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Home » Recipes » Chick-fil-A Recipes

Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup

Published: Oct 7, 2022 · Modified: Aug 27, 2024 by Brooke Fajcz · As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Save yourself a trip through the drive thru by making our copycat Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup at home. Warm up from the inside out and enjoy a large bowl of this hearty soup year round and on Sundays.

Love hearty chicken soups? You'll definitely love our recipes for Panera chicken noodle and Greek lemon chicken soup.

bowl of chicken tortilla soup with a wooden spoon
Jump to:
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • Variations
  • How to Make Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Serve
  • Expert Tips
  • Other Chick-fil-A Recipes You'll Love
  • Recipe
  • Comments

Why This Recipe Works

  • Saute the aromatics. Start building the layers of flavor for this soup by sauteing the aromatics and the freshly chopped cilantro. When the cilantro is added in early, it takes away the soapy taste that some people experience with cilantro.
  • Bloom spices, brown tomato paste, and deglaze the pan. These three steps continue to build the flavor that sets this copycat recipe apart.
  • Chicken. For the best flavor and the lowest sodium, use skinless chicken breast that is submerged in the soup. For ease, use shredded rotisserie chicken.
  • Thickener. This soup is thickened with a slurry of masa harina (fine cornmeal) whisked with warm water to give it a Tex Mex flavor.
  • Tempered sour cream. Once the soup is done cooking, whisk in a bit of the hot broth with the sour cream before adding to the soup.

Ingredients

glass bowls of ingredients for chicken tortilla soup

The ingredients for our copycat Chick-Fil-A chicken tortilla soup are easy to find. Let's talk about some of the key ingredients.

  • Vegetables: We used yellow onion, red bell pepper, celery, and garlic for a winning flavor combination to get the base started off right.
  • Fresh Herbs: We also used chopped fresh cilantro in with the aromatics. Putting the cilantro in early will get rid of the soapy taste some people experience with cilantro.
  • Thickener: This uses fine cornmeal (or masa harina) from the Mexican grocery section. Don't confuse it with regular cornmeal from the baking section, as that would be too gritty.
  • Meat: We used shredded rotisserie chicken for this photo shoot, but we used boneless, skinless chicken breasts that were cooked right in the soup and shredded.
  • Dairy: We used a mixture of heavy cream and sour cream.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

  • Need this vegan? Omit the chicken and use full fat coconut milk instead of sour cream and heavy cream. Use vegetable broth.
  • Want a different protein? Use shredded pork.
  • Need this gluten free? Make sure the broth and tortilla strips have no gluten in them.
  • Need to reduce the fat? Switch the heavy cream and sour cream for condensed milk.
  • Need to reduce the sodium? Use boneless chicken breasts instead of rotisserie, reduced sodium chicken broth, and no salt added canned beans and frozen corn.

How to Make Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup

Gather all the ingredients for our copycat Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup.

sauteeing veggies and adding spices
  1. Heat up the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until it's shimmering. Cook the aromatics and the fresh cilantro until they are soft, roughly 5 minutes. (image 1)
  2. Add the garlic and the dried spices and cook for a minute. (image 2)
adding tomato paste and broth to the soup
  1. Brown the tomato paste by mixing it with the other spices and aromatics and cook until it has changed color, then deglaze the pot by pouring in a little broth and scraping the bottom with a wooden turner. (image 3)
  2. Pour in the rest of the broth. (image 4)
adding sugar, chilies, and other ingredients to the soup
  1. Add the green chilies and sugar. (image 5)
  2. Dump in the navy beans, black beans, corn, and shredded chicken and stir until well mixed. Make a slurry with the fine cornmeal by whisking it with 3 tablespoons of warm water. Add it in and stir well. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. During the last 15 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings. (image 6)
adding cream, sour cream, and lemon juice to the soup
  1. Temper the sour cream by whisking in 2 tablespoons of hot broth. Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream and tempered sour cream. (image 7)
  2. Add the lemon juice (that's what Chick-fil-A uses). (image 8)
holding a ladle and spoonful of chicken tortilla soup
  1. Stir until well combined and adjust seasonings to taste. (image 9)
  2. Garnish our copycat Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup with crunchy tortilla strips just before serving. (image 10)

Recipe FAQs

What is Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup made of?

