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The 25 Most Popular Game Day Recipes.
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This simple Crockpot Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup is the perfect bowl of wholesome, filling soup to warm up to on the coldest of days. Made easily with a mix of chicken, spices, red enchilada sauce, broth, and cilantro. Mix in rice and top each bowl off with plenty of cheddar cheese, lime, and avocado. And of course, plenty of salty tortilla chips. The toppings are key!
If there’s a soup I make on repeat every single winter, it’s my chicken tortilla soup. Everyone, including my dad, who is not typically someone who enjoys soup, loves this easy dinner.
It’s actually one of the very first soups I ever made back when I started cooking in middle school. All I had on hand were a couple of cans of enchilada sauce, chicken broth, and chicken. I threw the ingredients into the crockpot and let everything slow cook with a touch of cumin too.
I had rice in the fridge at the time, so I added that to my soup base just before serving. Ever since then, I simply cannot make tortilla soup without rice. It creates the perfect bowl along with all those chips on top too!
I obviously don’t make tortilla soup the traditional way, but this still hits all the same flavor notes and it’s so delicious!
Plus I absolutely love that I can throw everything into the crockpot in the morning, no searing chicken or anything, and come home to a delicious dinner at night. That’s so easy, right? So I adore this recipe and I’m excitedly revisiting it for everyone today!
Details
All you need for this is an onion, some jalapeños, garlic, chicken, enchilada sauce, seasonings, rice, and chips. Layer the onion, jalapeños, and garlic in the crockpot. Then add the chicken, the enchilada sauce, and broth. Cover and cook!
It really is that easy. Shred the chicken once done cooking. From here you can either stir the rice into the soup or add the rice to bowls and ladle the soup over the rice.
Either or, it’s delicious.
If it’s easier for you, you can also make this in the instant pot or on the stove. I added directions for both.
And most importantly, the toppings.
I layer a thick layer of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and then sliced avocado. Then sprinkle on lots of fresh cilantro and green onions. Oh, and it’s definitely optional, but I love to do a quick mango salsa and add that on top as well. It’s so delicious!
A wonderful soup to warm up with!
Looking for other warming winter dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Better For You Chicken and Spinach Ramen
Creamy Butternut Squash Butter Chicken
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Coconut Milk Braised Black Pepper Chicken
Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 281 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2-3 teaspoons taco seasoning
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 cups red enchilada sauce
- 3-4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1-2 cups cooked white or brown rice
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- tortilla chips, for serving
- yogurt, shredded cheddar, avocado, mango salsa, and green onion, for serving
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, layer the onion, jalapeños, and garlic. Add the chicken, cumin, taco seasoning, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour over the enchilada sauce and 3 cups of broth. 2. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Shred the chicken using two forks. Stir in the rice, cilantro, and lime juice. 3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips. Then finish as desired with a dollop of yogurt, cheese, green onions, mango, and cilantro. Enjoy!
Stove-Top
- 1. In a large soup pot, cook the onion, jalapeños, and garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, cumin, taco seasoning, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour over the enchilada sauce and 3 cups of broth. 2. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer, cook 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Shred the chicken using two forks. Stir in the rice, cilantro, and lime juice. 3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips. Then finish as desired with a dollop of yogurt, cheese, green onions, mango, and cilantro. Enjoy!
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, layer the onion, jalapeños, and garlic. Add the chicken, cumin, taco seasoning, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour over the enchilada sauce and 3 cups of broth. 2. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Release the steam. Shred the chicken using two forks. Stir in the rice, cilantro, and lime juice. 3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips. Then finish as desired with a dollop of yogurt, cheese, green onions, mango, and cilantro. Enjoy!
I made this for my family last night. I used mild enchilada sauce to keep the spice down for my son. We all loved it! My husband told me to keep this recipe in the rotation. 🙂
Hey Cassie,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I’m thrilled to hear that it turned out well for you:)
This was very acidic to me, which could very well be due to the different brands of enchilada sauce; But I learned a trick to reduce the acid (baking soda) so it was a win in the end. Very easy recipe.
Hey Lauren,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Sorry it was so acidic!! xx
This was beyond quick and easy, and with fantastic results. My total prep time clocked in at about 5 minutes! I made this in the Instant Pot and added some frozen corn.
Hey Djienne,
I appreciate you making this recipe and I’m thrilled to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend! xx
Amazing. Added some leftover jalapeno popper dip that I made for creaminess. Served over rice. Sooo good.
Hey Erin,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks a bunch for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Could I use more broth instead of enchilada sauce? I don’t have the sauce on hand. I realize it will probably taste different.
Hey Nicole,
Yes, that will work for you:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Made this tonight for dinner. We are a little wimpy when it comes to spice so substituted jalapeños for some salsa before serving. It turned out great. Will make again!
Hey Pam,
Awesome!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
This was fantastic. I wish I had mango salsa as it sounds like a great addition, will be sure to have it next time this soup is in the rotation! Also, such a fast prep. It took me ten minutes between chopping veggies and putting everything in the crockpot all while posting to my Instagram story. So fast! It took longer to make the garnishes! One of my faves in a while❤️❤️
Hey Nicole,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Yum! I made this soup on the stove top and omitted the chicken and added black beans and chickpeas instead. It was spicy and delicious and the whole family loved it. Especially with all the toppings
Hey Lauren,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Hello! Can you reheat this?
Hey Jess,
You bet, I would just keep the rice separate! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Just to say: had this for lunch. DELICIOUS! Really flavourful and excited to eat again tomorrow. Perfect remedy for my cold!
Hey Jess,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish!! xx
I didn’t keep the rice separate and it the rice soaked up the water but it was still delicious, just had to add a little water/broth when I reheated!
Made this for meal prep this past week and it was SO GOOD. I love an easy crock pot meal prep recipe and always looking for new soup ones during the winter months. This will definitely be added to our rotation as it was beyond easy, minimal prep time and so flavorful! I did add a can of black beans but otherwise stuck to the recipe exactly. Loved that this didn’t have a ton of dairy products added to it like cream as a lot of other tortilla soup recipes do. Thank you so much HBH, this is a keeper for sure!! 🙂
Hey Marissa,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Thanks so much for your kind message:) ❄️
Thanks for posting this incredible soup! Not only is it a beautiful show-stopper; my whole family loved it exactly as written in the recipe. Definitely a winner!!!
Hey Dan,
Wonderful!!😊 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was delish! xT
This soup was so good! We loved the addition of the rice. I made the stovetop version and used rotisserie chicken. It was so quick and easy and tasted even better the second night!
Hey Andrea,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a hit! xT
This was so yummy!! I will absolutely be making this – and often! I made the crockpot version and added a small jar of diced green chiles and it was so good. We served ours over rice, didn’t add it to the soup and we really liked it that way. Can’t wait to make this again!
Hey Taylor,
Happy Valentine’s Day! 💌 I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xT
So good and easy!
Hey Eileen,
Happy Monday!! 💘 Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Delicious soup! Made a few modifications…I already had a rotisserie chicken and no cooked rice, and since I love carrots in my tortilla soup, I julienned some to sauté with the other vegetables. I made the rest as directed, minus the uncooked chicken and adding a bit more stock. Once it came to a boil, I added uncooked rice (why use another pot?). After the rice was done, I added the shredded rotisserie chicken. Served as suggested…perfect Big Game Day bowl!
Hey there,
Happy Monday!! 💘 Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx