Chicken Taco Soup
Jan 31, 2023, Updated Sep 08, 2024
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This easy chicken taco soup is spicy and loaded with the best of Tex-Mex flavors. Packed with pantry staples for convenience, it’s an easy weeknight recipe with pops of color from bell peppers, corn, and black beans.
Serve it with a side of warm, buttery cornbread casserole, and top it with a dollop of sour cream and crushed tortilla chips for extra crunch!
This easy chicken taco soup tastes like Texas and Mexico decided to cook together to create a busy weeknight dinner. It’s spicy, tomatoey, smoky, and full of crunchy textures. Made with pantry staples, it’s the ideal comfort food after a long day at work. If you’re in the mood for a cozy, warming soup recipe, this is it! A homemade paprika and cumin blend gives every spoonful plenty of spice, while the veggies add a nice pop of color. There are bell peppers, yellow corn, jalapeño, black beans… It’s literally a Tex-Mex party of flavors! Don’t worry if you’re out of ground chicken, though. Leftover rotisserie chicken works just as well.
Ingredients You’ll Need
In this chicken taco soup recipe, we use simple ingredients to create bold, comforting flavors. From tender chicken to zesty seasonings, this soup is packed with everything you love about tacos, but in a hearty, spoonable form!
- Seasonings – A blend of onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, paprika, and chili powder brings bold, zesty flavors to the chicken taco soup. These spices work together to give the soup its rich, savory depth with just the right amount of heat.
- Vegetable oil – Helps sauté the veggies and brown the chicken, giving everything a nice, flavorful start.
- Yellow onion – Adds a subtle sweetness and depth to the base of the soup.
- Garlic – You know I can’t resist fresh garlic! It brings that bold, irresistible flavor that makes every spoonful delicious.
- Ground chicken – You could also swap it with ground turkey or beef if you prefer. Shredded chicken is a good alternative.
- Salt & Black Pepper – Enhances the overall flavor, and you can adjust both to your personal taste.
- Red bell pepper – Sweet, colorful, and perfect for balancing out the spicier elements.
- Jalapeño – Adds just a touch of heat, but feel free to adjust the amount based on your spice preference.
- Canned corn – Brings a bit of sweetness and texture, but you can use frozen corn if that’s what you have on hand.
- Canned diced tomatoes – Adds acidity and brightness to the soup, giving it that classic taco flavor.
- Canned black beans – Rinse and drain before using. They add heartiness to every bite.
- Low-sodium chicken broth – The base of the soup, keeping it light yet flavorful. If you like a richer broth, use regular chicken broth, but vegetable broth works, too.
How to Make Chicken Taco Soup
Making this soup is souper easy! With just a few simple steps, you’ll have a warm, hearty meal ready and quickly. Let’s break it down and get cooking!
- Make the seasoning. Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and chili powder in a small bowl.
- Cook the onion. Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the onion for 2 minutes. Add the garlic.
- Add veggies. Stir in the bell pepper, corn, and jalapeño, and cook until softened.
- Cook the chicken. Add the ground chicken and cook it until golden brown. Add the seasoning and mix well.
- Add the tomatoes. Pour the diced tomatoes into the pot and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the black beans.
- Add in the broth. Pour the broth and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve warm.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Use homemade taco seasoning. I have a great recipe for homemade taco seasoning that can be used instead of the spice mix in this recipe. Add 3 to 4 teaspoons of it, adding more, or less, to suit your taste.
- Use leftover chicken. Rotisserie chicken is a quick protein option for lazy days. Just toss it in! I recommend 1/4-1/2 cup per bowl.
- Thicken it. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl until well combined. Pour the slurry into the soup during the last 15 minutes of cooking and stir well. This will help thicken the soup without having to reduce it much.
- Prep ahead. Slicing all the veggies in advance will help you just add everything into the pot when you’re ready to cook.
- Add bacon. Cook a few bacon strips until crispy. Crumble them and use them as a topping for the soup. It will add wonderful smokiness and crunch.
- Change the protein. Substituting ground chicken for the same amount of beef or turkey will yield equally tasty results.
- Add rice. Adding leftover Mexican red rice to this soup will make it extra filling and flavorful. You can add 1/2 to 3/4 cups right before serving.
- Make it creamy. Add about 4 ounces of cream cheese and whisk it into the soup until completely dissolved. Let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes before serving.
What to Serve with Taco Soup
Once served, you can top this soup with chopped cilantro, jalapeños, and a lime wedge. It’s also a great side dish to my Taco Casserole, Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas Tacos, Shredded Buffalo Chicken Tacos, and Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa. For saucier bites, I prefer my Mexican Taco Pasta, Beef Enchiladas, and Easy Baked Salsa Chicken.
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Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 2½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded, ribs removed, and finely chopped
- 2 cups canned corn kernels
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 6 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Make the seasoning. Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and chili powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add the diced bell pepper, diced jalapeño, and corn. Stir to combine and let the mixture cook for 4 minutes.
- Mix in the chicken and seasoning. Add the ground chicken to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Add the prepared taco seasoning and stir until well combined.
- Stir in the tomatoes and black beans. Pour the diced tomatoes into the pot. Stir well, add the black beans to the mixture, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the broth and simmer. Stir in the broth and increase the heat to high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Finish and serve. Taste the chicken taco soup for salt and pepper and adjust to taste. Ladle it into bowls and serve warm.
Equipment
Notes
- Chicken: Sticking with the taco theme, we used ground chicken for this soup recipe, but you can also use ground beef or ground turkey. If pressed for time, get a rotisserie chicken and shred it before adding it to the soup.
- Seasoning: If you’d like to use store-bought taco seasoning, you will need about a tablespoon of it, give or take.
- For a creamy soup, whisk in 4 ounces of softened cream cheese – don’t stop whisking until it’s completely incorporated.
- To store: Keep the soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Store soup leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
- To reheat it, pop it into the microwave for 1 minute, stir it, and heat it for another 1 to 2 minutes or until warm. You can also heat it in a pot over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
So perfect for the cold weather!! This is seriously amazing!
Thank you, Sandra!! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
This was such a hearty and flavorful soup! Thanks for the easy recipe!
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
No doubt, this is really amazing! Definitely a must make!
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
This taco soup is so rich and perfect for this weather! My type of dish!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This looks like a fantastic recipe. Love everything that goes into this soup. Thank you!
Thank YOU! I hope you’ll enjoy it! 🙂
I’m always up for something this healthy AND delicious! Fantastic recipe.