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Home » Instant Pot » Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Published: Feb 17, 2020 · Modified: Apr 26, 2021 by Justin Coit

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A healthy one-pot dinner that is made from scratch, this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is quick and easy to make. Its made with pantry and freezer staples making it the perfect last-minute weeknight meal. Even better, this recipe freezes well so you can make extra for later!

Overhead view of a bowl of Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and avocado and chips, limes, and cilantro on the table.
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
Pinterest graphic of a bowl of chicken tortilla soup topped with tortilla chips, sliced avocado, and shredded cheese in front of a pressure cooker.
Pinterest graphic of a bowl of Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup topped with chips, sliced avocado, and sour cream.
Pinterest graphic of an overhead view of a bowl of chicken tortilla soup with three slices of avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese.
Pinterest graphic of a bowl of Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup with shredded cheese, sour cream, and sliced avocado.
Pinterest graphic of a bowl of chicken tortilla soup in front of a pressure cooker with chips, avocado, and lime wedges around it.
Pinterest graphic of a bowl of chicken tortilla soup with tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese on top.

This recipe has all of the traditional ingredients that go into a classic tortilla soup — green chiles, tomatoes, black beans, and corn but unlike the traditional version, it’s made in the pressure cooker! Instead of cooking it on the stovetop and keeping an eye on it, this pretty much becomes a dump-and-start recipe. 

Straying from tradition, I also wanted to add more flavor and protein to this soup, so chicken was added. Feel free to remove the chicken if you’d like for this to be a vegetarian tortilla soup. If you want to try another Instant Pot recipe, my Instant Pot Cashew Chicken recipe is a family favorite.

Key Ingredients You Need

Ingredients needed to make chicken tortilla soup.
  • Tomatoes — to keep things simple and easy, I use canned diced tomatoes. If you’d like to dice up your own, you’re welcomed to do that but keep in mind that the liquid from the can contributes to the overall liquid amount in the recipe.
  • Black beans — it’s important to remember to rinse and drain your canned black beans before using as it removes the extra sodium.
  • Chicken breasts — be sure to look for good quality breasts by checking the label. Some breasts are injected with salt water to help them look plump and the texture of the breasts will be different when cooked in the pressure cooker.
  • Lime — it really makes a difference to finish the soup off with a touch of fresh lime. It adds a brightness to the soup and brings it all together.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Set of two photos showing onions being sautéed into the pressure cooker and then chicken stock being added in.

Step 1: Set Instant Pot to Sauté and add in oil. Once the oil is heated add the onions in and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Next, add in garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.

Step 2: Add in remaining ingredients (excluding corn and lime juice) and stir. 

Set of two photos showing the timer being set on the pressure cooker and then shredded chicken breasts.

Step 3: Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Once done, remove chicken and shred using 2 forks and return back to the Instant Pot.

Set of two photos showing corn being added to the pot and the assembly of a bowl of tortilla soup with toppings.

Step 5: Add the corn and lime juice with the shredded meat back to the pot. Stir well and add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 6: Garnish with tortilla chips/strips, avocado, cheese sour cream, and/or cilantro.

A bowl of chicken tortilla soup topped with chips and avocado in front of a pressure cooker.

Tips For This Recipe

  • To prevent a burn notice, make sure there isn't anything stuck to the bottom of the liner before you pressure cook. If needed, deglaze the bottom of the pot with some stock after you sauté the onions and garlic.
  • To add a smokier flavor to your tortilla soup, you can swap the canned diced tomatoes for canned fire-roasted tomatoes.
  • If you have fresh corn, feel free to use that in place of frozen corn. Frozen corn allows us to easily make this tortilla soup year-round!
  • If you would like to use boneless skinless thighs in place of the breasts, decrease the cooking time by one minute.
  • This recipe was tested in a Fagor America 8 QT but will work in any brand pressure cooker and in any 6 QT pressure cookers as well with no adjustment needed.
  • If you already have shredded chicken in your fridge, you can skip cooking the breasts with the soup and stir in your cooked shredded chicken at the end along with the corn.
A close up of a bowl of Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, and chips on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen chicken breasts?

