Chicken Enchilada Soup – Chili’s Copycat

With chicken, onion, garlic, chilies, paprika, sour cream, and more, this version of tortilla soup is full of wonderful south of the border flavors in every spoonful.

You might also like cheeseburger tacos, Mexican shredded beef or, for something sweet, strawberry tres leches cake.

Why You’ll Love It

Just like the Chili’s version: Skip the line at Chili’s and whip up this perfect replica of their chicken enchilada soup.
Really tasty: Tomatoes, spies, chicken, vegetables, and more go into this recipe to ensure a delicious flavor in every mouthful.
Easy to prepare: You won’t have any problems making this enchilada soup because it’s a straightforward recipe.
Gluten-free and/or dairy-free: Use gluten-free flour to make it gluten-free or omit the sour cream to make it dairy-free.

Chicken Enchilada Soup Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Chicken: The protein in this soup. You can use breasts or thighs.
Enchilada sauce: This adds so much south of the border flavor.
Red chilies: For spice.
Chicken broth: I used low-sodium as some of the other ingredients have salt in them.
Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are fine.
Masa harina: Also known as masa flour, masa harina is dried corn dough, also known as corn flour. It’s used to make fresh corn tortillas and other Mexican inspired recipes like this Chili’s copycat dish. If your local grocery store doesn’t carry it, you can definitely get it at any Latin market.
Sour cream: For a contrasting cooling flavor.
Optional toppings: Although not listed in the ingredients, a handful of Mexican blend cheese scattered on top before serving goes really well along with a dollop of sour cream or even some cream cheese. A garnish of fresh cilantro can also be a nice touch.

How to Make Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Prepare your ingredients: Preheat a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot on the stove. Prepare the chilies, onion and garlic, and shred the chicken. The easiest way to do this is to tear it apart with your fingers until the pieces are the size you want.
Sauté the aromatics: Heat the oil in the Dutch oven and sauté the chilies and onion in there. Mix in the garlic and cook for a minute.
Puree the soup: Puree the whole lot in a blender or food processor. If you have an immersion blender, that’s even easier, since you can puree it in the Dutch oven without having to pour it anywhere.
Add more ingredients: Add the canned tomatoes and the juice from the can, as well as the red enchilada sauce to the pot. Pour in the chicken base and chicken broth or chicken stock, and sprinkle in the paprika, pepper and cumin.
Simmer the soup: Let the soup simmer away for about 45 minutes. A gentle simmer is perfect. You don’t want it to boil.Thicken the soup: Whisk the masa harina and water together, then add this mixture to the soup.
The finishing touches: Stir in the chicken and sour cream and simmer for 25 minutes more. Serve topped with cilantro, pico de gallo and tortilla strips.

Substitutions and Variations

Chicken: Instead of rotisserie chicken you could use chicken thighs or a leftover chicken breast. You could substitute turkey for the chicken if you wanted.
Vegetarian soup: Make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken (or adding extra veggies like squash or mushrooms or add in black beans) and swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Change the spice level: You will see the recipe calls for chilies but you can use less or more, or even omit them altogether.

How to Store Chicken Enchilada Soup

Store: Keep any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Freeze: You can freeze the soup in portions (don’t add the sour cream until you reheat it, as it will separate).
Thaw: Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: You can reheat this soup in a pan on the stove or in the microwave.