Chicken Tortilla Soup with Rotisserie Chicken is a quick and simple dinner cooked in a crockpot. Using a rotisserie chicken makes this recipe incredibly easy and quick to prepare, while the slow cooker ensures that all the flavors meld together beautifully. With tender chicken, spicy tomato broth, and crunchy tortilla strips, this chicken tortilla soup is sure to become a favorite in your household.
This delicious and hearty soup is perfect for a chilly day or whenever you’re in the mood for something comforting and flavorful. So grab your crockpot and let’s get started! You may also enjoy our popular Crock Pot Chicken Thighs recipe.
What Goes in Chicken Tortilla Soup?
Besides chicken, tortilla soup is typically filled with tomatoes, onions, spices, vegetables, broth and beans. Our version features quinoa as another ingredient to create a heartier version of tortilla soup. Tortilla soup makes an ideal meal for any rainy or chilly evening to feed any size appetite.
What Can You Serve With Chicken Tortilla Soup?
This soup recipe can be served as a meal on its own. With the powerhouse of nutrients from quinoa, spinach and beans plus the protein from the chicken, it’s a complete meal.
But of course, if you want a larger spread, here are some family friendly ideas:
- Grilled cheese on Artisan bread
- Dinner rolls
- Air fried vegetables
- Smashed potatoes
- Gluten-free naan bread
- Roasted potatoes
You can also consider serving this soup as a side dish. We love to feature our favorite proteins such as pork chops, ribs or burgers with a bowl of soup on the side. It is a creative way to change up the dinner routine, especially if you have a family that isn’t fond of leftovers. Trust us, they will never know!
To get started, gather the equipment and ingredients then follow the written instructions or printable recipe card. Enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken ✅
- 1 cup dry quinoa rinsed
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 cup spinach
- 15.5 ounces can great northern beans
- 15.25 ounces can corn nuggets drained
- 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes ✅not drained
- 4.5 ounces can diced green chilies ✅
- 2 tablespoons chili powder ✅
- 2 tablespoons cumin ✅
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder ✅
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ✅
- 32 ounces chicken stock ✅
- 2 cups tortilla chips, crushed ✅
Gluten-Free Guide: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten.
How To Make Tortilla Soup in a Crockpot
- To slow cooker add chicken, quinoa, spinach, onion, great northern beans, corn nuggets, diced tomatoes, green chilies, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and chicken stock.
- Cook on high for 2-4 hours or low 4-6 hours.
- Top with your favorite taco toppings.
Topping Ideas
Similar to tacos, all the fun comes with the toppings! This is how you can create a pot of soup to feed a crowd yet let everyone customize a bowl to their liking.
Consider any (or all) of these taco toppings for Mexican tortilla soup:
- tomatoes
- cheese
- corn tortilla strips
- tortilla chips
- avocado
- onion
- black olives
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
- You can swap rotisserie chicken for raw chicken breast, canned chicken or any leftover shredded chicken, beef or pork.
- Make vegetarian by replacing the chicken with extra beans such as black, pinto, kidney or great Northern beans.
- Use a chicken stock with a strong flavor and replace with a vegetable or beef broth as needed. We will frequently rotate between any of these stocks depending on what we have on hand.
- Have less than 2 cups of rotisserie chicken? Add in another can of beans or choose to make half a batch of soup.
- Tone down the spice by omitting the red pepper flakes. For those that enjoy a spicy soup, serve as a topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you prefer a thicker soup than our recipe, make a cornstarch slurry by combining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water (or broth from the soup) in a small bowl to mix. Then, pour this mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine. As the soup continues to cook, it will become thicker.
Everyone loves a hot and creamy soup. It is very easy to turn this soup into a creamy version by simply pouring 1 cup of whole milk, half and half, sour cream or 4oz of cream cheese into the soup during the last hour. To keep the recipe dairy-free, 1 can of coconut milk can be used.
If you are new to cooking with quinoa, you will be pleased because it soaks up the flavor profile of the liquid it is cooking in. For this specific recipe, the stock infuses into the quinoa to create a savory flavor. Qunioa is known to be bitter so make sure to rinse it before adding to the slow cooker.
We are all about simple meals that require minimal effort and time, especially during busy times. This recipe checks all those boxes and more! Cooking soup in a crockpot allows you to elevate the flavors of the dish without needing to stand over the stovetop. You can pour all ingredients into the slow cooker then leave to simmer as you go about your day.
How To Make Chicken Tortilla Soup on the Stove Top
If you are looking to turn this into a stovetop version, we have you covered with these step-by-step directions.
