This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
This creamy chicken enchilada soup recipe is the weeknight dinner your whole family will beg you to make on repeat! Thick, cheesy, and loaded with bold Tex-Mex flavor, it’s ready with almost zero effort. Masa harina gives the broth that deep, authentic enchilada flavor you genuinely can’t fake, and the cream cheese makes every single spoonful silky and rich. This is one-pot comfort food at its absolute best, and trust me, the leftovers are even better.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- Everything cooks together in the Instant Pot, which means minimal cleanup and easy customization — swap in chicken thighs, dial up the heat, go heavy on the toppings. This recipe works with what you’ve got, which is why I love it SO much!
- The secret weapon to this easy chicken enchilada soup is the masa harina. It thickens the broth in a way cornstarch just can’t replicate, giving this soup that rich, authentic Tex-Mex depth you’d get at a good restaurant.
- The cheeses blend well to create a rich, indulgent flavor. Cream cheese and cheddar make it sooo creamy. Both melt right into the broth easily and add depth to the whole soup.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Masa harina is a corn flour, and when it sits on the bottom of the Instant Pot under pressure, it will scorch and likely trigger that dreaded burn notice. Always let the soup finish pressure cooking first, then whisk your masa harina into hot ladles of broth in a separate bowl before stirring the slurry back into the pot. This method also prevents lumps from forming, too!
- When you ladle out that broth to make the slurry, it needs to be hot, as that’s what allows the masa harina to hydrate and dissolve into a smooth paste before it hits the pot. Whisk aggressively and let the mixture sit for 30 seconds before stirring it in.
- Cold cream cheese added to a hot, simmering soup is a recipe for grainy, uneven chunks, so remember to bring it to room temperature first. After you hit cancel on the Instant Pot’s Sauté mode, let the soup drop to a gentle heat before stirring in your cream cheese. Adding it in small cubes and stirring continuously as each piece melts makes the process even better.
Recipe Variations
Make it Spicier. Add ½–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the spice rub, or use a spicy red enchilada sauce. A diced jalapeño sautéed with the onion also works beautifully.
Use Chicken Thighs. Boneless skinless chicken thighs give you a richer, more tender result. Same 12-minute cook time — just check for 175°F-185°F internal temperature when you shred.
Add Black Beans or Corn. Stir in one drained and rinsed 15-ounce can of black beans and/or 1 cup frozen corn during the simmer step after shredding the chicken. Both are classic enchilada additions that bulk up the soup and add great texture.
Make it Dairy-Free. Skip the cream cheese and cheddar, and instead blend in ¾ cup raw cashews soaked in hot water for 30 minutes. The soup won’t be quite as rich, but it will still have a creamy body from the masa harina.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but add 3–5 minutes to the pressure cook time depending on the thickness of the chicken. Always verify the internal temperature reaches 165°F when you shred; don’t rely on timing alone!
This can mean the masa harina was added before pressure cooking. Make sure to keep the masa out until after the pressure cook cycle, and always add it as a slurry rather than directly into the broth.
Super easy to do, just sauté the onion in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add everything except the masa harina and cheese, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Shred, make the slurry, stir it in, simmer for 5 minutes, then finish with the cheese.
Classic enchilada toppings are your best friends here: extra shredded cheddar or a Mexican blend, tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, sour cream, diced avocado, or a generous squeeze of fresh lime. All of them. All at once.
More Tasty Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Risotto
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Instant Pot Pork Roast with Carrots, Potatoes, and Gravy
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Instant Pot French Onion Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta Soup
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot
- small mixing bowl
- medium mixing bowl
- ladle
- whisk
- chicken shredder (or two forks)
- instant read thermometer
Ingredients
Spice Rub
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (part of divided amount)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (part of divided amount)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (part of divided amount)
Soup
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ white onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 four-ounce can green chilis
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (remaining divided amount)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (remaining divided amount)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (remaining divided amount)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup masa harina
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Optional Toppings
- extra shredded cheddar cheese
- tortilla strips
- fresh cilantro
- sour cream
Instructions
- In small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Rub spice mixture all over 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts until fully coated.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once hot, add ½ white onion, diced, with pinch of salt. Sauté 2–3 minutes until softened. Press Cancel.
- Add seasoned chicken breasts to pot. Add 1 four-ounce can green chilis, 1 cup red enchilada sauce, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and 6 cups chicken broth. Do not add masa harina.
- Secure lid; set valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes. Perform Quick Release when cycle finishes.
- Remove chicken breasts and shred with chicken shredder or two forks. Set aside.
- Ladle approximately 2 cups hot broth into medium bowl. Whisk in ½ cup masa harina until completely smooth. Pour slurry back into pot and stir well.
- Set pot to Sauté mode. Add shredded chicken. Simmer 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until soup reaches desired thickness. Press Cancel.
- Allow soup to drop slightly from active boil. Stir in 4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed, a few pieces at a time, until fully melted. Stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese until melted and smooth. Taste; adjust salt as needed.
- Ladle into bowls. Top with extra shredded cheddar, tortilla strips, cilantro, and sour cream as desired.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!
Never Miss A Meal!
New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox
A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
Thank you!
You have successfully joined our subscriber list.