Green Enchilada Chicken Soup (Instant Pot)

This Instant Pot green enchilada chicken soup is bursting with Mexican flavors! It is packed with tender, juicy shredded chicken, cheese, corn, and beans!

All the flavors of green chile enchiladas in a simple one-pot soup recipe! It is creamy, cozy, comforting, and just the soup you need to try if you are looking for something different!

There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot soup on a damp, gloomy, and rainy day or a chilly night! It’s been raining incessantly this past week and a hot bowl of soup was just the perfect comfort food for our family to enjoy.

If you are bored with your regular chicken soup recipes, then you must try this easy, creamy green chile enchilada chicken soup. Preparing it in the Instant Pot is a breeze and it comes together in under an hour!

Ingredients needed

Once you have gathered all your ingredients, this soup comes together pretty quickly. Here’s the list of ingredients you will need for this Instant Pot green enchilada chicken soup;

Cooking fat: I’ve used olive oil, feel free to use your preferred oil.

Aromatics: I’ve used white onions and freshly minced garlic.

Jalapeno: Deseeded and diced. If you prefer the heat, leave the membrane and some of the seeds.

Seasoning mix: Just some ground cumin, Mexican oregano, kosher salt, and freshly cracked pepper!

Chicken stock: I’ve used water and better than bouillon chicken stock base.

Green enchilada sauce: I’ve used 2-(10 oz) cans of Old El Paso’s brand. Feel free to use your favorite brand of sauce.

Chicken: I’ve used skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but feel to use whatever you have at hand. Bone-in chicken breasts or thighs are also great and will add tons of flavor to the soup.

Cheese: I’ve used freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese.

Heavy cream: Adds creaminess and richness to the soup.

Other ingredients: To make the soup wholesome, hearty, and satisfying I’ve also thrown in some cannellini beans and sweet corn.

Chopped cilantro: Adds a fresh flavor to the soup. Skip it if you ain’t a fan!

Lemon juice: Adds some acidity and balances the rich and creamy flavors of the soup.

Why should you try this recipe?

This Instant Pot green enchilada chicken soup;

☑ Is an easy, effortless, and flavorsome recipe

☑ Can be adapted to make it low-carb or keto-friendly

☑ Has all the flavors of green chicken enchiladas in a yummy soup

☑ Is perfect for busy weeknight dinners

☑ Is kid-friendly

How to make Instant Pot Green Enchilada Chicken Soup – Step-by-step process

Step 1: Saute the aromatics and herbs

Press the ‘SAUTE’ button, and set it to ‘NORMAL’. Once it displays ‘HOT’, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the inner steel insert and let it heat up.  (Photo 1)

Add 1 cup of diced onions and saute until the onions turn translucent. (Photos 2 and 3)

Next, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced. Saute until garlic is fragrant. (Photos 4 and 5)

Make sure you scrape off all the browned bits stuck at the bottom of the pot, to avoid getting a ‘BURN’ error.

Add 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt, and freshly cracked pepper, mix well, and saute for another 30 seconds. (Photos 6 and 7)

Step 2: Add stock, green enchilada sauce, chicken, and pressure cook

Pour in 2 cups of chicken stock and 2-(10 oz) cans of green enchilada sauce. Give everything a good mix. (Photos 8 to 10)

Place 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken in the broth. (Photo 11)

Press ‘CANCEL’ and close the lid of the Instant Pot with the valve on the sealing position. (Photo 12)

Press the ‘MANUAL’or ‘PRESSURE COOK’ button and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, about 15 minutes for thicker pieces. (Photo 13)

It will take some time for the pressure to build up (about 15 minutes), after which the timer will start.

Step 3: Natural pressure release (NPR) for 10 minutes

Once the cooking cycle is complete, let it depressurize for at least 10 minutes, then do a quick release of leftover pressure following the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the float valve (silver pin) drops, open the lid. (Photos 14 and 15)

Remove the chicken using tongs and shred using two forks. (Photos 16 and 17)

Step 4: Add the remaining ingredients

Warm 1 cup of cream in a saucepan or in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Press the ‘SAUTE’ button and set it to ‘LOW’.

Add the cream or half and half, mix well and simmer for a minute. (Photos 18 and 19)

Add 2 cups freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese in batches, stir continuously until it has melted, and blended well into the soup. Press ‘CANCEL’ to turn off the Instant Pot. (Photos 20 and 21)

Return the shredded chicken back into the Instant Pot. Also, add 1 cup of sweet corn, and 1-(15 oz) can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans. Mix well. (Photos 22 to 25)

Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and freshly chopped cilantro leaves, mix well, and check for seasonings. Adjust with more salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed. (Photos 26 to 28)

Cover and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestions

The toppings are one of the best parts of the recipe as you can always mix and match different combinations. Here are some suggestions;

• Baked tortilla chips or strips
• A dollop of sour cream
• Diced avocadoes
• Guacamole
• Tomato salsa or pico de gallo
• Diced green onions
• Shredded cheese, queso fresco, or cotija cheese
• Red or green hot sauce
• Cilantro

Storage Instructions

Leftovers: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freeze: Since this soup has cream and cheese, it will not freeze well. The dairy will separate. If you intend to freeze this soup, skip adding the cream and cheese.

