How To Make The Best Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup

Packed with flavor, this Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup is not only crazy delicious; it’s super easy to make and can be made in under an hour! Choose from 3 different cooking methods so that you can build it around your day, rather than forming your day around dinner.

This post was originally published on December 15, 2018, and has been updated with fresh content and images, plus we’ve added a video!

Welcome to your ultimate guide to making the most delicious Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup. We’ve got three different cooking methods so that you can choose what fits into your day better: Instant pot, slow cooker or stove top!

All methods are super easy and going to give you a Keto Chicken Taco Soup that is packed with flavour. I just love this soup and hope that you do too!

Ingredients

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – You can buy these with the bone in and skin on to save a few bucks (like I always do unless boneless is on sale), and remove the bone and skin yourself! Never done it before? Check out this video to learn how.

Bone Stock or Chicken Broth – Yes, you can buy chicken broth from the store, but if you have time, make your own! Check out this How to Make Bone Stock post or use your Instant Pot to make some Instant Pot Chicken Broth! Another excellent way to get some flavourful juice into this Low Carb Chicken Taco Soup? Use the leftover juices from these Instant Pot Pork Carnitas.. omg SO TASTY!

Toppings – tex mex shredded cheese, avocado, raw diced tomatoes, green onion, sour cream, raw diced peppers and/or cilantro.

How to make Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Strips

There are a couple of ways to get the ‘tortilla’ part of this Keto Tortilla Soup. They can be made whenever you have a free minute while making the soup.

Strips from Tortillas

Use Almond Flour Tortillas or store bought low carb tortillas. Brush them with oil, add a sprinkle of sea salt and then slice them into strips.

Arrange them evenly on a baking sheet and then bake at 350° until crisp, about 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway.

Cheese Tortilla Strips

Heat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with a non stick baking mat or parchment paper. Place 1/4 cup shredded tex mex or cheddar cheese in a low raised mound on one side of the baking sheet and a second 1/4 cup mound on the other.

Bake for 8 – 10 minutes in the preheated oven. You want them to look super crispy otherwise they will be soggy once cooled. Remove right away from the pan and place on paper towel to cool for a just a minute or two, then slice them into long strips before. They will get crispy as they cool.

Stove Top

Heat a soup pot on medium high with a tbsp of oil. Peel and mince the garlic or press it through a garlic press. Combine with the remaining rub ingredients and then massage it into the chicken.

Sear the chicken breasts in the hot oil, both sides, then remove from the pot. Add diced tomatoes and red pepper to the hot pot; add an additional tbsp of oil if needed. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in diced jalapeños *see notes.

Deglaze the pot by pouring in 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and scraping all of the little bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes and remaining broth, then stir to combine. Place the chicken breasts back into the Keto Tortilla Soup and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 180°.

Remove the chicken from the soup and stir in the shredded cheese. Shred the chicken using two forks and then stir back into the Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Serve hot with choice toppings and tortilla strips.

Instant Pot

Heat your Instant Pot on saute mode with 1/2 tbsp avocado oil. Once hot add diced onion and red pepper. Fry until the onion is translucent, then remove all from the pot.

Add 1/2 tbsp oil to the pot. Combine rub ingredients, massage into the chicken breasts. Sear on both sides, then remove and shut the Instant Pot off. Deglaze the pot by pouring 1/2 cup chicken broth in and scraping away the little bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Add the chicken back into the broth and, without mixing, dump the remaining ingredients on top of the chicken in this order: onion and red pepper, chopped jalapeños, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and lastly the remaining bone stock or chicken broth. Again, do not mix.

Secure the lid of the instant pot and turn the valve from venting to the sealed position. Cook on the Pressure Cook setting for 25 minutes, naturally release for 5 minutes, then carefully, quick release.

Once all of the steam has been released, open the lid of the Instant Pot. Remove the chicken and mix the tex mex cheese into the Keto Chicken Taco Soup. Use two forks to shred the chicken into chunks and then place back into the soup. Mix and serve hot with toppings of choice and tortilla strips.