Start out by sautéing the onions in a bit of olive oil in a large pot until translucent. Then, add the rest of the ingredients, except for the toppings. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.
Finish it up by adding your favorite taco toppings including tortilla chips, tomatoes, cheese, tortilla strips, avocado, onion, and black olives.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When storing soup, it is best to use a container with a secure lid to prevent spills in the fridge or freezer. Be mindful that space needs to be left at the top of the container when freezing as the liquid expands as it freezes.
It can also be extremely helpful to freeze soup in 1-cup portions that can easily be pulled from the freezer when needed. Our go-to freezer container for soup is a mason jar because it stores the perfect amount.
The other option would be to pour cooled soup into a Ziploc bag to freeze. This method frees up space in the freezer since the soup can be stored flat.
Reheating Soup
Soup can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop. We do recommend thawing frozen soup for at least 6 hours or overnight in the fridge before reheating.
For microwave reheating, place soup in a microwave-safe bowl to heat in 30-second increments until hot, stirring occasionally. On the stovetop, the soup can be poured into a pot over medium heat until heated through – place a lid on the pot to speed up the process.
Kids In The Kitchen
Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.
- This recipe uses rotisserie chicken for ease, which will need to be shredded. Shred all the chicken (white and dark meat) from the bone then add to the slow cooker. If the chicken is too hot to handle, let it cool by removing the lid and setting in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can toss the skin of the chicken into the garbage.
- Be very careful when opening cans of vegetables and beans, especially since this recipe uses a lot of canned ingredients. The edges of the lid will be very sharp. Once you pour the ingredients into the slow cooker, carefully press the lid inside of the can then toss into the garbage. This will prevent the lid from cutting the garbage bag or accidentally poking whoever is taking out the garbage.
- You can prep the toppings when you assemble the soup then store the ingredients in the fridge until ready to serve or you can prep the toppings right before serving. An easy way to decide is by taking a peek in the fridge to see if there is room to store the toppings.
More Crockpot Recipes
- Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas
- Easy Swedish Meatballs
- Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops
More Crockpot Soup Recipes
- Crockpot Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
- Gluten Free Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
- Crockpot Pumpkin Soup
- Slow Cooker Chunky Vegetable Soup
- Easy Crockpot Potato Soup
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Chicken Tortilla Soup With Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken ✅
- 1 cup dry quinoa rinsed
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 cup spinach
- 15.5 ounces can great northern beans
- 15.25 ounces can corn nuggets drained
- 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes ✅not drained
- 4.5 ounces can diced green chilies ✅
- 2 tablespoons chili powder ✅
- 2 tablespoons cumin ✅
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder ✅
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ✅
- 32 ounces chicken stock ✅
- 2 cups tortilla chips, crushed ✅
Instructions
- Add the ingredient to the crockpot. To slow cooker add chicken, quinoa, spinach, onion, great northern beans, corn nuggets, diced tomatoes, green chilies, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and chicken stock.2 cups rotisserie chicken, 1 cup dry quinoa, 1 small onion, 1 cup spinach, 15.5 ounces can great northern beans, 15.25 ounces can corn nuggets, 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes, 4.5 ounces can diced green chilies, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 tablespoons cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 32 ounces chicken stock
- ⭐️Cook. Cook on high for 2-4 hours or low 4-6 hours.
- Serve. Top with your favorite taco toppings including tortilla chips, tomatoes, cheese, tortilla strips, avocado, onion, and black olives.2 cups tortilla chips, crushed
Stove Top Directions:
- ⭐️Cook the onions. Sauté the onions in a bit of olive oil in a large pot until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients.
- ⭐️Cook. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.
Notes
- You can swap rotisserie chicken for raw chicken breast, canned chicken or any leftover shredded beef or pork.
- Make vegetarian by replacing the chicken with extra beans such as black, pinto, kidney or great Northern beans.
- Use a chicken stock with a strong flavor and replace with a vegetable or beef broth as needed. We will frequently rotate between any of these stocks depending on what we have on hand.
- Have less than 2 cups of rotisserie chicken? Add in another can of beans or choose to make half a batch of soup.
Tawnie Kroll says
Great use of the pitas! I threw mine in the freezer because I knew they would go bad. This recipe sounds delish, I am a big fan of quinoa! 🙂
Create Kids Club says
Thanks Tawnie! The rest of my pitas are frozen as well, waiting for a new exciting recipe 🙂
Melissa says
What a delicious way to use leftover chicken! Yum!