The dreary rain of the Pacific Northwest has a way of getting right into your bones. It’s quite remarkable the way a short walk can leave you chilled through and through. I find myself craving warm spicy comfort foods all season long, and this Keto Chicken Enchilada Soup has become one of my go-to recipes.
It’s one of those recipes that practically cooks itself, and it fills the house with mouthwatering aromas. My family adores Tex Mex meals like Keto Taco Pie and Mexican Cauliflower Rice. And this soup always lures my children out of their rooms to the dinner table, without any complaint!
I’ve made this soup countless times, testing it out in both the Instant Pot and the slow cooker. It’s a “set it and forget it” meal that requires very little prep work. And with only 5.9 grams of carbs per serving, it keeps you on track with your keto goals.
Chicken Enchilada Soup is the perfect blend of comfort food and low carb, high protein nutrition. Give it a try – I have a feeling it’s going into your regular rotation too!
What readers are saying
“Made this tonight for dinner. This recipe was so easy to follow! The soup came out amazing and was delicious! Hubby and kid approved! Thank you for your talent and for sharing it with the world!” — Rachel
Why You Will Love This Keto Soup Recipe
- Effortless prep: This really is astonishingly easy. Pop the ingredients in your Instant Pot or slow cooker and it does all the work for you.
- Hearty and flavorful: It’s a keto dinner recipe that really satisfies!
- Low carb comfort: With only 4.9 grams net carbs, this soup gives you all the enchilada flavor you crave.
- High in protein: Each serving has almost 30 grams of protein.
- Make ahead recipe:
- Customizable:
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs. It cooks quickly and is easier to shred.
- Pureed tomatoes: You can use canned or fresh tomatoes for this soup.
- Onion: Onions have a fair bit of carbs, so keep it to a minimum to add flavor. I use half a cup.
- Jalapeño: I use fresh peppers, but you can also use canned chopped jalapeños. Just add two or three tablespoons, depending on how much heat you want.
- Butter: The butter makes the soup richer and creamier, so it’s more satisfying. Grassfed butter also adds healthy keto-friendly fats.
- Sour cream: Sour cream and enchiladas are an ideal combination! I recommend using full fat sour cream for the best flavor. You can sub whole milk Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
- Pantry staples: Taco seasoning, chicken broth and salt.
How to Make Keto Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Add the ingredients: Place all of the ingredients except for the sour cream into the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
- Cook: Set the Instant Pot to the soup function for 20 minutes. For the slow cooker, cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.
- Add the sour cream: Remove 1 cup of the broth from the soup and whisk in the sour cream, then whisk this combo back into the pot.
- Shred the chicken: Shred the chicken with two forks and add back into the pot. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Expert Tips
I use forks to shred the chicken but you can also do it easily and quickly by using a mixer. Just add the cooked chicken to the bowl and use the paddle attachment and turn to medium high.
This soup works well with frozen chicken too. Give it an extra 10 to 15 minutes in the Instant Pot. You shouldn’t have to add more time for the Crockpot version, if you use the longer end of the time range.
If using pre-cooked chicken, just do this chicken enchilada soup in a pot on the stove. Combine all the ingredients except the chicken and sour cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the cream and shredded chicken as instructed.
Dairy-Free Option: Skip the butter and use 1 cup of coconut cream in place of the sour cream.
How to Serve Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Chopped avocado
- Jalapeño slices
- Fresh cilantro or green onions
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
More Delicious Tex Mex Recipes
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (907.18 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 2 cups (298 g) pureed tomatoes (canned is fine)
- 1/2 cup (80 g) chopped onion
- 2 jalapeños, diced
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter
- 3 tbsp taco seasoning
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) salt
- 5 cups (1.18 kg) chicken broth
- 3/4 cup (172.5 g) sour cream
Instructions
- Place the chicken, tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, butter, taco seasoning and salt in the bottom of an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Pour the broth overtop.
- For the Instant Pot, seal the lid and make sure the vent is on seal. Set to the Soup Function for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- For a slow cooker, place the lid on and set to low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.
