Chicken Enchilada Soup

When you’re craving chicken enchiladas but aren’t in the mood for the whole roll-and-bake situation, Chicken Enchilada Soup is here to save the day. It’s rich and creamy with a zesty kick, full of black beans, corn, green chiles, tomatoes, and plenty of cheese. Using a rotisserie chicken shortcut keeps things simple, for a quick and satisfying meal on busy weeknights. When you’re craving something Tex-Mex at home, this soup delivers big-time.

Enchiladas, simplified

It seems counterintuitive to say that making a soup out of something is easier than making the thing. But here, it’s true!

Chicken enchiladas aren’t really complicated but they are a whole thing. IYKYK. The filling, the rolling, the saucing and baking.

Enchiladas for you: easy peasy. Enchiladas for your whole family … well, it sort of stops being interesting after the 5th enchilada, and you still have the rest of the pan to fill.

And that’s where Chicken Enchilada Soup enters the chat. No finicky steps. It all goes in one pot. And it’s ready, start to finish, in about half an hour.

If you love Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors, check out a few of my other soups: Chile Verde Tortilla Soup, Taco Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Mexican Street Corn Soup.

Key Ingredients

Chicken — I use rotisserie chicken to save time, but you could cook up a chicken from raw if you prefer. Do that first and let cool while the rest of the soup cooks.

Enchilada Sauce — Unlike tomato sauce, enchilada sauce is made from dried chiles, including guajillos, anchos, pasillas, and sometimes chiles de arbol for a little kick. Commercial enchilada sauce made in America usually contains a percentage of tomatoes, most likely as a filler (it’s cheaper than dried chiles). Always check the ingredient label: some tomatoes are okay, but if there are no chiles at all, it’s not enchilada sauce!

Beans & Vegetables — I love to use a mix of traditional Tex-Mex beans and veggies, including black beans, bell peppers, green chiles, and corn. And of course, I always start the soup with aromatic onions and garlic.

Spices — Use your favorite taco seasoning for a balanced blend of Mexican flavors. Make sure it contains cumin (or add a 1/2 teaspoon to the mix). I also can’t help but add smoked paprika, which goes with just about everything and has that nice, smoky pepper-sweetness.

Masa Harina — Rather than using all-purpose flour to the thicken the soup, I add masa harina, which is made of corn, not wheat. It adds a touch of tortilla flavoring, like an enchilada!

Sour Cream — Mexican sour cream (crema Mexicana) is richer and creamier than its American counterpart. Deliciosa! My grocery store usually stocks it in the same refrigerated display as the salsas (rather than in the dairy section). Alternatively, you can whisk together three parts of regular sour cream to one part heavy cream. It’s not quite the same, but it will get you there.

Cheeses — My preference is to use a blend of Monterey Jack, cheddar, and cotija cheeses. Cotija is a crumbly cheese that’s slightly more aged than mozarella, but not as sharp as parmesan. It’s usually available as a solid disk, or grated in a bag.

How to Make Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to see the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the soup.

Prep notes

Here’s a quick guide for prepping the ingredients, if you need it (not including anything that only needs to be measured out of a container, such as dried herbs and liquids).

• Prepare the aromatic vegetables: Peel and dice the onions. Clean, remove the seed heads, and dice the bell peppers. Peel, cut off the flat, woody stem end, and mince the garlic.
• If use a whole rotisserie chicken, break down the carcass into the separate parts. Remove and discard the skin, and pull the meat from the bones. Chop or shred using two forks to pull the pieces apart into smaller chunks.
• Cut cilantro leaves from the bunch, clean, pat dry, and finely chop.
• Clean the green onions, cut off and discard the root end, and slice thinly. All parts are usable from the white end to the dark green.

Saute the veggies and spices

We start by sauteeing the onions and bell peppers until softened, and then stir in the other base seasonings.

Add the thickening layer

To thicken the soup, add the masa harina, along with a little broth, stirring well. The vegetable mixture will be thick and maybe a little pasty.

Cook the soup

Pour in the beans, corn, tomatoes and the remaining liquids (don’t forget the enchilada sauce!). Bring the soup up to a gentle boil and let cook for 10 minutes. Add the sour cream and heavy cream to a heat-safe bowl. When the soup liquids are nice and hot, reduce the heat on the soup, and then add a ladle of soup liquids to the bowl — it’s okay if you catch a few vegetables in it — and whisk vigorously. Add another ladle and whisk again. This tempers the dairy so that it won’t break apart when you add to the soup … which you do now.

Bring it all together

Stir in the chicken, cheese, and cilantro, and it’s ready! Serve with your favorite toppings.

I hope you’re inspired to try this hearty Chicken Enchilada Soup and will enjoy its zesty, Tex-Mex flavors! If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram (@soupaddict) – I’d love to see it!

More Meals Turned into Fun Soups

• BLT Soup
• Cheeseburger Beer Soup
• Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup with rotisserie chicken, black beans, corn, green chiles, enchilada sauce, and melty cheese for a cozy Tex-Mex meal.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken enchilada soup

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Karen Gibson

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
• 1 onion , diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 small red bell pepper , diced
• 1 small green bell pepper , diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon masa harina
• 10- ounce can red enchilada sauce
• 10- ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 15- ounce can black beans , rinsed and drained
• 10 ounces frozen corn (no need to thaw)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups shredded , cooked chicken (rotisserie or leftover)
• 1/2 cup Mexican sour cream
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• kosher salt

Suggested toppings

• grated or shredded cotija cheese
• grated Monterey Jack cheese
• sour cream
• green onions , sliced diagonally
• jalapeno slices

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a 4 or 5 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until the surface shimmers. Saute the onions and bell peppers until the onions have softened.
• Add the tomato paste, garlic, taco seasoning, smoked paprika, and a big pinch of salt. Stir well into the vegetables, allowing the garlic to become fragrant.
• Spoon in the masa harina and a splash of chicken broth and stir until the vegetable base is nice and thick (it might be slightly pasty-that’s okay).
• Increase heat to medium-high.
• Pour in the enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, and chicken broth. Stir well to incorporate the vegetable base into the soup.
• Let the soup come up to an active simmer and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle bubbling. Cook for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to low, and let the soup cool down for a few minutes (i.e., to stop bubbling).
• In a medium mixing bowl, add the sour cream and heavy cream. Carefully add one ladle of the soup liquids, and whisk vigorously until smooth. Add another ladle-full and whisk again. Pour this tempered sour cream into the soup and stir well.
• Add the cooked chicken, and let heat through.
• Stir in the cheese and cilantro. Taste the soup, and adjust the seasoning with more salt as desired.
• Serve with your favorite toppings.

Nutritional information, if shown, is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.

I originally posted this soup recipe on January 17, 2016. I’ve updated the recipe here to reflect how I prepare it now and rephotographed it for better representation. Here’s one of the original photos from 2016: