Easy Mexican Chicken Soup in the Slow Cooker

mexican chicken soup-1

I made this recipe for my family two weeks ago and, silly me, figured that by doubling it, there would be enough leftover the following day that I’d be able to photograph it for a recipe post. You know, because I’m neurotic and will only make lovey dovey food pictures in the light of day,

when everyone can see my crazy in plain sight.

mexican chicken soup-3

The next morning I set up my small, make-shift food photography studio by the window in the living room, only to open the refrigerator to find—surprise! There were no leftovers.

I took it as a sign.

The soup was that good.

[or everyone threw the rest in the garbage, but let’s pretend.]

mexican chicken soup-5

This is a twist on tradition. A bolder, zestier chicken soup that can satisfy a craving for comfort food and Mexican at the same time.

mexican chicken soup-4

There’s so little effort required in throwing it together, and better yet—you probably have all of the ingredients on hand already.

It also justifies the use of an excessive toppings bar, with bowls of shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and hot sauce. And that alone is reason enough to make a meal.

mexican chicken soup-2

Easy Mexican Chicken Soup in the Slow Cooker

A delicious and easy chicken soup recipe
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time6 hours 40 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: mexican chicken soup recipe, slow cooker chicken soup recipe, slow cooker Mexican soup recipe
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 365kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 30 ounces canned Great Northern beans (white beans), drained and rinsed. 2 cans.

Instructions

  • Scatter the onion and garlic about the base of your slow cooker. Arrange the chicken breasts evenly over the top.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the chicken broth, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, chili powder, and salt. Pour over the chicken. Cook on low for about 6 hours.
  • Remove the lid and shred the chicken using two forks and pulling against the grain of the meat. Stir in beans. Add more broth or a little water if you think that the soup is too thick for your liking, and then return the lid to cover. Continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes to allow the beans to warm.
  • Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and an additional dusting of smoked paprika.

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 4g | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 1g
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65 thoughts on “Easy Mexican Chicken Soup in the Slow Cooker

  1. Amy

    This recipe looks great! Could you tell me if the nutrition information includes the cheese, sour cream, etc. Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Emma

      it will depend on what cheese you use, so it’s probably easier to just look up the calorie count the day you make it!

      I agree, it looks awesome! I get huge mexican cravings and this will definitely be an easy fix!

      Reply
    2. admin

      Hey Amy,

      Sorry, I should have been more clear. No, the nutrition information does not include toppings—it only includes the exact ingredient list above. Thanks for asking!

      Andie

      Reply
  2. Olivia

    I LOVE the idea of adding cumin to a mexican dish! I bet it adds the best flavor. Can’t wait to go buy my own TJ Cumin and try out this recipe. :)

    Reply
  3. andrea @ my kinda perfect

    that sounds sooo good! i love mexican flavors like cumin and cilantro — this will be a must try recipe! i’ve seen a lot of mexican soup recipes — but so many contain lots of canned items, which makes me afraid of the sodium content…but this recipe is fabulous!

    i actually made a delicious soup the other night and had enough for lunches the rest of the week. it’s called brazilian shrimp soup…i altered the recipe by replacing rice with quinoa and it turned out awesome. i love making healthy and yummy recipes. (here’s my blog post about it: http://www.mykindaperfect.com/2013/01/a-pinspired-recipe.html)

    Reply
    1. admin

      Andrea, that soup sounds fantastic, but…I just checked out your post and there were so many delicious things happening that I couldn’t focus. Nutella bread?!

      Come over.

      Andie

      Reply
  4. Cinnamon Vogue

    I like that you added the Oregano which has a ORAC value of 175,295 µmol TE/100 ml. That makes it one of the best anti-oxidants in the world at number 4, even ahead of Cinnamon. While many Trader Joe’s products are great I am not sure their spices are great. I find, like their Tea which is just terrible, their herbs and spices are nothing special. You get a better quality of spices at your local Indian store, often at a much cheaper price.

