Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup tastes like chicken enchiladas – but takes a lot less effort! Sensational slow cooker soup that’s quick to prepare yet loaded with flavour. 10 minutes prep with lots of can opening, and a good amount of spices for a hit of Mexican flavour.
Hearty, chunky, healthy, totally delicious!
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup
This is a soup that is particularly fantastic to make in the slow cooker. Cooking it low and slow lets the chicken breast cook gently until it’s tender and shreddable, the beans and corn absorb the heavenly spice flavours in the Mexican flavoured soup broth, and the tomatoes break down to thicken the soup.
After tossing the shredded chicken back in, there’s nothing required to be done to finish it off before serving other than grabbing a few toppings. Shredded cheese, dollop of sour cream or yogurt plus a sprinkle of fresh coriander/cilantro at a minimum.
Bonus points if you add avocado and some crunchy corn chips for dunking!
What you need
Here’s what you need for this Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup. Lots of cans and lots of spices you probably already have!
In this particular recipe, chicken breast is the ideal cut. It takes 6 to 8 hours to cook until it’s easily shreddable, the same time the broth requires for the flavours to come together and thicken.
How to make Mexican Chicken Soup
This is a soup that’s ideal for making in the slow cooker. Sauté the garlic, onion and capsicum/bell peppers, then just put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. The chicken breast will be tender and easily shreddable, the beans will have soaked up all the flavour from the spices, and the soup thickened.
To finish it off, just shred the chicken, toss it back in then serve!
This soup is the chicken version of the popular Beef Taco Soup. Quick and easy, hearty and exploding with Taco flavours!
Mexican Chicken Soup Toppings!
Toppings are not optional – they’re essential! Toppings take a tasty soup over the top to OMG this is so delish!
In my world, the bare minimum is cheese, sour cream, coriander/cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime.
But if you add a little bit of diced avocado and corn chips for dunking, it will catapult this into another stratosphere of deliciousness.
And to think it’s so quick and easy to make!!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion , diced (brown, white, yellow)
- 1 red capsicum/bell pepper , large, diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 cups (750ml) chicken broth/stock , low sodium
- 800g / 28 oz canned black beans, drained (2 cans, or other beans, Note 1)
- 800g / 28 oz canned corn, drained (2 cans, or 500g/1lb frozen or fresh corn)
- 800g / 28oz crushed canned tomato OR 700g tomato passata (Note 2)
- 500g / 1 lb chicken breast
Spices
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp each onion powder and garlic powder (or 2 tsp of one of them)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, adjust spiciness)
- 1 tsp each salt + black pepper
Toppings
- Shredded cheese (recommended)
- Sour cream or yogurt (recommended)
- Coriander/cilantro (recommended)
- Lime wedges (recommended)
- Avocado, diced
- Corn chips or tortillas , for dunking
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet and sauté the onion, capsicum/bell pepper and garlic for 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add a splash of chicken broth, bring to simmer then tip it all into the slow cooker. (Instant Pot: Do Step 1 & 2 on saute function).
- Add remaining chicken broth, Spices, corn, bean and tomato. Give it a good stir, then add chicken and push down to submerge.
- Slow cook for 6 to 8 hours on LOW. (Or pressure cooker 25 minutes on high, see Note for stove).
- Remove chicken onto plate, shred with 2 forks. Return into slow cooker, give it a good stir. Check if it needs more salt or pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with Toppings of choice!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2014. Updated January 2019 with new photos and new recipe video!
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Life of Dozer
Dozer’s discovered his favourite room in our new home…the PANTRY! Lots of ideas for redesigning this storage space but Dozer doesn’t care – he’s just excited to be in such close proximity to so much FOOD.
(Actually, he is strictly prohibited from entering the pantry, I just let him in for a peek 😂)
Made this and it was delicious! One small change I made: at grocery stores here in Texas dried ancho chilies are plentiful. I bought a few and used my blender and some of the chicken stock to make a paste and added it into the soup. Even more delicious 🙂
I do like the flavour from anchos although they are harder to find here in Australia! N x
First time tonight – made exactly according to recipe and used all toppings except I didn’t have a lime. Frito scoops and Tostitos on the side. Delicious!!!
Just found this recipe today, made it and tried it with my 16 y.o. son. I have to say that it’s fantastic! I used close to 2 lbs. chicken breast and it took 6.5 hours to reach fork tender with the crockpot set on low. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly and I’d say the spiciness level is 6.5/10. Added fresh squeezed lime juice, shredded cheddar, cilantro and crumbled yellow corn chips to each bowl. Yum!
Made this for the first time tonight. Have to say it is life altering. Absolutely delicious. Will be making a lot of this in my future. Love your recipes. They make me look like a great cook!!
Thanks Nagi, appreciate all your hard work. Oh, and a shout out to Dozer. You missed out buddy.
Damn delicious! I made half the amount but used 2 chicken breasts and 2 cups of stock. I also made it the pressure cooker, so dinner done in 25 mins plus prep time, about 10 minutes.
Hi Vanessa, how long did you leave it in the pressure cooker? I’d like to cook it the same way.
25 mi s
This recipe is delicious. I use Greek yoghurt instead of sour cream, add jalapeños and use fresh corn. I also use a packet of taco or burrito spice mix instead of all the spices. I still add cumin and garlic powder. The flavours are out of this world.
I’ve made this over & over again. For different groups of friends & family. Everyone LOVES it! I freeze up leftovers & pull out for a quick yummy meal. The toppings are a must…!!! Delicious! Thank you so much Nagi!!!
I’ve made this over & over again. For different groups of friends & family. Everyone LOVES it! I freeze up leftovers & pull out for a quick yummy meal. The toppings are a must…!!! Delicious! Thank you so much Nagi!
really easy to make ,big thumbs up from my teenage girls thank you
Just spent the day making this soup, its still got 2 hours to go but I can’t stop tasting it, it is so delicious and easy to make – thanks for sharing this recipe yuuum wouldn’t change a thing!
I don’t have a slow cooker so I just make it for two people with 20 mins simmer on the stove and throw in shredded chicken in the last few mins –
tastes brilliant so not sure what 7.5 hours more cooking is going to achieve. IMO slow cookers just rob food of it’s nutrients with the long cook times. Anyway, each to their own but another favourite – thanks Nagi 🙂
Hi Nagi! I love this recipe (and all of your recipes!)
Anyway: i have a few questions. if you know the answers please let me know 🙂
1. How much does each serve cost
2. Can you freeze extra serves
3. how long can you keep it in the freezer?
Hi Beth, costing is something that’s all location specific, what I buy my groceries for is completely different to what you would buy yours for. Storage is listed in the recipe notes. N x
Just a quick note that the top of the recipe says prep time 10 minutes, cook time 8 hours, total time 6 hours 10 minutes. Think that’s a typo and you meant 8 hours 10 minutes. Anyway, planning to make this tonight! Needed a meal with pantry ingredients and the convenience of a slow cooker!
Absolut delicious this soup.
Thank you Nagi for another wonderful recipe!
I made this as per recipe. I also had corn chips, avo, sour cream, grated cheese. Loved it and will make again. Thank you Nagi!!
Sounds like you nailed it Colette! N X
Can’t wait to try this! If I use a roast chicken from the store can I just shred and add it in during the last hour? If so, do I still add all the other soup ingredients and let them cook for 6 hours?
I made this last night as I had people over for dinner. Had all the extras…avo..sour cream…coriander..cheese. Oh wow it was the bomb. So good. Thanks Nagi!
This soup is everything! So easy and so delicious!
Delicious soup. This is my second time me making it, always a hit even with 3 picky kids. I served it with cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado and corn tortilla chips. Amazing. Seasoning is just right.
By accident, using a 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoon instead of a teaspoon, I ended up using almost 1 tbsp of cumin and paprika, and 1/2 tbsp each of onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, s&p — the soup still turned out delicious!
Just a note, my slow-cooker was at the brim by the time I added all of the ingredients. Next time I might use exactly 1 lb of chicken (I had 1.3 lbs on hand this time), and about 1/2 cup less broth to prevent running over.
Gorgeous soup. Everyone in the family loved it.