This Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup is full of flavor and so easy to make! Super quick and filling, this Mexican soup is creamy, spicy, and low carb.
I have this problem… but I can’t be the only one.
You see I kind of love Latin music. I develop recipes to my Celia Cruz Pandora station and know all almost 30% of the words to La Vida Es un Carnaval.
But I have this sort of Pavlovian response to this kind of music. Two responses, if we’re being honest.
Response #1: immediately salsa with my dancing partner, Whisk/Immersion Blender/super hot cast-iron skillet. It’s pretty elegant and safe, all in one. And response #2?
I Crave Mexican food.
I could be 90% done with some elaborate French dinner, the perfectly selected wine patiently aerating on the counter, from-scratch paleo quiche in the oven, salade verte on the dinner table. But should Guantanamera come on? Scrap it all; we’re heading to El Mezcal tonight, Y’all.
Luckily for our general health slash financial stability, this Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup is quick, easy, and super economical, making it a fantastic answer to my Pavlovian response to that 1-2 and-3-4 beat any time it comes on.
Why this Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup is so good:
- It’s crazy easy: throw (almost) everything in the Instant Pot, cook for about 18 minutes, dice your chicken, add the remaining ingredients. DONE.
- It’s creamy, filling, and spicy, making it a great one-dish meal and perfect for fall and winter.
- This Mexican soup is low carb and keto-friendly, too (10g net!).
- This makes a great meal prep for the week: less time spent in the kitchen on Sunday, more time doing… uh, not meal prep.
Quick, easy, flavorful ✔
Budget-friendly ✔
Midweek Fiesta 💃
Variations:
- Brown about a pound of ground beef, drain and add it in place of the chicken breasts for an Instant Pot taco soup. You can reduce the cooking time to about 5 minutes at Manual High Pressure if you do that, too!
- Stir in some spinach, kale, or chard for extra greens.
- If you have a coconut allergy, replace the coconut milk with cashew cream: blend 1 cup raw cashews with 3/4 cup water in a high-speed blender until smooth.
Tips:
- If you’re not on a Whole30, add some shredded cheese, if you feel like it.
- Top with some Siete paleo tortilla chips if you’re not on a Whole30!
- If you aren’t on a Whole30, use 2 chipotle peppers and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce in place of the chipotle pepper powder. I’ve yet to easily find Whole30-compliant chipotle peppers.
Make this Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup in the slow cooker:
Add all ingredients, except coconut milk, in the order listed. Cook on low heat for 7 hours or on high heat for 4 hours. Remove chicken breasts and dice. Stir in coconut milk, then return chicken to slow cooker. Serve with garnishes.
How to make this Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup:
Add all ingredients in the order listed to your Instant Pot, through zucchini.
Seal lid and cook on Manual High Pressure 18 minutes. Let naturally release 10 minutes then Quick Release.
Remove chicken breasts from pot and dice. Stir in coconut milk and diced chicken; stir until smooth. Serve with plenty of garnishes.
What kind of Instant Pot do I have?
I use mine seriously all the time and love this one (<<< affiliate link!). Check it out!
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Mexican Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Instant Pot, Whole30, Paleo)
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)
- Instant Pot Bone Broth That Gels (Whole30 Bone Broth)
Did you make and love this recipe? Give your review below! 👇 And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup
This Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup is full of flavor and so easy to make! Super quick and filling, this Mexican soup is creamy, spicy, healthy, and low carb.
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 10-ounce cans tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 14.5-ounce can Whole30-compliant chicken broth
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-3 teaspoons chipotle pepper powder if on Whole30. 1 teaspoon for mild, 3 teaspoons for hot. If not on Whole30, see note
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 zucchinis chopped or cut into 1/2" half moons
- 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream whisked until smooth
Garnishes:
- fresh avocado slices
- red onions sliced thin
- fresh cilantro chopped
- coconut cream
- lime juice
- shredded cheese if not paleo or on Whole30
- tortilla strips if not paleo or on Whole30
Equipment Needed
Instructions
Sprinkle boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt. Add the chicken breasts to the Instant Pot. Add the remaining ingredients in order, through zucchini.
Secure the lid on the pot. Cook at high pressure for 18 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for ten minutes, then use the manual release. Pull out the chicken breasts and add coconut milk. Switch Instant Pot to Sauté mode and stir to combine. Dice chicken, then return it to the soup. Serve hot, topped with garnishes of choice.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
This recipe was originally posted May 2017 but was updated with video, new photos, step-by-step directions, and tips August 2018.
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This recipe is SO GOOD!!! Iand super easy! I just got an instant pot and was looking for something paleo to make in it. this is so creamy and delicious. Its about 115 degrees in AZ but I cant wait to eat this every day LOL. thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you!!!
I bought all of the ingredients to make this soup this weekend and I can’t wait!! My house is OBSESSED with tortilla soup—we try it anywhere we go if it’s on the menu, so to find a lightened up version is awesome!
I am confused on the chipotle pepper part (I’ve never cooked with them before). Do you put to whole peppers into the soup? Or do you dice them up or anything first? Thanks!!
Absolutely fantastic. The best Tortilla Soup I’ve ever had….whole 30 or otherwise. I doubled the recipie, and cooked in the Instapot for 19 minutes. It was luxurious with heaps of cilantro, avocado, and a couple cassava lime tortilla chips. I didn’t have chicken broth on hand, so reconstituted some beef flavor organic “better than bullion” (not 100% whole 30 approved, I suppose), but it did the trick. Highly recommended! Cant wait to try more if your recipes. If they are half as tasty as this, I will be pleased.
Oh man. Your tweaks sound amazing!!
Silly question: is the salt in the recipe to season the soup, or the chicken breasts?
Both 🙂
I don’t have an instant pot, could I use a Dutch oven or crock pot?
Sure, the cooking times will vary, though.
Only the second time using my Instant Pot- first was to bake sweet potatoes. I’m loving it and this recipe was amazing!!! I didn’t miss chips or cheese.
This soup is ah-mazing! Love it and love it reheated for lunches at work. So yummy and healthy. 😍
Thank you!! I’m so pleased you like it! 😀
I threw this soup together today in my lunch break and when I camr home my apartment smelled so good and WOW this soup is so tasty! Thanks for posting. I added red skin potatoes. Added a nice touch
Can the zucchini be swapped with something else? I just don’t like the taste or texture!!!
Sure! It depends on what you’re after but bell peppers would be great! They will cook a little longer
This soup is delicious! The only change I made was to use two cans of regular diced tomatoes and a small can of green chilis instead of the two cans of mixed tomatoes and chilis. I made it for dinner but I’m having a hard time not snacking on it now
I’m so pleased that you like it!
This was excellent! I was surprised that we couldn’t taste the coconut milk at all. It just gave the soup a nice consistency. I actually tripled this recipe and just added 2 minutes on my Instant Pot and it worked beautifully. Everyone from my 1 year old to my 4 teenagers and husband loved it.
I used 1 tsp of cayenne pepper in place of adobe peppers and only 1/2 can of unsweetened coconut cream. It turned out so amazing. Def a great meal for paleos.
This soup was SO good!! I’m obsessed. Going to be a staple for sure. I also love how easy it is in the instant pot. Thank you for sharing!
Wow, this soup is excellent! It has such a unique flavor. I made it for myself tonight as my husband is out of town. I can’t wait for him to try the leftovers! Thank you for the great recipe!
You’re so welcome!
Wow! This soup was so easy to make, super flavorful, and beyond delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I made this yesterday and my boyfriend (who refuses to eat soup by any means) could not get enough of it. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
YES! I love hearing that!