Are you craving all the delicious, savory, and festive flavors of your favorite chicken tacos, but in a cozy, comforting, and soul-warming bowl of soup? This incredible, one-pot Chicken Taco Soup is the recipe you’ve been searching for! We’re talking tender shredded chicken, hearty black beans, and sweet corn, all swimming in a rich, velvety, and perfectly spiced broth that tastes like it’s been simmering for hours—but is ready in about 30 minutes.
This isn’t just another soup recipe; it’s your new go-to for busy weeknights, game day gatherings, and any time you need a serious comfort food fix. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to building a deep, complex flavor quickly, and the brilliant, healthy hack for creating an unbelievably creamy broth without a drop of heavy cream. This is an entire taco night, all in one easy-to-make dish!
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate One-Pot Comfort Food
What makes this Chicken Taco Soup so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, authentic flavor and its wonderfully rich and creamy texture. This recipe is a masterpiece of smart, wholesome cooking. The flavor foundation is a classic, aromatic blend of sautéed peppers and onions, seasoned with a warm, smoky mix of chili powder and cumin. The soup is loaded with tender, shredded chicken, protein-packed black beans, and sweet, fire-roasted corn. The true magic, however, is the brilliant technique of blending a portion of the soup itself. This purées some of the beans, corn, and vegetables, which act as a natural, wholesome thickener to create an unbelievably creamy and velvety texture.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 40 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Tex-Mex Classic
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients and smart shortcuts to create its signature vibrant and savory flavor.
- The “Secret” Creamy Broth (The Blending Hack!):
- The Vegetables & Beans: The combination of hearty vegetables and black beans is the key to our creamy broth. By blending about two cups of the finished soup, you create a natural, thick, and creamy base that is packed with flavor and nutrients, without needing any heavy cream.
- Greek Yogurt: For an extra layer of richness and a pleasant, tangy finish, this recipe cleverly uses a swirl of Greek yogurt. It’s a fantastic, high-protein, and healthy alternative to sour cream.
- The Protein Powerhouses:
- Cooked Chicken: Using pre-cooked, shredded chicken is a fantastic time-saver. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is a convenient and flavorful choice.
- Black Beans: A can of black beans adds a wonderful, creamy texture and a great boost of plant-based protein and fiber to the meal.
- The Flavor Base:
- Tomatoes & Green Chiles: A can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (like the famous Rotel® brand) is a brilliant shortcut that provides the flavor of tomatoes, onions, and mild chiles all in one convenient can.
- The Spices: A classic, warm, and perfectly balanced taco seasoning blend of smoky chili powder, earthy cumin, and a rich paprika.
- The Zesty Finish: A final, generous squeeze of fresh lime juice, stirred in at the very end, is crucial for adding a burst of bright, zesty acidity that brings all the other savory flavors to life.
Step-by-Step to the Best Chicken Taco Soup
This delicious, one-pot soup is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Sauté the Aromatics and Bloom the Spices
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat. Add your 3/4 cup of diced red onion, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and 1 cup of diced red bell pepper. Sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion has softened and is fragrant.
Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of chili powder, the 1 teaspoon of cumin, and the 1 teaspoon of paprika on the vegetables. Stir well and continue to sauté for another minute, until the spices are very fragrant.
Part 2: Simmer the Soup
Step 1: Add the 1 cup of frozen corn, the 1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes (with their liquid), and the 6 cups of chicken broth to the pot. Stir everything together.
Step 2: Bring the soup to a low boil, and then let it simmer for a few minutes.
Part 3: The Creamy Finish
Step 1 (The Blending Hack!): Carefully remove about 2 cups of the soup from the pot and add it to a blender. Blend the soup until it is completely smooth. Step 2: Transfer the blended, creamy soup back to the pot and stir. Step 3: Add in your 2 1/2 cups of shredded, cooked chicken and your 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans. Pro Tip: This recipe cleverly adds the whole black beans after the blending step, which ensures you have a beautiful, creamy broth with whole, hearty beans for a fantastic texture. Step 4: Stir in the 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt. Let the soup continue to simmer gently on a low heat for 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded. Step 5: Stir in the 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice.
