Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup is a one-pot Tex-Mex soup: raw chicken breasts pressure-cooked with onion, bell pepper, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, green chiles and enchilada sauce in chicken broth, then shredded and stirred back in with 2 cups of melted cheese. It takes 10 minutes of prep, 10 minutes at high pressure and a 10-minute natural release, and it serves 6.
How to make it: Put everything except the cheese in the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release. Shred the chicken, check that it reached 165°F, return it to the pot and stir in the cheese until it melts. Top with tortilla chips, avocado and sour cream.
Why You’ll Love It
- Dump and go: no browning or sautéing; everything goes into the pot at once.
- Raw chicken is fine: the breasts cook right in the soup and shred in seconds.
- Enchilada flavor in a bowl: enchilada sauce, green chiles, cumin and melted cheese.
- Make it your way: thicker, creamier or spicier with a few easy add-ins.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts: Three large, boneless and skinless. They go in raw and whole.
Canned goods: A 15-ounce can each of petite diced tomatoes, black beans (drained) and corn (drained), plus a 4-ounce can of diced green chiles. Two cups of frozen corn work in place of the canned corn, and 1 diced jalapeño can replace the green chiles.
Enchilada sauce: Ten ounces, red or green. It’s the main flavor of the soup.
Onion and bell pepper: One of each, diced.
Chicken broth: Four cups.
Seasoning: A teaspoon each of garlic powder, ground cumin and salt.
Shredded cheese: Two cups, stirred in at the end until it melts. Use your favorite melting cheese.
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 can (15 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained, or 2 cups frozen corn
- 10 ounces red or green enchilada sauce
- 1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles, or 1 diced jalapeño
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded cheese
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
1. Load the pot. Put the chicken breasts, onion, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, green chiles, chicken broth, garlic powder, cumin and salt in the Instant Pot. Leave out the shredded cheese. Stir to combine.
2. Seal the lid. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set the vent to closed (sealing).
3. Pressure cook. Select MANUAL and cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. The pot can take up to 15 minutes to come up to pressure before the 10 minutes start.
4. Release the pressure. When the 10 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully quick release the rest.
5. Check and shred the chicken. Lift the chicken out to a cutting board or plate and check that it reads 165°F on a food thermometer. Shred it with the tines of 2 forks and return it to the pot.
6. Melt in the cheese. Add the shredded cheese and stir until it melts. Taste and add more seasoning if the soup needs it.
7. Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
How to Cook the Chicken in the Instant Pot
The chicken cooks whole, right in the soup. Here’s the timing from lid on to bowl:
| Stage | Time | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Coming up to pressure | Up to 15 minutes | Nothing; the 10 minutes start once the pot is at pressure |
| High pressure | 10 minutes | MANUAL, HIGH, vent sealed |
| Natural release | 10 minutes | Leave the valve alone |
| Quick release | A minute or two | Turn the valve to venting, hands clear of the steam |
| Check and shred | A few minutes | 165°F on a thermometer, then shred with 2 forks |
| Cheese | Until melted | Stir in 2 cups |
Check the chicken with a thermometer. Pressure time alone doesn’t prove it’s done. USDA FSIS says poultry is safe at 165°F, so check the thickest breast before you shred it.
Open the lid away from you. There’s still steam inside after the release.
Chop ahead. Dice the onion and pepper in the morning and keep them in the fridge, and dinner is a dump-and-go job.
How to Make It Thicker or Creamier
- Cornstarch: dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, stir it in, turn on the Sauté setting and bring the soup to a boil, stirring until it thickens.
- Refried beans: stir in a 16-ounce can until the soup is creamy and smooth.
- Cream cheese: stir in 4 ounces at the end; the Sauté setting helps it melt faster.
- Potatoes: stir in 3 to 4 large russets, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender.
Variations
- Smoky heat: add 1 to 2 teaspoons of chopped chipotle chiles in adobo or ancho chile powder, plus 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.
- Milder: use green enchilada sauce and the green chiles instead of the jalapeño.
- Frozen corn: 2 cups straight from the freezer instead of the canned corn.
- Toppings bar: shredded cheddar, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, chopped tomatoes, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Divide the soup into shallow covered containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours. USDA FSIS says to eat it within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze it in freezer-safe bags or containers for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat covered on the stove until the soup comes to a rolling boil, or in the microwave to 165°F. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with a big bowl of tortilla chips for scooping and all the toppings on the side. For more Tex-Mex dinners, try chicken enchiladas with homemade red sauce, cream cheese chicken enchiladas or an easy chicken burrito casserole. More soups: the stovetop 8-can chicken taco soup and quick and easy taco soup. For another pressure cooker dinner, make Instant Pot beef stew.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you cook chicken in the Instant Pot for enchilada soup?
Put the raw breasts in whole with everything else, cook 10 minutes on high pressure, let it release naturally for 10 minutes, then check for 165°F and shred with 2 forks.
Can I use frozen corn?
Yes. Use 2 cups of frozen corn instead of the canned corn.
How do I make the soup thicker?
Stir in a cornstarch slurry on the Sauté setting, or add a can of refried beans or 4 ounces of cream cheese.
Is it spicy?
It’s mild with green chiles. For more heat, use a jalapeño, chipotle in adobo or ancho chile powder.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze it for 3 to 4 months and thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
Final Notes
Open the cans and dice the vegetables while the pot is still empty, and it’s a five-minute job to load. Set out the toppings while the pressure releases. If you make it, tell me in the comments which toppings you chose.
Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
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Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts large, boneless and skinless
- 1 onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes 15 ounces
- 1 can black beans 15 ounces, drained
- 1 can corn 15 ounces, drained; or 2 cups frozen corn
- 10 ounces enchilada sauce red or green
- 1 can diced green chiles 4 ounces; or 1 diced jalapeno
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded cheese stirred in at the end
Instructions
- Put the chicken breasts, onion, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, green chiles, chicken broth, garlic powder, cumin and salt in the Instant Pot. Leave out the shredded cheese. Stir to combine.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set the vent to closed (sealing).
- Select MANUAL and cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. The pot can take up to 15 minutes to come up to pressure before the 10 minutes start.
- When the 10 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully quick release the rest.
- Lift the chicken out to a cutting board or plate and check that it reads 165°F on a food thermometer. Shred it with the tines of 2 forks and return it to the pot.
- Add the shredded cheese and stir until it melts. Taste and add more seasoning if the soup needs it.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
