the canned goods on the counter top when I started - there's just no way a mere mortal could do this in five minutes. Do you wash your hands after handling raw chicken? There's a minute right there, no?

    The onions saute for five minutes - don't you stop to stir that? I dunno. Maybe it's just me, but the cult of the insta-pot seems to get in people's heads and minutes are just shaved away . . . .

    As a side note, a lot of insta pots show a 'burn' message if the user switches from 'saute' to 'pressure cook' without several minutes of down time. I've read this depends on the unit, but ours is certainly prone to this buzzkilling error message 🙁

    I'd love to see a website / blog / whatever with REAL prep times for a change. I don't mind functioning in reality - I do it probably 90% of the day - but recipes should definitely hover in the realm of 'real' - in my humble opinion. We generally add 25 - 40 minutes to any 'prep time' in an insta pot recipe anymore.

    (Finished Ranting) . . . That said, I'm sure this will turn out great - I've never had a tortilla soup that sucked, and the proportions here all seem well suited. I'd love to see more realistic prep times in the future.

    Thanks for all you do,

    me

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Stewart! I just re-read this recipe. I think what I did here was chop the onion and then prepped the rest while it was sauteing. Since the onion is already cooking, I don't really count that as prep time since it's already cooking. Prep to me is purely the time before you can get the cooking going if that makes sense. I don't prep everything before starting to cook. Only when baking. It takes me less than a minute to add all the spices to the IP, but I probably am faster than the average person. I put the garlic into my garlic press whole and that takes seconds. Yup, I definitely wash my hands after touching the raw chicken, but I don't add that until the very end. I get what you're saying, though. I do try to keep prep times reasonable when writing the recipe up - I may be off the mark for some people, though - my apologies. Yes, I always give the onion a quick stir or two while sauteing. I don't stop to do this, though. Honestly, I have never once received a burn warning on my IP. I've even tried to create that message for the purpose of troubleshooting recipes. On the bright side, at least I include inactive time in here (the time the IP takes to get up to pressure). 😉 That's my pet peeve about online IP recipes. They leave that part out. Hope you like the taste of the soup at least.

      Reply

  15. Lavena Bushon says

    5 stars
    My daughter made this 2 days ago and she and her family loved it! Two adults and one child...no leftovers, need I say more. I made it last night and my husband and I were amazed at how delicious it tasted! The deep flavors were awesome, like it simmered for hours. We have leftovers and we are excited to eat it again tonight!
    We did cook it for 30 mins not 8. Other than that we went exactly by recipe. I will be making this for years to come. Easy and delicious!

    Reply

  16. Dane says

    1 star
    I've tried many different Tortilla Soup recipes, and I must say this one is at the bottom of the list. No offense - maybe it's because I'm truly not a fan of Tex-Mex, but this one really didn't work for me. Threw away the leftovers....

    Reply

  17. Jennie says

    5 stars
    This is delicious, could not be easier and has a nice hearty flavor. I did add a handful of tortilla chips to it and subbed jalapeños for the can of chili’s, used navy beans - this was just what I had on hand. So delicious, thank you for sharing. A keeper for sure!

    Reply

  18. Lori S says

    5 stars
    I made this for a friend who had just gotten out of the hospital. It was a nice hearty soup and there was enough for a dinner for the two of us as well. I will definitely be making this again.

    Reply

  19. Francie says

    I want to add some veggies — some green beans and squash. Do I need to adjust the amount of liquid or cook time?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I haven't tested it so I can't say for sure, but I would leave everything the same. I imagine the veggies will end up quite soft based on other recipes I've made in the IP.

      Reply

  20. Karen says

    Are there tortillas in this recipe? I cook this in the slow cooker but am wondering how corn tortillas hold up under pressure. I'm new to IP cooking. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Karen! Nope, there's no tortillas in the actual soup. I just add them on for toppings. They would not hold up under pressure, so I just add the tortilla chips/strips on top for a little crunch after it's done cooking.

      Reply

  21. Kelly says

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness, you had me at 'minimal effort' but I will keep making this for the wonderful flavor!! We loved this soup!! I toasted up some Italian bread to dip into this flavorful soup & it went fast!! I have a little bit left for some leftovers but not much!! LOL!! Thank you for sharing this!!!!

