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Overhead photo of a white bowl of Chicken tortilla Soup topped with tortilla strips, sliced jalapeños, and cilantro, sitting on a blue plate.
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Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is a simple homemade Mexican soup with a zesty flavorful chicken broth and tender juicy chicken topped with cilantro, cheese, and tortilla strips.
Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Chicken Tortilla Soup, How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup, Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Pressurization 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 358kcal

Ingredients

Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • 1 tablespoon oil (or butter)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 - 2 jalapenos, diced (see note below)
  • 4-1/2 cups chicken broth (recommend low-sodium)
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs)
  • 3 Tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning (See Note)
  • Salt And Pepper To Taste (Optional)
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 cup red salsa
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce)
  • 1 - 2 chipotle chilies (optional)

Toppings (Optional)

  • 4 Tablespoons sour cream
  • 4 Tablespoons shredded cheese (Asadero, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella)
  • 1 avocado (Sliced)
  • 1 jalapenos (Sliced)
  • 4 Tablespoons Crispy Tortilla Strips (See Note below)

Instructions

Before Pressure Cooking

  • Press the SAUTE Button on the front of the Instant Pot. Select More to ensure the Instant Pot gets hot enough. When the Instant Pot display reads "Hot" add 1 tablespoon of oil.
  • When the oil is hot (it will shimmer when it is hot), add the chopped onions and stir. Cook for about 3 minutes or so.
  • Add the minced garlic, and chopped jalapenos (optional), and stir for about 1 minute.
  • Add the chicken broth, chicken, taco seasoning (or chili powder, cumin, and oregano combination), fire-roasted diced tomatoes, red salsa, in that order.
  • Add 1 or two chipotle peppers (optional) plus 2 tablespoons of adobe sauce. (Even if you don't want the heat of the chipotles, I recommend adding the adobe sauce for added smoky flavor.)

Pressure Cooking And After Pressure Cooking

  • To pressure cook the Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup, press the PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL button (depending on model) and then adjust the + or - sign to 10 to set it to pressure cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes. Close the lid. Move the Pressure Release Valve to the SEALING position. NOTE: It will take several minutes, maybe 10 minutes, to come up to pressure. While it is coming up to pressure, it will say "On" and when it has reached the correct pressure, the display will show 10 and start counting down the time.
  • After the Chicken Tortilla Soup has finished pressure cooking, do a NATURAL RELEASE, which means let it release pressure naturally (which means you do nothing) for 10 minutes. Then after 10 minutes, do a QUICK RELEASE by moving the pressure release valve to the VENTING position so it will let the remaining steam vent.
  • After the pressure has been released and the pin has dropped, carefully remove the lid. Using 2 forks shred chicken. Then stir in chopped cilantro.At this point the soup is ready to serve with your favorite toppings.
  • If you would like to make your own crispy tortilla strips, cut corn tortillas into strips and place in one layer on a foil-covered sheet pan. Bake for about 7 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.
  • I recommend chopping your toppings while the Chicken Tortilla Soup is pressure cooking and then it is ready when the soup is ready. Suggested topping recommendations are sour cream, cheese, chopped cilantro, sliced avocados, crispy tortilla strips, and optionally sliced jalapeños.

Notes

  1. Jalapenos are optional. To reduce heat level remove the seeds of the jalapeños. For more spicy heat, leave the seeds in.
  2. Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs. Use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
  3. Chicken Broth or Chicken Stock. Either chicken broth or chicken stock can be used in this recipe. I recommend using low sodium versions to allow you to have more control over the amount of salt used in the recipe.
  4. Homemade Taco Seasoning. I recommend using my Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe.  Otherwise, use 1 Tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, and 1 teaspoon oregano (preferably Mexican oregano.) You could also use a package of store bought Taco Seasoning. If you use the store bought seasoning, I would recommend cutting back on the amount of salt you add.
  5. Salt and Pepper To Taste. In my recipes I typically do not specify the amounts of salt and pepper and allow readers to use their discretion because personal preferences on the amounts of salt and pepper vary significantly from one person to the next. Additional salt and pepper can always be added to the finished dish.
  6. How To Make Crispy Tortilla Strips. If you would like to make your own crispy tortilla strips, cut corn tortillas into strips and place in one layer on a foil-covered sheet pan. Bake for about 7 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.
  7. Calculated Nutrition does NOT include the optional toppings (sour cream, cheese, crispy tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro and extra sliced jalapeños.)

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 2360mg | Potassium: 953mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 890IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 2mg