Reheat: Reheat the soup in a pot over the stovetop until heated thoroughly. If you did not add the cream and cheese earlier, you can add them now.

Recipe Tips

Cream: Do not add cold cream or half and half to the hot soup, it may curdle. Either heat the cream in a pan over the stovetop or in the microwave just until it is warm to the touch. You can also temper the cream by adding hot broth into the cold cream, a few tablespoons at a time while stirring constantly. Add the cream mixture to the pot of soup.

Make it a dump-and-go recipe: Skip the olive oil, onion, and minced garlic and simply add 1 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder.

Cheese: It is best to shred your own cheese instead of the pre-packaged stuff. It is often coated with potato starch or cellulose meant to prevent the cheese shreds from clumping. This prevents the cheese from melting well in the soup.

Prefer a thicker soup? Bring the soup to a boil, and add a cornstarch slurry ( 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water). Stir continuously until it thickens. Set ‘SAUTE’ to ‘LOW’ and add the cream and the rest of the ingredients.

Like it spicier? Add jalapenos or serranos with seeds and membranes on. Add a dash of cayenne pepper along with the ground spices.

Season to taste: I’ve not included an amount of salt for this recipe like I normally do. The brand of sauce, chicken stock, or cheese you use may have different amounts of salt, so please taste the soup and adjust as needed.

Variations

Add body to the soup: You can add 1/2 cup of white rice to give the soup more texture and to make it thicker. You may adjust the consistency of the soup by adding more stock if it gets too thick.

Add vegetables: You can add also add more body to the soup by adding veggies like diced potatoes, zucchini, squash, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower rice, etc. I’d add the cauliflower rice along with the corn and beans and cook it for 2 minutes or until tender.

Different beans: Instead of cannellini beans, you could also add kidney beans, black beans, great northern beans, navy beans, lima beans, etc, or whatever you have at hand. Feel free to double the quantity of the beans.

Seasoning: You can add other spices like smoked paprika, chili powder, poultry seasoning, taco seasoning, etc. Feel free to experiment!

Cheese: You can also swap the Monterey jack cheese with other cheeses like Colby Jack, mild or sharp cheddar, cream cheese, etc. If you use cream cheese, blend the cream cheese with some of the broth. If you add cold cream cheese directly to the soup, it may clump up. You can also soften the cream cheese in the microwave and then add it to the soup to avoid the clumps.

Salsa verde: You can substitute one can of green enchilada sauce with salsa verde, either mild, medium, or hot. Here’s my homemade roasted salsa verde recipe if you’d like to try it.

Jalapenos: You can swap the jalapenos with a 4 oz or 7 oz can of chopped green chiles (mild, hot, fire-roasted) instead.

Gluten-free: Be sure to read the labels of the brand of sauce, chicken stock, seasonings, etc you use to ensure it is gluten-free.

Red enchilada sauce: You can swap the green sauce with red enchilada sauce for another delicious variation.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How to make this soup on the stovetop?

Follow the same steps as directed above in a large stockpot. After you add the chicken, simmer, uncovered on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Follow the same steps thereafter.

Is there a difference between salsa verde and green enchilada sauce?

Verde means green in Spanish and so essentially it translates to green salsa. Salsa verde is made with tomatillos as the base. It is uncooked but at times also made by roasting the tomatillos.

Green enchilada sauce is made with green chile peppers, onion, garlic, and seasonings. Some brands will also include tomatillos.

Either way, if you are looking to substitute one for another, feel free to do so! It will taste great either way.

Can I use rotisserie chicken for this recipe?

You can! Reduce the pressure cook time to 2 minutes followed by 5 minutes NPR. Follow the recipe from step 4 as instructed above.

If adding vegetables like potatoes, and carrots, cook for 4 to 5 minutes on high pressure, depending on the thickness of the veggies.

Here are some of our favorite Instant Pot chicken soup recipes

Chicken noodle soup

Chicken gnocchi soup

Chicken wild rice soup

Have you made this recipe?

I would love to hear from you! Please be sure to share your feedback and/or give this recipe a rating in the comment below. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too.

Also, be sure to subscribe to our free weekly newsletters for the latest recipes.

You can also FOLLOW me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter