Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Let's get extra cozy with this Instant Pot chicken enchilada soup! Filled with tender shredded chicken, a mix of beans and hearty corn, this Tex-Mex soup features an ultra rich broth with the perfect punch of chile spice. Serve with your favorite toppings and you're in for one crowd-pleasing soup.

Course Soups and Stews

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Natural Release Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 395kcal

Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

Instant Pot or pressure cooker

Ingredients

¼ cup, plus 1 tablespoon canola oil divided
Salt and pepper
8 bone-in chicken thighs skin removed
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 yellow onion chopped
4 garlic cloves minced or grated
¼ cup chili powder medium heat
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
4 cups chicken stock
1 15-ounce tomato sauce can
1 15-ounce black beans can drained
1 15-ounce pinto beans can drained
1 10-ounce Rotel tomatoes and green chiles can
1 cup frozen corn
1 lime juiced
¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Desired toppings optional

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in Instant Pot on the Saute function. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken. Cook four chicken thighs until browned and then flip and brown on the other side, about four minutes per side. Remove from Instant Pot. Repeat with the other four chicken thighs and remove from the Instant Pot.
Pour in the remaining ¼ cup canola oil and whisk in flour to make a paste. Continue to whisk for about two to three minutes to cook the flour. Then whisk in the chili powder, cocoa powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and cloves.
Stir in the onions to coat with the spices and cook until softened, stirring every now and then, about four minutes. Add the garlic to the onion and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Stir in about 1 cup chicken stock. It doesn't have to be exact. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pot. Then, stir in the rest of the chicken stock and tomato sauce. Continue to stir until it smooths.
Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot. Place the lid on top and seal. Turn to the Manual function and cook for 13 minutes. When the time is up, allow to naturally release for 10 minutes, and then turn the valve to quick release the rest of the pressure.
Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and allow to cool for a couple minutes. Meanwhile, hit Cancel and then turn the Saute function back on. Stir in the black beans, pinto beans, Rotel and frozen corn.
As the mix-ins heat through and after the chicken has had a chance to cool, use two forks to shred the chicken. Discard the bones. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup. Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve with desired toppings. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Of course, spice heat is subjective, but I’d say this a medium-heat soup. If you want to intensify the heat, add more cayenne pepper or serve with fresh jalapeños. Or if you need to tame the spice, dilute with more broth or add some cream. Dairy helps calm spice levels.
While I recommend using bone-in chicken thighs for best flavor, if you’re in a time crunch, you can cook the broth and then stir in shredded rotisserie chicken from the grocery store with the mix-ins.
This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot for reference.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition