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 😂)
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
I just looked at the Nutrition facts (for 6 servings) and am wondering about the huge sodium and potassium amounts. Any chance there’s an error somewhere? What is contributing to them?
The nutrition calculator has a glitch that is picking up “chicken” as a brined or rotisserie cooked chicken with salt already in it. I’m progressively making my way through all recipes to fix it!
Sorry you have to make fixes, but it’s nice to know what’s behind those crazy numbers!
Very tasty! Since I had cooked, shredded leftover chicken, I just added it in place of the raw chicken and greatly reduced the stovetop cooking time. It made for a very quick meal. I didn’t use the onion or garlic powders partly because I used a large onion and plenty of garlic cloves and thought it might be too strongly flavored. Does the additional onion/garlic powder make a big difference in flavor….or is it more important for the slow cooker? To suit my tastes and diet, I did not add the salt and used 1/2 tsp cayenne powder. Still very good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Maret! Thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
Hello Nagi, can I use chicken stock instead of water.
You sure can!
AMAZING! I made this for my in-laws and my husband, and there was not a lot of talking going on at the table 😉 Everyone raved at how delicious this was, and there were no leftovers. I love your website! Thanks for all the fabulous recipes and tips!!
Rachel! I’m so happy to know that you enjoyed this!! I adore this soup, I make it and variations of it quite regularly and keep ziplock bags of it in the freezer. 🙂 Working from home, it becomes a handy quick lunch! Thank you for your wonderful message! <3
Wish I would have made this last week when I was home sick! I love that it can be made in a crockpot too! Yummy!
Linda
What do you mean – wish YOU made it? Noooooo – ANNA should have made it for you!! He he he!! 🙂
Hey…. you are right! Although, in her defense, she had several sick little one’s in her home at the same time so I really can’t be upset that she didn’t make your delicious soup for me 🙂 There’s a bad bug floating around and it seems to be going through the family right now. My husband went to bed not feeling well last night so I may be the one making this soup for him! lol Either way… I really want to try it!
Thanks Nagi for another great recipe!
Linda
HI Nagi,
Love your recipes! Made this soup – added some carrots and jalapeños to it – So good!!
Thanks!!
Betz
Hi Betz! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! Carrots and jalapeños are a great addition! 🙂 Thank you for coming back to share your thoughts!! 🙂
Do you think it would be possible to make a fish version of this soup?
This looks amazing!!! You always have the best stuff and great photos! Makes me soooo hungry!!!
Have a great day!
Linda
Thank you so much Linda! You’re too kind 🙂