My one-pot chicken taco soup recipe is super easy, versatile, and totally budget-friendly! Made with leftover shredded chicken, pantry staples (beans, corn, tomatoes), and a couple of fresh aromatics for flavor, this taco soup comes together with zero effort. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner for families!
Easy Taco Soup with Leftover Chicken
Inspired by the ease and affordability of 7 can soup, I made my chicken taco soup in the same dump-and-simmer style–just with a few less cans. This recipe is completely customizable though, so you can raid your pantry and use as many canned goods as you like to bulk things up. Add green chiles, Rotel, or whatever beans you have on hand.
This is like a pared down version of my chicken tortilla soup. Something a little easier to throw together on weeknights, without an extra trip to the grocery store. This soup is a great way to use leftover shredded chicken. And I always start by sautéing some onions, garlic, and jalapeños right in the soup pot. It only takes a few minutes to do this, but it turns a basic soup into something downright flavorful!
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Easy Chicken Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 jalapeño pepper (diced)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can)
- 15 ounces sweet corn (1 can, drained)
- 15 ounces canned black beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (*)
Optional Toppings:
- sliced jalapeños
- sour cream
- diced avocado
- tortilla strips or chips
- chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 white onion
- Add the garlic, jalapeño, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper, and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.3 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeño pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the crushed tomatoes, corn, beans, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.15 ounces crushed tomatoes, 15 ounces sweet corn, 15 ounces canned black beans, 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Increase to high heat until the soup comes to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken, garnish with sliced jalapeños, sour cream, diced avocado, tortilla strip chips, and freshly chopped cilantro, and serve.3 cups shredded cooked chicken, sliced jalapeños, sour cream, diced avocado, tortilla strips or chips, chopped fresh cilantro
Notes
- Garlic burns quickly, so keep the heat on med-low and stir constantly when adding it with the spices. This prevents bitterness.
- Jalapeño seeds are pretty spicy! For a little heat, discard the seeds. For extra heat, add the seeds to the soup, too. For even more heat, add a couple more diced jalapeños to the soup!
- Taste before adding the full salt and chili powder, since canned ingredients and chicken broth can vary in saltiness.
- To cook raw chicken in the soup: Add 2-3 raw chicken breasts directly to the pot with the broth, tomatoes, beans, and corn. Simmer covered for 20-25 minutes until cooked through to 165°F, remove to shred, then stir back in.
- If using leftover cooked chicken, add at the end and simmer for 5-10 minutes to keep it juicy and help it absorb flavor.
- Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Ingredient Notes & Variations
- Chicken: Use any leftover/cooked chicken for this taco soup. I always have a batch of shredded chicken on hand for recipes like this. But you can shred baked chicken breasts, grab a rotisserie chicken, or even use canned chicken.
- Canned Goods: I use cans of corn, black beans, and crushed tomatoes. You can swap or add kidney beans (or another bean), Rotel tomatoes, green chiles, and more.
- Seasoning: Instead of adding cumin and chili powder, you can throw in a packet of taco seasoning.
- Make it Creamy: If you prefer a creamier broth, stir in up to 1 whole block of cream cheese before adding the chicken. Bring the cream cheese to room temp, cut it into small cubes, and stir it into the soup until melted and combined. Then add the chicken and finish.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
This shredded chicken taco soup keeps wonderfully! Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a pot set over medium-low until warmed through.
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