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5 from 2 votes

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

You’ll love this Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe! Come home to the moist deliciousness of a warm, bubbly, delicious slow-cooked meal. So easy!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 10 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: game day, slow cooker
Servings: 8 cups soup

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins (frozen or refrigerated)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (10 ounce) can good-quality mild enchilada sauce
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
  • 1 (10 oz.) package frozen corn (or 1 can of whole-kernel corn drained)
  • 1 (15 oz.) can black beans drained (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp. lime juice (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped

Homemade Tortilla Crisps Ingredients

  • 3 corn tortillas
  • 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

Optional Garnishes

  • avocado slices
  • shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
  • limes
  • chopped tomatoes
  • soft tortillas (you can place these in the bottom of the bowls and ladle the soup on top if you’d like!)

Instructions

  • Place all soup ingredients (chicken through cilantro) in a large crock pot and stir briefly to combine. Cover, and cook on “low” setting for 6 to 8 hours or on “high” setting for 3 to 4 hours. Anywhere from 15-60 minutes beforehand, remove the chicken breasts. Let cool briefly, then shred and return to soup.
  • To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls, and add desired garnishes.

Homemade Tortilla Strips “How-To”:

  • Use a knife or pizza cutter, cut a few corn tortillas into small strips (as pictured above).

Skillet Method:

  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Test to see if the oil is ready by dripping a drop or two of water in the skillet. (No sound – too cool. Splatter – too hot. Sizzle – perfect!) Once it’s ready, add in the tortilla strips. Give them a stir or a flip every 20-30 seconds, until they have begun to turn slightly golden. Remove and place on paper towels to drain and dry. Season with salt or other seasonings.

Oven Method:

  • Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Lay out tortilla strips on a greased cookie sheet, and brush with olive oil. (Optional: season with salt or other seasonings.) Bake the tortilla strips for 5 minutes, then give them a quick stir and/or flip. Bake for 5 minutes more, or until they are crispy and golden.