Chicken tortilla soup instant pot frozen chicken

Spicy and hearty instant pot chicken tortilla soup is packed with flavor! It’s an easy dinner perfect for those busy weeknights.

Rock those busy nights with more instant pot wonders like Butter Chicken, Meatloaf, and Carnitas. You will love them just as much as this spicy instant pot chicken tortilla soup.

Easy weeknight meal

Soups are an easy go to dinner. They come together quickly and you can easily make them ahead of time for a busy night. That’s why we eat soup all year round!!

They are especially fabulous when you can make them quickly in an instant pot! Now you don’t need to stress when you forget to take out the chicken that morning. I know I’ve done that plenty of times, and I’m sure I can’t be the only one. 

This instant pot chicken tortilla soup is not only easy to make, but tastes delicious! It is filled with spice and flavor and is sure to be a crowd pleaser! Get your weeknights back on track with something hearty and homemade.

Making CHicken Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot 

CHICKEN. Place the chicken breasts in the Instant Pot and pour in 1 cup of the chicken broth. Put the lid on and set the pressure release to Sealing. Select either the Pressure Cook or Manual setting and set the cooking time for 10 minutes at high pressure. (It might take about 10 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure).

When the cooking program ends, move the Pressure Release to Venting for a manual release. After opening the pot, transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board and shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.

ADD/COOK. After returning the chicken to the pot add the remaining 3 cups chicken broth, tomatoes and their liquid, black beans, corn, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Reset the cooking program by pressing Cancel and then select the Soup setting. Set the cooking time for 5 minutes at high pressure. (It will take about 20 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure).

SERVE. After the cooking program ends, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes.  Move the Pressure Release to Venting to release any remaining steam. Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro, tortilla strips, avocado and lime wedges.

Topping Ideas

Toppings. The possibilities for toppings for this soup are endless:  

• sour cream
• cotija
• shredded cheddar cheese
• guacamole
• diced tomatoes
• add some hot sauce to it if you like things spicy

Make your own homemade tortilla strips to sprinkle on top it’s easier than you think.  Just spray tortillas with canola or olive oil, add some salt, cut into strips, and bake at 350 degrees until they are nice and crispy.

Recipe Tips

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is soon to be a family favorite – not just because of how tasty it is, but also because of how quickly it comes together.  Hooray for the Instant Pot! Here are a few tips to make things even easier for you:

• Use frozen chicken instead of fresh if you’d like – and no need to thaw it first!  Just add it to the instant pot as called for in the recipe, no need to change anything about the cooking time.  Just make sure that in step 2 to do a natural pressure release instead of a quick (venting) one.
• If you don’t have an Instant Pot, no worries. You can also make this recipe in your slow cooker just add all of the ingredients as directed and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.
• A quick and easy way to shred your chicken for this soup is to use your stand mixer. Make sure to use your paddle attachment and mix the chicken on low for just a few seconds – it will shred super fast – usually in less than a minute!

A Great Soup to Make Ahead!

Soups like this Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup only seem to get better the next day.  If you are lucky enough to end up with leftovers, or you’d like to make this ahead of time here are some tips:

STORE any leftovers you plan on using within a few days in the fridge in an air-tight container. Make sure you leave the tortilla strips off so they don’t get soggy.

FREEZE this soup for up to 3 months. Make sure to cool it to room temperature before freezing, and it is even better to put it in the fridge for a little bit to cool it down first as well.  This extra step will prevent ice crystals from forming on your frozen soup. 

• It’s easiest to freeze it in individual portions so you can grab one or two for a quick meal.
• You can use either a freezer safe container or Ziploc freezer bag to store leftover soup, just make sure to leave a little room at the top for expansion. If using a freezer bag it’s handy to freeze it lying flat on its side so you can stack bags and save space. If you choose to use a freezer container you can run cold water over the outside of it to pop it out easily into a pot to warm it up.  

REHEAT leftover soup in the microwave, in a pot on the stove, or even back in the Instant Pot.

for more easy Instant Pot meals, check out:

• Instant Pot Smoked Sausage and Lentil Soup
• Instant Pot Black Eyed Pea Soup
• No Soak Instant Pot Pinto Beans
• Instant Pot Chili
• Instant Pot Beef Stew

Print Recipe

• ▢ 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ 4 c chicken broth
• ▢ 28 oz diced tomatoes and liquid
• ▢ 1 (15 oz) can black beans - drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 (15oz) can corn - drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 tbsp minced garlic
• ▢ 1 tbsp chili powder
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp dreid oregano
• ▢ salt and pepper - to taste
• ▢ 1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro - for garnish
• ▢ tortilla strips, avocado, lime wedges - optional garnish

• Place the chicken breasts in the Instant Pot and pour in 1 cup of the chicken broth. Put the lid on and set the pressure release to Sealing. Select either the Pressure Cook or Manual setting and set the cooking time for 10 minutes at high pressure. (It might take about 10 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure).

• When the cooking program ends, move the Pressure Release to Venting. After opening the pot, transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board and shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.

• After returning the chicken to the pot add the remaining 3 cups chicken broth, tomatoes and their liquid, black beans, corn, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Reset the cooking program by pressing Cancel and then select the Soup setting. Set the cooking time for 5 minutes at high pressure. (It will take about 20 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure).

• After the cooking program ends, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes.  Move the Pressure Release to Venting to release any remaining steam.

• Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro, tortilla strips, avocado and lime wedges.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

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

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