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If you need an easy dinner that tastes like you spent way more time on it than you actually did, this Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup is one of my favorites. It is creamy, a little spicy, loaded with chicken, beans, corn, and enchilada flavor, and it comes together in about 30 minutes. I love serving it with shredded cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream, and fresh lime on top for a cozy dinner that always gets cleaned up fast.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I love this recipe. My sister shared the recipe after her coworker made it for a potluck. I’m definitely adding this to my rotation. I prepare several dishes on the weekends and freeze leftovers I store in my work freezer for lunch for the week. Thanks for the recipe.” – Rossana
“I made this for our relief society activity and it was very delicious. Many women asked me for the recipe and told me how much they enjoyed it. It was very easy to make. I will make this again. Thank you for the yummy recipe.” – Wendy
“I’ve been using this recipe for a few years now. It’s one of my go-tos when it gets cold in Texas. It’s warm, filling, SO tasty, and super easy to make.” – Lisa
Why I Love This Soup
I keep coming back to this recipe because it is one of those dependable dinners I can throw together when the day gets away from me. I love that I can sauté the veggies, add everything else, and let the Instant Pot do the work. The mix of red and green enchilada sauce gives it a great flavor, the cream cheese makes it extra creamy, and the chicken, beans, and corn make it hearty enough to count as a full meal. It is warm, filling, cheesy, and just spicy enough to keep it interesting without being too much for the whole family. My family fights over the leftovers (on the rare occasion there is any).
🩷 Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil: I use this to sauté the onion and bell pepper first so the soup starts with a little extra flavor.
- Onion and red bell pepper: These add color, texture, and a slightly sweet base that balances the enchilada sauces.
- Red and green enchilada sauce: Using both gives the soup a richer enchilada flavor with a little more depth. Try it with our homemade red enchilada sauce.
- Chicken broth: This thins everything out into a soup and helps all the flavors come together.
- Diced tomatoes: Add them with the juices for extra flavor and a little acidity.
- Beans: I use black beans and chili beans for texture, protein, and a heartier soup.
- Corn and diced green chiles: These add sweetness, mild heat, and that classic enchilada soup flavor.
- Cream cheese: This is what makes the broth creamy and gives the soup that rich finish.
- Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts cook right in the soup and shred easily at the end.
- Taco seasoning: An easy way to bring in chili powder, cumin, garlic, and more in one step.
- Shredded cheese: I like topping each bowl with cheddar, Colby Jack, or pepper jack.
- Toppings: Tortilla strips or chips, cilantro, sour cream, and lime are all great for serving.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Chicken: You can swap the chicken breasts for boneless chicken thighs or even stir in shredded rotisserie chicken at the end.
- Beans: Pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, or extra black beans all work well here.
- Corn: Canned, frozen, or fire-roasted corn are all good options.
- Cheese: Use cheddar, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack depending on how mild or cheesy you want it.
- Enchilada sauce: Homemade enchilada sauce works great if you have it.
- Heat level: Add jalapeños, hot sauce, or extra green chiles if you want more spice.
- Cream cheese: If you want it a little less rich, use reduced-fat cream cheese, but I like the full-fat version best for texture.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and cook the olive oil, onion, and red bell pepper until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Stir in the red enchilada sauce, green enchilada sauce, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili beans, corn, and green chiles until everything is combined.
- Add the cream cheese in spoonfuls, then place the chicken breasts on top and sprinkle the taco seasoning over everything.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes, then carefully do a quick release.
- Remove the lid and shred the chicken right in the pot, or take it out, shred it, and return it to the soup.
- Stir the soup well until the cream cheese is fully blended into the broth, then serve hot with shredded cheese, tortilla strips, cilantro, sour cream, and lime if you like.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the cream cheese into chunks or add it in spoonfuls so it melts more evenly.
- Do not add sour cream before pressure cooking. It can separate, so it is much better added to each bowl at the end.
- Stir well after cooking to fully blend in the cream cheese and make the broth smooth and creamy.
- Use block cream cheese, not whipped for the best texture.
- Top it right before serving with crunchy tortilla strips or chips so they stay crisp.
- Check labels if making it gluten-free since some taco seasonings and enchilada sauces contain gluten.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Cream cheese works just fine in this recipe. It may need a good stir at the end, but it should melt right into the soup.
I would not. Sour cream can separate under pressure, so I always add it at the end when serving.
