Crockpot Recipes design inspiration
Crockpot chicken tortilla soup with chipotle, cumin, and lime simmers hands-off for 6 hours, then gets topped with crunchy strips and avocado.
Two chipotle peppers in adobo do more work here than anything else in the pot. They give the broth a smoky heat that tastes like it simmered all day, and you only spent ten minutes chopping.
Boneless chicken thighs hold up better than breasts in a slow cooker. Six hours on low and they still shred into soft strands instead of drying into chalk. Breasts work too, but pull them at four hours.
Everything goes in cold. No browning, no separate pan, no stirring. You come back to a pot of soup that needs a fork to shred chicken and a lime to wake it up.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Thighs stay juicy through a long cook. If you only have breasts, use them and check at 4 hours on low, since they dry out fast past that.
1 medium yellow onion, diced
Yellow onion gives the sweetest base. A red onion works but turns the broth slightly pink and sharper.
4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh garlic beats the jarred paste here. If you are out, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder goes in with the spices instead.
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced, plus 1 teaspoon of the sauce
This is your heat dial. One pepper is mild, two is a solid medium, three will make your eyes water. Freeze the rest of the can in a zip bag.
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Cumin is the backbone of the flavor. Toast it in a dry pan for 30 seconds first if you have the time, and it doubles in strength.
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Mexican oregano is brighter than the Mediterranean kind. Either works, but crumble it between your fingers as you add it.
2 cans (14.5 oz / 410 g each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
Fire-roasted beats plain every time. If you can only find regular diced, add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika to fake the char.
6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth
Low-sodium matters because the canned tomatoes and adobo already carry salt. Use vegetable broth for a lighter version.
1 can (15 oz / 425 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
Rinsing cuts the canned tin taste. Pinto beans or a cup of frozen corn are both good swaps.
2 limes, juiced, plus more for serving
Add the juice at the very end. Lime cooked for six hours goes flat and bitter.
1 cup (100 g) shredded Monterey Jack or queso fresco
Monterey Jack melts into strings. Queso fresco crumbles and stays firm, which is closer to how it is served in Mexico.
2 cups (60 g) tortilla strips, plus avocado and cilantro for serving
Buy the bag near the croutons, or cut corn tortillas into strips and fry them in half an inch of oil for 60 seconds.
Tips & Tricks
- Do not add the lime, cilantro, or tortilla strips to the pot. Acid and crunch die in a slow cooker. Keep them on the counter and add them to each bowl.
- If your soup tastes flat after six hours, it is almost always salt, not spice. Add half a teaspoon of kosher salt, stir, and taste again before reaching for more cumin.
- Shred the chicken with two forks right in the pot, or lift it onto a plate, pull it apart, and drop it back. It should fall apart with almost no pressure at six hours on low.
- A slow cooker on low runs around 190 F to 200 F (88 C to 93 C). If yours runs hot, the broth will reduce and concentrate. Add a cup of water at the end if it looks thick.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Layer the pot
Put the onion, garlic, chipotle, cumin, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and beans into a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir once so nothing sits dry on the bottom.
2. Add the chicken
Nestle the thighs into the liquid. They should be mostly covered. Push them down if they float, since dry chicken turns stringy.
3. Cook on low
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. Do not lift the lid in the first two hours, because each peek adds about 20 minutes back onto the clock.
4. Shred the chicken
Lift the thighs out with tongs and pull them apart with two forks. They should give way with almost no resistance. Return the meat to the pot.
5. Finish with lime
Squeeze in the juice of two limes and stir. Taste it now. If the heat is too sharp, add a spoon of sour cream or a pinch of sugar.
6. Build the bowls
Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with extra lime wedges on the side.
How to Store Crockpot Recipes design inspiration
Refrigerator
Keeps 4 days in a sealed container. The broth thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of water or broth when you reheat.
Freezer
Freezes well for 3 months. Cool it fully first, then freeze in 2-cup portions so they thaw fast. Leave an inch of headspace, since broth expands.
Reheating
Warm on the stove over medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes, or in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring once. Add the lime, tortilla strips, and cheese fresh each time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use frozen chicken thighs in the crockpot?
Yes, but add 1 hour to the low cook time and keep them frozen solid when they go in. Frozen meat spends longer in the 40 F to 140 F range, which is the zone where bacteria grow, so do not use the high setting with frozen thighs.
Q: How do I make crockpot chicken tortilla soup less spicy?
Cut the chipotle peppers to one and leave out the adobo sauce entirely. The heat lives in the pepper and the sauce, not the cumin. You can also stir sour cream or a splash of heavy cream into each bowl at the table.
Q: Can I make this chicken tortilla soup on the stove instead?
Yes, simmer everything except the lime in a covered pot for 35 minutes over medium-low heat, then shred the chicken and finish with lime. Use thighs here too, since breasts overcook in a simmer.
Q: Why is my slow cooker soup watery?
Canned tomatoes and beans release liquid, and chicken throws off juices as it cooks. Mash a cup of the beans and stir them back in, or leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes on high to let steam escape.
Q: Is this soup gluten free?
The soup itself is, as long as your broth and adobo are. The tortilla strips are the problem, since most fried corn chips are made in shared oil. Check the bag, or top with crushed tortilla chips you have verified.
Get the thighs in the pot before you leave for work and dinner is handled by the time you get home. If you make it, add the lime at the end, not the start, and taste before you salt. ¡Buen provecho, Carlos!
Crockpot Recipes design inspiration Recipe
Crockpot chicken tortilla soup with chipotle, cumin, and lime simmers hands-off for 6 hours, then gets topped with crunchy strips and avocado.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced, plus 1 teaspoon of the sauce
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cans (14.5 oz / 410 g each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 limes, juiced, plus more for serving
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded Monterey Jack or queso fresco
- 2 cups (60 g) tortilla strips, plus avocado and cilantro for serving
📋 Instructions
- 1Layer the pot — Put the onion, garlic, chipotle, cumin, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and beans into a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir once so nothing sits dry on the bottom.
- 2Add the chicken — Nestle the thighs into the liquid. They should be mostly covered. Push them down if they float, since dry chicken turns stringy.
- 3Cook on low — Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. Do not lift the lid in the first two hours, because each peek adds about 20 minutes back onto the clock.
- 4Shred the chicken — Lift the thighs out with tongs and pull them apart with two forks. They should give way with almost no resistance. Return the meat to the pot.
- 5Finish with lime — Squeeze in the juice of two limes and stir. Taste it now. If the heat is too sharp, add a spoon of sour cream or a pinch of sugar.
- 6Build the bowls — Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with extra lime wedges on the side.
