Easy Chicken Enchilada Soup
This chicken enchilada soup with cream cheese is made with rotisserie chicken for an easy 30-minute dinner. It has the best creamy texture and will warm you up when you’re craving something cozy.
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Easy chicken enchilada soup that takes 10 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook and has the best creamy cheesy texture. It’s easier than making enchiladas but has all the same flavors – so sort of the same but different and easy! So easy.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Chopped onion
- Masa harina
- Chicken stock or chicken broth
- Red enchilada sauce
- Diced or cooked shredded chicken
- Black beans
- Rotel (mild or spicy)
- Kosher salt
- Cubed cream cheese
Onion: You can chop a yellow onion or use frozen chopped onion to make it easy. Just add the frozen onion to the pan – no need to thaw it first.
Masa harina: The soup is thickened with masa harina, which is finely ground corn processed into a powder. It’s used to make tortillas, and tamales, and other Mexican recipes. I also use it in Texas chili. There isn’t a substitute, and it really makes a big difference in the soup.
Enchilada sauce: You can use your favorite prepared sauce or my easy homemade enchilada sauce.
Chicken: Chopped (or shredded) rotisserie chicken works great in this soup. Or, any cooked chicken (shredded chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or a mix of both) or even leftover turkey will work great.
Beans: Swap the black beans for pinto beans, kidney beans, or white beans.
Rotel: If you can’t find Rotel, substitute the same amount of canned diced tomatoes plus a 4- ounce can of roasted green chiles. Fire-roasted tomatoes would be great!
Optional add-ins: I didn’t include it, but if you like corn, feel free to add 1/2 cup or so of frozen corn kernels to the soup. Add them when you add the beans – no need to thaw them first. You can also add some cayenne pepper for added heat.
How to Make It
Saute the onions in a pot or Dutch oven with olive oil. When the onions start to release their moisture and soften, add the masa harina and stir to combine.
Add everything else except for the cream cheese, stir, and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the soup for 10 to 15 minutes.
Take the pot off the heat and add the cubed cream cheese. Stir until it’s melted and the soup is ready to serve.
Soup Garnishes
The soup is delicious all on its own, but I can’t resist a good soup garnish – here are some ideas:
- Crushed tortilla chips or tortilla strips
- Grated cheese like cheddar cheese, Monterey jack, or pepper jack
- Chopped cilantro or parsley
- Sliced green onions
- A dollop of sour cream for a little more richness
- A little scoop of fresh pico de gallo would be great, too
- Diced avocado or a scoop of guacamole
- Diced fresh jalapeno
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. You can reheat them in the microwave or on the stove.
- I haven’t tried freezing it – I never have enough left. I’m not sure how it will keep in the freezer with the cream cheese, so if you try it let me know in the comments how it goes.
I love a quick soup recipe for a weeknight when you’re craving something cozy and warm. It’s flavorful and filling – I hope you give this chicken enchilada soup recipe a try!
Happy soup-simmering!
More Soup Recipes
Be sure to check out some of my other favorite soups that are quick and easy to make:
📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe, along with your recipe star rating.
PrintEasy Chicken Enchilada Soup
Quick and easy chicken enchilada soup! It takes 30 minutes to make and has the best creamy texture. Serve it with crunchy tortilla chips and cheese on top for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (see note)
- 1/2 cup masa harina
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 10 oz red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
- 14 oz canned black beans
- 10-ounce Rotel (mild or spicy)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- Optional garnishes: Crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onions and cook them for four to five minutes or until they start to soften.
- Add the masa harina and stir. Cook it with the onion for about a minute (the mixture will look like a paste), and then add the chicken broth. Stir until the masa dissolves into the broth.
- Add the enchilada sauce, chicken, beans, Rotel, and salt. Stir and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and simmer the soup for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Take the pot off of the heat and stir in the cream cheese. Stir until it’s melted into the soup. Ladle into bowls and top each with garnishes, if using.
Notes
To make this even easier, use frozen chopped onions.
Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. You can reheat them in the microwave or on the stove.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 873.6mg
- Fat: 11.7g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21.5g
- Fiber: 5.6g
- Protein: 14.4g
- Cholesterol: 41.8mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Post updated from the archives. First published in March 2021.
This was easy and tasty. I used homemade enchilada sauce. I added frozen corn because I had it. That worked well, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get corn for this – it’s great without it. Served with chips and homemade guac (I count that as a green).
Having the leftovers for dinner tonight and looking forward to it. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it!