Chicken Enchilada Soup takes everything you love about cheesy, flavorful, protein-packed enchiladas and serves it in a bold soup! The best part? It couldn’t be easier to make – instructions for both slow cooker and instant pot included!
Chicken Enchilada Soup
There’s so much to love about this easy chicken enchilada soup recipe. Tender shredded chicken is mixed with ingredients like beans, salsa, enchilada sauce, corn, taco seasoning, and more! Basically, we’re deconstructing enchiladas and serving up the elements in a seriously satisfying soup recipe. You can use your slow cooker or instant pot – the choice is yours! I’ve included instructions for both below. I’ve used both methods more times than I can count, and the result is always the same. Savory, hearty, cheesy soup that fills you up after just one bowl. Top it off with some extra cheese and tortilla strips and you’ve got yourself what might just be the best soup ever!
If you’re searching for more soups that really hit the spot, check out my easy recipes for taco soup, black bean soup, and green enchilada soup.
Can I make it creamy?
You sure can! While I think that the cheese is enough by itself for this soup, you can certainly mix in some softened cream cheese right before serving to add a creamy component to the broth.
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Soup
In the Crockpot:
- Season the chicken. Add the chicken to the crockpot. Sprinkle on the seasonings.
- Cover and cook. Add all ingredients (except cheese) crockpot. Stir, then cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 4 hours. Once cooked, shred the chicken.
- Thicken it. Mix together the cornstarch with the water. Stir it into the cooked soup. Allow soup to thicken for 5-10 minutes.
- Make it cheesy. Stir in the cheese just before serving.
In the Instant Pot:
- Sauté: Drizzle 2 tbsp of oil to the bottom of the instant pot. Set to sauté mode.Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion to the pot and cook until softened.
- Season. Season the chicken. Scoot the onions to the side, add the chicken breasts to the pot, and sear on each side until golden.
- Pressure cook it. Remove the chicken from the pot. Use about 1/4 cup of the broth to deglaze the pot with a wooden spoon.Turn off the pot. Add the chicken, enchilada sauce, corn, beans, salsa, remaining broth, and hot sauce to the pot. Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to sealing. Turn the pot to manual for 20 minutes.
- Release the pressure. Once the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes (don’t open the valve). After 10 minutes, open the valve to release the remaining pressure.
- Enjoy! Shred the chicken. Turn the pot to the SOUP setting. In a bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water. Once the soup is bubbling, whisk in the cornstarch mixture, stirring for 1-2 minutes until thick. Turn the pot off and stir in the cheese and shredded chicken.
Storing
Leftover soup will stay fresh for about 3-4 days in the fridge. Just be sure to let it cool off before storing in an airtight container.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Breasts – I’ve never made this soup with chicken thighs before, but I’m sure it would still be tasty! Just make sure they’re boneless/skinless for easy shredding.
- Yellow Onion – A white onion also works.
- Seasonings – Taco seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper are all you need.
- Red Enchilada Sauce – Send this recipe over the top with homemade enchilada sauce!
- Corn – Canned corn is the easiest to use. Just make sure it’s drained well.
- Black Beans – Make sure they’re also rinsed and drained to avoid excess liquid in the soup.
- Ranch Style Beans – Pinto beans also work if that’s what you have on hand.
- Salsa – I like to use a jar of red salsa to keep things easy. If you feel like showing off, make some blender salsa!
- Chicken Broth – Low-sodium keeps things on the less salty side.
- Hot Sauce – Optional, but I love shaking in some of my favorite hot sauce just before serving.
- Cheese – Shredded cheddar, Moterrey Jack, or a mixture of your favorite.
- Cornstarch and Water – This slurry is what thickens the broth to the best consistency.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Breasts,
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 28 Ounce Can red enchilada sauce
- 1 15 ounce Can corn, Drained
- 1 15 ounce Can black beans, Drained
- 1 15 ounce Can Ranch Style OR Pinto Beans, Drained
- 1 Cup Salsa
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1-2 teaspoons Hot Sauce, Optional
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar or Monterrey Jack or a Mixture
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon Water
Optional for serving: Tortillas, Tortilla Chips, Sour Cream, Extra Cheese, Chopped Onion, Lime Wedges
Instructions
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:
- Add the chicken breasts to the crockpot and season with the taco seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add all additional items except cheese to the crock pot and stir. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-5 hours. Once the cooking time is up, remove the chicken and shred, then return to the slow cooker.
- After cooking, mix together the cornstarch with the water. Add to the crockpot and stir. Allow soup to thicken for 5-10 minutes.
- Stir in the cheese. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS:
- Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom of the instant pot. Turn the pot on to saute mode.Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.
- Season the chicken breasts with the salt, garlic powder, pepper, and taco seasoning.Scoot the onions to the side, add the chicken breasts to the pot and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.
- Remove the chicken from the pot. Use about 1/4 cup of the chicken broth to deglaze the pot with a wooden spoon.Turn the pot off. Add the seared chicken, enchilada sauce, corn, beans, salsa, remaining broth, and hot sauce to the pot.Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to sealing. Turn the pot to manual for 20 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes (don't open the valve). After 10 minutes, open the valve to release the remaining pressure. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred. Turn the pot to the SOUP setting. In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and water. Once the soup is bubbling, add the cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes until thick. Turn the pot off and stir in the cheese and shredded chicken.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you drain the ranch beans for your chicken enchilada crockpot soup ?
Hi…I m looking for crockpot pork chop recipes and just came across this soup recipe. It look so good that I’m going to try it this week. Thanks!
This recipe was excellent. My family loved it. I went without the hot sauce as my kids don’t like spicy, but once you add the cheese, it elevates the flavor.
P.S. They requested it to make it again🥰.
Absolutely amazing! It’s one of my favorite things to make and even more favorite to eat!
This soup is excellent. We did the slow cooker option. Outstanding