Chick-fil-A uses shredded chicken, original and spicy, along with navy and black beans. They also use a blend of vegetables and spices in this creamy broth, and a packet of seasoned corn tortilla strips is included.

When is chicken tortilla soup available?

In past years, chicken tortilla soup has been available at Chick-fil-A restaurants during mid November to mid March, which are the some of the chilliest months of the year in the US. If you choose to make our recipe, you can have it any time of the year.

Is chicken tortilla soup spicy?

This side item from the Chick-fil-A is packed with flavor, but isn't spicy hot.

Our copycat version isn't spicy, so if you want to increase the heat, for some of your guests or family members we suggest adding hot sauce.

What are the calories for Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup?

For a medium soup serving at CFA (1 cup), there are 260 calories, 6g fat, 29g carbs, 3g fiber, and 11g protein. For the same serving size, our copycat recipe has 220 calories, 8g fat, 22g carbs, 6g fiber, and 15g protein. For more nutritional information, please scroll to the end of the recipe card.

How do you store Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup?

Make Ahead: This copycat soup can be made the night before your event. You will need to add a bit more chicken broth and adjust the spices when you are reheating the soup.
Leftovers: Any leftover tortilla soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: If you plan on freezing this tortilla soup, omit the dairy, allow it to cool, then freeze for up to 3 months. The reason for this is that sour cream and heavy cream don't freeze well, making the broth separate and become watery when reheated.
Reheat: When ready to use, allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat, then remove from the heat and pour in the heavy cream and tempered sour cream and stir.

Serve

At the restaurant, Chick-fil-A tortilla soup is served with a small packet of crunchy tortilla strips, but you can add a sprinkle of cilantro. Other toppings you might enjoy are sliced or diced avocado, sliced jalapeño, grated cheese, bacon, lime juice, tortilla chips, or hot sauce. This soup would taste great with a light salad and some fresh fruit.

Looking for other CFA copycat recipes? Make sure to try our recipes for Chick-fil-A mac and cheese and Chick-fil-A sauce.

If you're looking for other soup recipes, you'll want to try these recipes for Thai red curry noodle soup, cock-a-leekie soup, lemon chicken soup, creamy chicken noodle soup, and turkey broth.

holding a bowl of Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup.

Expert Tips

  • For the most flavor, cook the chicken breasts in the broth, but if you're in a hurry, use shredded rotisserie chicken.
  • Bloom the spices and brown the tomato paste for added flavor.
  • Use fine cornmeal or masa harina mixed with warm water to thicken.
  • To make your own tortilla strips, on the stovetop fry them in hot oil in a skillet or bake in the oven at 425°F for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring half way through.
  • Crock Pot: Follow steps 1 to 4, then transfer the veggies into a slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients (except the dairy and lemon juice). Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Turn the heat off, then and add the tempered sour cream, dairy and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

Other Chick-fil-A Recipes You'll Love

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    Avocado Lime Ranch - Chick-fil-A Copycat
  • bowl of Chick-fil-A market salad with forks
    Copycat Chick-fil-A Market Salad
  • two glasses of Chick-fil-A frosted coffee with paper straws.
    Copycat Chick-fil-A Frosted Coffee
  • pouring a spoonful of creamy salsa dressing into a glass jar.
    Creamy Salsa Dressing

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Recipe

bowl of chicken tortilla soup with a wooden spoon

Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup

Our copycat Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup recipe tastes even better than the original!  It's easy to make on the stovetop or crockpot for a delicious weeknight meal.  The perfect blend of Tex-Mex vegetables and spices is mixed in a creamy broth and garnished with tortilla strips.  Gluten free.
5 from 10 votes
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Course: Soups
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 43 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 28 minutes minutes
Servings: 13 cups
Calories: 220kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