- When cooking is complete, remove the chicken to a plate. Remove about 1 cup of the hot broth to a bowl and whisk in the sour cream, then whisk this combo back into the pot.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and add back into the pot. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot with cheese and chopped avocados.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Enchilada soup contains simple, easy ingredients such as chicken, tomatoes, broth, sour cream, chilies, and spices. Conventional recipes take canned beans and tortilla strips. However, this keto soup leaves out the higher carb ingredients without sacrificing flavor.
This keto chicken enchilada soup recipe has 5.9g of carbs and 1.0g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.9g net carbs per cup of soup.
Store leftover chicken enchilada soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, defrost frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Absolutely delicious
I just made this soup and oh my another incredible recipe Carolyn!!! unreal! So delicious I can seriously eat the entire pot! I made this in a crock pot and it is so easy, so clean and so delish! I love enchiladas but do not have them anymore but this is just like I am thanks to you ! I added some cheese and a slice of avocado . YUM!!!!
I make this often & freeze several serving sizes. I learned that the easiest way to shred the chicken (or beef & pork) is to use an electric hand mixer. Remove the cooked chicken to a bowl with just alittle soup broth. Turn mixer on to medium-high & shred away. In one minute, you’ll have beautifully shredded meat with no effort.
Added about 12 ounces of cheese to the soup, because we love cheese and this made it even more creamy! We loved this recipe, thank you so much for posting it.
Just made this for supper tonight. My non-keto hubby LOVED it. He did microwave a potato and cut that up into it. I took an EGGLife southwest egg wrap and cut it into “noodles”. FANTASTIC. My husband asked me to make sure I make this again! Ya hit another one out of the ball park, Carolyn!
Could you please clarify the size can of tomatoes? From the video, it looks like 2-14oz cans…? I use 2-28oz cans in my chili, so unsure.
I am not sure what you’re asking… the recipes says 2 cups, not cans. And the video shows them being poured out of a measuring cup. So it’s just 2 cups of pureed tomatoes.
Yum-o! We used ground chicken because that’s what was on hand and cooked the soup on the stovetop instead of the instant pot but made no other changes and it was a HIT! I’m already thinking of making it again very soon. I expected we’d like it but we didn’t just like it, we loved it!
We loved the flavor of the broth. I wanted a little more than chicken in it for dinner so I added spinach leaves (which got very soft) and walnut pieces. Yep, walnuts. I throw walnuts into a lot of keto recipes, I especially love to jazz up vegetables. I added the spinach and the walnuts to the bowls after filling them with the soup. The walnut didn’t change the flavor of the delicious soup but they did add variety and something to chew (like adding crackers to soup). It was a very satisfying combination. This soup recipe is a keeper!
Can you freeze this soup after cooking?
I would think so, yes.
I just made this for my dinner. I used one small can petite diced tomatoes and one can tomatoes with chilies that I puréed. I used the chicken broth that I cooked the chicken in, so it was fresh and pure. Can’t wait to take leftovers to work and show off my keto diet. Sooo good.
Terrific recipe! I was feeling yucky and wanted soup and checked out several recipes and this one met my needs of using what I had on hand and bonus being able to use my Instant Pot. I left out the chilies as the hubs can’t eat them, and used bone-in chicken thighs as that’s what was in the freezer . So tasty and easy to make. Highly recommended
I don’t have an Instant pot but I made it in my crock pot with breasts and it turn out fantastic.
Made this tonight for dinner. This recipe was so easy to follow! The soup came out amazing and was delicious! Hubby and kid approved! Thank you for your talent and for sharing it with the world!
DAIRY-FREE option! I made this dairy-free by subbing vegan butter and a can of coconut milk. So good!
Would substituting yoghurt for sour cream work ? Also use already cooked chicken ? Thanks
I am sure yogurt will be fine but this is a recipe that requires raw chicken.
Would it be alright to use canned diced jalapenos instead of fresh? That’s all I have on hand.
Sure, that works!