Description
A simple, beginner-friendly slow cooker chicken tortilla soup that requires zero active cooking. This foolproof recipe uses pantry staples to create a hearty, flavorful meal that improves as leftovers.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 16 ounces jarred salsa (medium or mild)
- 15 ounces canned corn, drained
- 15 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- Lime wedges
- 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Tortilla chips, crushed
Instructions
- If chicken breasts are large, cut them in half horizontally for even cooking. Place them in the bottom of a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the diced bell pepper, drained corn, and rinsed black beans on top of the chicken.
- Pour the chicken broth and salsa over the ingredients. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper over the top. Do not stir yet.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Low heat is preferred for tender chicken.
- Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, remove it and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and serve topped with cheese, avocado, cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips.
Notes
[‘Drain the beans and corn thoroughly to prevent the soup from becoming starchy or mushy.’, ‘Do not overcook the chicken on HIGH heat; check at 3 hours to avoid dryness.’, ‘Use good quality salsa as it is a primary flavor base.’, ‘Shredding the chicken provides better texture than dicing.’, ‘Soup thickens as it sits; add broth or water when reheating.’, ‘Freezing is not recommended as the texture of beans and corn may change.’]
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 28
Keywords: crockpot chicken tortilla soup, slow cooker soup, easy dinner, beginner recipe, tex-mex, meal prep, gluten-free