Easy Chicken Taco Soup Recipe
This easy chicken taco soup recipe is everything you want in a weeknight dinner. It’s flavorful, it’s filling, it’s easy to make, it’s nutritious, and it’s most definitely delicious. Made with my favorite top-secret (not really) soup ingredient – marinara sauce! The sauce imparts major flavor in a minimal amount of time, which helps this easy recipe come together in less than 45 minutes, making it a great meal for busy weeknights. It also gives the soup a great texture, I use marinara in all of my soups now, I love it so much.
If you love taco night as much as we do, be sure to try my turkey taco skillet, taco salad, shredded chicken nachos, or walking taco casserole next time.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
What You’ll Love About Chicken Taco Soup
- Rich and delicious flavors
- Light but satisfying
- Great source of protein
- Great source of fiber
- Made with simple ingredients
- Just 10 minutes prep time
- Just 30 minutes cook time
Ingredients
- Onion – I’ve used a white onion, but you could use a yellow onion or even a red onion if you prefer.
- Oil – Use a vegetable oil like avocado, canola, or olive oil.
- Chicken – I’ve used chicken breast tenders as an easy shortcut since we’re cutting them into small pieces. The tenders are already cut a bit which can help. You could also use regular chicken breasts
or boneless chicken thighs if you prefer. If you have some rotisserie chicken, slow cooker salsa chicken, or sous vide shredded chicken, you could also stir that in with the beans and corn. - Spices – Taco seasoning, sea salt, black pepper. You could also make your own taco seasoning blend if you prefer.
- Marinara sauce – Yes, we’re putting marinara in this taco chicken soup recipe. Look for a very basic/plain marinara and not any with basil or heavy Italian flavors. I love the texture this gives the soup, but if you prefer, you could also use tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, or fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Chicken broth – You can use chicken broth, bone broth, or even vegetable broth. If you want to use low sodium chicken broth, you may need to season with some extra salt.
- Black beans – We love black beans, but you could also use pinto beans or chili beans, they should all be rinsed before using.
- Corn – I’ve used frozen sweet corn for an easy shortcut, but you could also use fresh if you have it or canned whole kernel corn.
- Extras – If you want to add in even more to this soup, try green chilis,
- Toppings – Green onions, cheddar cheese, lime wedges, cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips or tortilla strips
How to Make Taco Chicken Soup
This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
- Prep ingredients. Dice the onion and cut the chicken into small, bite-size pieces, about 1″ long.
- Simmer soup. Pour in marinara sauce and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Add beans and corn. Stir in beans and corn and lower heat to a simmer.
- Serve taco soup. Prep toppings while soup is cooking. Ladle soup into a bowl and serve with your favorite toppings.
FAQs
I know marinara sauce in a Mexican flavored soup sounds odd, but it’s a delicious way to easily add a deep flavor, without spending hours to let it simmer and let the flavors come together. Once I started doing this, I never looked back and I also discovered that I prefer the texture of the marinara over diced tomatoes as well. Give it a try! Just be sure to use a plain marinara and nothing too flavored.
Yes, it’s easy to make this a creamy chicken taco soup. When the soup is done cooking, turn off the heat and stir in 1/2-1 cup of heavy cream. Start with a 1/2 cup and then add more if desired.
Storage
Store this easy taco soup recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
How to reheat
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
Can you freeze this soup?
You can also freeze this Mexican chicken soup for 2-3 months. Store in a freezer container like souper cubes or a glass container. Thaw overnight, and reheat in the microwave or stovetop until hot.
How to prep ahead
Dice the onions a day or two in advance for quicker prep!
What to Serve with Chicken Taco Soup
I love to serve this simple chicken taco soup recipe with a ton of toppings! Any type of taco toppings work, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Tortilla chips
- Chopped cilantro
- Hot sauce or salsa
- Sliced jalapenos
- Lime wedges or fresh lime juice
- Diced bell peppers
- Diced onion
- Diced avocado
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar or Mexican-style cheese
- Quesadillas – Try ground beef, shrimp, steak, or chicken fajita quesadillas
How to Serve Healthy Taco Soup to Kids
I would recommend serving the soup in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) if it’s a new or “learning-to-like it food.” Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter if they don’t do tortilla chips or tortillas.
PRO TIP: Soup can be tough for young children, so serve up the bowl of soup with less broth so it’s thicker and chunkier and easier to keep on a spoon.
More Easy Soup Recipes
If you like this easy chicken taco soup recipe, you might also like some of these other easy soup recipes:
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Dumpling Soup
- Protein-Boosted Pastina
- 8-Veggie Minestrone Soup
- Creamy Chicken Ramen
Our Favorite Chicken Taco Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy chicken taco soup recipe is everything I look for in a weeknight dinner. It’s flavorful, filling, easy, nutritious, and delicious.
Ingredients
Soup:
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 lb. chicken breast tenders
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
- 24 oz. marinara sauce (not Italian or basil)
- 4 cups chicken broth (or bone broth or vegetable broth)
- 1 15–oz. can black beans (rinsed)
- 2 cups frozen corn
Toppings:
- sliced green onions
- shredded cheddar cheese
- lime wedges
- fresh cilantro
- diced avocado
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Prep ingredients:
Dice onion.
Cut chicken into 1″ pieces. - Heat oil in soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan, saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken to pot, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in taco seasoning and stir to coat the chicken.
- Pour marinara sauce and chicken broth into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Stir in black beans and frozen corn and lower heat to low and gentle simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, prep toppings: slice green onions, cut lime into wedges, chop cilantro, dice avocado, shred cheese.
- Serve soup with toppings as desired.
Notes
- Estimated nutrition facts do not include toppings.
- Get your kids involved! They can: measure corn, arrange toppings on a platter.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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We love tacos (who doesn’t!) but this was a fun way to switch up our weekly taco meal!
So simple to make, and very tasty!!
Thanks Cathie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!