The Last Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Here’s the thing: real-deal Mexican chicken tortilla soup has incredible depth of flavor, but I don’t always have time to simmer a whole chicken for hours. But on the other hand, many of the “quick and easy” chicken tortilla soup recipes I’ve tried are bland, watery, and lack punch. So disappointing.

So I set out to make a homemade chicken tortilla soup that’s the best of both worlds! The trick is putting all your effort where it counts: building a mega-flavorful broth that tastes like it simmered all day. That’s why I use earthy beer, zesty lime, and lots of spices, but then I landed on a game-changing secret…

Since the best part of chicken tortilla soup is the crispy tortilla topping, what if we could take that corn flavor and infuse it right into the soup?! I’ve worked lots of corn into this recipe 2 ways: using fresh kernels for juicy-sweet pops of texture AND blending tortillas into the broth for a masa-style savoriness with a hint of nuttiness.🌽 So simple, with a big payoff!

A bowl of chicken tortilla soup topped with shredded cheese, fried tortilla strips, guacamole, cilantro, corn, and black beans, with sliced jalapeños and fresh cilantro in the background. — With an incredible depth of flavor, this chicken tortilla soup *tastes* like it bubbled away all day long, even though it actually simmers for just 30 minutes. Perfect for weeknights! 🍲🧑🏻‍🍳

This recipe was originally published in 2019, and longtime readers love it for the sweet potatoes and beer—but now, it’s better than ever! I’ve amped it up with a few bold upgrades, like blending the corn tortillas, doubling the spices, and swapping in leftover rotisserie chicken. The result is just as easy as the original, but with even more flavor.

This updated recipe has all the best elements of the classic, comforting soup, now with a little more ease. I guarantee it will be a weeknight staple in your kitchen—you’ll never need to search for another chicken tortilla soup recipe again!

Golden soup served inside of two white ceramic bowls that sit atop a creamy peach colored textured surface. The bowls of soup are surrounded by a white and yellow striped linen napkin, amber colored drinking glasses and gold spoons.

All the Recipes You Need for Soup Season!

14 warm and cozy recipes for soup lovers (plus bonus soup sides!)

Key Ingredients

A variety of fresh ingredients laid out on a wooden table, including shredded chicken, sweet potatoes, corn, tortillas, limes, diced onions, chopped peppers, beans, tomatoes, spices, and small bowls of sauces. — You need 3 core components to make this chicken tortilla soup recipe: leftover rotisserie chicken, lots of fresh veggies, and a handful of pantry-staple flavor boosters to build a rich, layered broth in no time.

During my testing, I came to prefer using leftover rotisserie chicken over the fresh chicken thighs in my original recipe. In theory, browning and simmering fresh chicken adds a lot of flavor, but in reality, it dries out easily and lacks that fall-apart-tender texture of whole roasted chicken tortilla soup. Shredded rotisserie chicken stays super juicy, without sacrificing any flavor. Plus, it saves time!

A blend of bell peppers, onions, fresh corn, black beans, and sweet potatoes gives this veggie-loaded soup a hearty bite. Sweet potatoes are delightful in chicken tortilla soup because their natural sweetness balances out the bold spices and zesty broth. Other squashes, like butternut, also work well here—use whatever you have on hand!

These simple flavor-boosters do a lot of work in little time! You’ll need tomato paste, corn tortillas, a hoppy IPA or brown or dark ale, and staple spices such as chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic, and onion powder.

How to Make Weeknight-Friendly Chicken Tortilla Soup With Sweet Potatoes

This recipe follows the same tried-and-true approach as my other easy, weeknight-friendly soups, layering bold flavor with just a few simple steps. If you’re a PWWB soup lover, you know the drill: you’ll brown the veggies, toast the spices, and deglaze with beer to build a flavorful base, then quickly simmer it all together.

Diced sweet potatoes, onions, and green bell peppers are being sautéed in a large white pot with a wooden spoon on a rustic wooden table. A bowl of ground pepper and a striped towel are nearby. — In a large pot, sauté peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes over medium-high heat until soft and fragrant. For even cooking, be sure to dice your veggies to about the same size!

A white pot filled with diced sweet potatoes, green bell peppers, onions, minced garlic, tomato paste, and various spices, sitting on a rustic white wooden surface. — Add garlic, all of the spices, and tomato paste to coat the vegetables, then cook just a few minutes until fragrant. During my recipe testing, I found that tomato paste adds depth, acidity, and a bit of body to the broth. It makes a big difference!

A white pot filled with sautéed diced vegetables and spices in a reddish sauce, with a bottle of beer being poured into the mixture. The pot sits on a wooden surface. — Slowly pour in beer, deglazing the pot and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. This fond is the base of flavor for the whole chicken tortilla soup! Let the beer reduce for 3-4 minutes, simmering off the alcohol and infusing the veggies with its earthiness.

A large white pot contains shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes, arranged in sections over a red broth. A hand is pouring clear broth from a glass measuring cup into the pot. — Add broth, canned tomatoes, black beans, corn kernels, and shredded chicken, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. If you have access to fresh sweet corn, use it! Otherwise, canned or frozen corn works too.

Broken pieces of tortilla and tortilla soup inside a blender, with a ladle pouring more soup over the tortillas. The scene is set on a light wooden surface. — Now my secret trick for next-level corn richness.😋 Blend torn corn tortillas with a few ladles of hot broth to create a smooth mixture, then pour it back into the pot. This gives the soup a velvety texture layered with rich masa flavor!

🧑🏻‍🍳Taste and adjust! At this point, I always sample a spoonful and season with a bit more salt and lime juice if needed—these two finishing touches make all of the other ingredients sing!

A large pot of chicken tortilla soup with corn, black beans, shredded chicken, tomatoes, and vegetables, with a ladle lifting a serving. The soup is colorful and hearty, set on a rustic wooden table. — Every spoonful of this chicken tortilla soup is brothy but full-bodied and layered with smoky, zesty, nutty flavor—proof that weeknight soup doesn’t have to be boring!

The Best Part of Chicken Tortilla Soup? The Toppings!

Similar to a hearty chili, one of the main reasons I love homemade chicken tortilla soup is for the toppings! Add some creamy sliced avocado or Fresh Guacamole, shredded cheese, cooling sour cream, fresh cilantro…whatever you love. Just do not skip the tortilla chips!

While the soup simmers, I always fry up some tortilla strips. Homemade gives you much more control over the texture—I love mine really thin and shatteringly crisp. And since they’re fresh, they won’t disintegrate in your bowl. WAY better than anything store-bought!

A bowl of tortilla soup topped with shredded chicken, corn, guacamole, crispy tortilla strips, cilantro, and a lime wedge, with sliced jalapeños, lime wedges, and cilantro on the side. — Making your own tortilla strips is surprisingly easy! Simply fry thinly sliced corn tortillas in oil for a few minutes, until crispy and golden, then finish with a generous pinch of salt. They’re SO good!

A bowl of chicken tortilla soup topped with shredded cheese, guacamole, crispy tortilla strips, corn, black beans, cilantro, and jalapeño slices, with a spoon resting inside the bowl. — Store-bought tortilla strips, guacamole, and salsa are also easy, grab-and-go topping choices on a busy weeknight. Pile your bowl of chicken tortilla soup high with your favorites, and enjoy!

I can’t wait for you to try this RECIPE! If you do give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!

Weeknight Chicken Tortilla Soup with Sweet Potatoes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 5 reviews

Author: Jess Larson
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: serves 8–10 1x
Category: Soup, Stew, & Chili Recipes, Main Dishes, Chicken Recipes
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex
Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Description

Your search for the best Weeknight Chicken Tortilla Soup is OVER! This easy, one-pot recipe delivers a mega-flavorful soup with just a quick 30-minute simmer.

My secret? Blending corn tortillas right into the broth to layer savory masa richness in every spoonful. A splash of beer and loads of spices ensure it’s smoky and never bland, while sweet potatoes, black beans, and sweet corn double down on the heartiness.

Pile your bowl high with crispy tortilla strips for the easiest, most craveable homemade soup!

This recipe was first published here on PWWB in 2019. This version has many of the same elements (sweet potatoes, beer), but with a bolder punch of flavor thanks to extra spices, sweet corn, and a tortilla-infused broth. I bet you’re going to love it even more than the original! If you’re looking for the original version, no worries – you can find it here.

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound shredded chicken (approx. 3 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 poblano or bell peppers, deseeded as desired and diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled as desired and diced (approx. 2 cups)
kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 heaping tablespoon chili powder (see Recipe Notes)
2 heaping teaspoons ground cumin
2 heaping teaspoons smoked paprika
1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
1 heaping teaspoon onion powder
optional: up to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or chipotle chili powder
12 ounces beer of choice (see Recipe Notes)
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock/broth
kernels from 2 ears sweet corn (approx. 2 ½ – 3 cups; can sub canned or frozen)
one 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies (such as Rotel)
one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 corn tortillas
2–3 limes, juiced

Instructions

Soften the vegetables: Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add in the peppers, onions, and sweet potato. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Cook the aromatics: Add the garlic, tomato paste, and all of the spices (chili powder – cayenne/chipotle powder) to the pot. Stir to coat the vegetables and let everything bloom in the oil, cooking 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Deglaze the pot: Slowly pour in the beer, scraping up any browned bits of fond from the bottom. Stir to combine well. Simmer 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced.
Build the soup and simmer: Add the chicken broth, corn, tomatoes, black beans, and shredded chicken to the pot. Stir to combine well. Simmer, partially covered, for 10-15 minutes. (This is a great time to fry up some extra thin and crispy homemade tortilla strips – see Recipe Notes!)
Finish the chicken tortilla soup: Tear tortillas into small pieces and place in a blender. Ladle in 1-2 cups hot broth and blend until smooth. Stir back into the soup along with lime juice. Simmer 1-2 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – I like to make sure there’s enough salt and lime juice to make all the flavors pop.
Serve immediately with your favorite toppings, such as: crispy tortilla strips (see Recipe Notes), shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, smashed avocado or guacamole, thinly sliced jalapeño, etc. Enjoy!

Notes

Jess’ Tips and Tricks:

Chili powder: For best results, use American-style chili powder, a seasoning blend of ground dried chiles and spices. If using pure chili powder (like ancho or chipotle), start with ⅓ the amount indicated and adjust to taste – it’s much spicier!
Beer: For best results, choose a full-flavored ale (e.g. brown ale, dark ale, hop-forward IPA, etc.) – we really want its robust flavor to come through in the tortilla soup.
Homemade crispy tortilla strips: Serving each bowl piled high with super thin, ultra-crispy tortilla strips is the secret to making your tortilla soup taste like it came straight from your favorite restaurant – all you need is a few corn tortillas and a splash of oil. Heat ⅓-½ cup neutral oil in a small saucepan and slice 3-4 corn tortillas into skinny strips. The oil is ready once a strip bubbles vigorously when it hits the pan. Fry in batches, 4-5 minutes, until golden and shatteringly crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain, and season with a good pinch of salt. If you’re short on time, you can sub crushed tortilla chips – still tasty, just not quite the same!
Easy substitutions for dietary restrictions: To ensure a gluten-free result, be sure to use your favorite gluten-free beer. To ensure a dairy-free result, be sure to serve your chili with your favorite dairy-free toppings (cheese, sour cream/yogurt, etc.).
10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this chicken tortilla soup comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance and you can jump straight in to cooking during the week: dice 2 poblano/bell peppers, 1 yellow onion, and 1 sweet potato, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Storage, Reheating, and Freezing:

Storage and Reheating: This chicken tortilla soup is incredibly meal prep/make-ahead friendly – its flavors get even better the longer it sits. To store, transfer cooled soup to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
Freezer Instructions: Chicken tortilla soup is also incredibly freezer-friendly. Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer container (or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or, for a quicker thaw, submerge the freezer container in room temperature water. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, thinning it out with a splash of water or chicken stock as needed.

