Hearty Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup – Easy & Flavor-Packed Meal

Set & Forget Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Stew

An effortless, flavor-packed chicken tortilla stew ready in your slow cooker. Minimal prep, maximum taste—perfect for weeknight dinners or meal prep!

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 2½ pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• ½ large sweet onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 1 cup frozen yellow corn
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Method

 

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and sear, skin-side down, until golden, 3–4 minutes per side.
2. Transfer chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add diced onion, bell pepper, garlic, chicken stock, tomato puree, beans, tomatoes with chilies, corn, green chilies, chipotle, chili powder, oregano, and cumin.
3. Cook on LOW for 7–8 hours. Remove chicken, discard skins and bones, shred meat with two forks, and return to the stew.
4. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed.
5. Serve bowls topped with homemade tortilla strips, avocado slices, sour cream, and extra cilantro.

Busy week? Let your slow cooker do the heavy lifting with this Set & Forget Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Stew. A quick sear boosts the depth of flavor before you dump everything into the crockpot. By dinner, you’ll have a rich, tomato-spiced broth studded with tender chicken, beans, corn and chilies. Top with crunchy tortilla strips, creamy avocado and a lime squeeze for an instant crowd-pleaser.

Why You’ll Love This Stew

• Flavor boost: A brief sear caramelizes chicken skin and builds savory depth.
• Hands-off cooking: Prep in under 20 minutes, then walk away as it simmers low and slow.
• Big batch friendly: Feeds a crowd, freezes beautifully, perfect for meal prep.

Ingredients

• 2½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• ½ large sweet onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes & green chilies
• 1 cup frozen yellow corn
• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt & pepper; sear skin-side down until golden, 3–4 minutes per side.
2. Transfer chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, stock, tomato puree, beans, diced tomatoes, corn, green chilies, chipotle, chili powder, oregano and cumin.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours. Remove chicken, discard skin & bones, shred meat, then return to the stew.
4. Stir in lime juice and cilantro; taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or more lime juice.
5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream and extra cilantro.

Pro Tip

While the stew simmers, bake or fry corn tortillas cut into strips tossed with a little oil and salt. Homemade tortilla strips stay crisp up to a week in an airtight jar—perfect for quick garnishing.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Let fully cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To freeze: portion into freezer-safe bags, press out excess air, label and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and reheat gently on the stove.

Serve It With

• Mexican rice
• Buttermilk cornbread
• Southwestern chopped salad

Source link: Damn Delicious