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 😂)
Hi Nagi,
Quick question why do you add onion powder and garlic powder in with the other spices when you are also using the real thing? I dont have onion and garlic powder and dont really want to buy it specially, can I just up the quantities of the real stuff?
Hi Scott, I like to use it to boost the flavours – I use onion and garlic powder in a lot of my recipes, but if you don’t want to buy it, you can easily sub by using more garlic and onion – N x
The soup looks great and it is perfect timing for cold weather here in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been thinking about you with all the news on the fires lately. Hope you are safe!
I am safe – on the coast and far enough away from the fires. Thanks for thinking of me – N x
Hello Dozer’s Mom😊,
Scrumptious looking soup, Perfect choice for a snowy day in Canada!
Will the Instant Pot’s slow cooking function work in this recipe?
Hi Amy! Absolutely 100% yes 🙂 The Instant Pot slow cooker function is just like a normal slow cooker. In fact, if you have an Instant Pot, you can by pass sautéing in a skillet and do it in the Instant Pot! N x
Hi Nagi! Love your blog and your delicious recipes. Can you make the slow cooker Mexican chicken soup in an insta-pot? Thanks.
Hi Christine! Absolutely. The Instant Pot slow cooker function is just like a normal slow cooker. In fact, if you have an Instant Pot, you can by pass sautéing in a skillet and do it in the Instant Pot! N x
Think this would freeze well?
Absolutely! I should have put that in. It is 100% perfect for freezing. N x
Hi Nagi
Just wondering how you and your family are doing with the wildfires in Australia. Praying for your country.
Hi!
I cannot wait to make this!
For the corn, is it a total of 28 grams or two cans of 28 grams each?
Thanks,
Thank you for thinking of us Donna. I am lucky to be located away from the fires, I am about 5 minutes drive from the closest forest which, luckily, is not affect by the fires. The large ones you are seeing on the news are about 1 hour drive from me – in all directions. They are everywhere, it is horrifying. 🙁 N x
Can this soup be made with a rotisserie chicken?
Absolutely! Cook per recipe without chicken then add in shredded rotisserie chicken 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, Thank you for this great recipe. I am diabetic, and those ingredients are a good choice for people like me, and the beans are an extra source of protein. I can no longer eat pasta or rice or potatoes, but a dish like this is perfect. I omit the corn. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you to Victoria! Glad that this recipe works for you, I think you’ll find some recipes next week work for you too. 🙂 N x
This looks very yummy. Here in Ohio chilly weather is upon us so I will be making this soon! I always rinse my canned beans with water in a strainer before adding to a recipe. It helps get rid of some of that sodium.
I agree Judy. Some brands of black beans have thick gluey water too so I rinse my beans. (For neatness, I rinse the beans then put them back in the cans for visual purposes for the video!) N x
In the middle of summer???
This is for our friends in the middle of winter! Though truthfully, we had a few cooler days when I made this. Pity the day I published it it was stinking hot here in Sydney! 😂 N x
Do you have instructions for pressure cooker?
Sorry, forgot to add that! 25 minutes on high, added to recipe. 🙂
Hi Nagi…
Will put this on hold for winter..Melbourne based…Have been cooking your recipes for some time now😚😚😚😚😚
LOL yes a bit hot for us here Down Under!! This one is for my readers in the north 🙂 Though slow cooking is the way to go in summer – no oven heating up our houses!! N xx
Put this on this morning, just finished chowing down. Excellent! Reduced the salt (hubs had a heart adventure we don’t want to do again). Have plenty for lunch tomorrow plus supper Friday night. Awesome taste, full of flavor. Loved it!
That’s great to hear Darleen – N x
Are the cans of corn and beans drained?
Hi Stephanie, yes drained – N x
Hi, I love your recipes and have recommended your website to many people. Everyone loves it! Thanks for all the effort you put into these wonderful posts.
I was wanting to prepare the ‘freezer friendly make ahead bag’ for this recipe (as referred to in the article ‘How to make 5 freezer friendly Meals in 45 minutes’) but I cannot seem to find this part of the instructions. Am I missing something?? Thank you
Hi Nagi! really want to make this for a weeknight recipe. Only issue is, I would have to leave it on for 8/9 hours while at work! would this still be okay for this recipe?
Hi Emily, you might find that the chicken gets too tender and falls apart. As an alternative you could make this in advance and freeze!
Hi Nagi,
This looks delicious- esp with the cold weather coming up! Is there a shortcut version of the recipe if ive already premade your enchilada sauce separately? How much would I need to use for this?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Sarah! I think if you use 3 cups you can skip all the Spices! N x
Hi Nagi, I was perusing your site for the first time last night and got very hungry! I’m going to make the shredded chicken soup, but could I use store bought rotisserie chicken as I don’t have a ton of time to prep before work? Im having family over for dinner and I think this will make everyone happy.
Thanks, Ati
Hi Nagi,
I regularly go through your recipe index for what to cook. Have tried many recipes and they are surely delicious and simple. Thank you.
This one sounds like it will be like the others…delicious and simple… but I am not a fan of beans ( only the lovely long green variety that is a standard vegetable in our house). What could I substitute in place of canned beans?
Many thanks for all your hard work,
Regards,
Angela
Hi Angela! I’m so pleased you like my recipes! Oooh this one is so delicious, but if I were to make this for someone who didn’t like beans I would sub with rice. Because rice bloats when left in liquid, what I’d do is make the soup without beans, then put cooked rice in a bowl then spoon over this soup 🙂
For some reason this recipe won’T print. It is just a blank page. Thanks for all the great recipes
Hi Christine! That can happen if your internet drops out 🙂 Just refresh and try again! N x