Instant Pot Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup | Easy Weeknight Dinner
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This Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup delivers spicy, tangy, and a deep savory flavor with a bold taste. It’s made fast in the Instant Pot, perfect for a weeknight dinner. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, no problem; it comes together just as easily on the stovetop.
This post has been refreshed in January 2026 with clearer steps, updated tips, and a few small tweaks.
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Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe Highlights
⏱️Prep Time: 10 Minutes
⏱️Cook Time: 25 Minutes ( includes pressure build and release)
🍽️Serves: 4 – easy to scale up or down in the recipe card
✔️ This soup is a bit spicy. For a milder soup, skip the jalapeno or use half. For more heat, add a small amount of cayenne to taste.
✔️Leftovers will last for up to 5 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
✔️Recipe includes stovetop instructions too.
Here is What You Will Need
Ingredient List
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, avocado oil or your favorite cooking oil
- 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes – fresh or canned
- 1 red bell pepper (orange or yellow will work too)
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 fresh jalapeno pepper
- 1 medium diced onion
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 cans black beans, pinto or kidney beans will work too
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Freshly squeezed lime juice
- Sea salt to taste
- Toasted tortilla strips, or tortilla chips
- Optional Toppings:
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How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Prepare: Chop the vegetables and cilantro, measure the spices, drain and rinse the beans, squeeze the lime juice and measure the tomatoes.
- Sauté the chicken: Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the oil. Once hot, add the chicken and brown for a few minutes per side. Turn of the sauté function.
- Build the flavor: Add the spices, peppers, onion, garlic and corn. Stir to combine.
- Pressure cook: Pour in the tomatoes and water. Lock the lid, set to high pressure and cook for 15 minutes. Then let it low release for about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Shred and finish: Remove the chicken, shred it, and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in the beans, cilantro, and lime juice. Cover loosely and let it stay warm.
- Serve: Ladle the Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup into bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips and your favorite toppings.
Stove-Top Instructions (Quick Version)
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, this soup can easily be made on top of the stove. Brown the chicken in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the vegetables, spices, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken, return it to the pot, and finish with the beans, cilantro, and lime juice before serving.
Tips
- Add the canned black beans at the end of the cooking process wich will prevent them from be becoming too soft and soggy.
- To control the sodium, use low-sodium ingredients (tomatoes, beans and corn). Adjust flavor with salt just before serving.
Serve and Top it Off
Serve the soup hot on its own with a simple side salad if you like. Finish each bowl with a squeeze of lime juice for brightness and your favorite toppings:
- Tortilla chips
- Avocado
- Lime wedges
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Shredded cheese
- Guacamole
- Hot sauce
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Refrigerate leftover chicken tortilla soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the refrigerator or overnight and reheat on top of the stove or in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water for more flavor, then add the shredded cooked chicken after the vegetables are sauteed and mixed with the broth and tomatoes.
Yes, you can easily make this soup ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days – until you are ready to serve it.
Add the beans at the end, after you shred the chicken and put it back in the pot. This helps prevent the beans from getting too soft and soggy.
Leave out the jalapeno, or use only half. You can also skip extra spicy toppings, like hot sauce, when serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Are you cooking for two?
This recipe serves 4. If you are cooking for 2, use the scale recipe button in the recipe card to automatically halve the ingredients. You can also the full recipe and enjoy leftovers during the week or freeze it. This soup tastes even better the next day. Cook time will be the same.
Have you tried these soup recipes Yet?
- Turkey Chili Soup
- Sausage and Kale Soup with White Beans
- Vegetable Minestrone Soup
- Mushroom Barley Soup
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Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup in an Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon of olive or [avocado oil]
- 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups cold water
- 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 diced green bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper small dice
- 1 onion medium chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon [chili powder]
- 1 1/2 teaspoons [oregano]
- 2 15 ounce cans [black beans] drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup cilantro fresh, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Chop vegetables and cilantro, measure spices, drain and rinse beans, squeeze lime juice, and measure tomatoes.
- Sauté chicken: Set Instant Pot to Sauté and add oil. Once hot, brown chicken on both sides. Turn off sauté.
- Add aromatics and spices: Stir in spices, peppers, onion, garlic, and corn.
- Pressure cook: Add tomatoes and water. Lock lid and cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes. Allow a 5–8 minute natural release, then carefully release remaining pressure.
- Shred the chicken: Remove chicken, shred it with 2 forks and return it to the pot.
- Stir in beans, cilantro, and lime juice. Cover loosely to keep warm. Serve with crushed tortilla chips and favorite toppings.
- Keep the soup warm until it's time to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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Made this recipe and it turned out so well! Very excited for the leftovers 🙂
This was so good! I love how easy it is to make in the pressure cooker.
The flavor is perfect with the fresh cilantro and lime juice! Yum!