This Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup is loaded with flavor and comes together in minutes for a meal the whole family will love!
While this Instant Pot creamy chicken enchilada soup is PERFECT for cooler weather, it's also something that I'd happily eat no matter the temperature outside! Plus, with just a few simple ingredients, this soup is SO flavorful, and you can easily customize it to your liking with different toppings.
How to make enchilada soup?
The base of this Instant Pot creamy chicken enchilada soup is meant to taste like, you guessed it, enchiladas! You get the enchilada sauce flavor by combining chicken broth with tomato sauce and plenty of Mexican spices. If you're really short on time, you can use canned enchilada sauce instead, but we love the extra flavor from adding your own spices!
One of my favorite things about this soup is that the spices give it so much flavor that you don't need to chop garlic, onions, etc to start it with, so your prep time is almost zero! Here’s how you’ll throw this easy soup together:
- Add the ingredients to the Instant Pot – add the broth, tomato sauce, and spices to the Instant Pot and stir to combine, then add the chicken thighs, corn, and black beans.
- Set the Instant Pot – place the lid on the pot and seal the pressure valve, then hit the ‘soup’ button and set to cook for 25 minutes.
- Prepare the Tortilla Strips – while the soup cooks, cut the tortillas into thin strips and heat the avocado oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tortilla strips. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp.
- Release the Pressure – once the timer goes off, immediately release the pressure by turning the knob on top of the Instant Pot from ‘sealed’ to ‘venting.’ Once the pressure has fully released, remove the lid from the pot.
- Shred the Chicken – remove the chicken from the Instant Pot, and transfer it to a bowl or your cutting board. Shred the chicken with two forks, then place it back in the Instant Pot.
- Add the Sour Cream + Lime Juice – add the sour cream and lime juice to the soup and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt as needed.
- Serve + Enjoy – serve the creamy enchilada soup with tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, and cilantro and enjoy!
What Can I Put On Top of this Chicken Enchilada Soup?
Another one of my favorite things about this Instant Pot creamy chicken enchilada soup is the toppings! I'm pretty much down for any soup that involves toppings (especially when one of those is sour cream!) so that everyone can customize their own bowl.
Here, we went for tortilla strips (you can use corn or grain-free), sour cream, lime wedges, diced red onion, and fresh jalapeno, but the possibilities are ENDLESS when it comes to enchilada soup toppings. Here are a few more ideas:
- Shredded cheese
- Cilantro
- Hot sauce
- Diced avocado
- Sliced black olives
- Chopped fresh tomatoes
How To Make Chicken Enchilada Soup Smooth?
Because this variation calls for black beans + corn, you’ll need to omit those ingredients if you’re looking for a smooth chicken enchilada soup. If you like more of a textured soup, though, leave the beans and corn in, and try adding some extra veggies to the mix as well – chopped bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, and even greens would all work well in this soup!
Can I make this soup on the stovetop?
Yes! If you make the soup on the stovetop, just follow the instructions and simmer the soup over medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken pulls apart easily.
Can I make this soup in the slow cooker?
Yes, you can also make this soup in the slow cooker! Simply add the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
Can I use shredded chicken in place of the chicken thighs?
Yes, if you happen to have shredded chicken on hand, or you want to just grab a rotisserie chicken, you'll simply add about 4 cups of shredded chicken in with your ingredients, and you can reduce the cook time to 10 minutes instead of 20.
However you make it, we hope that you love this soup as much as we do!
PrintInstant Pot Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
This soup is packed with flavor and comes together quickly with the help of the Instant Pot!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, to taste
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (may use breasts if desired)
- 1, 16 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (omit for Paleo and Low Carb)
- 1 cup frozen corn (omit for Paleo and Low Carb)
- ½ cup sour cream, or an equal amount of cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk for dairy-free
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
To garnish:
- 3 corn tortillas, or two grain-free tortillas
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or ghee
- Diced red onion, for garnish
- Additional sour cream, for garnish
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Add the broth, tomato sauce, and spices to the Instant Pot and stir to combine, then add the chicken thighs, corn, and black beans. Place the lid on the pot and seal, then hit the ‘soup’ button and set to cook for 20 minutes.
- While the soup cooks, cut the tortillas into thin strips and heat the avocado oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the tortilla strips. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp.
- Once the timer goes off, immediately release the pressure by turning the knob on top of the Instant Pot from ‘sealed’ to ‘venting.’ Once the pressure has fully released, remove the lid from the pot and remove the chicken and transfer to a bowl or your cutting board. Shred the chicken with two fork then place it back in the Instant Pot.
- Add the sour cream and lime juice to the soup and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt as needed.
- Serve with tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream, and cilantro and enjoy!
Notes
- To make in a slow cooker: follow the instructions as-is, and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the chicken easily pulls apart.
- To make on the stovetop: follow step 1, adding all of the ingredients to a large pot, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken shreds apart easily with a fork. Stir in the sour cream and lime juice, taste for seasoning, garnish, and serve!
- Diced avocado, cilantro, cheese, and hot sauce would also make great additions for topping this soup!
Keywords: instant pot, gluten-free, quick
Making tonight! Does this soup freeze well? Any tips?
Yes, it freezes great! I’d freeze in individual containers then microwave for 2-3 minutes, or you can reheat on the stove top over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes until it is warmed through, just make sure you don’t freeze with the garnishes!
yummy soup! can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch. Perfect dinner when you’re oven decides to stop working. IP to the rescue.
Can you use nonfat plain greek yogurt as a substitute for the sour cream?
This was delicious. My whole family including my 3 year old and 1 year old loved it. I added a small sautéed onion and 2 cloves of garlic. I served it with a side of rice and cheddar Brazi bites. Thanks!
This soup looks so good! My husband would be all over this. He keeps begging me to make more soup!
This was a delicious soup! You guys come up with the best recipes – so perfect for our family. Where are guajillo peppers typically in the grocery store? I couldn’t find them.
Delicious! Whole family loved it….. Thanks for all of your hard work!!
★★★★★
Loved making this recipe tonight! My wife and cannot get enough of your recipes!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it Casey!
How would I change the instructions if using frozen chicken?
No changes, the Instant Pot actually automatically compensates for frozen meat by increasing the time it takes to come to pressure!
This is amazing! So much flavor and could not be easier to throw together.
★★★★★
I need to serve 10. Can I double in the Or better idea?
The tomato sauce link doesn’t link. Please advise recommended option
Just made tonight and it was delicious. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it Kelly!
What is the serving size?
The serving size is about 2 cups of soup, Madison! We hope you love it!
This was so delicious and easy to make!
Score!! So glad you enjoyed it!
This was so delicious and easy to make!
Score!! So glad you enjoyed it!
I make this soup a lot! Use coconut cream instead of the sour cream, so delicious and easy to prepare!
Great idea! So glad you love this one, Laura!