Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup is a comforting and flavorful recipe that's perfect for the colder months! The savory goodness of tender chicken pairs with tomatoes and a subtle kick of space.
The result is a perfect balance of hearty and wholesome flavor. You'll love this fun take on tacos with all the flavors you know and love in a delicious soup!
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💚 About This Recipe
Looking for a fun way to switch things up on taco night? Try this fantastic fiesta chicken soup, packed with bold and flavorful ingredients!
With veggies, spices, and juicy chicken, this filling taco soup is all you need for a well rounded meal with classic taco flavors.
Similar to my Brazilian Fish Stew, this recipe is extremely flavorful and hearty. Slow cooker chicken taco soup cooks up perfectly in the slow cooker for a ready-to-eat meal that the whole family will love!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- ground beef - homemade meatballs make this fiesta chicken soup so filling and comforting.
- seasonings - I use a combination of salt and black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika (smoked paprika is great if you like a bit of smoky flavor).
- cabbage - makes this soup extra filling and nutritious.
- chicken breast - boneless skinless chicken breasts cook to a perfect tender texture that's perfect for shredding.
- diced tomatoes - adds a bit of sweet acidity to balance out all of the savory ingredients.
- chicken stock - you can also use vegetable stock, but chicken broth is a bit more flavorful.
- toppings - all optional but definitely delicious! I like to top my Mexican style chicken soup with avocado, fresh lime juice and lime wedges, fresh cilantro, sour cream, and some shredded cheese.
🔪 Instructions
- In a mixing bow, combine the ground beef with salt and pepper.
- Shape the ground beef mixture into meatballs. Each should be about 1 tablespoon's worth.
- Slice the cabbage into strips.
- Add the chicken breasts and meatballs to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Pour in the broth and mix in sliced cabbage, all of the remaining seasonings, and diced tomatoes. Cover and cook for 6 to 7 hours on low (or 3 to 4 hours on high).
- Before serving, shred chicken in the crock pot or remove and shred in a separate bowl. Use two forks or a hand mixer to shred. Add the shredded chicken back to the crock pot and ladle soup into bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings.
❔ FAQs
I've found that slow cooking soup allows all of the flavors to really meld together and develop over the cooking time, which leads to a more flavorful and satisfying result!
You can, but be aware that you may need to compensate with some extra seasonings. Or, if you prefer a soup with a bit of a milder flavor, water is a good option instead of the chicken broth.
If you like your broth to be on the thicker side, one option is to make a cornstarch slurry by combining equal parts cornstarch and water and stirring the mixture into the broth. You can also do this with flour.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- If you're careful, you can also shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker to avoid dirtying another bowl. Just be aware that the soup will be super hot!
- You can omit the meatballs if you want a slightly lighter soup.
- Check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F to ensure it's cooked all the way through.
- Before serving, give the soup a little taste. You may need to add more salt and pepper depending on your flavor preferences.
📌 This chicken taco soup is perfect for the winter months but also a fantastic Cinco de Mayo dish or alternative to any Taco Tuesday!
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of the homemade seasoning blend, you can also use a packet of taco seasoning for a quick shortcut.
- For an even more nutritious soup, mix in additional veggies about an hour before the end of cooking time. Good options include corn, drained black beans or pinto beans, chopped bell peppers (green bell pepper is my choice usually), jalapeno peppers, green chilies, or onions.
- Other topping and serving ideas include tortilla strips or fresh warm tortillas, crumbled cotija cheese, and fresh chopped parsley.
- If you prefer darker meat, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of the chicken breasts.
- For a little bit of a spicier soup, add chili powder, red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper.
- You can also use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken. Add an hour or so before the end of cooking time.
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Allow your leftover soup to cool, then transfer to some kind of airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze this soup for several months--just allow it to thaw in the fridge for a while before reheating.
