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Last updated February 15, 2023

Paleo Chicken Tortilla Soup (Whole30, Keto)

Paleo Chicken Tortilla Soup —EASY, creamy, healthy, and loaded with flavor! This Mexican crock pot meal is perfect for busy weeknights! Whole30, low carb, and Keto too!

This paleo and whole30 chicken tortilla soup is perfection. It’s extremely versatile, healthy, and easy to freeze or meal prep.

It’s also light enough so that you can have it in the spring or summer, and cozy enough for those chilly winter months.

There is a slow cooker and instant pot option below to choose your cooking method. I personally love using my slow cooker, as it’s so easy to dump all the ingredients in and leave it alone until it’s done. Enjoy!

If you’re a fan of Mexican chicken recipes, check out this Slow cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken recipe. It’s loaded with flavors and easy to make!

What You Need

This recipe is so simple, with just a few simple ingredients, you probably already have in your pantry.

  • Chicken breast – you can use chicken thighs as well
  • Fire roasted tomatoes
  • Diced green chiles
  • Coconut milk- optional, but highly recommended. It adds a creamy texture to the soup
  • Limes
  • Garlic cloves
  • Onion
  • Bone or chicken broth
  • Spices: cumin, cilantro, chili powder, salt and pepper
  • To add more veggies (optional): carrots, bell pepper, or celery
  • Optional (not paleo/whole30): black beans, corn, tortilla chips, sour cream/greek yogurt, cheese

How To Make This Paleo Chicken Tortilla Soup

This crock pot chicken tortilla soup is truly the easiest dump and go recipe.

  1. Place all ingredients into the slow cooker.
  2. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
  3. Remove chicken breast from the slow cooker and shred.
  4. Serve warm and fill your bowl with your favorite toppings.

How To Make In The Instant Pot

To make this paleo chicken tortilla soup in the instant pot, start by turning on the saute function. Add oil, and saute the garlic and onions for 2-3 minutes.

Turn the saute function off, and add the diced tomatoes, green chiles, coconut milk, lime juice, bone both, cumin, cilantro, chili powder, and chicken breast. Stir, and place the lid on the instant pot.

Set the instant pot setting to HIGH and cook for 14 minutes. Place steam valve to “sealing”. When the timer goes off, you can either let the pressure out manually, or let it release naturally.

Transfer the chicken breast to a plate and shred with two forks. Add the chicken back into the instant pot and give everything a good stir. Serve immediately. Use a ladle to fill your bowl, and top your soup with your favorite toppings.

Storing and Freezing Paleo Chicken Tortilla Soup

Fridge – Let soup cool in the slow cooker before transferring it to a glass food storage container. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Freeze – If you want to freeze your whole 30 chicken tortilla soup to eat later on, wait till soup is cooled and place it in a freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, place it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Reheat it on the stove top or in your slow cooker on the “warm” or “low” settings.

Let’s Talk Toppings

Now it’s time to get creative with your toppings. To keep it Paleo, I top my bowl of chicken tortilla soup with chopped fresh cilantro, extra lime juice, and avocado slices. If you don’t have any toppings on hand, I promise the recipe will taste delicious without.

If I’m wanting tortilla chips I’ll then add some Siete Tortilla Chips as well. These are grain free, gluten free, soy free, and dairy free. They are made with a base of coconut and cassava flour, and then fried in avocado oil. I’m obsessed.

My fiance however does not have any dietary restrictions so he’ll top his with full fat grass-fed cheese, greek yogurt, and loads of avocado. Some other topping ideas include: plantain chips, sour cream, hot sauce, jalapenos, corn, and black beans.

Chicken tortilla soup in two black bowls with avocado and lime slices

More Paleo Soup Recipes:

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Chicken Tortilla Soup in black crock pot with ladle

Paleo Chicken Tortilla Soup (Whole30, Keto)


  • Author: Abbey Blackwell
  • Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Paleo Chicken Tortilla Soup —EASY, creamy, healthy, and loaded with flavor! This Mexican crock pot meal is perfect for busy weeknights! Whole30, low carb, and Keto too!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 214.5 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes
  • 14 ounce can diced green chiles
  • 1/213.5 ounce can coconut milk, optional
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 116.9 ounce carton of bone broth, or chicken broth
  • 1/2 tablespoon cumin
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

  • Avocado
  • Freshly chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges
  • Siete Tortilla Chips
  • Hot sauce
  • Greek yogurt or sour cream

Instructions

  1. Place chicken, tomatoes, green chiles, coconut milk, lime juice, garlic, yellow onion, bone broth, cumin, cilantro, and chili powder into slow cooker. Stir to combine.
  2. Place lid on slow cooker, and cook on LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH setting for 3 to 4 hours.
  3. Remove chicken breast from the slow cooker and transfer to a plate. Shred the chicken with two forks and return the chicken to the slow cooker.
  4. Serve immediately. 

Notes

Optional add-ins/toppings (not paleo/whole30): black beans, corn, tortilla chips, sour cream/greek yogurt, cheese. If you add a can of black beans and/or corn, use only 1 can of diced tomatoes.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 hours
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: Mexican, American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 293
  • Sugar: 2.7 g
  • Sodium: 233.8 mg
  • Fat: 12.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 10 g
  • Protein: 35.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 110.4 mg

Keywords: Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup, Whole30 chicken tortilla soup

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  1. I was scouting around for some really easy and healthy soup recipes to try, and stumbled upon this one. I am not paleo, so I added black beans to mine, but this turned out amazing! The flavor was great and it felt super healthy and filling.

    I topped mine with good culture sour cream and some Siete chips and it will definitely be a regular soup I will be making! 🙂 I am sure it tastes just as good without the beans. I may try adding in some bell peppers next time instead of beans.

  2. Family was really pleased with this one! Even the kids(7&8) ate it up! I added black beans and corn also.

  3. I made this soup on the stove using pre-made shredded chicken, added a bell pepper, and doubled the cumin. This is hands down the best Whole30 soup I’ve tried so far! I think it’s the subtle sweetness of the coconut milk…

    For the stovetop adaptation: sauté your onion (and bell pepper in my case) until the onions are almost translucent. Add the garlic. Once fragrant, add the remaining ingredients and stir. Super simple!

    I will definitely be making this beyond Whole30. Thank you for this recipe!

  4. Have made this recipe a few times. So easy and delicous and healthy too! Highly recommend giving it a try. I did make one change the last time I made it – added more broth so that it was more like a soup and less like a stew.