Slow cooker chicken taco soup is an easy, homemade meal that is made entirely in your slow cooker. This chunky, broth-based soup is filled with tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers, and shredded chicken breasts.
Using the slow cooker is a great way to make a large, filling meal without spending hours in the kitchen. Nothing beats tossing in your ingredients and walking away for several hours while dinner cooks!
This chicken taco soup is spicy, hearty, and filled with healthy ingredients. Two types of beans, tomatoes, corn, bell pepper, jalapenos, and boneless, skinless chicken breasts make this soup filling and perfect for the whole family.
Plus, it is easy to customize with your favorite taco toppings - add a handful of shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips to the top of your soup for a flavorful finishing touch.
Ingredients and substitutions
Boneless chicken breasts can be substituted with boneless chicken thighs. If your chicken breasts or thighs are particularly thin, they may need less cooking time. Conversely, if your chicken breasts or thighs are particularly large, they may need additional cooking time.
I used my homemade taco seasoning for this recipe, but a packet of store bought taco seasoning can also be used.
Frozen corn can be substituted with canned corn or fresh corn cut off the cob.
One can of tomatoes can be substituted with a jar of salsa or rotel for a spicier soup.
Chicken broth can be substituted with vegetable broth.
Black beans and pinto beans can be substituted with any beans you have on hand - kidney beans are a great option.
Slow cooker temperature
I highly recommend cooking this soup on low heat only.
Chicken breasts are a lean cut of meat, meaning your meat is low in fat. Fat helps to keep meat juicy and tender as it cooks. Chicken breasts are particularly easy to overcook, resulting in tough, dry meat.
For these reasons, I do not recommend trying to cook this soup over high heat.
Storing and reheating leftovers
This slow cooker chicken taco soup makes a great leftover and reheats well the next day. Store your leftovers in the refrigerator in a sealed container, then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally.
To freeze leftovers, allow soup to cool to room temperature, then pour into a freezer safe container. I like to store soups in quart or gallon size freezer bags, laid flat in the freezer, for easy storage.
When ready to enjoy, thaw your soup overnight in the refrigerator. Then, reheat on the stove top over medium-low heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally.
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 15 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 30 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 jalapeños, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 16 ounces chicken broth
- 1 lime, optional
Instructions
- In a 6 quart slow cooker, add beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper, jalapenos, garlic, taco seasoning, and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Nestle the chicken breasts into other ingredients to mostly cover chicken. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, depending on thickness of your chicken breasts.
- Once chicken is cooked through, remove chicken breasts from the slow cooker and shred with a fork. Add shredded chicken back to your soup and stir to combine.
- Portion soup into bowls and serve with a wedge of lime, or squeeze lime over each bowl before serving. Optionally, top with a handful of shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Chicken breasts can be substituted with boneless chicken thighs.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and reheated over medium-low heat on the stove top until warmed through.
- Leftover soup can be frozen for 4 to 6 months. Transfer frozen soup to the refrigerator to thaw overnight before reheating.
Do the jalapeños make this soup spicy? Could they be omitted from the recipe?
The jalapeños will add some heat, especially if you leave the seeds and membranes in. You can remove the seeds and membranes for a milder flavor, substitute them with an additional bell pepper, or omit them entirely without affecting the recipe.