Easy chicken taco soup loaded with hearty flavors and slow-cooked in a rich, creamy broth. Shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, and spices all come together for this warming bowl of goodness. Discover how to make this soup from scratch today.
This chicken taco soup is loaded with tender shredded chicken breast, slow-cooked in a blend of meaty broth and classic Tex Mex spices. It’s a soup that’s packed full of flavor with every mouthful and is filling enough to last you all day thanks to its hearty vegetables.
This delicious winter warmer couldn’t be easier to put together and has remained one of our best taco soup recipes for years. Using pre-cooked chicken breast, you can rustle it up in under 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can poach raw chicken breast to enrich the meat with added flavor. And while this will add a couple of hours to your total cooking time, the results are well worth it. Make it in bulk and you’ll have leftovers to last you all week.
Find out the best way to make this easy chicken taco soup recipe from scratch, from chicken shredding to the best spice blends to use. Let’s get into it!
One-Pot Shredded Chicken Taco Soup
Inspired by traditional tacos, chicken taco soup is a one-pot spin on the Mexican street food classic by combining taco ingredients with a savory broth. And with some extra spices thrown in, it certainly packs a punch!
Our version features shredded chicken, which is cooked in broth to allow it to absorb all the flavors as it cooks. Loaded with cumin and chili powder, before topped with tortilla strips, the end result is a dish that comes dangerously close to emulating all the flavors of a real taco!
How to Make Chicken Taco Soup
This easy comforting soup couldn’t be easier to make in your home crockpot or slow cooker, and comes together in just 20 minutes. Here’s how to make it:
- Sautée chopped onions in oil over medium heat for a few minutes until they turn soft
- Add chicken broth, spices, black beans, kidney beans, and chopped vegetables
- Brine the soup to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer
- Cook for a few minutes, letting it reduce
- Add leftover shredded chicken and simmer further
- Serve with shredded cheese melted on top, along with cilantro and sour cream to garnish, as well as tortilla strips or chips
How to Shred Chicken
After cooking the boneless chicken breasts – either by oven-cooking them or by adding them to the broth – allow them to cool for a couple of minutes.
With a fork in each hand, gently pull the chicken breast in opposite directions. It’s important to do this carefully so that the chicken retains its natural fibers as it comes apart. Continue doing this until fully pulled into thin shreds.
Once shredded, simply add the pulled chicken pieces to the soup and mix well. Leave to cook for at least ten minutes to allow the meat to soak up as much flavor as possible from the spicy broth.
Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can sweetcorn
- 1 can kidney beans washed and drained
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cooked chicken breast shredded
Toppings (Optional)
- corn tortillas cut into strips
- shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- jalapeño peppers finely chopped
- fresh cilantro roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat
- Add the chopped onions and sautée until soft and translucent, 3-4 minutes
- Add the chopped bell pepper, black beans, kidney beans, sweetcorn, chicken broth, and spices. Bring soup to boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken and simmer for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Serve hot. Add your choice of shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream, or tortilla strips.
