This chicken enchilada soup tastes like a bowlful of your favorite green-chili enchiladas but cooks on the stovetop in under an hour. Creamy masa thickens the broth while shredded chicken, Cheddar, and mild spices create a quick and easy soup perfect for busy nights.
Table of contents
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy6
15
minutes40
minutes55
minutes350
kcal55
minutesA creamy, chili-kissed soup that delivers all the flavor of chicken enchiladas in spoonable form — ready in about 55 minutes.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 quart chicken broth
3 cups water, divided
1 cup masa harina
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup red enchilada sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Optional: 1 can Rotel tomatoes, 1 cup black beans
Toppings: diced avocado, sour cream, extra cheese
Directions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, add chicken, and brown 4–5 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken; sauté onion and garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and stir, scraping up browned bits.
- Whisk masa harina with 2 cups water until smooth; add to pot.
- Stir in Cheddar, enchilada sauce, remaining 1 cup water, salt, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Shred browned chicken, return to soup, and add optional beans or Rotel.
- Reduce heat; simmer 30–40 minutes until thick and creamy. Ladle into bowls and add toppings.
Notes
- Crockpot variation: After step 2, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours.
What You’ll Need
Gather these staples before you start simmering:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups water, divided
- 1 cup masa harina (corn flour for tortillas)
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- Salt, chili powder, ground cumin
- Optional mix-ins: 1 can Rotel tomatoes, 1 cup black beans
- Toppings: diced avocado, sour cream, extra cheese
- Large heavy pot or Dutch oven
- Whisk and wooden spoon
Detailed Cooking Instructions
Time needed: 55 minutes
Stovetop chicken enchilada soup thickened with masa and packed with shredded chicken and cheese.
- Brown chicken
Heat oil in a large pot, add chicken breasts, and brown 4–5 minutes per side.
- Sauté aromatics
Remove chicken, then cook onion and garlic until soft.
- Add broth
Pour in chicken broth and stir to loosen browned bits.
- Whisk masa
Blend masa harina with 2 cups water until smooth; pour into pot.
- Season u0026 cheese
Stir in cheese, enchilada sauce, remaining water, salt, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil.
- Shred chicken
Shred browned chicken and return to soup with beans or Rotel if using.
- Simmer u0026 serve
Reduce heat; simmer 30–40 minutes until thick. Ladle into bowls and add toppings.
Tips & Tricks
- Shortcut: Use rotisserie chicken and drop the simmer time to 20 minutes for a soup quick and easy weeknight meal.
- Thicker broth: Add an extra tablespoon of masa harina if you prefer a chowder-like texture.
- Spice level: Swap in green enchilada sauce or diced green chiles for a creamy green chili chicken enchilada soup variation.
- Slow cooker option: Combine everything in a crockpot and cook on LOW 6–7 hours for effortless all day soup recipes.
- Leftovers: Reheat gently on the stovetop; thin with a splash of chicken broth if the soup becomes too thick.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The core ingredients are chicken, chicken broth, masa harina for thickness, enchilada sauce, Cheddar cheese, onion, garlic, and mild spices. Extras like black beans, diced tomatoes, or corn add more texture.
Many cooks say masa harina is the hidden hero; it thickens the broth and gives authentic corn-tortilla flavor without adding actual tortillas.
The soup is protein-rich and can be lower in fat if you use light cheese and skip heavy toppings. It also packs fiber when you add black beans or tomatoes.
Chop leftover enchiladas, add them to hot chicken broth, and simmer with extra enchilada sauce and cheese. The tortillas dissolve, thickening the broth much like masa.
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