Serve the hot, hearty soup immediately, with a generous helping of your favorite toppings.
Creamy Chicken Taco Soup (Easy One-Pot Recipe!)
An easy, one-pot recipe for a creamy and flavorful chicken taco soup. This hearty dish achieves a rich, creamy texture by blending a portion of the soup base, which includes Greek yogurt. The soup features a savory foundation of sautéed onion, garlic, and bell pepper, seasoned with chili powder and cumin. It is loaded with shredded cooked chicken, black beans, corn, and fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles. The entire soup is simmered to meld the flavors and finished with a bright splash of lime juice.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomatoes & green chilies, undrained
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- For Garnish (optional):
- Fresh Cilantro
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and diced bell pepper. Sauté for about 7-8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and brown sugar. Stir and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, the undrained can of tomatoes & green chilies, the black beans, the frozen corn, and the Greek yogurt. Stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a simmer. Carefully remove 2 cups of the soup and transfer it to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended soup back into the pot and stir. Add the shredded chicken.
- Let the soup simmer on low heat for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the vegetables to become tender.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh lime juice.
- Serve warm, with optional garnishes like fresh cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, and crushed tortilla chips.
Notes
- This is a quick and healthy one-pot meal, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
- The unique, healthy creaminess in this soup comes from blending a portion of the soup, including the Greek yogurt, rather than using heavy cream.
- Using pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken is a convenient time-saving shortcut.
- The soup will continue to thicken as it sits or is stored as leftovers.
The Ultimate Toppings Bar
A hearty bowl of taco soup is the perfect canvas for all sorts of delicious toppings! Set out a variety of small bowls so everyone can customize their own perfect bowl.
- Creamy & Cooling: A large dollop of extra sour cream or Greek yogurt, and fresh, diced avocado or a simple guacamole.
- Cheesy: A generous sprinkle of shredded sharp cheddar or a Monterey Jack cheese.
- Fresh & Zesty: A sprinkle of fresh, chopped cilantro or sliced green onions, and some extra lime wedges.
- Crunchy: A large handful of salty, crushed tortilla chips.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Soup is the ultimate make-ahead meal, as the flavors actually become even deeper and more delicious on the second day!
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare the entire soup a day or two in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: This soup freezes beautifully! Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a super creamy soup without using any heavy cream?
The secret is the brilliant blending hack used in this recipe! By removing a portion of the soup—which is full of starchy beans, corn, and vegetables—and puréeing it until it is smooth, you are creating a natural, wholesome thickener. When you stir this back into the pot, it transforms the entire broth into an unbelievably creamy and velvety soup.
Q2: Can I make this soup ahead of time and freeze it?
Yes, this is a perfect freezer meal! This soup freezes and reheats beautifully. For the best result, it is a great idea to wait to add your fresh toppings, like the cilantro and the tortilla chips, until you have reheated and are ready to serve the soup.
Q3: What is the best and easiest way to shred chicken?
A fantastic and super-fast shortcut is to use your stand mixer! Simply place your warm, cooked chicken breasts in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on a low speed, and in less than a minute, you will have perfectly shredded chicken.
Q4: Can I make this recipe in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot?
Yes! To make it in a slow cooker, simply sauté your aromatics and bloom your spices on the stovetop first. Then, transfer them and all the other ingredients (except for the Greek yogurt and the lime juice) to your slow cooker and cook on Low for 4-6 hours or on High for 2-3 hours. Blend a portion of the soup and stir in the yogurt and lime juice at the end. For the Instant Pot, use the “Sauté” function to cook your aromatics. Then, add all the other soup ingredients, secure the lid, and pressure cook on High for 10 minutes.
Q5: Can I make this recipe vegetarian?
Of course! To make a delicious and hearty vegetarian taco soup, simply omit the chicken and use a high-quality, savory vegetable broth. To make up for the bulk, you can add an extra can of your favorite beans, like pinto or kidney beans. For a completely vegan version, be sure to also use your favorite brand of a dairy-free, plain yogurt substitute.