    Reply

  22. Cathy says

    5 stars
    I just made this, it was very good!! I will definitely be making this on a regular basis. I used boneless thighs and they worked just fine with the cook time. It is really a wonderful recipe, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Brittney, I don't usually worry too much about the actual weight of the chicken (I just pick up whatever's at the grocery store and it all cooks up fine in the IP), but an average size chicken breast is about 6-8 ounces, so that would be just over a pound to a pound and a half of chicken. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Shannon! I’d recommend cooking it on the stove if you’re using already cooked chicken, because it’ll way over cook it. If you really want to use the IP, maybe you could add the chicken in after the high pressure part is done and turn the valve so it’s ‘venting’ rather than sealing.

      Reply

  25. KC says

    This recipe looks fantastic. I am an IP newbie so one question: if I use chicken thighs - do I need to alter the cook time?

    Thank you!
    KC

    Reply

  27. Amanda says

    4 stars
    I have a question what kind of tomatoes do you use. Never heard of them. Can I use stewed tomatoes i did from my garden last summer?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Amanda! Sure, stewed tomatoes would work just fine. I just used canned diced tomatoes that happen to be fire-roasted (try the Muir Glen brand if you're curious), but any diced or stewed tomato will be fine. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂

      Reply

  28. elisabeth says

    5 stars
    I'm testing out my new Pampered Chef Quick Cooker and this recipe was amazing in it! I'll be sharing your recipe link on my FB page so everyone I know can enjoy this very tasty meal! Thanks so much.

    Reply

  29. Michelle says

    Looks yummy and I can't wait to make it! Queation- how long would you cook it for if you used canned shredded chicken instead?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Thanks, Michelle!! I'd probably just do it on the stove, in that case. The pressure cooker is great for quickly cooking entire pieces of chicken, but it tends to turn already cooked things into mush and/or it'll make chicken dry and rubbery.

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      You can definitely do that if you wish. I usually just take it out and portion it up right away, but there's only 2 of us in the house. 🙂

      Reply

  31. ravencat says

    How full was your Instant Pot? Specifically, I have a 6 qt pot, and I'm trying to figure out if I could double the recipe safely or if I'd have to do it in 2 batches. Thanks 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I can't exactly remember, but I am pretty sure it would go over the "safe" line if you doubled it, so I would try with 2 batches (at least at first). Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂

      Reply

  33. Russa says

    5 stars
    Oh My Gosh, this was SO GOOD! I had to use boneless skinless thighs because that's what I had, but other than that I was right with you. DELICIOUS!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Thanks so much for letting me know, Russa!! So happy you liked the recipe. And chicken thighs are definitely a great option as well. They tend to be even more tender after cooking. 🙂

      Reply

  34. Rachel says

    Hi! The ingredients sound great and Ive loved the things Ive made from your site so far BUT I dont have an insta-pot - is there anyway you would be able to translate the cook time into either slow cooker OR normal stove top duration?
    Thanks and no worries if you cant!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Rachel! I haven't tested it, but it's definitely possible to make it on the stove or slow cooker. As far as the Crockpot goes, I'd give it 6-8 hours on low (perhaps use chicken thighs instead if you're worried about them drying out), and then take the chicken out to shred it, add it back in, etc. You could either add the onions in raw, or sauté them on the stove beforehand as an extra step. On the stove, you'd follow similar steps as I've outlined in the recipe, but I am not exactly sure how long the chicken would take to cook to make it easy to shred... you'd have to do a bit of experimenting. I want to say at least 25-30 minutes, but again, I haven't tested it. Does this help?

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! That's a good question. I'm concerned that increasing the cooking time to compensate for the frozen chicken might make the other ingredients turn to mush. I'm thinking another 4-5 minutes should do it based on other recipes I've looked at that use frozen chicken, but definitely use caution and if in doubt, use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is at least 165F in the middle before you go to shred it. Another idea is to thaw the chicken in the microwave prior to cooking it in the Instant Pot if you wish.

      Reply

  39. Katherine | Love In My Oven says

    I really need to get an instant pot!! This looks amazing! PS - I had no idea you lived in Edmonton - so close! I went to U of A for my degree 🙂 Happy to connect with another Albertan!! XO

    Reply