Combine the flavors of fajitas and tortilla soup in this fabulous, healthy recipe!
We adore slow cooker recipes for many reasons. Most options are super simple to prepare, making them perfect for any night of the week. Slow cooker meals also offer comforting flavors and fragrant aromas that will fill your home and make your mouth water. Our slow cooker chicken fajita tortilla soup checks all of the boxes above, and more. In addition to being easy to prepare and full of wonderful scents and flavors, this soup is low-calorie and nutritious, too!
Comfort All Year Long
We all get a craving for warm and hearty soup every once in a while, don’t we? Soup is great for soothing your body when you’re feeling under the weather. It’s also one of our go-to options during the cold fall and winter months. Of course, it makes a great lunch option as well because you can enjoy it on the go: All you need is a thermos! You don’t need any special reason to make this delicious fajita tortilla soup. It will satisfy your comfort needs any time of the year!
Simple Soup Recipe Full of Southwest Flavors
All of the things we love about fajitas and tortilla soup come together in this savory recipe. Chicken and bell pepper strips are slow-cooked with onions and garlic in a mildly zesty and savory chicken broth. We add just a little bit of paprika and cayenne pepper at the beginning of the cooking process to infuse the broth with their flavor. If you are serving kids or anyone sensitive to spice, feel free to skip the cayenne.
Note that you can make this soup more hearty by adding frozen corn kernels and/or drained and rinsed black beans at the beginning of cook time. After you’ve added all of the ingredients to the Crock-Pot, simply turn it on high for three to four hours, or low for five to six hours and go about your day!
Want to Make Your Own Tortilla Strips?
If you have a few extra minutes, we highly recommend making your own crunchy tortilla strips to use as a yummy topping! They’re super easy and will add an incredible crunch to your soup!
You can make the strips using whole wheat or corn tortillas. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while you’re slicing the tortillas. Place the strips on a nonstick baking sheet and lightly coat in olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle on a little bit of salt and pepper and place the pan in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until the strips are a beautiful golden brown!
Bring on the Toppings
Once your soup is ready, adding a squeeze of lime juice to the finished dish adds just the right amount of acidity and freshness.
Topping this soup with fresh cilantro, a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, creamy avocado slices, and crunchy tortilla strips makes it extra yummy! You can also add some shredded reduced-fat cheese, such as mild Cheddar or Colby jack, as well.
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 6 cups chicken stock optional broth
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion medium, diced
- 2 bell peppers seeded, stemmed, and diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 lime reserve juice
- 11 ounces frozen corn kernels thawed
Instructions
To Make the Soup
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to a skillet. On medium heat add chicken breasts and sear until lightly golden on both sides.
- Add seared breasts, stock, onion, garlic, bell pepper, spices, salt, pepper, and tomato paste, to slow cooker.
- Cook on low 5-6 hours or high 3-4, or until chicken is cook through.
- Add lime juice and thawed corn. Cover and cook 3-5 additional minutes.
- Shred chicken using a fork.
- Serve topped with baked tortillas strips. If desired top with, optional sour cream, cilantro, and sliced avocado, if desired.
Tortilla Strips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place tortilla strips on a nonstick baking sheet and lightly spray each side with cooking spray. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes or until crispy and golden.
Notes
- 1/2 cup lite sour cream
- 1/2 cup cilantro, diced
- 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
Nutrition Information
Have you made this recipe?
Tag @skinnyms on Instagram or hashtag it #skinnyms
Love this slow cooker chicken fajita tortilla soup? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comment section!
If you enjoyed this recipe, we think you might also like to try:
Check out our Facebook page and follow us on Pinterest for tasty recipes, clean eating tips, and healthy lifestyle resources.
Editor’s Note: This recipe was originally published on March 18, 2014.
Does chicken need to be cooked before placing in slow cooker?
Sara, Chicken can be added uncooked on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. That said, you can brown the chicken first by searing it in a little oil on the stovetop over high heat for a minute or two (get the pan with oil hot before adding the chicken), just to get the outside golden. If you do decide to do that step, you don't have to cook all the way through.
What size chicken breasts do you use? How many pounds?
Kim, About 6 ounces per breast, more or less, for a total of about 1 pound.
This soup is outstanding! It’s super easy and super good! So good, in fact, that the kids and grandkids want to come over for dinner when I mention I’m making it. That’s it’s healthy, too, is a great benefit!
We’re glad you love the recipe, Debra!
I just made this soup today, followed all directions and use all ingredients. But the broth isn’t clear, really strange looking. I don’t know what happened. Do you have any idea
Kathleen, If the taste is good then the color doesn’t matter all that much. We’ll soon be adding updated photos…be on the look out. 🙂
Back when my parents would diet, we would have to eat what mom made. It was usually plain white rice, unseasoned chicken or fish and some level of unseasoned veggie (usually green beans). Every. Night. First, it’s no wonder their diet didn’t last cause…bland and repetitive. But then that made me grow up thinking that those bland meals were what dieting was. So when I started to gain weight and diet I thought I’d have to suffer with bland meals every day, not very motivating. Then when I saw diet recipes online, the ones I saw were labor intensive and not very appealing. Finally now we have things like this where we can take a few ingredients, fast and simple and they look amazing. I can’t wait to try!
Peggy, I agree with you, delicious taste with fewer ingredients is the best!
I woke up this morning to a broken freezer with quickly thawing food. I had just happened upon this recipe and since the chicken thighs, stock and corn had thawed, it quickly became crock pot tortilla soup. Okra and green beans thawed, into the soup. Just because I like tofu I threw that in. I used more cumin, pepper and garlic because I like spicy. The cilantro and lime juice really kick it up a notch. Delicious.
Great! Sorry about your broken freezer, however. 🙁
Why is the sodium content so high?
Beth, The chicken and broth both typically contain sodium. If you prefer to decrease the amount, use low sodium broth, and reduce the amount of salt added.