Poblano Chicken Tortilla Soup

Poblano Chicken Tortilla Soup is a hearty and flavorful bowl that comes together in just about 25 minutes. Made with tender chicken, smoky poblano peppers, enchilada sauce, salsa verde, and plenty of spices, it’s the perfect cozy dinner for busy weeknights. Top it off with cheddar cheese, avocado, lime, and crunchy tortilla chips for a satisfying meal the whole family will love.

Love More Soup Recipes? Try My Chicken Tortilla Soup or this Chicken Taco Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s the perfect comfort food—hearty yet light, warming, and so satisfying. You can make it on the stovetop in under an hour or let it simmer all day in the crockpot for the same delicious result. Add your favorite toppings like avocado, sour cream, cheese, green onions, and crispy tortilla chips for a customizable meal the whole family will love.

Print

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Soup Base:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon spicy taco seasoning
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Flavorful Broth:

• 3 cups red enchilada sauce
• 2 cups salsa verde
• 3–4 cups chicken broth (adjust to desired consistency)
• ¼ cup hot sauce (optional, but trust me on this one!)
• 4 tablespoons salted butter

To Finish:

• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Handful of shredded cheddar cheese

Optional Toppings (but really, don’t skip these!):

• Greek yogurt or sour cream
• Extra shredded cheddar
• Fresh avocado slices
• Lime wedges
• Chopped green onions
• Tortilla chips or crispy tortilla strips

Why These Ingredients Work

Poblanos are the perfect pepper for this. They’re mild enough that my kids eat them but still have actual flavor. When you cook them, they get all soft and almost sweet.

I use both enchilada sauce and salsa verde because I ran out of enchilada sauce once and just grabbed the jar of salsa verde from my fridge. My husband went back for thirds that night. The red sauce is rich, the green adds brightness.

The butter sounds weird but it works. My soup used to taste watery until Carmen showed me this trick. Now the broth actually coats your spoon.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large soup pot or Dutch oven (for stovetop method)
• Slow cooker/crockpot (if using that method)
• Two forks (for shredding chicken)
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Ladle
• Soup bowls (the bigger, the better!)

How To Make Poblano Chicken Tortilla Soup

Stovetop Method (My Personal Favorite!)

1. Heat olive oil in your big pot over medium heat. Throw in the onion, poblanos, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until it smells good and the onions look see-through.

2. Add chicken, sprinkle taco seasoning all over, add salt and pepper. Pour in enchilada sauce, salsa verde, 3 cups broth, hot sauce if you want it, and the butter. Stir everything and let it bubble gently.

3. Let it cook for 15 minutes. The chicken should fall apart when you poke it with a fork.

4. Take the chicken out and shred it with two forks. Put it back in the pot. Stir in cilantro and a big handful of cheese.

5. Taste it and fix whatever needs fixing. Too thick? Add more broth. Not spicy enough? More hot sauce.

Crockpot Method (For Those Busy Days!)

1. Dump everything except cilantro and cheese in your crockpot. Onion, poblanos, garlic, chicken, taco seasoning, both sauces, broth, hot sauce, butter.

2. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Half hour before you eat, shred the chicken right in the pot. Stir in cilantro and cheese.

Must Know

Wait to add cilantro and cheese until the end. I added them too early once and the cilantro got gross and mushy. The cheese got all stringy and weird.

Personal Secret: I hold my poblanos over the gas burner with tongs for about 2 minutes before I chop them. Gets them a little charred. My neighbor asked me what I did different because mine tastes better than hers.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Start with 3 cups broth. I like my soup thick enough to eat with a fork but some people like it more liquidy. Add more broth until it’s how you like it.

The taco seasoning is where most of the heat comes from. I use spicy because we can handle it. Get mild if your family can’t.

Rotisserie chicken works great if you don’t want to cook chicken. Just add it in the last 10 minutes to warm up.

Seed those poblanos! I forgot once and my 5-year-old took one bite and started crying. Those seeds are really hot.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Make it Creamy: Add ½ cup heavy cream or cream cheese. Really good but really rich.

Add More Stuff: Black beans, corn, bell peppers all work great.

More Smoky: Use fire-roasted salsa verde and add smoked paprika.

Different Meat: Pork shoulder or leftover turkey both work.

Make-Ahead Options

This soup is better the next day. I make it Sunday and eat it for lunch all week. You can make it 3 days ahead, just don’t add cilantro and cheese until you heat it up.

Freezer: Freezes for 3 months. Again, skip the fresh stuff until you reheat.

Double Batch: Make twice as much and freeze half. You’ll thank yourself later.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

• Poblano Tips: Get firm, dark green ones that feel heavy. No soft spots.
• Shredding: If the chicken won’t shred easy, cook it longer until it does.
• Thickness: Want it thicker? Let it cook without a lid for 10 more minutes.

Serving Suggestions

This soup is dinner by itself. Sometimes I make quesadillas on the side if people are extra hungry.

I set up all the toppings so everyone can make their bowl how they want. Kids love the chips, my husband loads up cheese, I pile on avocado.

Don’t forget lime: Squeeze it over everything. Changes the whole soup.

How to Store Your Poblano Chicken Tortilla Soup

Fridge: Keeps 4 days in containers. Tastes better each day.

Freezer: 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight.

Reheat: On the stove over medium-low heat. Stir it around. Add broth if it got too thick. Microwave works too – 2-3 minutes, stir halfway.

Allergy Information

Has dairy: Butter, cheese, maybe yogurt or sour cream

Gluten-free: Should be but check your taco seasoning and enchilada sauce labels.

No dairy: Skip butter and cheese or use fake versions. Coconut milk makes it creamy too.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use fresh poblanos instead of canned?

Yes! Fresh is better. Just seed and chop them.

What if I can’t find poblanos?

Anaheim peppers or green bell peppers work but won’t taste the same.

Too spicy for kids?

Poblanos are pretty mild. You control the heat with taco seasoning and hot sauce.

Instant Pot?

Sauté the veggies first, add everything else, pressure cook 12 minutes.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I’d love to hear about your favorite toppings or any fun variations you tried.