Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Instant Pot)

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup is an Instant Pot soup recipe, for a delicious comfort food meal. With tender shredded chicken, cream cheese and Tex Mex spices, it may become one of your cold weather favorites!

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If you’re rushed at dinnertime, you know that pressure of needing a quick and easy dinner idea.

Well, this recipe comes together in no time at all, with very little effort on your part! Just add everything to the pressure cooker and press start.

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

What makes this chicken tortilla soup extra special is its versatility. You can easily make it your own by adding different ingredients or tweaking the seasonings to suit your taste by checking our recipe variations below.

Using an Instant Pot to make soup is ideal because it creates less heat than the stove, meaning your kitchen will stay cooler. That’s a real plus during the summer.

And, Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup is also great in the winter. It’s a warm, creamy, comforting dish that will make you feel good on a cold day.

Other comfort foods that we crave all year long are creamy chicken noodle soup and Instant Pot chicken pozole!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Tomatoes – We prefer fire roasted diced canned tomatoes for their smoky flavor. But fresh or regular canned diced tomatoes will work as well.
• Jalapeno peppers – You can use fresh or canned jalapeno peppers. Also, other types of hot peppers, such as chipotle or serrano can be used if you don’t have jalapenos in hand.
• Chicken – We used chicken breast for this recipe but you can use different cuts such as tenderloins, or chicken thighs.
• Chicken stock or broth – Used as a liquid for the soup.
• Cumin – This is a staple spice in Mexican flavor and gives our soup its signature flavor.
• Cream cheese – Adds creaminess to the soup. For less calories and fat, Greek yogurt or light sour cream can be used as a substitute.

New to the Instant Pot? Be sure to read How to Use the Instant Pot 101 and Tips & Hacks for the Instant Pot first. You’ll be a pressure cooker boss in no time!

Make the Easiest Chicken Tortilla Soup Instant Pot Recipe

Sauté. Set the pressure cooker to the sauté function until it is heated. Add onion and garlic and sauté them for 3 minutes.

Pressure cook. Add the broth to deglaze the pot, then add the chicken and all the other ingredients to the Instant Pot, except for the cream cheese.

Press the cancel button to turn off the sauté mode. Then select high-pressure for 15 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients. When the pressure cycle is done, let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally (leaving the pot undisturbed) for 10 minutes.

Then do a quick release by carefully turning the pressure lever or depressing the pressure button on your pot.

Keep the pot warm. Stir in cream cheese and let it melt for 10 minutes until the soup is creamy and thickened.

Ready to Serve. You can garnish with broken tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, Cotija cheese, salsa, or hot sauce.

Making Chicken Tortilla Soup in a Crock Pot

Prepare. Layer the ingredients (except tortilla chips and cream cheese) to make this in the slow cooker. Start with the chicken and add the water and broth.

Cook. Set the Crock-Pot and cook on low for 7-8 house.

Serve. Stir in some cream cheese 10 minutes before serving. Then top with tortilla chips before serving.

Recipe Variations

• If you like things spicy, chop the jalapeno peppers and leave the membranes and seeds in there for a bit of a kick.
• To make this pressure cooker tortilla soup vegan, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
• For more protein, add cooked quinoa or tofu.
• If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can omit it or substitute it with parsley.
• The soup is also delicious and served with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

How to Serve

This Chicken Tortilla soup is delicious topped with a dollop of sour cream, shredded or Cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro. Serve it with corn or flour tortillas and a side of pinto beans.

Leftover pressure cooker tortilla soup can be stored in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, place it in a pot on the stove over low heat until warmed.

When reheating, bring the soup to a boil first before serving. You can also add a little broth or water to thin it out if it’s too thick.

Frequently Asked Questions