How to make easy chicken tortilla soup in your Crock-Pot, Instant Pot or stovetop

Bowl of chicken tortilla soup
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Serving a warm mug or bowl of soup makes just about everyone happy. Whether someone feels chilled from the winter temperatures or needs a little TLC because they are sick, soup is a nourishing and versatile meal.

And while chicken noodle might be the most classic soup you ladle out, chicken tortilla soup is quickly becoming one of the most popular in American kitchens. If you run a quick search for recipes, you’ll find countless variations and methods for putting together a great bowl of chicken tortilla soup.

Or, you can just keep reading and find some of our favorite ones right here!

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Instead of noodles or chopped potatoes, chicken tortilla soup uses tasty tortilla strips or chips to give it some extra texture. If you’ve ever tried a cup at your favorite restaurant, you probably love the way a single serving captures all of the best flavors of Mexican cuisine.

It may seem kind of complex but it’s pretty easy to make chicken tortilla soup at home, whether in the Crock-Pot, on the stove or even in the Instant Pot, we’ve got some recipes you will love.

Some of these recipes — especially chicken tortilla soup Crock-Pot variations — take a while to sit and simmer to let all the flavors meld together. Others only require 30 minutes to prepare and are perfect when you’re pinched for time to get dinner on the table. No matter which prep style you prefer, we’ve got some recipes the whole family will happily slurp up for lunch or dinner.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crock-Pot or Stovetop)

We love recipes from The Passionate Penny Pincher! They are usually quick, easy, and use ingredients that most people already have on hand in the kitchen — and this one is no different.

This recipe for easy chicken tortilla soup uses precooked chicken to help you get rid of leftovers in a tasty way. Plus, the recipe gives you the option of cooking the soup in the Crock-Pot or on the stovetop. The choice is yours! Check out The Passionate Penny Pincher’s Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe for full details (and be prepared to bookmark)!

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Budget-Friendly Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crock-Pot)

At the end of a long day of work, running errands and taking care of the family, nothing beats coming home to a hot meal that all ready to serve and eat. That’s why we love slow cooker recipes so much. Just get all the ingredients in the pot, set it and then let it cook all day until you’re ready to enjoy.

The cooks over at Eating on a Dime put together a chicken tortilla soup Crock-Pot recipe recipe of their own that can feed a crowd on a budget, which sounds like the best of all worlds when it comes to meal planning!

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One-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup (Stovetop)

One-pot meals are among our favorite recipes because no one likes dirtying all the dishes in the cupboard just to make one meal.

This chicken tortilla soup recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen streamlines the preparation of this tempting dish into a single pot on the stove. The secret ingredient in this recipe is chicken bone broth, which the author says makes all the difference in the final flavor.

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Delish’s Chicken Tortilla Soup (Instant Pot)

When the experts at Delish call a recipe one of their best, we pay attention. The food site’s Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe makes use of one of the most popular kitchen appliances in recent years.

The combination of the spices and the magic of the pressure cooker makes this dish taste like it’s been simmering all day, but it only takes 50 minutes to prepare and cook. So, this would be a great last-minute meal, even without using pre-cooked chicken.

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20-Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup (Instant Pot)

This might be the quickest chicken tortilla soup recipe we’ve ever seen! It takes less than 20 minutes to make, thanks largely to using a rotisserie chicken you can pick up at the grocery store on the way home, this Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup recipe from The Frugal Girls makes fast work of a delicious dinner. We also love how this soup uses ranch seasoning to kick up the flavor.

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Food Network’s Chicken Tortilla Soup (Stovetop)

Danny Boome shared his recipe for a stovetop chicken tortilla soup at Food Network’s website — and it doesn’t skimp on savory flavor, but still cooks up in less than 45 minutes. He suggests low-sodium chicken broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, fresh limes and cilantro to bring out the best of this dish in a slightly healthier way.

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Gluten-Free Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Stovetop)

A 30-minute meal that’s also a one-pot dish? Sign us up. Cooking Classy’s creamy, gluten-free chicken tortilla soup is a fabulous option for people with dietary restrictions. This Southwestern recipe uses the corn flour masa harina, a Latino kitchen staple, to give the soup an authentic flavor: just make sure to check the label for a gluten-free designation.

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Restaurant-Style Chicken Tortilla Soup (Stovetop)

We appreciate someone who goes above and beyond to find the perfect recipe. On her blog, The Girl Who Ate Everything declared she experimented with three different chicken tortilla soup recipes before declaring a favorite. And, despite her family getting sick of eating it, everyone agreed that this chicken tortilla soup recipe was the ultimate winner. Apparently, this stovetop recipe rivals a popular restaurant’s version, which is a ringing endorsement.

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With all of these varieties of chicken tortilla soup, maybe you and your family will want to have your own taste test to figure out which one is your favorite. Happy eating!

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About the Author
Marie Rossiter
Marie is a freelance writer and content creator with more than 20 years of experience in journalism. She lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and is almost a full-fledged empty nest mom of two daughters. She loves music, reading, word games, and Walt Disney World. Visit Scripps News to see more of Marie's work.

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