Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Hearty but not heavy, with tender chicken, savory veggies, and comforting tortilla strips.
Taste: Rich, flavorful broth finished with a fresh, citrusy zing.
Ease: It doesn’t get easier than this one-pot recipe!
Top Tips: Cook tortilla strips with the soup to add subtle flavor and naturally thicken the broth. Don’t forget the toppings like avocado and cheese!
Would I Make This Again? Of course! It’s filling, full of flavor, and easy to customize for a quick weeknight meal.
xoxo erin
Featured Comment
From Phyllis: “My family loves this soup! Received an IP for Christmas and will make it for the 4th time tomorrow! Easy, full of veggies and flavor.”
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Chicken breast: You only need one for this recipe—any more, and the soup may burn before the Instant Pot reaches pressure. Fresh or frozen both work great, with no need to adjust the cook time.
- Crushed tomatoes: I always use canned tomatoes for this recipe. If you can’t find a 14 oz can, just use half of a 28 oz one and save the rest for another recipe.
- Corn tortilla strips: This is the secret that sets this soup apart. Cooking the tortilla strips right in the broth thickens the soup naturally and adds a subtle, toasty corn flavor.
- Jalapeno: Don’t worry if you’re not into spicy food—the jalapeño adds depth, not heat. Leave in the seeds if you want more kick!
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- Sauté the veggies: Hit Saute on your Instant Pot and let it preheat for a minute. Add the oil, then toss in the onion, celery, carrots, and jalapeño. Cook for a few minutes until everything softens and becomes fragrant.
- Add garlic and spices: Turn off the heat before adding the garlic and spices. The pot stays hot enough to bring out the flavors without burning the garlic.
- Add the rest: Pour in the stock, crushed tomatoes, tortilla strips, and whole chicken breast. (You’ll shred the cooked chicken at the end!)
- Pressure cook: Lock the lid and cook on Manual or High Pressure for 7 minutes. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken, shred it with two forks, and stir it back in.
- Finish with fresh flavor: Stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot with all your favorite toppings!
Tips for Instant Pot Soups
Soup is a great thing to make in your Instant Pot. But there are a few things to keep in mind that make it different than cooking on a stovetop:
- Pressure time counts. The 7-minute cook time doesn’t include the time it takes to come to pressure or release—plan for about 30 minutes total. It’s mostly hands-off, but good to know if you’re short on time.
- Less evaporation. Since the Instant Pot is sealed, liquid doesn’t cook off like it does on the stovetop. That’s why this recipe uses less broth than a traditional soup—but don’t worry, the texture is just right.
- Add fresh ingredients last. Stir in lime juice and cilantro after cooking to keep their flavors bright and fresh. The high pressure can dull them if added too early.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
This quick and easy Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is healthy, flavorful and comforting. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd or for busy weeknights. Top a bowl with your favorite toppings and dig in!
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onions 1 onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 stalks
- 1 cups chopped carrots 2 carrots
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeds/ribs removed and minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes you may have to use 1/2 of a 28ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 6 6-inch white corn tortillas, cut into strips
- 1 chicken breast
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- juice of 1 lime
- Toppings: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated cheese, and tortilla chips
Instructions
- Press the SAUTE button on the instant pot and let preheat for 1-2 minutes. Add the avocado oil, onion, celery, carrots and jalapeno. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
- Turn off the instant pot and stir in the garlic, spices and salt. The pot will still be plenty hot, but turning off the instant pot at this point helps prevent the garlic from burning.
- Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, corn tortillas and chicken. Close the instant pot and press MANUAL (or high pressure) and set timer for 7 minutes. When the time is up let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the steam.
- Take out the chicken breast and shred with a fork. Add back to the soup. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Add a little more stock or water if the soup has thicken too much (it can differ depending on the type of corn tortillas you use) and season to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
To Make Crispy Tortilla Strips: Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut white corn tortillas into strips. Toss with a little avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes until crispy. Use as a topping for the soup. Yum!
To Make Ahead: Prep the soup through the cooking step, then store it (without toppings) in the fridge. Add lime juice and cilantro just before serving for the freshest flavor.
To Store: Let leftovers cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
To Freeze: Cool completely, then freeze in portions or a large container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until hot. Add fresh toppings after reheating.
INSTANT POT SOUP TIPS
-
- Pressure time counts. The 7-minute cook time doesn’t include the time it takes to come to pressure or release—plan for about 30 minutes total. It’s mostly hands-off, but good to know if you’re short on time.
-
- Less evaporation. Since the Instant Pot is sealed, liquid doesn’t cook off like it does on the stovetop. That’s why this recipe uses less broth than a traditional soup—but don’t worry, the texture is just right.
-
- Add fresh ingredients last. Stir in lime juice and cilantro after cooking to keep their flavors bright and fresh. The high pressure can dull them if added too early.
Nutrition
Calories: 365.24kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.3g | Protein: 22.89g | Fat: 12.99g | Saturated Fat: 2.16g | Cholesterol: 43.26mg | Sodium: 882.28mg | Potassium: 1014.36mg | Fiber: 6.41g | Sugar: 12.08g | Vitamin A: 5812.22IU | Vitamin C: 20.4mg | Calcium: 102.77mg | Iron: 2.82mg
This post was originally published in September 2020. It was updated with new photos and instructions in July 2025.
Love this recipe! I make it frequently! I’ve been wanting to double the recipe but have been worried it’ll cook different in the insta pot… does any have experience with this?
It will work great to double the recipe as long as you don’t go above the max fill line on the instant pot. The cook time and method will be the same! 🙂
My family loves this soup! Received an IP for Christmas and will make for the 4th time tomorrow! Easy, full of veggies and flavor.
Great! So glad you like the recipe! 🙂
What is serving size? I cup? 2 cups? Measurement please.
Hi Carole, this recipe makes 4 servings. If the soup is divided into fourths, each serving should be about 1.5 cups. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Made this tonight and the taste was amazing. The only problem is that I got the “burn” error on my Instant Pot twice. The second time, I rinsed the pot clean and scraped the burnt bits but it still happened again. I think the tortilla kept sinking to the bottom. Luckily, the chicken managed to cook in that time. I’d love to make this again but don’t know how to prevent it from burning.
I made this when my family came over last weekend. I used the already roasted chicken from the market. It was a hit! thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This soup is perfect for a cozy night in! I love how simple it is to make too!
I’ve made this a few times now and it’s a favorite. My kids love it too – thanks for the recipe.
I knwo this is a really late response but may help someone else… I tried doubling the recipe once but it took so long for that amount of liquid to come to a boil to create steam the chicken ended up overcooking. It was too dry for me. I would suggest making it in two batches if you have the time.
Can I use a frozen chicken breast?
Yes that will work just fine!
How much longer do I cook it with frozen chicken breast?
The cook time will actually remain the same! Just be sure not to use too much frozen chicken. 1 frozen chicken breast with the recipe as written should work fine! But a big block of a few chicken breasts won’t work. Does that make sense?
Can this be made without an instantpot?
I only have a crockpot and this looks too good!
This was *killer*. Had to leave out the cilantro, of course, else the whole thing ends up tasting like feet. Great recipe!
Awesome! Making again today for the 2nd time. Perfect spice.
The soup was yum. I used 28oz tomatoes. The crispy strips are key, dont skimp ’em.
I’m so glad you liked it! Love those crispy strips too!
Would I be able to add a second chicken breast? Should I add more broth in that case? Would love to make this for dinner tonight but worried that one breast isn’t enough for 4 servings.
Fabulous soup! Next time, I would like to double the recipe. When doing so, do I need to increase the cooking time?