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This Instant Pot Southwest Chicken Soup is loaded with tender shredded chicken, black beans, sweet corn, and fire-roasted tomatoes, all brightened up with a big squeeze of lime. It’s cozy, it’s packed with protein, and it’s on the table in about 30 minutes with almost no prep. Even better? You can toss everything in a freezer bag and stash it away for one of those nights when you need dinner to basically make itself!
I’m all about meals that work for me on busy weeknights, and this one has become a total staple. Dump everything in your Instant Pot, shred the chicken, and pile on ALL the toppings. Crushed tortilla chips, cheddar, avocado, cilantro, pickled jalapeños… the toppings bar is half the fun, and it means everyone at the table (yes, even the toddlers!) can make their bowl just the way they like it.
No Instant Pot? No problem! I’ve included slow cooker and stovetop directions below too.
Why You’ll Love This Southwest Chicken Soup
- It’s a true dump-and-start dinner. Only one onion to dice. Everything else goes straight into the pot.
- It’s freezer-friendly. Prep a bag (or three!) ahead of time and dinner is basically done.
- It’s packed with protein. Each 2-cup serving has 39 grams of protein to keep you full.
- It’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free (just skip the cheese on top).
- It’s kid-approved. A toppings bar lets everyone build their own bowl.
- It works in any pot. Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop- you pick!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You probably have most of these in your pantry already! Here’s a quick look at what goes into this soup (full amounts are in the recipe card below). *Scroll to the recipe card for the full list and details on ingredients.
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless thighs work great too and stay extra juicy.
- Onion: One yellow or white onion, diced. This is the only real chopping you’ll do!
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: They add a smoky depth that regular diced tomatoes just can’t match.
- Black beans: Rinse and drain them first.
- Frozen corn: No need to thaw.
- Tomato paste: Just a tablespoon gives the broth richer flavor and color.
- Chicken broth: Use low-sodium if you’d like more control over the salt.
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Lime: The zest and juice make the whole bowl taste bright and fresh. Don’t skip it!
Easy Swaps and Add-Ins
- Want more heat? Add a diced jalapeño, a pinch of red pepper flakes, or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
- Want it more brothy? Add 1 to 2 extra cups of chicken broth.
- Watching sodium? Start with 1 teaspoon of salt and add more at the end, to taste.
- Bean swap: Pinto beans work great in place of black beans.
- Extra veggies: Toss in a diced bell pepper with the onion.
How to Make Instant Pot Southwest Chicken Soup
This soup couldn’t be easier! Here’s the quick version (full instructions are in the recipe card).
- Dump it in. Add the chicken, onion, corn, tomatoes, black beans, tomato paste, broth, spices, and lime zest and juice to a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook. Seal the valve and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes.
- Shred and serve. Shred the chicken right in the pot with two forks, then ladle into bowls and top with your favorite garnishes!
What Is a Freezer Dump Dinner?
We’ve been loving dump dinners in our house lately, and I have a feeling you will too! A dump dinner is a recipe with very little prep. You gather your ingredients, do a tiny bit of chopping, and dump everything into your Instant Pot, slow cooker or soup pot.
A freezer dump dinner takes it one step further. You add everything to a freezer bag ahead of time and freeze it. When you’re ready to eat, thaw it in the fridge overnight and dump it into the pot. That’s it!
How to Freeze This Soup
- Add all of the ingredients to a gallon-size freezer bag.
- Press out as much air as you can, seal tightly, and label with the date.
- Freeze flat so the bags stack easily. Store for up to 3 months.
- The night before, move the bag to the fridge to thaw. Then cook as directed!
Tip: Prep two or three bags at once. Future you will be so grateful!
Slow Cooker Directions
Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the chicken shreds easily.
Stovetop Directions
Add all of the ingredients to a large pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer on low for about 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and easy to shred.
Toppings to Try
This is where the fun happens! Set out a little toppings bar and let everyone build their own bowl:
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced or diced avocado
- Fresh cilantro
- Pickled jalapeños
- Lime wedges
- A dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cooked soup freezes well for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before freezing.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until hot. Add a splash of broth if it has thickened.
FAQ’s
Yes! Increase the pressure cook time to about 12 minutes, then follow the same natural release. Thicker breasts may need a few extra minutes. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F and shreds easily.
Absolutely. Boneless skinless thighs work perfectly with the same cook time.
Nope! The freezer method is totally optional. You can add everything straight to the Instant Pot and cook it right away.
Yes. Letting the pressure release naturally all the way is just fine.
Start with 1 teaspoon of sea salt and low-sodium broth, then season to taste at the end.
If you like this chicken recipe, check out these others:
- Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Artichokes and Asparagus
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken (Paleo & Keto)
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Ultimate Fried Chicken (Gluten-Free)
- How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
- Pork Carnitas (Instant Pot and Slow Cooker)
- Instant Pot Balsamic Chicken
Watch the video here:
Instant Pot Southwest Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lb. Farmer Focus boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 onion diced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1-15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1-15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
Optional Garnish:
- Crushed Tortillas
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Pickled Jalapeno
Instructions
- If preparing ahead and placing in the freezer: Gather your ingredients and place everything in a gallon sized freezer bag and seal tightly. Storage flat in the freezer. To defrost, place in the refrigerator the night before.
- To cook: Combine all of the ingredients in a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot. Set the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with a natural release of at least 10 minutes (see note). Once opened, shred the chicken with two forks.
- Garnish as desired with crushed tortillas, shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado or pickled jalapeno and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was sponsored by Farmer Focus in 2019! All thoughts and opinions are always 100% my own! I love the integrity of their products and think you’ll love them too. Thank you for continuing to support LCK and the brands I work with!
Excellent recipe.We have this once a week.Thank you!
Our go to weeknight meal! So easy and flavorful.
Love this recipe! It’s my go-to meal.
SO easy and so so good! I might add red pepper flakes or jalapenos next time for a little kick. Thanks as always!!
Have you cooked this with frozen chicken breast and frozen corn?
I’ve made this four times now and it’s absolutely delicious! I add about 2TBSP of vampire hammer hot sauce and it’s literally perfect!
YUM.
Hi, Lexi. I’m one of those people that likes to make this recipe at least once every two weeks. So easy and tasty. I had a question: Can boneless, skinless, frozen chicken breasts be used for this recipe? Do I have to add any time to the recipe?
Thank you!
Hi! bs chicken breasts can be used in place of the thighs! If you are cooking them from frozen, check out this post about how to cook frozen chicken breasts in terms of any timing you need: How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot
We literally make this every other week in a huge batch. Our kids love it! Easy, fast and so delicious. 🙂
YAY!
Just made this tonight and was a big win for my family. Even the toddler ate it. Love this easy yummy week day instapot meal!
Love the flavor in this recipe! We used Instant Pot and the chicken was cooked perfectly. We only used one chicken breast and that was plenty, but next time we may add more broth to make it more soup-y. We also used a little less salt and it was fine. I added cilantro and my husband added cheese, cilantro, and jalapeno. Awesome, easy weeknight meal with TONS of flavor!
Wow! I’m so impressed with the flavor in this soup for the amount of time it took. I did it on the stovetop because I don’t have an Instant Pot so I was worried I might not get the same flavor level but it is really great. Love easy recipes with a ton of flavor.
Made over the weekend for a family party and it was a huge hit!!
Sooooo delicious and sooooo easy to make! Can’t wait to have the left overs for lunch today!
There is nothing to clink on where it says “what the video here” …. ?
Do you have an add blocker on? If you do not, it should be right below that text!