To reheat your fiesta chicken soup, pour it back into a pot over medium heat on the stove and stir every so often. You can also microwave individual portions. This amazing soup is delicious the next day because the flavorful broth really develops all of the flavors as it sits!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
If you're looking to make this soup into an even bigger meal, serve it alongside a Cornbread Casserole or use this Copycat Jiffy Cornbread Mix to make a heart cornbread. You could also whip up a side salad, or make something a little more involved like a Quinoa Chickpea Salad or this Potato and Grilled Corn Salad.
✔️ More Soup Recipes You'll Love
- Easy Chicken Taco Soup - This soup has similar flavors and ingredients but comes together on the stovetop instead.
- Roasted Red Pepper Soup - I love pairing this tasty red pepper soup with a fresh grilled cheese sandwich!
- 4 Ingredient Potato Soup - It doesn't get easier than this hearty, filling potato soup.
- Dutch Oven Beef Guinness Stew - This fantastic recipe from Bowl Me Over results in a flavorful and comforting beef stew with tender protein!
Mexican Style Chicken Soup
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📋 Recipe Card
Hearty Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup
Equipment
- 1 Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- ½ head cabbage
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 cups chicken stock
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
- avocado
- lime
- cilantro
- sour cream
- shredded Mexican cheese
Instructions
- Place the ground beef in a medium bowl, then mix in half of the salt and half of the pepper. Shape it into balls using approximately 1 tablespoon each.1 pound ground beef, 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided, 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- Slice the cabbage into small strips.½ head cabbage
- In the slow cooker, combine the chicken breast, meatballs, diced tomatoes, cabbage, all the seasonings, and the stock.1 pound chicken breasts, 28 ounces diced tomatoes, drained, 8 cups chicken stock, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Cook for 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
- When serving, ladle the soup into bowls and if desired, garnish with sliced avocado, lime juice, cilantro, sour cream, and shredded Mexican cheese.avocado, lime, cilantro, sour cream, shredded Mexican cheese
Notes
- For a shortcut, substitute store-bought taco seasoning instead of the other seasonings.
- Add more veggies such as cut bell peppers, onions, corn, or black beans (drained and rinsed). Don't add these until about 1-2 hours before serving so that they don't become too mushy.
- Once the chicken is cooked through and tender, use two forks to shred it directly in the slow cooker. The meat should easily fall apart.
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed. You may want to add more salt, pepper, or other seasoning to suit your preferences.
- Serve with tortilla chips or warm tortillas on the side for a complete meal.
- Chicken is done cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Isabel says
I love the fun twist in this recipe, so amazing! Tender chicken, rich tomatoes, and just the right amount of spice make it perfect. Best to have on a rainy day.
Kristin King says
Yes, we love to make this on a rainy. chilly day. So glad you enjoyed this!
Therese says
I've been making lasagna soup for years, but then I discovered this recipe for taco soup! I love everything soup, and this one has been such an excellent finding. Love the combination of flavors and toppings.
Kristin King says
So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. I think the toppings are my favorite part, lol!
Max says
We've been having some cooler days recently so I made this soup! It was perfect. Even my son devoured it! And I loved how easy it was. Thank you!
Kristin King says
I agree, this is perfect for those cooler days. So glad to hear that your son liked it as well!
Sasha says
We made this for our taco Tuesday night and it was so flavorful and yummy! Adding it to the weekly rotation. Also loved the cabbage for added veggies too!
Kristin King says
Great idea to have this for taco Tuesday night! 🙂
Vien says
Hubby and I absolutely loved this soup! I’ve made it three times already since finding this recipe. Definitely a keeper!
Kristin King says
So glad you love this recipe. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
paula says
This was sooooo good even my daughter asked for seconds, when usually she takes an hour to eat dinner!
Charah says
I'm so glad that I found this recipe on a weekend, I will try this.Thanks for sharing
Justine says
Perfectly easy and full of flavor! we loved it!
Elisa says
My family loved the combinations of flavors and proteins. Will be in my recipes for weekday dinner. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Dina and Bruce says
Interesting to mix chicken and ground beef. It turned out yummy!