This Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup is the perfect copycat recipe – it's fully loaded, then topped with tortilla strips and pico de gallo.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – use any neutral oil such as avocado oil, sunflower oil or vegetable oil for this recipe.
- Chicken breasts – boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breasts.
- Yellow onion – red onion, shallots or white onions can be used in place of yellow onion.
- Garlic – fresh garlic cloves minced or jarred minced garlic can be used for this recipe.
- Chili powder – add more paprika and cumin to compensate for chili powder if you don’t have any on hand.
- Cumin – curry powder, garam masala or taco seasoning can be used in place of cumin.
- Paprika – cayenne pepper, chili powder or ground chili flakes can be used in place of paprika
- Salt (to taste)
- Crushed tomatoes – canned diced tomatoes or tomato sauce would work if you’re in a pinch.
- Green chilies – use canned green chilies for less spice or pickled jalapenos for a tangy kick.
- Brown sugar – the brown sugar is to help cut the acidity of the canned tomatoes.
- Chicken broth – another broth like vegetable broth or beef broth could work in place of chicken broth.
- Masa harina (corn flour) – regular flour or cornstarch won’t have the same added taste as the masa harina but will still thicken the soup.
- Water – add more chicken broth in place of the water if you’d like.
- Cheddar cheese – any grated cheese of your liking will work but I recommend grated cheddar cheese or a grated Tex Mex cheese blend
Topping ideas (optional)
- Pico de gallo – homemade or jarred pico de gallo, salsa can also be used.
- Avocado – use sliced avocado or a fresh guacamole in place of avocado.
- Cilantro – if you’re not a fan of cilantro, parsley is also a great option.
- Sour cream – use greek yogurt in place of sour cream for a healthier option.
How to make chicken enchilada soup
Step 1: Sauté the onion and chicken.
Heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add onions, sauteeing for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add in chicken, then garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika and salt, stirring to combine.
Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients.
Pour in crushed tomatoes, green chilies, brown sugar and chicken broth, then bring to a boil. Let simmer for 25 minutes until chicken is cooked.
Step 3: Make the masa harina mixture.
While soup is cooking, mix masa harina with 2 cups of water, stirring until dissolved.
Step 4: Shred the chicken.
Remove chicken, then shred and add back to pot.
Step 5: Add everything to the pot.
Once chicken is shredded and in pot, stir in masa harina mixture, then cheese. Stir until combined and soup is thick and creamy, cooking another 5 minutes.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Ladle soup into bowls, adding toppings of choice. Serve and enjoy!
Topping ideas for Chili's enchilada soup
My favourite part about soups and chilis is the toppings! You’ll be creating a complex flavour palette while adding texture to every bite. Overall, you're taking the whole dish to the next level with toppings. If you're in need of some inspiration, here are some of the toppings you can add to this Chili’s chicken enchilada soup:
- Avocado
- Sour cream (plain Greek yogurt is a great lower-fat substitute)
- Jalapeno slices
- Cilantro or parsley
- Lime wedges
- Tortilla strips
- Queso or shredded cheese
- Beans
- Pico de gallo
- Hot sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
This chicken enchilada soup is made of chicken breasts, seasonings like cumin and paprika, crushed tomatoes, green chilies, brown sugar, chicken broth and masa harina.
My version of Chili's chicken enchilada soup only has 324 calories while the Chili's chicken enchilada soup has 440 calories per serving. Besides the calorie differences, this chicken enchilada soup is filled with delicious, whole ingredients that you will love!
The masa harina mixture will help make your Chili’s chicken enchilada soup nice and thick! You can use regular cornstarch or flour instead, but it will alter the flavour.
Storing and reheating
This Chili’s chicken enchilada soup is great for your weekly meal prep and will last in the fridge for up to 4 days. To store your leftovers, wait for the chicken enchilada soup to cool down then store the leftovers in individual servings in airtight containers in the fridge. If you’re on the go, store the soup in mason jars for easy travel!
When storing the leftovers, you will want to make sure that they're being stored without any toppings on them. Store the toppings separately and then top the chicken enchilada soup after it is warmed up and ready to enjoy. To reheat the soup, microwave it for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway through, or warm it up on the stovetop.
Freezing this recipe
This Chili’s chicken enchilada soup works great as a freezer meal as well. The soup will last for 3 months in an airtight container or mason jar in the freezer. As mentioned above, make sure to store the soup in the freezer without any of the toppings.
Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal. If you've frozen individual portions, you can also reheat it directly from frozen. Microwave for 6 to 8 minutes on high, stirring halfway through.
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Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this soup into leftovers.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
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Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 (398) mL can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (118) mL can green chilies
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup masa harina (corn flour)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Topping ideas
- Pico de gallo
- Tortilla strips
- Cilantro
- Avocado
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add onions, sauteeing for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add in chicken, then garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika and salt, stirring to combine.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, green chilies, brown sugar and chicken broth, then bring to a boil. Let simmer for 25 minutes until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken, then shred and add back to pot.
- While soup is cooking, mix masa harina with 2 cups of water, stirring until dissolved. Once chicken is shredded and in pot, stir in masa harina mixture, then cheese. Stir until combined and soup is thick and creamy, cooking another 5 minutes.
- Ladle soup into bowls, adding toppings of choice. Serve and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Joyce Thomas says
Do you think that this could be canned may have to leave out the Mesa and the cheese
Taylor Stinson says
I’ve never tried doing that, not sure I would recommend it.
Michelle says
This was a great as written and good to use up a variety of shredded protien. The second batch we used pork and mushrooms with delicious results. Thank you!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Amy says
Could you make this in an Instant Pot? And if so, for how long?
Taylor Stinson says
Unfortunately I’ve never tried it! If I had to guess, you can cook the chicken and broth mixture on high pressure for 5 minutes, then shred the chicken, stir in the masa mixture and the cheese.