Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup (Paleo)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- It’s crazy easy – throw (almost) everything in the Instant Pot, cook for about 18 minutes, dice your chicken, then add the remaining ingredients. You’ll have a complete meal on the table in no time, and with very little effort!
- It’s creamy, filling, and spicy, making it a great one-dish meal and perfect for cold weather. You can even meal prep this Mexican soup ahead of a busy week! I love having access to this delicious soup for a quick lunch.
- It’s also low carb and keto-friendly, with only 8 grams of net carbs per serving! This Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup fits a variety of diets. It’s just about as healthy as a soup can get!
Key Ingredients
Chipotle Pepper Powder – I have unfortunately yet to find Whole30 compliant chipotle peppers. Therefore, we use chipotle pepper powder to give this soup a hint of that signature flavor. However, if you’re not on a Whole30, you can simply replace the powder with 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce. Also, feel free to include as much or as little chipotle as you’d like based on your spice preference.
Full-Fat Coconut Milk – The coconut milk gives this Whole30 Instant Pot chicken tortilla-less soup an irresistibly creamy texture and flavor! If you’re not a fan of coconut, don’t worry, the flavor barely shines through in this tasty recipe. Also, be sure to use a full-fat coconut milk for that thick, velvety texture!
Chef’s Tips
- If not on a Whole30, feel free to add some shredded cheese in there if you’d like! You can also enjoy this with a side of tortilla chips for a tasty crunch.
- Get creative with this recipe and make it your own! Stir in some spinach, kale, or chard for extra greens. You can even replace the chicken with about a pound of browned and drained ground beef!
- If you have a coconut allergy, replace the coconut milk with cashew cream. To do this, blend 1 cup of raw cashews with 3/4 cup water in a high-speed blender until smooth. This coconut-free option is also Whole30 compliant!
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Mexican Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Instant Pot, Whole30, Paleo)
- Whole30 Breakfast Tacos
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)
- Paleo Lime Bars (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
- Instant Pot Bone Broth That Gels (Whole30 Bone Broth)
- 3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Whole30 White Chicken Chili
- Healthy Chicken Tostadas
- Whole30 Tzatziki (Paleo, Keto, Dairy Free)
- Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole with Eggs and Sausage (Whole30, Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
- Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas
- Whole30 Gyro Meatballs
Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 1 ½ pounds
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 10-ounce cans tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 14.5-ounce can chicken broth Whole30-compliant
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-3 teaspoons chipotle pepper powder 1 teaspoon for mild, 3 teaspoons for hot
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 zucchinis chopped or cut into ½-inch half moons
- 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream whisked until smooth
For the Garnish
- 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
- Instant Pot
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 or shred chicken, then return it to the soup. Serve hot, topped with garnishes of choice.
Notes
- Slow Cooker Method: If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this Whole30 chicken tortilla-less soup in the slow cooker. Add all ingredients, except coconut milk, in 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.
Video
Nutrition Information
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.
Lahmi says
It was so so so so good!!!! My toddlers even loved it!!!!! Thank you so much!!!🙌🏽
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
Oh, such high praise! Thanks so much for sharing your review, Lahmi!
Mary Ann says
Can this recipe be doubled in the instant pot?
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Sure! Just leave room for it to properly pressurize in the insert.
Mrs.S says
Hello. I know you include a serving counter, but w/some instant pot recipes you don’t always double/triple the liquid ingredients. That said, if I want to make this for 12 servings, would I triple even the liquids as the automatic serving calculator indicates? Your help is greatly appreciated. So excited to try your recipes.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Yes, that should work! Let us know how this works out.
Anna says
I regularly make chicken tortilla soup but wanted something whole 30 compliant my guests could share.
I’ll make this again just for my family!
My husband detests coconut milk and couldn’t taste it at all.
I didn’t have anything close to the smoky chipotle flavor so skipped it but we loved the soup anyway!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Nancy says
This a delicious soup. I followed the recipe just as it is written, and I was thrilled when my dinner guests and picky husband, who doesn’t eat zucchini, lapped it up and had seconds!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Anna says
I regularly make chicken tortilla soup but wanted something whole 30 compliant my guests could share.
I’ll make this again just for my family!
My husband detests coconut milk and couldn’t taste it at all.
I didn’t have anything close to the smoky chipotle flavor so skipped it but we loved the soup anyway!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Ashley says
Love this recipe. It’s one of my go to easy week night dinners now. Instead of zucchini I use fire roasted frozen corn and buy the jar of diced chipotles so you just have to spoon some instead of chopping them from the can, makes the prep even easier!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Yum! So glad you enjoyed it!
Leslie says
I have made this recipe many times. We love it! I do double the zucchini because we like it more vegetable heavy.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Yum! More veggies are never a bad thing!
Mel says
I love this soup! Easy to change it up by adding different veggies. Sometimes I add diced sweet potato or a southwest veggie mix. Whole family loves it!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Ann says
I made this on the stove and it is absolutely delicious. One of my frequent repeats now! Great flavor
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
holly says
So good! I’ve made this probably a dozen times since discovering it last year. Its just my husband and myself so we have left overs for a couple days and I love being able to eat it a few times in a row. I always make it in my crockpot. I like spicy so I get the tomatoes with habanero peppers instead of green chilis. Very good upgrade in my opinion.
Cheryl Malik says
Spicing up a recipe is never a bad idea!