This soup usually thickens nicely from the cream cheese. If you want it thicker, let it simmer on sauté for a few minutes after shredding the chicken and stirring everything together.
Yes. You can make it in a large pot the same way it will just need to cook longer until the chicken will shred. You can also make it in a slow cooker with our Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Chili recipe.
We use a 6-quart Instant Pot brand pressure cooker that we bought in 2016. Different or newer versions may be more sensitive to the “BURN” notice. If you are concerned about the burn notice read this article: “What Does Burn Mean on my Instant Pot?”
If you don’t have an actual “Instant Pot” this recipe can be made EXACTLY the same in a pressure cooker. If your pressure cooker doesn’t have a “sauté” function you can just sauté the vegetables in a pan on the stove before adding everything to the pressure cooker.
Yes. If you are using cooked shredded chicken, stir it in near the end and heat until warmed through.
I would call it mildly spicy. The enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, and green chiles give it some kick, but it is usually not too hot. You can make it spicier or milder depending on the brands you use.
You can, but cream cheese soups sometimes change texture a little after thawing. I think it is best fresh or refrigerated and reheated within a few days.
Make Ahead and Storage
This soup is great for meal prep because the flavor gets even better as it sits. You can make it a day ahead, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium heat or microwave in short intervals, stirring often.
- Freezer: Freeze in individual portions if you want, but keep in mind the creamy base may separate a bit after thawing. Stir well while reheating to bring it back together.
Pairing Ideas
This Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup goes really well with simple sides that soak up all that creamy broth. I like serving it with tortilla chips, Mexican cornbread, or warm flour tortillas. A crisp green salad like our Strawberry Spinach Salad is also a nice contrast, especially if you are loading your bowl up with cheese and sour cream.
More Yummy Instant Pot Recipes
Try a few of our very favorite Instant Pot classics. Your family will LOVE them!
Read Next: 27 BEST Instant Pot Recipes
This Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup is one of my favorite easy dinners because it checks all the boxes. It is fast, filling, creamy, and packed with flavor. I love that I can toss it together on a busy night and still end up with something that tastes homemade and comforting.
If you make it, leave a comment and let me know how you topped yours. I always love hearing what worked for your family. 💛🥣
Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 10 ounces red enchilada sauce, It is especially good with our Homemade Enchilada Sauce
- 10 ounces green enchilada sauce
- 16 ounces chicken broth
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes
- 15 ounces black beans, drained
- 15 ounces chili beans, NOT drained
- 15 ounces corn, drained
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 3 chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 cups cheese, shredded
- tortilla strips or chips, (optional)
- cilantro, (optional)
- sour cream, (optional)
- limes, (optional)
Instructions
- Press the “sauté” function on the Instant Pot. Add oil, onions, and peppers.
- Saute until onions become soft and transparent.
- Add enchilada sauces, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, beans, corn, and chiles to the Instant Pot and stir until well mixed.
- Add cream cheese in spoonfuls into the Instant Pot. Add chicken breasts and sprinkle taco seasoning over top.
- Place lid on the Instant Pot and move tab to "sealing". Set Instant Pot to "manual" and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow to natural release for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
- Remove lid from Instant Pot, shred chicken inside the instant pot or remove chicken, shred and return to instant pot.
- Serve and top with cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips and cilantro.
Equipment
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Notes
- Cream cheese is fine to add before pressure cooking and will melt in as you stir.
- Do not add sour cream before cooking. Add it to individual bowls when serving.
- Chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken can be used instead of chicken breasts.
- Any favorite beans can work in place of black beans.
- Frozen or fire-roasted corn can be used instead of canned corn.
- Check the taco seasoning and enchilada sauce labels if you need this recipe to be gluten free.
- For extra flavor, serve with shredded cheese, cilantro, tortilla strips, sour cream, avocado, salsa, or fresh lime.
- Toppings are not included in the nutrition facts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this for our relief society activity and it was very delicious. Many sisters asked me for the recipe and told me how much they enjoyed it. It was very easy to make. I will make this again. Thank you for the yummy recipe.
So glad it was a hit with the RS! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment and also for the 5-stars!
I love this recipe. My sister shared the recipe after her coworker made it for a potluck. I’m definitely adding this to my rotation. I prepare several dishes on the weekends and freeze leftovers I store in my work freezer for lunch for the week. Thanks for the recipe.
You are so welcome! I am so happy to hear you are able to use it as meal-prep. I agree it re-heats so well, even after freezing!
I’ve been using this recipe for a few years now. It’s one of my go-tos when it gets cold in Texas. It’s warm, filling, SO tasty, and super easy to make.
We love to hear when a recipe is a repeater!
Can you use a can of coconut milk instead of cream cheese?
We haven’t tried this particular substitution, so I can’t say if it will work. The soup will definitely be thinner with the milk instead of cream cheese.
Amazing……I added some lime on top of the avacados……this soup is amazing.
I made this for a church soup supper for a vespers service. This is a really tasty and easy recipe. I did bring the cream cheese to room temperature while I was cooking the other ingredients and it turned out just perfect. Vespers is tomorrow evening and I predict that everyone is going to love it. Thanks for sharing it.
I make this enchilada soup about once a month and it always turns out great!! It is so yummy!! It makes so much soup that we have it for at least 3 meals!!
My family loves this recipe! One issue I have however is that my cream cheese clumps. I put it in spoonfuls but it just stays like that in the soup. Any suggestions?
I am glad you guys like it! One thing you can try is leaving the cream cheese on the counter for an hour to let it soften before adding it. That should help it incorporate better. Plus adding it by the spoonful should help as well after it is soft.
I buy whipped cream cheese and it seems to solve the clumping problem.
Fabulous! I find the Las Palmas canned enchilada sauces are better than the El Paso sauces in this recipe. I also used one bag of frozen white corn instead of canned. I make a batch and then freeze it so I can have homemade soup at lunch! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Do you cook the chicken first or are they raw?
The chicken goes in raw!
Do I have to use canned beans ? I have bagged beans but no soaked :/
You would need to soak the dried beans first.
Recipe looks delicious. It’s late and I’m being super lazy. Can I use a rotisserie chicken and pull meat off instead of chicken breasts?
Absolutely! I love using rotisserie chickens in recipes when I’m running short on time or energy!
I have made this several times and everyone loves it. It’s easy to make, hearty and delicious. It’s also great to freeze and eat another day.
Is it possible to freeze the left over soup?
Absolutely!
This is my new favorite soup to make! I love the chicken enchilada soup from chili’s and this tastes exactly like it! So delicious and so easy to make. Thank you!!!!
This is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE recipe for this soup. Thank you so much for sharing with us!!!!
Hello there! I’m tried making this dish and kept getting the “burn notice.” I scraped the bottom of the pot each time and the third time added another cup of stock in case that was the problem- but still got the notice. Any advice?
Thanks!
I’ve noticed that some of the newer instant pots are more prone to the burn notice. I would try taking out the cream cheese and adding it in at the end. Or make sure that the sauce is totally covering the bottom under your chicken. Hope this helps!
Not only is this a great Instant Pot recipe, it’s also low calorie! Yes.. I cannot wait to make this
Thank you, Bee! Such a HUGE compliment coming from you! We love Rasa Malaysia– you have so many wonderful recipes, and gorgeous pictures!
Is the calorie count above for the whole pot of soup?
Thank you for asking! We had the serving count wrong on this recipe. The recipe provides about 12 servings of soup at 301 calories per serving. This calorie count does not include optional toppings of cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream, etc.
When do you add the shredder cheese? Or am i missing it>?
It is the very last line in the recipe. You will actually add the shredded cheese to the individual bowls when serving. Hope this helps!
Does the chicken have to be put on the rack or trivet? I got burn
message once
We don’t usually put it on the rack, but if you are getting the burn message you can definitely try it that way!
Love this recipe! I always put the tomatoes on top of the chicken breasts and don’t stir. I never get a burn notice.
Is the cooking time set for thawed chicken breasts or frozen chicken breasts?
It is for thawed. If you do frozen, try adding 5 minutes. Hope this helps!
Can you make this in a crock pot?
Yes, this is the slow cooker version: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/our-version-of-cafe-zupas-chicken-enchilada-chili/
Love this! I did use hot Rotel instead of green chili’s and diced tomatoes. So good.
Do you add both black beans and chili beans your instructions only say black beans.
Whoops, yes, both kinds of beans 🙂 I will fix it in the recipe. Thanks for the catch!
This sounds like it would go good with some rice in the soup. How would some one go about trying that out?
My favorite way to add rice to soup is to just have some cooked rice in each individual bowl and then pour the soup over the rice to cover. That way you know the rice is perfectly cooked. Hope this helps!
Can I use beef broth instead of chicken?
Sure!