One of the joys of using a pressure cooker is that you can cook from frozen! If the chicken breasts you have are frozen, you can increase the cooking time by a couple of minutes. However, keep in mind that if your breasts are frozen together in a block of sorts, the parts that are stuck together will not be cooked evenly. I suggest using thawed breasts for the best results or make sure your frozen breasts are not stuck together.

Can I make this vegan?

Yes, this chicken tortilla soup recipe can definitely become vegan very easily. I would skip the chicken and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. For the toppings, instead of using greek yogurt or sour cream, you can use a vegan, nut-based yogurt. Just make sure you buy a vegan yogurt that has a neutral taste. It is best to let all of the flavor or the instant pot tortilla soup shine through.

How to store this?

Once the soup has cooled to room temperature, store the soup without any toppings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you would like to freeze this, again, skip adding any toppings and transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. A space-saving way to freeze soup is by freezing it in a bag, making sure to squeeze out any air, and then lay it flat so it freezes flat. This saves you a ton of freezer space and it thaws much faster.

What is the difference between making this in the Instant Pot vs a regular pot?

The big difference between the two methods is the time it takes to make. The pressure cooker uses pressure to cook the soup much faster than in a pot on the stovetop. In terms of flavor, I always feel that cooking soup in a traditional pot gives you a bit more flavor. However, cooking soup in the traditional way takes many hours, more than I want to commit for a weeknight recipe.

What can I serve alongside this?

Here are a few healthy sides that I like to serve alongside this recipe: Avocado Hummus Taquitos, Goat Cheese Balls, Zucchini Fritters, and Mango Salsa.


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If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe then don’t forget to leave me a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

Overhead view of a bowl of Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and sliced avocado.
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

A healthy one-pot dinner that is made from scratch, this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is quick and easy to make. It is made with pantry and freezer staples making it the perfect last-minute weeknight meal. Even better, this freezes so well if you want to make extra for later!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 334kcal
Author: Justin Coit

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 4 oz can mild green chiles
  • 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 lb chicken breasts
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 cup corn frozen
  • 1-2 tbsp lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

  • tortilla strips/chips
  • avocado slices
  • shredded cheese
  • sour cream
  • lime wedges
  • cilantro

Instructions

  • Set Instant Pot to Sauté and add in oil. Once oil is heated add in onions sauté for a few minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Next add in garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
  • Next, add in remaining ingredients (excluding corn and lime juice) and stir. Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.
  • Once done, remove chicken and shred using 2 forks and return back to the Instant Pot with corn and lime juice. Stir well and add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Garnish with tortilla chips/strips, avocado, cheese sour cream and/or cilantro.

Video

Notes

  • To prevent a burn notice, make sure there isn't anything stuck to the bottom of the liner before you pressure cook. If needed, deglaze the bottom of the pot with some stock after you sauté the onions and garlic.
  • To add a smokier flavor to your tortilla soup, you can swap the canned diced tomatoes for canned fire-roasted tomatoes.
  • If you have fresh corn, feel free to use that in place of frozen corn. Frozen corn allows us to easily make this chicken tortilla soup year-round!
  • If you would like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of the breasts, decrease the cooking time by one minute.
  • This recipe was tested in a Fagor America 8 QT but will work in any brand pressure cooker and in any 6 QT pressure cookers as well with no adjustment needed.
  • If you already have shredded chicken in your fridge, you can skip cooking the breasts with the soup and stir in your cooked shredded at the end along with the corn.

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 936mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg
*Nutrition Disclaimer
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Hi, I’m Justin. By day I'm a commercial director and photographer but in my free time, I make deliciously clean comfort food for my family and friends.

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