Chick Fil A Tortilla Soup (Copycat)
This copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup (a white chicken chili in my book) is a must-try and has been on my dinner rotation for at least 10 years! It’s even better than the real deal, so hearty, tasty, and satisfying.
Imagine tender shredded chicken breast with white and black beans, all folded in a slightly tangy flavorful velvety soup base with a mix of veggies for that perfect balance and just a bit of spicy kick. It’s a comforting bowl of happiness!
Serve this soup with some homemade guacamole and chips or a simple cucumber salad and call it dinner. And if you want even more beans, try my favorite black bean and corn salad – sooo good!
Jump to:
Why This Recipe?
Why give this chicken tortilla soup recipe a try?
First and foremost, I’m convinced this is the best recipe for Copycat Chick-fil-A A Tortilla soup available – yes, it’s THAT good. I’ve been making this for over TEN years and haven’t changed a single thing!
Easy to Make: This recipe is super simple and won’t require hours in the kitchen. You’ll have a delicious meal ready in no time.
One-Pot Meal: Hate doing dishes? You’re in luck! This soup is a one-pot wonder, which means less cleanup and more time to enjoy your meal.
Crowd Pleaser: Whether you’re cooking for family, friends, or yourself, this soup is a hit with everyone. It’s packed with flavors that satisfy a variety of taste preferences.
Warm and Comforting: Picture a bowl of this soup on a chilly day. It’s like a warm hug for your taste buds and a cozy way to unwind after a long day.
Ingredient Notes
Most ingredients can be easily kept on hand in the pantry or the freezer in the case of the chicken. Using premade chicken makes this even easier, and you can always use a rotisserie chicken for even more convenience.
I love to make a big batch of this and eat the leftovers all week!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions: Step by Step
You can make this on the stove top or using a crockpot or Instant Pot (see recipe card below for full details on how [in Notes section]).
Step 1: Heat canola oil over medium-high heat and add onion, celery, and garlic.
Step 2: Heat until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add white beans, black beans, corn, green chilis, and red bell pepper.
Step 4: Pour in the chicken broth and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Add the sour cream and continue heating for 1 minute.
Step 6: Add corn flour, salt, chili powder, cumin, and lemon juice and continue heating for 15 minutes.
Step 7: Add shredded chicken and continue cooking until chicken is heated, about 2 more minutes.
Step 8: Check seasoning, adding more if needed.
Our Top Tips
Fresh Garnishes: Enhance the soup with fresh garnishes like chopped cilantro, diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and a squeeze of lime. These additions brighten up the flavors.
Homemade Chicken Broth: If you have the luxury of time and you love to cook, consider using homemade chicken broth for the best flavor. It adds depth and richness to the soup. If using store-bought, choose a low-sodium option and taste before adding extra salt.
Use High-Quality Chicken: Start with good-quality chicken, preferably boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. You can roast, grill, or simmer them until cooked through, then shred the meat for the soup.
Adjust Seasoning: Taste the soup before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed. You might want to add more salt, spices, or a dash of hot sauce to suit your palate.
More Soup Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! SUBSCRIBE for more recipes.
📖 Recipe
Chick Fil A Tortilla Soup (Copycat)
Ingredients
- 32 ounces White beans (Northern or Navy), (2 cans), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Black beans (about 1/2 can) drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Corn (about 1/2 can)
- 4.5 ounces Green chili peppers diced (1 small can)
- 3 cups Chicken broth up to 4 cups
- 1/2 large Red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 medium Celery stick finely diced
- 1 medium Onion , 1 medium, finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic finely minced (or 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
- 2 tbsp Canola oil
- 4 tbsp Sour cream
- 4 tbsp Corn flour (Masa – see photo), 4 tablespoons
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
- 2 small Chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- Tortilla chips , optional to serve
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, heat canola oil over medium high heat and add onion, celery and garlic and heat until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes
- Add white beans, black beans, corn, green chilis, bell pepper, and chicken broth to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add sour cream and continue heating for 1 minute
- Add corn flour, salt, chili powder, cumin, and lemon juice and continue heating for 15 minutes
- Check seasonings, adding more if needed.
- Add shredded chicken and continue cooking until chicken is heated, about 2 more minutes
- Serve with tortilla strips/chips (optional)
Love this soup! Making it tonight for our church Halloween party. The only thing is I don’t know where to get tortilla strips. My next stop will be at a specialty store. Thanks for sharing this! Carolyn
the salad isle, near the croutons
By far the best soup I have made. Everyone loved it and tasted better than the chickfila version.
I’m glad to hear it! Enjoy:)
Thanks so much for this recipe. Read it wrong and only bought one can of Norther beans, so I had to use cannelinni beans that I already had as well. Don’t think any bean swap (in a pinch) would mess this up. Other than that unintentional tweak, I didn’t change a thing…whole family loved it. Passing it onto friends!
thanks, Denise! Glad you liked it. I always swap beans too – good point!
It may be 80 degrees in NC but I have a pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup on the stove. My whole family loves this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it.
LOL, Valerie – I love soup in all kinds of weather too. I was just thinking the same although it’s not too hot here yet.
Wonderful! Everyone in our house loved it and they all thought it was better than the CFA version because it isn’t as spicy. The only change I made was using Realemon because I didn’t have the lemon I thought I had. Making a double batch today to share with family.
Double batch is a good idea:)
Do you think this could work in a crock pot? If so, what changes do you think should be made to accommodate the longer cooking time and lower heat? I have a pot luck at work next week and would love to try this. Thanks.
Good question…I wish I could answer but I’m just not sure. On one hand, I don’t think extended cooking could hurt since it’s mostly beans, and I don’t believe they are easily overcooked but, the specific settings and cooking time would depend on the power of of your slow cooker.
Thanks for an awesome recipe!! Making it for the 2nd time today! I actually make it in my crockpot 🙂 way better than Chic fil A! Cold here in Delaware!
Good idea! I’ll have to make a batch this week and try the crockpot. Cold here too!
I look forward to the Chick fil A tortilla soup every winter. This year, I couldn’t wait so I started looking for recipes. I will say that this tastes 100% just like Chick fil A’s soup but fresher like others said. It will be a staple in our household. My husband and I gobbled up the entire pot in two days. It was THAT good. Our local Chick fil A just brought back their soup for the winter. I got a cup yesterday. It was delicious but not as good as this recipe. You won’t be disappointed!
Thanks so much Heather! I hope you’re keeping warm with that soup – it’s in the single digits here today in the Philadelphia area..Brrrr!
I had a cup for lunch! I’m in the same cold boat here in Maryland! Brrr is right!
My family walked in when I was making this and could smell the aroma from the front door. They stayed at the kitchen counter until it was dished out. I made a double recipe so we could have some to share and freeze. It never made it. They ate the rest for breakfast the next morning. 🙂 It smells and tastes so wonderful!
LOL – that’s great!
I love the soup from chick fil and have been wary about trying a copycat of the original recipe. This absolutely did not disappoint – tastes just like the original worth a fresher kick, and the fact that I made it myself makes it taste even better! Thank you so much!
Note to people who can’t find or don’t have masa – I smashed plain tortilla chips in a cereal bowl with the bottom of a shot glass until it looked like 6 tbsp of panko, mixed in 2 tbsp flour, and got my 4 tbsp (and some extra for thickening later). Mix it in slowly or it will clump up, but it did the job and added the intended flavor (much better than using regular flour).
Hi Megan – thanks for sharing the tip on using tortilla chips in place of masa (corn) flour:)
Yes, and many of my co-workers too! Thank you so much for your posting!
OMG, this is the best soup or chicken chili ever. I have made it three times now and it just gets better and better. Don’t be afraid to try, it’s quick and easy and tastes better than the one they sell at Chick-Fil-A!! Cheaper too.
So glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t made it yet this year but will be soon
New favorite homemade soup!! Made this soup on Friday and it was exactly like Chick-fil-a’s version!!! I substituted the corn flour with crushed Tostitos tortilla chips and It seemed to make up for it! I couldn’t find the corn flour anywhere!!
I drained my beans before adding them… did you drain yours? or did you just add the whole can? I added more broth to thin it out a little once it was done.
So glad you liked it! I love this soup too. Next time, try looking in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store? It’s usually labeled “Masa” flour over here but it sounds like you used a good substitute!
Yup -I always drain my beans. I should clarify that in the instructions…
Man, I love this soup sooo much! I wish it wasn’t limited time only! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Glad you like it! I do too:)
This looks great! I had wanted to try this, but there no Chick-fil-a’s near us and I didn’t realize they served it until after I had ordered on vacation.
Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by:)
Chick fil a’s Tortilla Soup is AMAZING! This is close.