Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Instant Pot Recipe

This creamy chicken tortilla soup made in the Instant Pot is bursting with a delicious mixture of chiles and juicy morsels of chicken. It’s creamy and cheesy with just the right amount of heat.

This is one of mom’s favorite recipes. While the original tortilla soup may have originated in Mexico City, this one is evolved straight out of the Guzman kitchen.

Now, I’ve adapted her recipe for the Instant Pot and you can easily make it in your home too.

Most of the chicken tortilla soups I’ve seen have been red in color. I much prefer this version with its beautiful golden color.

• Is Tortilla Soup Gluten Free?
• Can You Use a Crock Pot?
• Recipe

Ingredients

You will start off by frying up some bite sized pieces of corn tortilla. You can cut the pieces into 1″ bites or ½″ strips. I’ve used white corn tortillas. You can use yellow or even blue, if you can find them.

When you’re making this creamy chicken tortilla soup, be sure to set aside sufficient time to chop all the vegetables. I’ve used three different chiles in addition to the normal soup base vegetables of onion, celery, carrot and garlic:

• Poblano pepper
• Jalapeño pepper
• Yellow Bell pepper

This will start smelling delicious immediately with all those different veggies and spices. We’ve recently started using dark chili powder in a lot of our recipes and it’s adding both color and incredible flavor. Of course, that aroma is outstanding too!

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If you don’t have an Instant Pot, have a look at this 6-Quart Instant Pot (aff link) which we use. We’ve had it for several years and it still works great.

Is it gluten free?

All the ingredients for this tortilla soup are gluten free except the Better than Bouillon flavor enhancer which isn’t tested. The company doesn’t test for gluten free in their products. There is only one teaspoon in the ingredients list. This is the only thing you would need to leave out.

It’s the Better Than Bouillon that gives this soup that pretty yellow color. Regular chicken broth doesn’t have that much color. Even though it’s a flavor enhancer, I believe you can achieve that same coloring by using a little bit of turmeric.

Can I use a Crock Pot?

Yes, you can use a Crock Pot for this delicious creamy tortilla soup! Fry the corn tortilla pieces in a skillet but add all the ingredients except the tortillas, butter, half n half and cheese to the Crock Pot and cook for about 3 hours on high or 6 hours on medium. Add the butter, half n half and cheese. Continue heating and stirring until cheese is melted.

Try these other Instant Pot recipes

You can’t beat the Instant Pot for a delicious meal. It’s like your typical one-skillet meal except it’s made easier without having to babysit it constantly.

Browse all our Instant Pot Recipes or choose one of these.

• Creamy Gnocchi Soup Easy Instant Pot Recipe
• Pork Chile Verde Mexican Pork Stew
• Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
• Tuscan Soup Recipe Instant Pot
• Hearty Beef and Barley Stew

Recipe

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Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Instant Pot Recipe (+video)

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4.98 from 49 votes

Prep Time: 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 7 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 195kcal

Author: Christian Guzman

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This creamy chicken tortilla soup made in the Instant Pot is bursting with a delicious mixture of chiles and juicy morsels of chicken. It's creamy and cheesy with just the right amount of heat.

For more information, be sure to check the recipe details in the attached 24Bite® post.

Equipment

• 6-quart Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 6 Corn Tortillas, cut into bite size pieces or strips, as desired
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 1 Poblano Pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 Celery Stalks, chopped
• 2 Carrots, chopped or sliced, as desired
• 5 Garlic Cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Dark Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, roasted chicken flavor
• 1 pound Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless, cut up into bite size pieces
• 4 cups Chicken Broth
• 4 tablespoons Butter, cut into 4 pieces
• ½ cup Half n Half
• 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

Instructions

• Chop and mince all vegetables as directed. Cut chicken breast into bite size pieces. Cut tortillas into pieces.
• Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot to begin cooking in saute mode. Add olive oil. When heated, add corn tortilla pieces and fry until golden. With slotted spoon, remove to paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
• If necessary, add more olive oil. Add chopped onion, peppers, celery, carrots and garlic. Add salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Stir frequently until onions are fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in Better Than Bouillon.
• Press the Cancel button on the Instant Pot to reset.
• Add chicken pieces and chicken broth. Stir. Check the Instant Pot lid to ensure the seal is in place and nothing is blocking the vent. Place lid on top and set lever to Sealing. Press the Manual button on the Instant Pot and set to high for 10 minutes, then natural release. The entire cook time will be about 30 minutes.
• Press the Cancel button to reset or remove cord. Add butter and half n half. Stir. Sprinkle in about a quarter of the shredded cheese at a time, until fully mixed and melted.
• Stir in fried tortilla pieces or serve them on the side to be added to individual bowls.
• Makes 10 servings.

Note: If there is a video, it will not display while there is an adblocker.

Video

Notes

Garnish with avocado, red cabbage, cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese and lime slices.

See the step by step instructions at Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Web Story.

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Instant Pot Recipe (+video)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 195 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Sodium 587mg26%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 12g24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword chicken soup, instant pot recipes, spicy chicken soup

______________________

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. All amounts are estimates and 24Bite® takes no responsibility for actual figures since calculations vary by packaging and supplier. Please calculate the amounts yourself based on package labeling if you have specific dietary requirements. 24Bite®, Kim Guzman or Christian Guzman shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

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