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 😂)
So easy to make but very tasty, this lasted us 2 nights and a full tub too for a friend. I have been given strict orders to make this again very soon. I love meals like this, throw it all together and then forget about it for ages and carry on with other things.. You are a genius Nagi, Dozer is too, can´t leave him out x
This was amazing and I actually didn’t screw it up. So easy and even better the second day.
Fantastic dish as always. Added some rice to make it a thicken it up. Xxxxx
Haven’t made a recipe of Nagi’s yet that wasn’t great! This one is so easy to throw together. I have made it a couple of times now, without meat/with meat- always delicious. I have an electric stove top and find the lowest setting works perfectly for slow cooker recipes. If you haven’t tried that on your stove I really recommend. I gave away my slow cooker 🙂
Hi there,
Can this be made using a pressure cooker?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Tess, yes it can – it’s all noted in the instructions. N x
Easy, and really tasty! Loved it. Was about to donate my slow cooker… now will keep 😂
Yesterday I had to cook a meal on a tight budget for a dozen hungry uni students – this recipe was perfect! I usually test run recipes at home before making them for others but I’ve enjoyed so many of your recipes, I didn’t bother and it was a hit. Thanks for sharing such easy, delicious, budget friendly recipes 🙂
Made this for dinner last night…by which I mean it sat in the slow cooker all day until the chicken fell apart just by stirring the soup. Served with cheese, sour cream, corn chips and your cornbread muffins which were so easy. Just delicious.
YES! Toppings are not optional here! N x
Nagi, This is fantastic! It is soooo full of flavour. We had it minus the chicken (but with chicken stock cubes) and it blew us away! So tasty! Thx.
That’s great to hear John! N x
Hi! Wondering if you can do this with tenders, & if so, what adjustment is needed.
Hi Mary, sure can – they’ll just cook quicker! Check at 6 hours 🙂 N x
absolutely delicious! I don’t have a slow cooker so I followed the recipe notes and cooked it on the stove. Unfortunately, by the end of the 40 minutes + 20 mins, the dish was more of a stew than a soup as some of the beans had start to stick to the bottom of the pan and there was not a lot of liquid left. Still delicious, but maybe next time I’ll go out and get a slow cooker first. Really handy to keep in the freezer too! 🙂
Hi Lucky, sorry you had issues here, sounds like the stove may of been a little too hot and the sauce has simmered away! N x
Yum! Made this with both black beans and red kidney on stovetop and it was super easy. The lime juice gave it a real zing as well. My husband declared it the new favourite.
Made a batch of this soup and we have it for lunch with a slice of your cheesy bread. The soup has a lovely warming spicy taste and is delicious. Just right for our Irish weather!
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Trudy!
Yum! I got 10 serves out of this recipe so adding the sour cream and cheese and avocado was heavenly. Dinner and plenty left over for all of us to have for lunch……winner all round
Wahoo! That’s great Anita!
I never cooked Mexican food, but saw this miracle and decided to cook. Thank you so much for the recipe
Knew I had a busy evening with kids sports commitments, so threw this into the slow cooker before leaving for work – thinking “dinner – done”. Wasn’t prepared for how scrumdillyumptious it was! We used all the toppings, including toasted flat breads (instead of corn chips). What a flavour sensation!
We’re all taking leftovers for lunch tomorrow (I doubled the recipe). Thanks so much Nagi – it’s simple but an absolute knockout.
Hi Nagi! If I half the recipe will I need to change the cooking times? thanks!
Made this the other day and it was delicious, spicing was just hot enough and flavour was great. And so easy. Will definitely be a go-to in my house.
Wahoo! Perfect Debbie ☺️
This is the first time I have seen you soup recipes and I’m excited to try them
I hope you love them Judy!!!
Made this yesterday and it was delicious. Added chilli afterwards as the younger kids not keen, added all toppings. Filling and such great flavours. Had to promise I’ll make it again! Winner!
Perfect Philippa!