A bowl of hearty chicken tortilla soup topped with shredded cheese, guacamole, crispy tortilla strips, corn, black beans, cilantro, and diced tomatoes, served on a rustic tabletop.

Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!

Leave a Rating & Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

11.2.25
Shelley Dickie said:

Jess, I am so grateful that I came upon your recipes! I cook a lot and I often make up my own recipes or modify the ones I find. I have been making pretty much everything you send me for the past month and wow! This soup in particular was out of this world!

- 11.4.25
  Emma @ Plays Well With Butter said:
  
  It means so much to us to hear that, Shelley!! Thanks so much for being here and cooking along with us! 🙂
  
1.20.25
Angela said:

This is my go-to tortilla soup recipe. All the elements pack so much flavor and the beer and sweet potato make it special. I’ve made it at least 10 times and everyone loves it. Thank you for a great recipe!

- 1.21.25
  Emma @ Plays Well With Butter said:
  
  So happy to hear this soup is in your regular rotation, Angela!! 🙂
  
11.30.24
Jessica said:

Perfect on a night when you want something simple but super delicious and cozy on a cold day. Love the amount of spices and the beer!!

- 12.1.24
  Emma @ Plays Well With Butter said:
  
  So glad you enjoyed it, Jessica!! Such cozy comfort food 🙂
  
10.15.24
Jess said:

This soup is amazing! I used chipotles in adobo rather than the jalapeño and added corn to increase the veggies. My husband says it’s his new favorite soup! Thanks for all the content you offer, love following you!

- 10.16.24
  Emma @ Plays Well With Butter said:
  
  So happy to hear that you and your husband loved this soup, and thanks so much for the kind review and words, Jess! Glad to have you in the PWWB community!
  
9.11.21
Camila @ Microwave Choice said:

Sounds so yummy 🙂 soup is my favorite. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for such an amazing recipe.

- 10.31.21
  Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:
  
  Thanks Camila! Hope it went well & that you enjoyed!
  
7.3.21
Elic said:

I like this tortilla soup. This is looking so delius and tasty. Very easy to learn and make it at home. Thank you for sharing this article.

- 7.5.21
  Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:
  
  Hi there! Thanks for your comment, we hope you’ll try soon!
  
6.8.21
Ameli said:

I always get amazing content and helpful recipe resources from your blog. This is so easy to make chicken soup at home with the help of your guidance. I really enjoy this reading. Thank you for sharing this article.

- 6.20.21
  Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:
  
  So glad to hear it, Ameli! Thank you for sharing & we are so glad you enjoyed the chicken tortilla soup!!
  
5.29.21
Eliana said:

This is looking so delicious and tasty chicken soup recipe. I really love this reading. Thank you for sharing it.

- 6.20.21
  Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:
  
  Thank you Eliana! We are thrilled you love this soup. Be sure to check out our other soup, stew, & chili recipes here!
  
10.30.20
Katie B said:

Make this as written & I know it will be super flavorful! I had to substitute original crushed tomatoes instead of fire-roasted due to stock at my grocery store, & the soup wasn’t as flavorful (obviously) which did make a big difference. I will also make this with chicken breast next time. Just a personal preference because I am not a huge chicken thigh fan!

- 5.28.21
  Erin @ Plays Well With Butter said:
  
  Hi Katie! So glad you enjoyed! As always, feel free to sub for what you love & cook with most – thank you so much for sharing!
  
3.8.19
Michael @ DiligentChef said:

Thank you for great recipe, Jess!

This was better than what I expected. Not only was it delicious, but it lasted me several days. I was not able to find vegetable broth at the supermarket so i bought stock instead. I was a little nervous, but the results were really good.

- 3.29.19
  jess said:
  
  so glad you liked it, michael! i think the beer is really what’s key – livens everything up a little bit. =)
  
2.21.19
Phi @ The SweetPhi Blog said:

This looks so delicious – and I love that it’s done in under 45 minutes!