Chicken Taco Soup
This easy chicken taco soup recipe is everything you want in a weeknight dinner and combines all the flavors of taco night in a comforting, cozy format. 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.
Flavorful tacos x cozy soup. 🌮🍲
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.
It’s definitely the coziest way to enjoy the taco flavors we all know and love. It’s…
🌮 Rich and delicious flavors: Bold taco seasonings with tender chicken, beans, and corn in a satisfying broth.
🥗 Light but satisfying: Hearty enough to fill you up without feeling heavy or overly rich.
💪 Great source of protein: Packed with chicken and beans for a nutritious, energizing meal.
🌾 Great source of fiber: Beans and vegetables provide filling fiber that keeps you satisfied longer.
🥫 Made with simple ingredients: Uses pantry staples for quick, convenient weeknight cooking.
⏰ Just 10 minutes prep time: Minimal chopping and measuring gets dinner started in no time.
🍲 Just 40 minutes cook time: One pot and fast cooking create a complete meal faster than takeout.
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.
So simple to make, and very tasty!!
–Cathie
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this one-pot taco soup to the table: oil, onion, chicken breast tenders, taco seasoning, marinara sauce, chicken broth, black beans, and frozen corn.
- 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.
- 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.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: Don’t skip the fresh toppings! The garnishes add the best fresh flavor and brightness to the soup.
- Shortcuts: Buy pre-shredded rotisserie chicken so you can skip out on cutting and cooking the chicken.
- Feeding kids without pressure: 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. 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.
- Variations: Add bell peppers or jalapeños, swap pinto beans for black beans, or make it creamy with cream cheese.
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 chicken taco soup is loaded with flavor and ready in 40 minutes! A hearty one-pot meal with tender chicken, beans, and taco seasonings.
Ingredients
Soup:
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 medium 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
- Storage: Store this easy taco soup recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
- Ingredient notes: Rotisserie chicken saves significant time, but any cooked leftover chicken works perfectly.
- Prep ahead: Make the full soup up to 2 days ahead and reheat when ready to serve for even better flavor.
- Helpful tools: A large pot or Dutch oven works best for cooking everything together comfortably.
- Serve with: Fresh toppings, cornbread, quesadillas, tortilla chips, or warm flour tortillas for a complete Mexican-inspired meal.
- Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out Everyday Weeknight Dinners for everything you need to simplify mealtimes.
Serving Suggestions
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
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.
More Easy Soup Recipes
If you like this easy chicken taco soup recipe, you might also like some of these other easy soup recipes:
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
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!