Plan for a delicious meal tonight with this quick and easy Chicken Taco Soup. Loaded with tender chicken breast, lots of veggies, taco spices, and a rich chicken stock, this simple dinner is one you will love to serve both for easy weeknight suppers or fancier Cinco de Mayo celebrations. It’s ready in less than half an hour!
This is a great cheap meal for kids. Be sure to serve this tasty soup with Homemade Tortilla Chips for a fun riff on tortilla soup. Check out these Mexican Dinner Ideas for more meal planning inspiration!
Jump to:
Soups are practically perfect meals. Typically, they contain loads of veggies, a nourishing broth, and you can adjust them with meat or not, depending on your preferences or what you have on hand. I’ve found them to be a very powerful option for saving money on food.
In fact, we regularly serve soup for lunch or dinner because it’s so affordable. You can stretch it to serve a crowd or make it in bulk to freeze for later, saving on dining out costs.
Why Make This Soup
Chicken Taco Soup is delicious! The flavors in this soup are incredible with just enough spice to liven up your taste buds and such a great combination of southwest veggies.
It’s affordable. Since this soup is very veggie-forward, it’s very easy on the wallet. Add chicken or not. It’s delicious both ways!
It’s easy to make. You can prep this soup in less than 30 minutes, making it a prime candidate for weeknight meals.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Chicken Taco Soup:
olive oil – You need just a bit to saute the mirepoix. Use your favorite cooking oil; I’m partial to olive oil.
mirepoix – the standard chopped onion, carrots, and celery, are a great start most soup recipes, this one included. You can chop your own or buy a mix of fresh or frozen mirepoix to speed things up.
veggies – I like to include chopped red potatoes, minced garlic, shredded zucchini, and whole kernel corn. You can also add chopped green or red bell pepper or sliced jalapenos if you like.
chicken stock – I make my own stock, but you can use canned chicken broth if you prefer.
cooked chicken – Use chicken cooked for recipes. I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I cook in the pressure cooker and then shred chicken quickly in the stand mixer. This is also a great recipe to use a rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey.
black beans – Use canned or cooked black beans, drained and rinsed. The color of the black beans really pops in the soup, but you can also use chili beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans if that’s what you have.
tomato sauce – A can of tomato sauce adds body and flavor to the sauce without the chunky tomatoes that picky eaters eschew. If you prefer the toms, add a can of crushed or diced tomatoes instead.
juice of 1 lime – Lime juice adds a refreshing kick to the broth.
taco seasoning mix – I use homemade taco seasoning since it’s cheap and easy to make. You can use your favorite brand.
chopped fresh cilantro – I love the freshness that this herb brings to chicken taco soup. Other toppings you might want to offer include sour cream, diced tomatoes, crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and/or chopped avocado.
Variations:
- To make Creamy Chicken Taco Soup: stir in 4 ounces of cream cheese, cut into cubes, until melted.
- To make Chicken Tortilla Soup: place crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of the bowl before ladling in the soup.
- To make Mexican-Style Chicken Noodle Soup: add dry fideo noodles to the pot when you add the stock and veggies.
Step-by-Step Instructions
I find that the quickest way to get this on the table is to simmer it on the stove. It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. If you prefer, you can make it in the crock pot or instant pot as well.
Stovetop Chicken Taco Soup:
- In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering.
- Cook the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and garlic until tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, cooked chicken, beans, tomato sauce, zucchini, corn, lime juice, and taco seasoning.
- Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- To serve, garnish the soup with chopped cilantro or other toppings.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- In the pressure cooker set to saute, heat the olive oil until shimmering.
- Cook the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and garlic until tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, cooked chicken, beans, tomato sauce, zucchini, corn, lime juice, and taco seasoning.
- Cover and set the machine to Soup Mode for 20 minutes, selecting the LESS setting.
- To serve, garnish the soup with chopped cilantro or other toppings.
Instructions for Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering.
- Cook the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and garlic until tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the crock of a slow cooker.
- Add the chicken stock, cooked chicken, beans, tomato sauce, zucchini, corn, lime juice, and taco seasoning.
- Cover and set the machine to LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours.
- To serve, garnish the soup with chopped cilantro or other toppings.
FAQs
There are many versions of taco soup or tortilla soup. The popular Taco Soup made with beans, ranch dressing mix, and tomatoes often includes ground beef. You can easily substitute shredded chicken or ground chicken in place of the meat. This Chicken Taco Soup recipe features chicken and chicken broth and fewer beans.
You can freeze most soups, but if you want to freeze a soup with potatoes, be sure to use red potatoes as they hold up better while freezing.
Taco soup is delicious on its own as a one dish dinner, but you can serve cornbread, taco chips, or homemade corn tortillas as an accompaniment.
More Great Soups to Make
Tell us what you think!
We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.
Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 to 3 carrots sliced
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 2 to 3 red potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 8 cups Chicken Stock
- 2 shredded or chopped cooked chicken
- 2 cups black beans rinsed and drained if canned
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
- fresh cilantro (chopped) for garnish
Instructions
To cook on the stovetop:
- In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Cook the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and garlic until tender, about 6 minutes.1 onion, 2 to 3 carrots, 2 ribs celery, 2 to 3 red potatoes, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Add the chicken stock, cooked chicken, beans, tomato sauce, zucchini, corn, lime juice, and taco seasoning.8 cups Chicken Stock, 2 shredded or chopped cooked chicken, 2 cups black beans, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup shredded zucchini, 1 cup frozen corn kernels, Juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
- Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Garnish the soup with chopped cilantro.fresh cilantro (chopped)
To cook in the slow cooker:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Cook the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and garlic until tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the crock of a slow cooker.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, 2 to 3 carrots, 2 ribs celery, 2 to 3 red potatoes, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Add the chicken stock, cooked chicken, beans, tomato sauce, zucchini, corn, lime juice, and taco seasoning. Cover and set the machine to LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours.8 cups Chicken Stock, 2 shredded or chopped cooked chicken, 2 cups black beans, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup shredded zucchini, 1 cup frozen corn kernels, Juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
- To serve, garnish the soup with chopped cilantro or other toppings.fresh cilantro (chopped)
To cook in the pressure cooker:
- In the pressure cooker set to saute, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Cook the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and garlic until tender, about 6 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, 2 to 3 carrots, 2 ribs celery, 2 to 3 red potatoes, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Add the chicken stock, cooked chicken, beans, tomato sauce, zucchini, corn, lime juice, and taco seasoning.Cover and set the machine to Soup Mode for 20 minutes, selecting the LESS setting.8 cups Chicken Stock, 2 shredded or chopped cooked chicken, 2 cups black beans, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup shredded zucchini, 1 cup frozen corn kernels, Juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
- To serve, garnish the soup with chopped cilantro or other toppings.fresh cilantro (chopped)
Notes
- Using red potatoes is necessary to be able to freeze the soup for later. If you’re not going to freeze it, use whatever potatoes you have.
- You can use chopped or shredded chicken, but if you have other cooked meats, like turkey, pork, or beef, you can use those as well.
- To make Creamy Chicken Taco Soup: stir in 4 ounces of cream cheese, cut into cubes, until melted.
- To make Chicken Tortilla Soup: place crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of the bowl before ladling in the soup.
- To make Mexican-Style Chicken Noodle Soup: add dry fideo noodles to the pot when you add the stock and veggies.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on June 30, 2008. The recipe has been adapted to be more veggie-forward.
Kathleen
This is a good taco soup. It’s easy to put together and I love anything that cooks in the crockpot. We have another taco soup recipe that we love, so I will not likely make this one again. My kids especially didn’t like that this version is tomato based.
Adrienne
Lots of beans so definitely a budget helper but I will add more beef next time.
Don’t make the mistake I made and grab Italian tomatoes at 530 in the morning. It will change the flavor. Still edible, but stick with the plain for best results.
Mrs houston
Making it now! Can’t wait to taste it.
Crystal
I love that you add your own spices, no doubt this helps with the sodium content. I cannot wait to try your recipe. thank you!
Michelle @ Simplify, Live, Love
I make taco soup as well. In fact, it’s our go-to meal for busy nights. I use taco seasoning that I buy at Sam’s Club – huge bottle – that’s MSG free. I use dried beans that I cook and freezer, corn, and I also stopped using ranch seasoning packet and instead just add the individual spices – parsley, onion powder, salt, whatever I have on hand. It’s easy and delicious. Here’s my recipe: http://www.simplifylivelove.com/2011/11/taco-soup-my-go-to-meal.html
maggie
Hi!
I just made this soup last week. It’s sooo delicious. I even put some in a blender for my 9 mon old baby. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Maggie
Stephenie
This looks so delicious! We like taco soup, but this looks like it’d be better. My 11-year old daughter helped me analyze the cost of packaged taco seasoning versus making our own and so now she is my taco seasoning maker! Healthier and frugal!
Kathy @ House of Hills
Love this! I’ve been wanting to figure out a way to get mine away from the packets of spices. I will be adding this to next week’s menu plan. Thanks!
FishMama
Suzof7, the original that I tweaked had ranch dressing and taco seasoning. Those are too rich for my budget, so I substituted the other spices. FishPapa likes food with a kick, so I added the enchilada sauce – Las Palmas is our favorite.
suzof7
This sounds really good! I have one that my family loves that uses Ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning – and it’s also quick, but I just might try your version! The enchilada sauce sounds intriguing!
Shari
That sounds sooo good! I love to get recipes that I couldn’t potentially burn (and fill the house with that awful burnt oven smell along with the fire alarms beeping your eardrums off!)–with 3kids 5 and under, I seem to doing a lot of that lately! 🙂 Crock pots just rock.
Briana Almengor
I have been making my own version of taco soup, but think I’d like to try this one. I have a can of enchilada sauce in my pantry that I need to use up. This will be perfect for it.
Life on 7th Avenue
Sounds yummy!