We are still in the middle of soup season, and if you’re looking for a new soup recipe to make this month, then friend, you’re in luck! Today we’re making Chicken Enchilada Soup! It’s made with tender chicken breast and lots of bold flavors. Dare I say, it might just be your new favorite soup this year? This soup can easily feed a family for under $12, and if there are leftovers, they are great for meal prep during the week. My secret to flavorful enchilada soup? Cook the enchilada sauce with the other ingredients. Keep on reading to find out just how easy it is to make this hearty and satisfying chicken enchilada soup!
Pin this recipe for later!
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
“Favorite soup that is requested at least every two weeks no matter the weather, highly recommend! I always serve with avocado, sour cream, and cheese!”
davan
Easy Chicken Soup
Chicken Enchilada Soup is everything you love about chicken enchiladas, but conveniently made in one pot! Perfect for meal prep or a wintry night in, this soup comes together quite easily without loads of slicing and dicing, so you can get it going quickly. To build the amazing flavor, the enchilada sauce ingredients are cooked with the rest of the soup.
My house smells amazing while the flavors simmer, and if you’re like me, you’ll be tempted to sneak a taste or two. What you get is a robust tasting soup that is filling and nourishing, with leftovers that are even better the next day. Though I used raw chicken, you can also use leftover cooked chicken if that’s what you’ve got on hand. This soup does have a bit of a bite, but you can modify it to your preference.
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Cost $10.18 recipe / $1.96 serving
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp cooking oil (divided, $0.12)
- 1 yellow onion (diced, $0.70)
- 1 jalapeño (seeded & diced, $0.33)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced, $0.16)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder ($0.60*)
- ½ tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- ¾ tsp salt ($0.05)
- 3 oz. tomato paste ($0.43**)
- 1 15oz. can black beans (drained, $0.69)
- 1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes ($1.18**)
- 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles ($0.96**)
- 1 cup frozen corn ($0.30)
- 4 cups chicken broth ($0.52)
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, about 1½ lbs. $4.00***)
Toppings
- shredded cheese
- cilantro
- sliced avocado
- sour cream
- sliced jalapeño
Instructions
- Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil along with the diced onion, finely diced jalapeño, and minced garlic cloves to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
- Next, add the flour, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and remaining 2 Tbsp cooking oil to the pot. Stir well and cook the flour and spices with the vegetables for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, drained black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, frozen corn, and chicken broth to the pot. Stir all the ingredients together making sure to dissolve the tomato paste and scrape up any spices that may be stuck at the bottom of the pot.
- Now add the chicken breasts to the pot. Place a lid on the pot and bring the soup up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer for 45 minutes. Make sure the soup is just at a steady simmer at this point, as this will help to create tender chicken breast meat.
- After the soup has simmered for 45 minutes, remove the chicken breasts and place them on a clean cutting board. Once cool enough to touch, shred the chicken breasts with a fork.
- Add the shredded chicken meat back to the soup pot and stir until the chicken is evenly distributed throughout the soup.
- Serve this soup with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, cilantro, sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, or even some more sliced jalapeño. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Chicken Enchilada Soup Step-by-Step Photos
Sauté the aromatics: Over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp cooking oil, one diced onion, one finely diced jalapeño, and 2 minced garlic cloves to a Dutch oven or large pot. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until onions are soft, translucent, and fragrant.
Add the spices: Stir 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 Tbsp chili powder, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ¾ tsp salt, and the remaining 2 Tbsp cooking oil into the pot.
Stir well, cooking the flour and spices with the vegetables for 2 minutes. You want to make sure the flour gets absorbed into the other ingredients.
Add the soup ingredients: Add 3 oz. tomato paste, one 15 oz. can black beans (drained), one 15 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes (with juices), one 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles (with juices), one cup frozen corn, and 4 cups chicken broth to the pot. Stir the ingredients together so the tomato paste dissolves and you scrape up any spices that may be stuck at the bottom of the pot.
Add the chicken: Add the two chicken breasts to the pot, cover it, and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer for 45 minutes. Make sure the soup is just at a steady simmer at this point, as this helps to create tender chicken breast meat.
Shred the chicken: After the soup has simmered for 45 minutes, remove the chicken breasts and place them on a clean cutting board. Once cool enough to touch, use a fork to shred them.
Return the chicken to the pot: Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and stir until it is evenly distributed throughout the soup.
Serve: Serve with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
serving suggestions
Though hearty and filling on its own, I love pairing this soup with cornbread casserole as a sweet contrast to the bold flavors of the soup. Sometimes, I’ll pair it with cilantro lime rice, or add a few dollops of sweet corn salsa for even more flavor.
My go-to toppings are cheddar cheese, a sprinkle of cilantro, sliced avocado or guacamole, a dollop of sour cream, or a few more sliced jalapeños (when I want more heat).
Storing Leftovers
This soup stores very well in the fridge and the freezer. I like to divide the soup into single portions right after cooking so it cools more quickly in the refrigerator, which helps the leftovers last longer. You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days, or freeze them for longer storage (about 3 months).
Great tasting, hearty soup and easy to make. I’ve made it twice and will continue !
Super tasty and easy to make! Definitely one to be repeated.
Super easy and delicious!
My family loves this more than regular enchiladas. Plus it is super easy to make
Made this yesterday in prep for a snowstorm and it’s incredible. I substituted a drained can of fire roasted corn for frozen corn and served it with homemade cheese cornbread muffins. Highly recommend!
So good! Squeezed in some lime juice at the end and served with sour cream and green onions.
I’ve made this about once a week and I’m obsessed. Super easy and great flavor. I add some shredded cheese and sour cream on top and mix it all up and serve with some good chips! I can’t get enough of this recipe!
Favorite soup that is requested at least every two weeks no matter the weather, highly recommend!
I always serve with avocado, sour cream, and cheese!
Awesome, added Budget Bytes pickled jalapeños and lime chips additional dimensions
This Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe sounds amazing
This looks amazing and I’m going to make it this week. Thank you.
I made this yesterday and it was an absolutely hit!
Thank you for the great recipe – it was so quick and easy too!
Love it.
Extremely good for the minimal effort required!
Yum, yum, YUM!!!!!
I paired this with the Cilantro Lime Rice. So delicious!
This is probably my favorite Budget Bytes recipe and I love so many of them. I do cut corners with this recipe by using a rotisserie chicken or instant pot shredded chicken because I use the leftover chicken in other recipes. This recipe is now in my regular rotation. I usually serve with cornbread, and it makes a delicious meal and even better leftovers.