Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This instant pot chicken tortilla soup is one of those recipes I make over and over again. It’s warm, flavorful, and comes together so quickly thanks to the pressure cooker.

The broth is rich and slightly smoky with just a little kick from the jalapeño. Every spoonful has tender shredded chicken, black beans, and corn.

What I love most is how hands-off it is. You basically toss everything in, set it, and let the Instant Pot do the work.

It’s a great weeknight dinner, especially when you want something cozy but don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

Top it off with some tortilla strips and avocado and you’ve got yourself a seriously good bowl of soup.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Dinner Is Ready in Under 30 Minutes – Between the quick saute and just 15 minutes of pressure cooking, you can have a rich, flavorful chicken tortilla soup on the table faster than ordering takeout.

The Chicken Comes Out Perfectly Shreddable – Cooking the chicken breasts right on top of the soup under high pressure makes them so tender they practically fall apart with two forks, giving you that classic shredded chicken texture without any extra effort.

Fire Roasted Tomatoes Add a Smoky Depth – Using fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of regular canned tomatoes gives this soup a subtle smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with the smoked paprika and chili powder.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup Frozen Corn
• 4 cups Chicken Broth
• 2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• Tortilla Strips for serving
• 1 Avocado, diced

Directions

Step 1

Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and add the olive oil. Saute the diced onion and jalapeño for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Step 2

Pour in the chicken broth and stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Add the fire roasted diced tomatoes, black beans, and frozen corn.

Step 3

Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Place the chicken breasts on top. Do not stir them in.

Step 4

Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes.

Step 5

Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to Venting to release remaining pressure. Remove the lid once the pin drops.

Step 6

Remove the chicken breasts and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the soup. Stir in the fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Step 7

Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla strips, diced avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

Pro Tips

Deglaze the Pot Before Pressure Cooking

After you saute the onion, jalapeño, and garlic, there will be little browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. When you pour in the chicken broth, use a wooden spoon to scrape all of those bits up completely.

This step is not optional. If those bits stay stuck to the bottom, your Instant Pot will likely give you a burn notice and stop cooking. The broth loosens everything up and prevents that from happening.

Take an extra 30 seconds to really make sure the bottom is clean before you add the rest of the ingredients. It makes all the difference.

Place the Chicken on Top, Don’t Push It Down

When you add the chicken breasts, just lay them right on top of the beans, corn, and tomatoes. Don’t stir them into the soup or push them to the bottom of the pot.

Keeping them on top makes sure they cook evenly in the steam and liquid without sitting directly on the bottom where they could stick. It also makes them super easy to pull out in one piece when it’s time to shred.

If your chicken breasts are really thick, consider slicing them in half horizontally so they are thinner and more even. This helps them cook through perfectly in the 15 minutes of pressure cooking.

Add the Lime Juice and Cilantro at the End

Wait until the soup is completely done cooking and the chicken is shredded and back in the pot before you stir in the lime juice and cilantro. These two ingredients lose their bright flavor if they get pressure cooked.

Fresh lime juice added at the end gives the soup that tangy punch that ties everything together. If your limes are small, use two of them. You want that citrus flavor to be noticeable.

Same goes for the cilantro – stirring it in at the very end keeps it fresh and vibrant instead of wilted and bland. If you hate cilantro, just leave it out and add a little extra lime juice instead.

Related Recipes

• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Birria Tacos
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken
• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Instant Pot Mac & Cheese

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this on the stovetop if I don’t have an Instant Pot?

For sure. Just saute the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a large pot the same way, then add everything else and bring it to a boil. Drop the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through.

Shred the chicken the same way and stir it back in. The flavor will be just as good – you just need a bit more patience.