    Reply
    1. admin

      I can always count on you to know these things, my friend. And I thank you for it. I’ve been thinking about going out and replacing lots of my spices, as some of them have been in my cabinet for a loooooong time and I doubt their potency at this point.

      Andie

      Reply
      1. Cinnamon Vogue

        The problem is these spices are so expensive Andie. The Chinese stores are also a great place to buy spices. I used to do a lot of shopping for one of my businesses. (I used to cook for a lot of kids and wanted fresh and tasty as possible but also had to watch my costs very carefully). The best way was to take photos with the cell phone so I could compare prices and quality.

        Reply
  5. Emily

    I read this post this morning, realized I had all the ingredients, and it’s cooking away in my slow cooker right now!

    I do have to cook it for 8 hours instead of 6 due to my work schedule, so hopefully that won’t mess with it at all!

    Reply
    1. admin

      Should be fine for 8 hours–in fact, I bet yours will be even better after having cooked a bit longer. Hope you like it as much as I do, Emily!

      Andie

      Reply
      1. Emily

        I just finished eating it – it was great! I needed to add more broth after cooking it an extra couple hours, but the chicken (which I was worried about drying out) was great!

        Reply
  6. Misti

    This sounds so good! A question… We’re not big fans of beans around here… if you were to make it with noodles, would you just cook those separately & add when you serve?

    Reply
    1. admin

      Hey Misti,
      Thanks! Yes, I’d cook noodles separately and then add them in just before serving, otherwise they’d absorb too much of the broth if they were cooked in the soup itself. Good question, though, and I’m sure they’d be a great addition!

      Andie

      Reply
      1. Laura

        I like to cook the noodles seperately, and when the soup is ready I’ll put noodles in my bowl then spoon the soup over them.

        I find that if I add them into the soup, even at the end, they soak up all the broth overnight. Assuming you have leftovers :)

        Reply
  7. Laura

    Hi Andie,

    I’m fairly new to “internet things” and my new obsession is Pintrest. I’ve noticed other blogs that have a pinning icon at the bottom of their recipes, but you don’t. Is this because you’d rather not be pinned, or is there just another way to do it?

    Reply
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  9. Penny

    What’s not to love about all of these ingredients. And I love it when I can pull out my slow cooker. Thanks Andie. I just found your blog and I am really enjoying it.

    Reply
  10. RBee

    Thanks for this recipe; I’m a major soup lover. I made it yesterday and it was delicious! Since I rarely buy canned beans, but was lucky enough to have a bag of dry northern beans on hand, I poured 1/2-3/4 of the beans into the mix and cooked it all together for the 6 hrs. The beans were perfectly soft by the time the crockpot went off. Served with sour cream, this soup hits the spot!

    Reply
  11. Lynn

    This sounds so good and I already have all the ingredients. My sister is coming to visit in a few days and will arrive later in the evening. This will be perfect for something warm and delicious when she gets in.

    Reply
  12. Mandi

    This soup looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! It says that it makes 6 servings. Do you have an approximate size for a serving? Is it a cup? Thanks for the recipe. I’ll be making it soon!

    Reply
  13. Roberta

    Hi, I tried the recipe tonight and even after doubling the amount of stock there wasn’t a lot of liquid left in the end. 2 cups doesn’t seem like much broth for a soup that serves 6. Was there something else to be added?

    Reply
  14. Roberta

    Looks like I should have done some homework before posting! I noticed a lot of comments for slow cooker recipes say to use less liquid since it doesn’t evaporate but my slow cooker does evaporate the liquid and burns recipes so that’s why I questioned the ingredients. After looking into this, I know now that it’s a common problem with the newer programable crock pots, even on the low setting. Any suggestions on a slower cooker that doesn’t do this? The reviews seem to be mixed online. Thanks!