Aromatics

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • ¼ cup cilantro, minced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

Spices

  • 2 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
  • 2 ½ teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Other Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 4.5- ounce can green chilies
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 2 15- ounce cans navy beans, rinsed
  • 1 15- ounce can black beans, rinsed
  • 1 15- ounce can yellow corn, rinsed
  • 4 cups shredded chicken or 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons fine yellow cornmeal
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ cup tortilla strips

Equipment

  • Dutch oven
  • wooden turner
  • soup ladle
Keep your screen on while you work!

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a 6-quart, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat until it is shimmering, then saute the onion, celery, red bell pepper, and cilantro until soft, roughly 5 minutes. 
  • Add the minced garlic and the dried spices and stir constantly.
  • Add the tomato paste, mixing it in with the spices and aromatics, and cook until its color is less vibrant, roughly 2 minutes.
  • Slowly pour in ¼ cup to ½ cup of chicken broth to deglaze the pot. Use a wooden turner to scrape the brown bits off the bottom.
  • Pour in the rest of the chicken broth, green chilies, sugar, navy beans, black beans, corn, and shredded chicken.  Mix well. (If you're cooking chicken breasts in the soup, add them after the thickener is added.)
  • Make a slurry with 2 tablespoons fine cornmeal and 3 tablespoons of warm water.  Whisk to combine, then pour into the soup and stir very well. (If you're cooking the skinless, boneless chicken breasts in the soup, submerge them in the broth after stirring.)
  • Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.  During the last 15 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. (If using two whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts, remove after 20 minutes. Check temperature with a meat thermometer - it should read 165F when done.  Allow it to cool enough to handle, 10 minutes, then shred with two forks and return to the pot.)
  • In a separate bowl, gradually mix a little of the hot broth into the sour cream.  Whisk until it's smooth. Remove from heat, then pour in the heavy cream, tempered sour cream, and lemon juice.  Stir to mix, then taste and adjust spices as desired.
  • Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of tortilla strips in the center of each bowl. Other toppings choices: diced avocado, sliced jalapeno, grated cheese, crumbled bacon, and tortilla chips instead of strips.

Video

Notes

  • Crock Pot: Follow steps 1 to 4, then transfer the veggies into a slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients (except the dairy and lemon juice). Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Turn the heat off, then and add the  tempered sour cream, cream and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
  • For the most flavor, cook the chicken breasts in the broth, but if you're in a hurry, use shredded rotisserie chicken.
  • Bloom the spices and brown the tomato paste for added flavor.
  • Use fine cornmeal or masa harina mixed with warm water to thicken the soup.
  • To make your own tortilla strips, on the stove top: fry them in hot oil in a skillet then sprinkle on seasonings or coat toss in oil. Oven method: sprinkle on seasonings and bake in the oven at 425°F for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring half way through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 220kcal (11%)Carbohydrates: 22.4g (7%)Protein: 14.8g (30%)Fat: 8.2g (13%)Cholesterol: 37.4mg (12%)Sodium: 864mg (38%)Potassium: 626mg (18%)Fiber: 5.9g (25%)Sugar: 4.6g (5%)Vitamin A: 850IU (17%)Vitamin C: 17.8mg (22%)Calcium: 65.1mg (7%)Iron: 2.1mg (12%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rusty

    November 23, 2024 at 6:11 pm

    This soup is really delicious!!

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      November 24, 2024 at 7:46 am

      We're so glad that you enjoyed the soup, Rusty!

      Reply
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We're Brooke & Emma Fajcz, the mother-daughter team behind Savor the Flavour. Increase your kitchen confidence with our recipes, instructional photos, and helpful tips and facts. Our recipes have been featured in Oprah Magazine, The Guardian, Parade, Insider, Delish, and BuzzFeed.

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