Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup (Printable Version)

Flavorful Mexican-style soup with tender chicken, black beans, corn, and spices, cooked quickly in your Instant Pot.

# Components:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
06 - 1 cup corn kernels
07 - 1 can diced tomatoes with juices, 14.5 ounces

→ Beans

08 - 1 can black beans, 15 ounces, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids and Seasonings

09 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
11 - Juice of 1 lime
12 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Toppings

18 - Tortilla strips or chips
19 - Sliced avocado
20 - Chopped fresh cilantro
21 - Shredded cheese
22 - Sour cream
23 - Lime wedges

# Method Steps:

01 - Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode and add a splash of oil. Sauté the diced onion, minced garlic, and diced bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until the spices become fragrant.
03 - Add the chicken, diced tomatoes with juices, drained black beans, corn kernels, and chicken broth to the pot. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients evenly.
04 - Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the pressure valve to Sealing position. Select Pressure Cook on High for 10 minutes.
05 - Allow natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then carefully open the pressure valve to quick-release any remaining pressure.
06 - Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and shred using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the soup and stir to distribute evenly.
07 - Stir in the fresh lime juice and taste the soup. Adjust salt and pepper as needed to achieve desired seasoning balance.
08 - Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, avocado slices, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, and lime wedges as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The Instant Pot does almost all the work while you stand around looking like you know what you're doing.
  • It tastes deeply flavored and authentic without requiring a grocery list the size of a small novel.
  • Leftovers actually get better the next day as the spices settle in.
  • You can feed six people for less than fifteen dollars and feel genuinely proud about it.
02 -
  • Don't skip the natural pressure release—quick-releasing straight away makes the chicken tough and dry, and five minutes of patience changes everything.
  • The lime juice isn't a garnish, it's a revelation that happens at the end, bringing every single flavor into focus at the last second.
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables slightly smaller than you think you need to because they'll soften more in the pressure cooker and look smaller once served.
  • If you're in a hurry and skip the sauté step, the soup will still work but won't have that deep, caramelized undertone that makes people wonder what you did differently.
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