One-Pan Chicken Tortilla Soup
Warm, filling chicken tortilla soup with almost no cleanup.
If you’re tired and still need dinner, this is a good night for chicken tortilla soup. It uses one pan, familiar pantry ingredients, and forgiving timing, so you can keep moving even if your energy is low. The result is cozy and satisfying, with shredded chicken, beans, tomatoes, corn, and a limey broth that tastes bigger than the effort it takes. It’s not fancy and it doesn’t need to be. You’ll get a real dinner in about 40 minutes, plus easy toppings if you want them. Great for a low-motivation weeknight when you want something warm, filling, and dependable.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 unit yellow onion — diced
- 3 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 1 unit jalapeño — seeded and diced, optional
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup canned black beans — rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 unit lime — juiced
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro — chopped, optional
- 1 cup tortilla chips — for serving
Method
- 1 Heat the olive oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño, if using, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
- 2 Add the chicken breasts, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, and corn. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- 3 Remove the chicken to a plate and shred it with two forks. Return it to the pot and stir in the lime juice. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- 4 Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro and tortilla chips, if you want them.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Skip the chicken and add an extra 1 cup black beans plus 1 cup diced zucchini or bell pepper. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Faster swap — Use shredded rotisserie chicken and add it in the last 3 minutes, which cuts the cook time down and keeps the soup low-effort.
- Easy substitutions — Use pinto beans instead of black beans, swap cilantro for sliced scallions, or add a handful of shredded cheese if you want it richer.
Notes
For a thicker soup, simmer uncovered for the last 5 minutes. If using rotisserie chicken, add it after the soup simmers and cook just until hot, about 3 minutes.
Equipment that helps
- Large pot or deep skillet — It holds the broth and toppings in one vessel, so cleanup stays simple.
- Cutting board and knife — You only need basic chopping for the onion, garlic, and toppings.
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