Slow Cooker

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 tbsp of oil. Mix the rub ingredients together and massage into the chicken breasts. Once the oil is hot, sear the chicken breast, both sides, then place into the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add another 1/2 tbsp of oil to the skillet. Add diced onion and diced red bell pepper and cook until the onion is translucent. Scrape the onions and peppers into the slow cooker.

Stir in the broth, diced jalapeños, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 5-6.

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and mix the shredded tex mex cheese into the Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup. Use two forks to shred the chicken.

Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup.

Serve hot with your choice toppings and tortilla strips.

Instant Pot Specific Tips

1. Make sure to deglaze the bottom of your instant pot well, otherwise the BURN message will want to display and ruin your day.
2. I know it’s hard, but don’t mix the ingredients together before they have gone through the pressure cooking stage. This is another way you could get the BURN message. Tomato paste and diced tomatoes are super thick and can easily stick to the bottom of the pot.
3. Be sure the steam release valve is set to the correct sealed position, otherwise the Instant Pot will not come up to full pressure, meaning your soup won’t cook!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many carbs are in chicken tortilla soup?

If ordering from a restaurant or most homemade soup recipes, you’ll find quite a few carbs. We use either cheese strips or Keto tortillas to make this Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup just 7.4 g net carbs per bowl, plus the carbs from whichever type of tortilla strip you choose.

Are there any Keto friendly soups?

There are tons of Keto friendly soups you can enjoy besides this Keto Chicken Taco Soup. I personally can’t get enough Hamburger Soup, Cauliflower Chowder with Bacon and Cheddar, Broccoli Cheddar, Zuppa Toscana, Broccoli Cheddar..

What are the best Keto tortillas?

My favourite tortillas to use in this Keto Tortilla Soup are either homemade Almond Flour Tortillas or Mama Lupes low carb tortillas. There are quite a few Keto tortillas out there now, Mission makes a good one too. What it your favourite Keto Tortilla brand?

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Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup

Aleta

Packed with flavour, this Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup is not only crazy delicious; it's super easy to make and can be made 3 different ways!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Canadian, Low Carb

Servings 5 bowls

Calories 291 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
• 1 ¼ lb boneless skinless chicken breast *see note 1
• 1 small white onion
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 2 jalepeños
• 4 cups chicken broth or bone stock *see note 2
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 X 398 ml can diced organic tomatoes
• 1 ½ cups shredded tex mex cheese

Chicken Rub

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp oregano
• 1 tsp sea salt

Tortilla Strips

• ½ cup shredded tex mex cheese or cheddar
• Or Almond Flour Tortillas / low carb tortillas

Optional Toppings

• Shredded cheese
• Avocado
• Diced tomatoes
• Diced peppers
• Sour cream
• Green onion
• Cilantro

Instructions

 

Equipment Needed

• Soup pot, slow cooker or Instant Pot
• Cutting board & Knife

Directions

Tortilla Strips

• There are a couple of ways to get the ‘tortilla’ part of this Keto Tortilla Soup. They can be made whenever you have a free minute while making the soup.

Strips from Tortillas

• Use Almond Flour Tortillas or store bought low carb tortillas. Brush them with oil, add a sprinkle of sea salt and then slice them into strips. Arrange them evenly on a baking sheet and then bake at 350° until crisp, about 4-5 minutes.

Cheese Tortilla Strips

• Heat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with a non stick baking mat or parchment paper. Place 1/4 cup shredded tex mex or cheddar cheese in a low raised mound on one side of the baking sheet and a second 1/4 cup mound on the other.
• Bake for 8 – 10 minutes in the preheated oven. You want them to look super crispy otherwise they will be soggy once cooled. Remove right away from the pan and place on paper towel to cool for a minute or two – yes they will be super pliable.. for now..
• After they have cooled for only a minute or two, slice them into long strips before they cool completely and turn hard and crispy.

