Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup (Printable)

Hearty Mexican-style soup with tender chicken, beans, and spices, ready in under an hour with almost no hands-on time.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
06 - 1 cup corn kernels, fresh, frozen, or canned
07 - 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices

→ Beans

08 - 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

09 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
11 - Juice of 1 lime

→ Spices and Seasonings

12 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Toppings

18 - Tortilla strips or chips
19 - Sliced avocado
20 - Chopped fresh cilantro
21 - Shredded cheese
22 - Sour cream
23 - Extra lime wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add a splash of oil, then sauté the onion, garlic, and bell pepper for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
02 - Add the chicken, diced tomatoes with juices, black beans, corn, and chicken broth. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
03 - Secure the lid and ensure the valve is set to Sealing. Set to Pressure Cook on High for 10 minutes.
04 - Allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then carefully quick-release any remaining pressure.
05 - Remove the chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
06 - Stir in lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, and lime wedges as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The hands off cooking time lets you help kids with homework or pour yourself a well deserved glass of wine while dinner practically makes itself.
  • Every spoonful offers the perfect balance of tender chicken, hearty beans, and just enough spice to make your taste buds dance without overwhelming them.
02 -
  • Adding the lime juice during pressure cooking will make it taste flat and dull, I learned this mistake the hard way when I tried to streamline the process.
  • The 5 minute natural release is crucial, as a full quick release makes the soup bubble up aggressively and can potentially spatter.
03 -
  • Toast your tortilla strips in the oven while the soup cooks instead of using store bought, the fresh crunch and flavor is absolutely worth the small extra effort.
  • Keep a jar of this soup base in the freezer without the chicken, then on busy weeknights, you can pressure cook a fresh chicken breast in it for just 5 minutes for an almost instant homemade meal.
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