This hearty and nourishing Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is so easy to make. Throw the ingredients in the pressure cooker and then top it with crispy baked tortilla strips. Everyone loves this easy chicken dinner on busy weeknights!

bowl of chicken soup topped with crispy corn tortilla strips.

Chicken Tortilla Soup is a Mexican-inspired recipe that is hearty and satisfying. It’s a quick meal perfect for busy nights when you just want something hearty and satisfying.

It uses basic ingredients like chicken breasts, corn tortillas, canned beans, and canned corn. These are mostly pantry staples that aren’t too expensive or hard to find.

Add this Instant Pot chicken recipe to this week’s meal plan; I guarantee your family will love it!

Recipe Benefits

  • Prep time for this tortilla soup is only 15 minutes. The entire recipe will be on the table in under an hour. Most of the cooking time takes place in the pressure cooker which means less work for you.
  • Freshly bakes tortilla strips add flavor, are healthier than fried strips and only take 15 minutes to make.
  • Make this soup early in the week and reheat for lunch or an easy dinner the next day or later in the week. Use your favorite toppings to dress it up.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients for an easy and flavorful chicken soup recipe.
  • I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can also use boneless chicken thighs.
  • Canned black beans and canned corn are inexpensive and add so much flavor and texture to the soup.
  • Onion adds more flavor and texture, and seasonings like chili powder and ground cumin add Mexican flavors.
  • Chicken stock or chicken broth adds the necessary liquid and adds more flavor to this pressure cooker chicken tortilla soup.

Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.

Recipe Steps

Step One

Preheat your oven to 350° so you can cook the tortilla strips while you prep the remaining ingredients.

Toss the tortilla strips on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 minutes.

You can also make Air Fryer Corn Tortilla Chips if you don’t want to use your regular oven.

Stacked tortillas sliced and ready to be baked into crunchy strips.

Step Two

Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the oil, onion, garlic, chili powder, and ground cumin. Cook about 3 minutes to soften the onion.

Be sure to see the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full recipe.

Step Three

Without stirring, add the chicken, beans and corn and set at high pressure for a cook time of 10 minutes and then allow for a 10-minute natural pressure release. Use the quick release to get rid of any remaining pressure.

Step Four

Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with a fork. Add the tender chicken back in along with the lime juice.

Step Five

Serve immediately topped with a few baked tortilla strips.

I hope your whole family agrees this is one of their favorite weeknight dinners!

white bowl filled with instant pot chicken tortilla soup ready to eat.

Recipe Tips

  • Instead of shredding the chicken with a fork, toss all of it in the bowl of your stand mixer and give it a quick spin with the paddle attachment for easy shredded chicken.
  • Store leftover soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. Leave off the tortilla chips if you plan to freeze this recipe.
  • Feel free to serve your soup with any additional toppings you like, including sour cream, shredded cheese, jalapeños, salsa, green chiles, a squeeze of lime, or green onions.
  • If you prefer to make this recipe on the stovetop, don’t miss my Panera Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use chicken thighs in this recipe?

Yes! You can use chicken thighs or chicken breasts.

Can I use flour tortillas to make the tortilla topping?

Yes, but corn tortillas are traditional for tortilla soup.

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes You Might Like

Or, see my entire round-up of the best healthy gluten-free Instant Pot chicken recipes!

Don’t Miss These Easy Instant Pot Soup Recipes!

Instant Pot Egg Drop Soup

Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup (Vegan & Vegetarian)

Turkey Vegetable Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

Instant Pot Thai Curry Chicken Soup

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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Print
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Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup in bowl.

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

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5 from 3 reviews

Print Recipe

This hearty and nourishing Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is so easy to make. Throw the ingredients in the pressure cooker and then top it with crispy baked tortilla strips. Everyone loves this easy chicken dinner!

  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 corn tortillas, sliced into strips
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 pieces)
  • 1 14.5–ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 16–ounce bag of frozen corn kernels
  • 1 lime, juiced

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 
  2. Spread the tortillas strips on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, tossing once halfway to prevent burning. 
  3. While the tortilla strips are baking, drizzle the olive oil into the Instant Pot bowl and press the Sauté button. Let the oil heat up for about 2 minutes. 
  4. Add the onion, garlic, chili powder, and ground cumin, and cook for 3 minutes so the vegetables start to soften. 
  5. Cancel the Sauté function and pour in the broth. Add the chicken, black beans, and corn kernels, but don’t stir. 
  6. Lock on the lid, select the Pressure Cook function, and adjust to high pressure for 10 minutes. Make sure the steam valve is set in the “Sealing” position.
  7. When the cooking time is up, let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
  8. Remove the lid and use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken. Add the chicken back to the pot.
  9. Stir in the lime juice and serve immediately with the baked tortilla strips on top, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Notes

  1. You can freeze the cooked soup (without the tortilla chips) in an air-tight container for up to 2 months. Add the chips when you are ready to serve. 
  • Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Instant Pot pressure cooker
  • Cuisine: Gluten-free, healthy
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
  • Calories: 346
  • Sugar: 3.5 g
  • Sodium: 386.8 mg
  • Fat: 9.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 36.8 g
  • Fiber: 8 g
  • Protein: 31.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 68.9 mg

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About the Author: Carrie Forrest is the author of the best-selling Instant Pot-authorized cookbook, The Healthy Meal Prep Instant Pot Cookbook. She has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and receives over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.