Grilled Chicken Tortilla Soup! It’s packed with fresh flavors and the grilled chicken and corn just takes it from good to incredibly good! Finish it of with lots of tortilla strips or crumbled tortilla cheese, cheddar and avocado to really make this soup sing.

Grilled Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken tortilla soup is one of my favorite kinds of soup. If I had to pick 3 top picks I’m pretty sure it would make the cut.

Lately I’ve been getting chicken tortilla soup almost weekly at a local restaurant on our way home from the beach. But I request grilled chicken instead of the traditional shredded chicken and it’s soooo much better.

So I decided I better recreate my own chicken tortilla soup and use grilled chicken and grilled corn.

Then of course load on the cheese and avocado, because avocado (or guacamole) is a tortilla soup must in my book.

Do I Have to Use Grilled Chicken and Corn?

In the dead of winter you might be asking do I have to use grilled chicken and corn here? The answer is no. Other good options included shredded rotisserie chicken, skillet seared breasts or thighs or leftover roasted chicken.

Then of course frozen corn can be used in place of the fresh. I just figured when I’m going to be grilling the chicken we might as well grill the corn too. It adds great flavor.

If you want to stretch the soup and get another serving you could add in black beans and a little more broth to get more out of it.

Do You Like Like It Mild or Spicy?

If you love spicy soup feel free to leave the seeds in the jalapeños and even add more. Then if you don’t tolerate any heat well omit the jalapeño.

How do You Get a Decent Char on Chicken Breasts?

If you were wondering about the random 1 tsp sugar in the recipe I added it because just hint helps the chicken char a little better on the grill. Then the other 3/4 tsp is just to balance out those charred flavors in the soup plus the tartness of the lime.

Grilled Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

  • Chicken breats
  • Spices – chili powder, cumin, sugar, S&P
  • Olive oil
  • Veggies – corn, yellow onion, jalapenos, garlic, avocado
  • Low-sodium chicken broth
  • Canned fire roasted tomatoes
  • Lime
  • Cilantro
  • Cheese

How to Make Grilled Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • Grill seasoned chicken and corn (it adds great flavor!).
  • Saute onion, jalapeños and garlic in a pot.
  • Pour in broth, tomatoes and spices.
  • Simmer to cook and meld flavors.
  • Add chicken and corn to soup along with cilantro and lime juice.
  • Add diced avocados to each serving as well as cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

How to Make Homemade Tortilla Strips

The quickest version here is to serve is to serve this with store-bought tortilla chips or tortilla strips. But if you want to go the extra mile, you can make your own strips by frying sliced tortillas in oil or brushing lightly with oil and baking at 400 degrees until crisp (as I done here with my Black Bean Tortilla Soup).

More Easy Tortilla Soup Recipes to Try

  • Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Black Bean Tortilla Soup

5 from 16 votes Review Recipe

My idea of the BEST Chicken Tortilla Soup! A family favorite! It’s jam packed with fresh flavor and easy to make. In the winter feel free to substitute shredded rotisserie chicken and frozen corn here.

Servings: 5

Prep15 minutesCook30 minutesReady in: 45 minutes

Ingredients2 (10 oz) boneless skinless chicken breast2 tsp chili powder, divided2 tsp ground cumin, divided1 tsp granulated sugar, divided2 Tbsp olive oil dividedSalt and freshly ground black pepper2 small ears corn, shucked or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 1/2 cups)2 jalapenos, seeded and diced4 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)6 cups chicken broth or stock1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted tomatoes1 Tbsp fresh lime juice1/2 cup chopped cilantro1 large avocado, dicedShredded Mexican blend cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips or chips for serving

InstructionsPreheat a grill over medium-high heat to about 450 degrees. In a small bowl whisk together 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/4 tsp sugar.Brush chicken with 1 Tbsp olive oil then season both sides with chili powder mixture. Grill about 5 - 6 minutes per side until thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees. Let rest on cutting board 5 minutes then dice into small cubes.If using fresh corn cobs, grill shucked corn on medium-high heat, turning every 3 minutes, until slightly charred, about 9 minutes total. Cut corn kernels from cobs.Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes then jalapenos and garlic and saute 2 minutes longer. Pour in broth, tomatoes, remaining 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 3/4 tsp sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 minutes, if using frozen corn add during the last 5 minutes.Add chicken and corn to soup along with cilantro and lime juice. Add diced avocados to each serving as well as cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. Recipe source: Cooking Classy

Nutrition Facts Grilled Chicken Tortilla Soup

	Amount Per Serving

Calories 385 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%Saturated Fat 2g13%Cholesterol 72mg24%Sodium 368mg16%Potassium 1093mg31%Carbohydrates 27g9%Fiber 5g21%Sugar 7g8%Protein 33g66% Vitamin A 1040IU21%Vitamin C 21.6mg26%Calcium 73mg7%Iron 2.7mg15% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Course: SoupCuisine: MexicanKeyword: chicken tortilla soup Author: Jaclyn

5 from 16 votes

Review Recipe

Nutrition Facts Grilled Chicken Tortilla Soup

	Amount Per Serving

Calories 385 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%Saturated Fat 2g13%Cholesterol 72mg24%Sodium 368mg16%Potassium 1093mg31%Carbohydrates 27g9%Fiber 5g21%Sugar 7g8%Protein 33g66% Vitamin A 1040IU21%Vitamin C 21.6mg26%Calcium 73mg7%Iron 2.7mg15% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Nutrition Facts

Grilled Chicken Tortilla Soup

	Amount Per Serving

Calories 385 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 368mg16%

Potassium 1093mg31%

Carbohydrates 27g9%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A 1040IU21%

Vitamin C 21.6mg26%

Calcium 73mg7%

Iron 2.7mg15%

  • Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: SoupCuisine: MexicanKeyword: chicken tortilla soup

Author: Jaclyn