dinner recipes

Easy Chicken Taco Soup Recipe

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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.

bowl of chicken taco soup

Estimated reading time: 9 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
Close up of chicken taco soup with toppings

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.
  • SpicesTaco 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
Ingredients to make chicken taco soup recipe

How to Make Taco Chicken Soup

This is an overview on how to make this delicious soup, 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.
Cook chicken. Heat oil in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Stir in taco seasoning and coat chicken.
Chicken cooking in taco seasoning
Simmer soup. Pour in marinara sauce and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Pot of soup with marinara sauce and soup
Add beans and corn. Stir in beans and corn and lower heat to a simmer.
Pot of chicken taco soup with corn and beans
Serve taco soup. Prep toppings while soup is cooking. Ladle soup into a bowl and serve with your favorite toppings.
Bowl of taco chicken soup with fresh toppings

FAQs

Why do you add marinara to chicken taco soup?

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.

Can I make this a creamy chicken taco soup?

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 Instructions

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.

landscape photo of taco soup with fresh toppings

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:

  • Shredded cheddar or Mexican-style cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Diced avocado
  • Diced onion
  • Diced bell peppers
  • Lime wedges or fresh lime juice
  • Sliced jalapenos
  • Hot sauce or salsa
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Tortilla chips
  • Quesadillas – Try ground beef, shrimp, steak, or chicken fajita quesadillas

How to Feed Chicken Taco Soup Recipe to the Whole Family

I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in.

I would recommend serving the healthy chicken taco 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.

Want More?

Follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.

Bowl of chicken taco soup with avocado, lime, and cilantro

More Easy Soup Recipes

If you like this easy chicken taco soup recipe, you might also like some of these other easy soup recipes:

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landscape photo of taco soup with fresh toppings

Our Favorite Chicken Taco Soup Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Emily Dingmann for myeverydaytable.com
  • 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

Units Scale

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 15oz. can black beans (rinsed)
  • 2 cups frozen corn

Toppings:

  • sliced green onions
  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • lime wedges
  • fresh cilantro
  • diced avocado
  • tortilla chips

Instructions

  1. Prep ingredients:
    Dice onion.
    Cut chicken into 1″ pieces.
  2. Heat oil in soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan, saute for 2-3 minutes.
  3. 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.
    Chicken cooking in taco seasoning
  4. Pour marinara sauce and chicken broth into the pot and bring to a boil.
    Pot of soup with marinara sauce and soup
  5. Stir in black beans and frozen corn and lower heat to low and gentle simmer for 20 minutes.
    Pot of chicken taco soup with corn and beans
  6. While the soup is simmering, prep toppings: slice green onions, cut lime into wedges, chop cilantro, dice avocado, shred cheese.
  7. Serve soup with toppings as desired.
    Bowl of taco chicken soup with fresh toppings


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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