Stove Top

• Heat a soup pot on medium high with a tbsp of oil. Peel and mince the garlic or press it through a garlic press. Combine with the remaining rub ingredients and then massage it into the chicken.
• Sear the chicken breasts in the hot oil, both sides, then remove from the pot and set aside. Add diced tomatoes and red pepper to the hot pot; add an additional tbsp of oil if needed. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in diced jalapeños *see notes 3&4.
• Deglaze the pot by pouring in 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and scraping all of the little bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes and remaining broth, then stir to combine. Place the chicken breasts back into the Keto Tortilla Soup and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165°.
• Remove the chicken from the soup and stir in the shredded cheese. Shred the chicken using two forks and then stir back into the Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup. Serve immediately with choice toppings and tortilla strips.

Instant Pot

• Heat your Instant Pot on saute mode with 1/2 tbsp avocado oil. Once hot add diced onion and red pepper. Fry until the onion is translucent, then remove all from the pot.
• Add 1/2 tbsp oil to the pot. Combine rub ingredients, massage into the chicken breasts. Sear on both sides, then remove and shut the Instant Pot off. Deglaze the pot by pouring 1/2 cup chicken broth in and scraping away the little bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon *see Instant Pot specific tips below.
• Add the chicken back into the broth and, without mixing, dump the remaining ingredients on top of the chicken in this order: onion and red pepper, chopped jalapeños *see notes 3&4, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and lastly the remaining bone stock or chicken broth. Again, do not mix.
• Secure the lid of the instant pot and turn the valve from venting to the sealed position. Cook on the Pressure Cook setting for 25 minutes, naturally release for 5 minutes, then carefully, quick release.
• Once all of the steam has been released, open the lid of the Instant Pot. Remove the chicken and mix the tex mex cheese into the Keto Chicken Taco Soup. Use two forks to shred the chicken into chunks and then place back into the soup. Mix and serve hot with toppings of choice and tortilla strips.

Slow Cooker

• Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 tbsp of oil. Mix the rub ingredients together and massage into the chicken breasts. Once the oil is hot, sear the chicken breasts, both sides, then place into the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Add another 1/2 tbsp of oil to the skillet. Add diced onion and diced red bell pepper and cook until the onion is translucent. Scrape the onions and peppers into the slow cooker.
• Stir in the broth, diced jalapeños *see notes 3&4, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 5-6.
• Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and mix the shredded tex mex cheese into the Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup. Use two forks to shred the chicken, then stir it back into the soup. Serve hot with your choice toppings and tortilla strips.

Video

Notes

1. You can buy these with the bone in and skin on to save a few bucks (like I always do unless boneless is on sale), and remove the bone and skin yourself! Never done it before? Check out this video to learn how.
2. Yes, you can buy chicken broth from the store, but if you have time, make your own! Check out this How to Make Bone Stock post or use your Instant Pot to make some Instant Pot Chicken Broth! Another excellent way to get some flavourful juice into this Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup? Use the leftover juices from these Keto Carnitas.. SO TASTY!
3. Be very careful when working with jalapeño peppers. The juices can burn your skin, so I recommend using gloves when touching them while dicing. If you get some juice on your skin, wash with olive oil before washing with soap and water.
4. How spicy do you like it? If you do not want a spicy soup, discard all of the jalapeño seeds. If you do like it spicy, add them all along with the white membrane!

 

Instant Pot Specific Tips

1. Make sure to deglaze the bottom of your instant pot well, otherwise the BURN message will want to display and ruin your day.
2. I know it’s hard, but don’t mix the ingredients together before they have gone through the pressure cooking stage. This is another way you could get the BURN message. Tomato paste and diced tomatoes are super thick and can easily stick to the bottom of the pot.
3. Be sure the steam release valve is set to the correct sealed position, otherwise the Instant Pot will not come up to full pressure, meaning your soup won’t cook!

 

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition facts are an estimate only! The ingredients you choose could have different nutritional values than the ingredients I have used.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 9.9gProtein: 36.2gFat: 11.4gSodium: 1737mgFiber: 2.5g

Keyword chicken taco soup, keto chicken tortilla soup

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