I’m so excited to share my Chicken Enchilada Soup with you! This soup is creamy, cheesy, and full of cozy Mexican flavors. It is easy to make on the stove or in the slow cooker and works great with fresh chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken. Perfect for weeknight dinners and for freezing into convenient meal portions.
Level: Easy
Total Time: 45 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: about 11 cups (about 8 servings)
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American / Mexican inspired
I started making this Chicken Enchilada Soup when I wanted a warm, satisfying meal that tastes like enchiladas but is faster and easier to eat from a bowl. It combines sautéed onions and peppers, enchilada sauce and tomatoes, beans, corn, tender shredded chicken, and melty cheese to create a rich, comforting broth. The cream cheese in the pot gives the soup a silky texture while shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack add that classic enchilada cheesiness.
This recipe is flexible. You can use chicken breasts, thighs, or leftover rotisserie chicken. You can make it in a big pot on the stovetop or let it cook slowly in a Crock Pot. I explain both ways below so you can pick what fits your day.
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Soup
This soup builds flavor step by step so each spoonful tastes layered and complete:
• Sauté onion, jalapeño, and garlic in butter and oil until soft.
• Add enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes with chiles, spices, beans, corn, broth, and raw chicken.
• Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, then shred it with forks.
• Stir in softened cream cheese and shredded cheeses until melted and creamy.
• Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Seasonings
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional, add less for mild)
Soup
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (optional for heat)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 oz red enchilada sauce (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 10 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
• 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz canned whole kernel corn, drained (or 1 1/4 cups frozen)
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, optional
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, or 2 small (or 2 cups cooked shredded chicken)
• 4 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or extra cheddar)
Optional garnishes
• Fresh cilantro
• Sliced avocado
• Tortilla chips or strips
• Lime wedges
• Extra shredded cheese
• Sour cream
Directions
Stovetop method (my go to)
- Prep seasonings and cheese: Combine the dry seasonings in a small bowl and set aside. Let the cream cheese sit on the counter to soften. Shred the cheddar and Monterey Jack from blocks for best melting and flavor.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat the butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and jalapeño and cook 4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Add liquids, veggies, and chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot along with the enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes with chiles, black beans, corn, hot sauce if using, chicken broth, and the mixed dry seasonings.
- Simmer until chicken is cooked: Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat so it barely simmers. Cook about 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and tender. Avoid a rapid boil to keep the chicken juicy.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- Add cheeses: Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the softened cream cheese until it melts into the broth. Add the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack and stir until the soup is smooth and cheese is melted. Taste and add salt, pepper, or extra cayenne if you want more heat.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with avocado, extra cheese, cilantro, tortilla chips, and a squeeze of lime if you like.
Crock Pot method
- Place all ingredients except the cream cheese, shredded cheeses, corn, and black beans into the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6 hours. Turn off the cooker, remove and shred the chicken, then add back the corn and black beans.
- Gradually stir in the softened cream cheese and then the shredded cheeses until combined and smooth. Keep warm until serving.
Process Details
• Softening the cream cheese: If your cream cheese is cold, it can be hard to melt and can clump. Cubing it and letting it sit at room temperature helps. A quick trick is to place the cubed cream cheese in a small bowl covered and warm it in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to soften.
• Why shred instead of dice chicken: Shredded chicken soaks up the soup flavors and gives a nicer texture in spoons full of soup.
• Shredded cheese from a block: Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that can prevent smooth melting. Shredding from a block melts cleaner and tastes fresher.
• Avoiding grainy dairy: Keep the pot at low heat when adding cream cheese and shredded cheese so the dairy melts gently and stays silky. If the soup is too hot, the dairy can separate and become grainy.
• Using enchilada sauce: Enchilada sauce gives a deep tomato and chili flavor. If you do not have enchilada sauce, a plain tomato sauce plus a teaspoon or two of chili powder will work, but the taste will be slightly different.
Tips for Success
• I like using rotisserie chicken to save time. If I use cooked chicken, I add it later so it does not dry out.
• If you want more spice, add a little cayenne or use a spicy enchilada sauce. Start small and taste as you go.
• For extra richness, stir in a splash of heavy cream at the end. For a lighter option, use Greek yogurt off the heat instead of some cream cheese.
• To soften cream cheese quickly without a microwave, place the cubed cream cheese into a sealed bowl and submerge that bowl in warm water for 5 minutes.
• If you plan to freeze some, let the soup cool and leave out the cream cheese. Add the cream cheese when reheating so the texture stays best.
Serving Ideas
• Serve with warm corn or flour tortillas or with crusty bread for dipping.
• Top each bowl with sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, and shredded cheese.
• Offer lime wedges and hot sauce at the table so people can adjust the brightness and heat.
• Use leftovers as a filling to make quick enchiladas. Drain some of the liquid and roll the mixture into tortillas, top with cheese, and bake briefly.
Storage & Freezing
• Refrigerator: Cool the soup to room temperature, place in airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Freezing: This soup freezes well. For best texture, freeze without the cream cheese. Freeze in airtight, freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly, then stir in the softened cream cheese and shredded cheeses to finish.
Nutrition Info (Approximate per 1 cup serving)
• Calories: ~242 kcal
• Carbohydrates: ~23 g
• Protein: ~13 g
• Fat: ~12 g
• Saturated Fat: ~6 g
• Sodium: ~700 mg
These are estimates and will vary with exact ingredient brands and portion sizes.
My Chicken Enchilada Soup is a cozy, family-friendly meal that tastes like a warm bowl of enchiladas. It is flexible, simple to make, and great for leftovers or freezing. I hope you enjoy how the cheesy, spicy, and savory flavors come together in this one pot. Give it a try and personalize it with your favorite toppings. Once you taste it, I think this will become a go to recipe for chilly nights.