    Reply
    1. admin

      Roberta,
      I’m sorry. It was my mistake in the recipe writing, or the typing up of the recipe I should say. I do apologize and I hope that your dinner wasn’t a total bust because of it. I just edited the recipe to call for 4 cups of broth. Also, yes, I see in your comment below that you don’t need as much liquid as you might think because none of it should evaporate/burn off–which is true, and I should also note that I’ve generally found that the long cooking time with slow cookers tends to yield a lot of juice from the chicken as well.

      Again, still a mistake on my part for not calling for more broth. I appreciate you writing me to let me know so that I could edit it for others!

      Andie

      Reply
      1. Roberta

        Luckily I noticed the situation before too much liquid had evaporated. I had some left over canned tomatoes in the fridge so I added those to increase the fluid without watering down the flavor. Seems to have done the trick and I’m looking forward to having some for lunch. Thanks Andie!

        P.S. I’m really enjoying reading your posts and trying some recipes. :-)

        Reply
  15. Amie

    Making a big batch of this Monday night! Can’t wait! Its got me googling all sorts of recipes I can use with the leftovers.

    Reply
  16. Lanise

    I just came across your website yesterday thru Pinterest. When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. It is absolutely fabulous. Keep the healthy, simple recipes coming. I plan to try many more of your recipes. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  17. Katie

    Have this going in the crockpot now! love your recipes and website, I relate so much to your weight loss journey so wanted to say thanks! I just hit my 100 pound weight loss on Friday!!!

    Reply
  18. Jamje

    A great place in Seattle for inexpensive spices is World Spice Merchants on Western down from the Market. They are cash only & I’ve been buying my spices there exclusively for the past two years!

    Reply
  19. Jaclyn

    The smell wafting through my kitchen at the moment is THIS soup in my crock pot! Making it for two little girls who are sick with winter colds…can’t wait. Per my usual absent-minded cooking attempts, I was out of paprika and oregano, so I used Mrs. Dash. I’m sure it will be delicious. :)

    Reply
  20. Christy

    Tasty…although I do think spices make a difference and mine weren’t strong enough. I also used frozen chicken breasts (4) to help with the overcooking factor and it helps a lot to have the chicken just right by the end of the 6 hours. Still plenty cooked but not over cooked. Thanks for the tasty recipe! Yum!!

    Reply
  21. Twyla

    Thanks so much for this delicious recipe. I made it today but I added green chili to it. It’s amazing. All three of my kids are scarfing it down with no complaints!

    Reply
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  23. Kristin

    Hi Andie! I’m not sure what I did wrong, but mine didn’t turn out great. I read the recipe again and couldn’t find anything I did wrong. I even doubled and tripled the spices and this soup tasted pretty bland to me. Everything else I have made of yours has always been fantastic. Could it be lacking flavor because I used a low-sodium broth?

    Reply
  24. Katie G

    I missed this one! I have every ingredient at home except the beans. Picking them up on the way home. MUST. MAKE. THIS. SOUP.

    Reply
  25. Elaine

    This was really delicious. We did add more spices to suit our tastes though. Loved it served with a dollop of salsa and some cheddar cheese – plenty for two meals. Thanks so much for this recipe. We will do this again!!!

    Reply
  26. Shelby

    This was such a easy but yummy supper! I ended up adding some Cholula hot sauce to my serving for some more zip though (I love spicy!). It was nice to come home from work today to the wonderful smell of this soup. :) I’ll be making it again for sure!

    Reply
  27. Rachel

    I put this in the crockpot yesterday before I left for work ad it was delicious! I followed your recipe except I used bone in chicken thighs (free range, veg fed…..you get the idea) and left out the chicken broth using only water. I cut the bones which allows the marrow to cook and creates its own broth.
    My family discovered Marrow broth after my Mom was diagnosed with cancer. My grandma adds all parts of the chicken if she used a whole chicken but that grosses me out so I just use the bones. Its a very health alternative to using premade chicken stock.
    I normally will let the chicken and bones cook for a good 24 hours and then strain and freeze…that way I have the stock when a recipe calls for it.

    Reply
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