This spicy Mexican chicken soup is a simple one-pot dish that is ready in no time! It is made with healthy ingredients and a special mix of spices, which makes this dish incredibly flavorful and nutritious. Plus, you can easily adjust the heat level of this soup so everyone can enjoy it!
If there is one thing I love on a cold day, it’s a flavorful and warming soup. And this spicy Mexican chicken soup definitely has been a favorite lately. It combines a flavorful tomato-based broth with shredded chicken and vegetables. Plus, it is super easy to make, which makes it perfect for preparing a quick and delicious weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
To make this super easy Mexican chicken soup, you’ll need following ingredients:
- Chicken breast: The chicken breast is used to make shredded chicken for the soup. Alternatively, you can use rotisserie chicken and add it to the soup.
- Vegetables: Black beans, corn, and red bell pepper are used for this Mexican chicken soup.
- Aromatics: Ginger, onion, and chile pepper make this soup extra flavorful. I used serrano peppers to prepare this spicy Mexican chicken soup, but you can absolutely use something milder, like jalapeño peppers. Or just skip the chile pepper completely.
- Liquids: The broth for this soup is made with chicken broth and tomato passata. I like to use tomato passata as I find it richer in flavor, but you can use a can of diced tomatoes if that’s what you prefer.
- Spices: The spices are super important for making this soup! Chili powder, paprika powder, ground cumin, and curry powder make this spicy Mexican chicken soup super flavorful and delish.
- Toppings: This is where you can be creative! You could add avocado dices, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, or tortilla chips to the soup. I also love to serve it with lime wedges as they add some acidity to the soup.
How to make this easy Mexican chicken soup
I told you that this is a super simple and fuss-free recipe, and it absolutely is! Just follow these easy steps:
- Sauté the aromatics. Preheat olive oil or avocado oil in a pot over medium heat. Then, sauté the garlic, onion, and chile pepper until the onion is translucent.
- Simmer. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and let everything simmer for 25 minutes.
- Shred the chicken. Take out the chicken and shred it using two forks. Then, add it back to the soup.
- Add toppings and serve. Check if you want to add more spices and serve with your favorite toppings and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Modifications
This Mexican chicken soup recipe can easily be modified to make it fit your taste and preferences.
- Make it spicier: If you want this Mexican chicken soup to be spicier, use serrano peppers instead of jalapeño peppers and add some cayenne pepper.
- Make it less spicy: Simply go with the jalapeño pepper or skip it completely. You can also use less chili powder, just use as much as you need. Additionally, you can serve the soup with lime wedges, which helps to reduce the heat, too.
Serving this Spicy Mexican Chicken Soup
Besides adding delicious toppings to your Mexican chicken soup, you can serve it with your favorite sides to make it more satiating. Here are some of my recommendations:
- Bread: Soup and bread simply belong together, and the same is true for this spicy Mexican chicken soup. Simply serve your favorite type of bread with the soup.
- Tortillas: Tortillas are another favorite side for this easy Mexican chicken soup! They taste great and are a perfect match for this soup.
- Rice: Most of the time I go with the first two options, but rice actually tastes great with this soup. So if you love serving rice with a more classic beef chili, then you’ll probably love rice with this soup, too!
Storage tips
The great thing about soup is that you can make a large pot of soup and freeze part of it for meal prep. So I recommend making a few extra servings of this super easy Mexican chicken soup and storing it in your refrigerator or freezer.
- Freezer: Add the soup to a freezer-safe container and store it in your freezer for 2-3 months.
- Refrigerator: Alternatively, store the soup in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More delicious soup and stew recipes
If you love soups and stews as much as I do, try one of these recipes. They are all super delish, easy to prepare, and simply amazing!
- Best White Bean Chicken Chili
- Easy Lasagna Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Homemade Chicken Soup
- Easy Beef Chili
Spicy Mexican Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper or serrano pepper minced
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 15 ounce-can black beans
- 1 15 ounce-can corn
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups tomato passata
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- toppings, e.g. fresh cilantro, avocado, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, lime wedges for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Then, sauté the onion, garlic and jalapeño pepper until the onion is translucent.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot and let the soup simmer for 25 minutes.
- Next, take the chicken breast out of the pot and shred it using two forks. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot.
- Add more spices if needed. Serve with your favorite toppings and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make it less spicy: I think that most people should be fine with using a jalapeño pepper and the spices as stated in the recipe. But, if you don't like spicy foods, feel free to skip the jalapeño pepper and add the chili powder to taste. Additionally, you can serve the soup with lime wedges, which helps to reduce the heat.
- Make it spicier: If you love spicy foods, I recommend using serrano pepper instead of jalapeño pepper. After the soup has cooked, you can add cayenne pepper and/or more chili powder to make the soup even spicier.
JoAnn
Are you draining the canned veggies before adding them or not? Can this be adapted to the Instant Pot?
Beri
Yes, always drain canned veggies before using them. 😊 And it probably can be adapted to the Instant Pot, but I don't own one currently. So I can't give you directions for making the soup in an Instant Pot. But making it in a regular pot is very simple, I recommend trying it! 😊
Lorainna
I used frozen corn, and I did rinse the black beans. I was really pleased with how the soup turned out. I also used leftover spicy chicken from the Tamales I made yesterday. It was delicious and the family enjoyed it too.
Beri
I'm happy to hear that your family enjoyed the soup! 😊