Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Easy Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is full of homemade goodness in a fraction of the time. It is loaded with shredded chicken, tomatoes, black beans, and corn in a bold, rich broth and topped with all your favorite toppings!

You’ll love this easy one-pot meal that’s perfect for a busy weeknight. This Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup can be as spicy as you want it and as full of additional toppings as you can fit in your soup bowl! It’s a comfort food meal that adults love as well as being kid-friendly, so win-win! It’s also perfect for Instant Pot beginners.

If you can open a few cans of veggies, chop an onion and throw in a few chicken breasts (uncooked), you can have this savory meal made in about 30 minutes. It really is that easy! Just let your pressure cooker do all the work! Plus, it will give you just enough time to set the table, round up your toppings, make some homemade tortilla strips (optional – you can totally use store-bought!) and pour yourself a glass of wine or diet coke while you wait.

I love this soup because it’s a great way to get kids to eat healthy veggies and a protein without having them push one or the other to the side of the plate. In this soup, you’ve got shredded and tender chicken, a chicken and tomato-based broth, black beans, corn, and green chilies. You can totally adjust the spiciness to suit your kids, too. If it’s too spicy, just adjust the number of chipotle peppers in the recipe or omit altogether.

Here are more chicken soups and stews to try: Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, Instant Pot Chicken Stew, Instant Pot White Chicken Chili.

INGREDIENTS

Please scroll ⬇️ to the recipe card to see the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

• Olive oil – needed to sauté the onions and garlic and prevents the ingredients from sticking to the pot
• Onion and garlic – diced and minced, these aromatics add flavor to the soup
• Diced tomatoes – a can of tomatoes and its juice helps form the tasty broth
• Green chilies – diced, these add a touch of spiciness to the soup
• Chipotle in adobo sauce – the ultimate in spiciness which makes this soup rich and bold. Reduce the amount if you don’t like the soup too hot and spicy.
• Black beans – a can of this helps fortify the soup with extra protein and deliciousness
• Corn  – a cup of frozen corn adds a touch of sweetness and veggie goodness to this soup
• Chicken broth – integral to the soup since it makes the broth and helps the Instant Pot come to pressure. I used Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base for a flavorful broth.
• Chicken breasts – a meat-based protein that compliments this soup in flavor and texture
• Cumin and chili powder – seasonings that give this soup its Mexican-inspired flavors
• Limes – garnish added to give the soup a touch of acidity
• Salt and pepper – flavor enhancers

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

Step 1: Turn the Instant Pot on [SAUTE] mode and set it for 10 minutes (this should give you enough time to saute the onions). Wait until the screen displays “hot”. Add olive oil and onion into the pot. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes until the onion is soft. Then, press the [CANCEL] button.

Step 2: Add garlic, chicken broth, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of diced green chilies, 1 can of black beans, 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (finely diced), and 1 cup of frozen corn kernels. Place the chicken breast on top of the ingredients. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add ground cumin and ground chili pepper on top of the chicken.

Step 3: Close the lid. Make sure the knob on the lid is turned to the “sealing” position. Then, press [PRESSURE COOK] (or “manual” for older models) and set it to 11 minutes. When it is done, let it naturally pressure release for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and shred with two forks before returning chicken to the pot.

Serve in bowls with a garnish of lime juice, tortilla strips, and any other toppings you desire.

HOW TO MAKE THE TORTILLA STRIPS

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Using store-bought corn tortillas, cut them into thin strips and place on a baking sheet
3. Drizzle them lightly with olive oil and season with salt
4. Place them in the oven at 350°F and bake until crisp.

COOKING TIPS

• Add the chicken stock before you add in the tomatoes, beans and frozen corn but do not mix together. The broth added first will keep the other ingredients from settling on the bottom of the Instant Pot where they can have the tendency to stick and possibly burn. So, chicken stock first!
• If you’re using:
  • THIN CHICKEN BREASTS: decrease the pressure cooking time to 6-8 minutes. Chicken breasts have the tendency to dry out very easily. It might be best not to use thin pieces of chicken breasts.
  • FROZEN CHICKEN BREAST: increase the pressure cooking time to 12 minutes. Let it naturally release pressure for 10 minutes.
  • CHICKEN THIGHS: increase the pressure cooking time to 14 minutes. Do not add corn and black beans until after it is done pressure cooking or else it will turn into mush. After it is done pressure cooking, take the chicken out, press [SAUTE] for 3 minutes to cook the corn and beans while you’re shredding the chicken.
• It might be easier to take the chicken out of the Instant Pot to shred it. Why? It’s just awkward trying to shred it down in a pot that’s steaming hot, plus you won’t be able to see it as well so there might be large chunks left in the pot. Just grab the chicken with long-handled tongs, put it on a cutting board and shred with two forks. The chicken will be tender and will shred easily. Scoop the chicken back up and return it to the pot.

TOPPING IDEAS

• Tortillas – homemade using the recipe here or store-bought
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream
• Avocado
• Lime Wedges
• Cilantro

IS CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP FREEZER FRIENDLY?

Yes, it is. As always, let your soup come to room temperature before storing it in a freezer-safe container with a tight fighting lid. If you’re storing it in a freezer-safe ziploc bag, make sure you press all of the air out of the bag before sealing it. Also, store the ziploc bags flat.

To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop.

MORE TASTY CHICKEN RECIPES TO TRY:

• Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

RECIPE