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Tasty and versatile, this Chili’s copycat chicken enchilada soup is a Mexican inspired dish you can make with rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken. Rotisserie chicken is great because you can make several meals out of it. Why not try this easy soup recipe that tastes like chicken enchiladas in soup form? It’s colourful, appetizing and nutritious. This is one of those easy soup recipes that is perfect any night of the week and sure to get a 5 star rating for the whole family.
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Chicken enchilada soup is a heavenly combination of chicken, onion, garlic, chillies, paprika, sour cream, and more. This restaurant version of tortilla soup is bursting with wonderful south of the border flavours in every mouthful, and the crispy tortilla strips on top contrast beautifully.
Chicken Enchilada Soup Ingredients
As well as the chicken, this easy soup recipe calls for onion, garlic, chillies, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chicken base and broth, paprika, cumin, masa flour, sour cream, black pepper, and sour cream. Toppings are up to you, but crispy tortilla chips, cilantro and pico de gallo work well.
You could sub turkey for the chicken if you wanted, or else make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken (or adding extra veggies like squash or mushrooms or add in black beans) and using vegetarian broth. Instead of rotisserie chicken you could use chicken thighs or a leftover chicken breast.
Masa harina, or masa flour, is dried corn dough, also known as corn flour. It is used to make fresh corn tortillas and other Mexican inspired recipes like this Chili’s copycat dish. If your local grocery store doesn’t carry it, you can definitely get it at any Latin market.
You can get creative with toppings too. Just add all your favorite toppings! Although not listed in the ingredients, a handful of Mexican blend cheese scattered on top before serving goes really well along with a dollop of sour cream or even some cream cheese. A garnish of fresh cilantro can also be a nice touch. This will be one of your favorite soups and all it takes is a few simple ingredients!
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Soup
The restaurant version of this meal makes one of the best easy soup recipes. And if you have leftover rotisserie chicken, you’ll find this a great recipe to make with it.
Preheat a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot on the stove. Prepare the chillies, onion and garlic, and shred the chicken. The easiest way to do this is to tear it apart with your fingers until the pieces are the size you want.
Heat the oil in the Dutch oven and sauté the chillies and onion in there. Mix in the garlic and cook for a minute, then puree the whole lot in a blender or food processor. If you have an immersion blender, that’s even easier, since you can puree it in the Dutch oven without having to pour it anywhere.
Now add the canned tomatoes and the juice from the can, as well as the red enchilada sauce. Pour in the chicken base and chicken broth or chicken stock, and sprinkle in the paprika, pepper and cumin.
Let the Chili’s copycat soup simmer away for about 45 minutes. A gentle simmer is perfect. You don’t want it to boil. If you like experimenting, this is a recipe that would translate well into a Crock pot (slow cooker) or Instant Pot recipe.
Whisk the masa harina and water together, then add this mixture to the soup. Stir in the chicken and sour cream and simmer for 25 minutes more. Serve topped with cilantro, pico de gallo and tortilla strips.
Mexican Soups and the Spice Factor
Perhaps you’re wondering whether this is a spicy soup. The answer is it’s totally your choice! You will see the recipe calls for chillies but you can use less or more, or even omit them altogether.
While some Mexican food is spicy (and some is VERY spicy!) you will find the spice level is up to you when you cook from fresh. If someone else in the family loves the spice factor, give them some hot sauce to add to their portion and spice it up.
Chicken Enchilada Soup FAQs
Can you use regular flour instead of masa flour?
Not in this recipe, no, else it won’t thicken it the same way or give the enchilada soup its distinctive texture or flavour.
How long will this easy soup recipe keep?
This restaurant version enchilada soup should be fine for 5 days if you keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can warm it back up on the stove or in the microwave.
Don’t add the crispy tortilla strips until serving though, else they will be more soggy than crispy by the time you eat this!
You could freeze this easy soup recipe if you prefer, but don’t add any sour cream because that doesn’t freeze well. Once thawed, you can mix in the sour cream.
Chicken Enchilada Soup – Chili’s Copycat Recipe
Chicken Enchilada Soup – Chili’s Copycat
5 from 46 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 136kcal
Author: Bella Bucchiotti
This Chili's copycat chicken enchilada soup is a Mexican inspired dish you can make with rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken. Why not try this easy soup recipe that tastes like chicken enchiladas in soup form? It is perfect any night of the week!
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Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 red chile peppers seeded and diced
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 Cloves garlic
- 2 Cups chicken shredded rotisserie
- 28 Ounces tomatoes crushed
- 8 Ounces enchilada sauce
- 2 Tablespoon chicken base
- 3 Cups chicken broth
- 1 Teaspoon paprika smoked
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper coarse
- 1 Teaspoon cumin
- 1 Cup Masa harina
- 1 Cup water
- 2 Tablespoon sour cream
Toppings
- tortilla strips
- cilantro fresh chopped
- pico de Gallo
Instructions
Preheat a Dutch oven over medium heat -use this time to prep the ingredients. Seed and dice the red chile peppers, dice the yellow onion, and mince the garlic. Shred the chicken.
Add oil to the dutch oven and let heat for 1 minute.
Next, add diced red chile peppers and onion. Cook for 5 minutes to soften.
Add minced garlic and stir. Cook for 1 minute. Pour the contents of the dutch oven into a food processor or blender and puree. Alternatively, use an immersion blender if available. Return to the dutch oven.
Lower the heat to low. Pour in the canned crushed tomatoes (undrained), enchilada sauce, chicken base, broth, paprika, pepper, and cumin. Stir well to combine and cover. Cook for 45 minutes on low
Combine mesa with water in a bowl with a pour spout and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour into the soup and whisk well. *Do not substitute all purpose flour. This acts as a thickening agent and provides a distinct flavor and texture to this soup*
Next, stir in the shredded chicken and 2 tbsp sour cream. Cover and simmer for 25 more minutes
Top with fresh chopped cilantro, pico de gallo, and tortilla strips.
Nutrition
Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 890mg | Potassium: 368mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1143IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
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The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
This Chili’s copycat chicken enchilada soup is so tasty and one of the most delicious soup recipes. It’s made with rotisserie chicken as well as other Mexican inspired ingredients like masa harina, cumin, sour cream, enchilada sauce, cilantro, and more. This delicious recipe will become a new favorite. If you love soup like me, give this tasty homemade chicken enchilada soup a try!
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
