Our Creamy Chicken Taco Soup recipe is the perfect way to enjoy taco Tuesday in the dead of winter. In less than an hour you’ll have found your go-to easy taco soup recipe.
Easy Chicken Taco Soup Recipe
Taco Tuesday, but make it the winter edition! This easy recipe uses fresh ingredients, and easy cooking methods to get a flavorful, family favorite on the table in no time.
Looking for More Stove Top Soup Recipes?
Then you’ve got to try our easy chicken tortilla soup!
What You Will Need
- butter – Just a bit to help soften the veggies.
- yellow onion & fresh garlic – Our favorite aromatics!
- chicken stock or broth – Just add a bit more salt if using stock as its usually not seasoned.
- chicken breasts – You could swap this with boneless skinless chicken thighs. Or use leftover rotisserie chicken for when you’re in a pinch!
- jalapeño and anaheim pepper – We remove the membrane of these peppers to keep the spice level present, but in check. They both add so much flavor!
- taco seasoning – Grab some from the store or learn how to make homemade taco seasoning.
- black beans, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and corn – These guys provide, flavor, texture, and pops of color!
- fresh lime juice – To add the right amount of acid to this creamy soup.
- kosher salt, ground black pepper, dried oregano leaves – Some simple seasonings to help all of the natural flavors shine!
- cream cheese – The secret ingredient to make creamy taco chicken soup.
How To Make Chicken Taco Soup
Start by prepping your ingredients.
Then bring a large soup pot to medium-high heat and add the butter. Once it’s melted, add the garlic and onion and move them around the pot for about 3 minutes or until they’ve become soft. Next add in the chicken broth and chicken breasts to the pot and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal meat temp is 165 degrees F.
Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and shred them using 2 forks. Then return the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the remaining ingredients except for the cream cheese. Mix everything together and bring it all to a nice simmer.
Out Of Taco Seasoning?
No problem! Chances are that you probably have all of the spices that you need in your pantry. Our homemade taco seasoning is a blend of chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Cut your softened cream cheese into chunks, add them to the soup, give it all a good stir, cover, and let it all simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring intermittently.
What To Serve With Chicken Taco Soup
Once the cream cheese is completely melted and the soup has a uniform creamy texture, ladle the soup into bowls and top with your favorite taco toppings! We used sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado, jalapeño, and lime wedges. And a smattering of tortilla chips to choose from is always a good idea.
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- what is the secret ingredient in chicken taco soup? Honestly, the secret is in the blend of all of these amazing ingredients and a good homemade taco seasoning.
- What are the ingredients in chicken taco soup? There are a lot of variations out there when it comes to taco soup. If you’re in the mood for ground beef, check out our taco soup recipe. And we’ve even got a creamy taco soup recipe that is similar to this one.
- What is the difference between chicken tortilla soup and chicken taco soup? The biggest difference between these two soups is in the seasonings. Our taco soup uses taco seasoning, while our easy chicken tortilla soup seasoning uses just chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper. Both are delicious!
Made this cheesy chicken taco soup and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Delicious Soup Recipes You Might Like
- The Best Chicken Soup Recipe
- Chicken & Dumpling Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Potato Soup Recipe
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Chicken Taco Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Description
This delicious and creamy Chicken Taco Soup recipe is a warm, cozy bowl of soup that will wake-up your tastebuds in the best way!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter, (regular or plant-based)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 jalapeño, minced (remove membrane and seeds)
- 1 Anaheim pepper, minced
- 1 package taco seasoning
- 15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 15oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 15oz can corn, drained
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of 1/2 lime (more if desired)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 4–8oz cream cheese, softened
- Topping Suggestions: sour cream, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado, jalapeno slices, lime wedges
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a large dutch oven to a medium-high heat, melt butter, and sauté the onion and garlic until softened and fragrant.
- Cook Chicken: Pour the chicken broth into the large pot and add the chicken breasts. Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer).
- Combine: Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and use 2 forks to shred. Return shredded chicken to the pot, along with the rest of the ingredients (except the cream cheese). Mix and return to a simmer.
- Cream Cheese: Cut the softened cream cheese into large chunks and add to the simmering soup. Mix, cover, and let it all simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (allowing the cream cheese to melt).
- Serve: Ladle the soup into individual bowls and serve with your favorite toppings!
Notes
- Dairy Free: simply use a plant-based butter or olive oil and omit the cream cheese.
- Storage: leftover soup can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Be sure to store the soup separate from any toppings that you choose to add.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 949.2 mg
- Fat: 8.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.1 g
- Protein: 18.8 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg
Amy Woods says
This was the best soup. It was delicious and very easy to make. Very flavorful. My family loved it, no leftovers. This will be on my soup rotation schedule. Thank you for all the tasty recipes you share.
Erin says
Thank you so much, Amy!! So happy to hear you loved it and thanks for combing back to leave a rating and review – I really appreciate it!