Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

 My friend, Ronica, shared her recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup with me. It uses pantry and freezer ingredients and couldn’t be more simple to prepare. Am I the only one that gets super excited when taking five minutes to put something in the slow cooker in the morning turns into a delicious dinner? I seriously love slow-cooker meals! If you are struggling to get dinner on the table, start with this Chicken Tortilla Soup and add this easy Slow Cooker Hobo Dinner to your menu, too. 

One of the things I love about this Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is that you add a can of refried beans to it. It adds protein and fiber without any visible sign of a bean. Perfect, if you have kids who turn their noses up to beans. It also adds a nice, subtle texture to the soup’s broth. We serve the soup with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, avocado, a squeeze of lime, and some cilantro leaves. It’s a simple, delicious, and healthy dinner.

This soup can also easily be made on the stove if you prefer that to the slow cooker. You will just need to mix the chicken broth, tomatoes, corn, refried beans, and taco seasoning together, bring it to a boil, add the chicken, and then let it simmer until the chicken is cooked. This takes about 30 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, pull it out and shred it. Add it back in and, voila, you are ready to serve. 

More Awesome Slow Cooker Dinners

• Slow Cooker Kalua Pork
• Slow Cooker Fall Off the Bone Pork Ribs
• Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
• Slow Cooker Creamy Verde Chicken
• Slow Cooker Corn Chowder
• Slow Cooker Pineapple Salsa Chicken

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Frequently Asked Questions about making Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Is this soup spicy?

No. As written, this soup is not spicy. I used mild Rotel (Chilis and Tomatoes). If you would like it to be spicy, you can use the hot variety of Rotel. You could also use a spicy taco packet or add some Cayenne pepper. 

Can I add a can of black beans or pinto beans instead of the refried beans?

I suggest adding refried beans no matter what because they add a slight (very slight) thickness to the broth that you won’t get any other way. If you want to add a can of beans to make the meal a little heartier, black beans or pinto beans would be an excellent choice.

Can I use canned or rotisserie Chicken in this recipe?

Yes, you can use either of those. If you choose canned chicken, I suggest not adding it until about an hour before serving. It will break apart simmering for too long in the slow cooker. Because they are both fully cooked, the cooking time on the soup will not need to be as long. 

How Many Hours does this need to cook? What setting is on the slow cooker?

This soup can either cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. If you are using rotisserie chicken or chicken that is pre-cooked, you can reduce that to 5-6 hours on low and 3 hours on high.

Can I make this recipe in the instant pot?

Yes, you can make it in an Instant Pot. You will need to wait to add the refried beans until the end. You could add everything but the beans, and cook at high pressure for 12 minutes. Do a quick release, remove the chicken breasts to shred, and stir in the refried beans while it is still very hot. 

Is this recipe gluten-free?

This recipe is gluten-free, if you use a gluten-free taco seasoning and chicken bouillon. I recommend also checking to make sure that the refried beans you use are also gluten-free.

cook’s tools:

• Instant Pot
• Slow Cooker
• Can Opener
• Soup Ladle
• Cheese Grater
• Soup Bowls