Chicken Tortilla Soup
This easy Chicken Tortilla Soup is creamy, full of spice and can be made on the stovetop or in the crockpot. A great copycat of Max & Erma’s popular soup!
Wayyyyy back in 2012, I decided to set baking and cooking goals for myself, and among them was to make weekly batches of soup during the cold winter months. When I mentioned this, I got a deluge of requests from readers who asked for a copycat recipe of Max & Erma’s chicken tortilla soup.
If you’re not familiar, Max & Erma’s is a restaurant chain based out of Ohio, with many locations in the Pittsburgh area and elsewhere in the Midwest and a few in southern states. One of the hallmarks of their menu is the tortilla soup – it’s thick and cheesy with bits of chicken, it’s spicy, and pretty much tastes like the best taco ever.
There are a ton of copycat recipes online, but just about all of them include multiple cans of “cream of” something, but I really wanted something completely authentic and homemade. I was thrilled to be able to replicate the famous soup from scratch and found that it is every bit as amazing as the original. Actually, it’s even better!
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
This soup comes together really easily, especially if you use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken purchased from the store. Here’s what’s involved:
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- Saute white onion, Anaheim pepper, and garlic until nice and soft (no crunchy soup here!).
- Whisk cornstarch into chicken broth (this helps to thicken the soup).
- Add the chicken broth along with the chopped chicken, minced corn tortillas (also helps to flavor and thicken!), tomatoes, cheese and spices. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve.
This definitely falls into the camp of a simple and quick weeknight soup that does not require multiple steps or hours of cook time. Win!
Additional Recipe Notes
A few quick notes on the recipe:
- This soup is spicy, so if you’re particularly sensitive to spices, you may want to reduce or omit the amount of cayenne pepper in the recipe. The Anaheim pepper is mild, no need to omit that.
- If you cannot find Anaheim peppers, a good alternative is poblano, although it is not quite as mild as the Anaheim.
- Be sure to use mild cheddar cheese, not sharp, as it can be too overpowering in this recipe. You can also use half mild cheddar and half Monterey Jack for variety, if you’d like.
- This soup is an excellent candidate for the slow cooker! Complete step 1, then transfer all of the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
- This recipe makes four servings, and three of us polished it off in one sitting, very quickly. If you want leftovers or are serving more than two adults and using this soup as a main course, you’ll probably want to double the recipe.
If Mexican food is your jam and you love a nice hot bowl of soup for lunch or dinner, you’ve landed on the perfect recipe! Top it off with some strips of corn tortillas (or crushed tortilla chips) and more shredded cheese and you’re set.
If You Like This Chicken Tortilla Soup, Try These:
- White Chicken Chili
- Chipotle Chicken and Corn Chowder
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Roasted Corn and Poblano Chowder
One year ago: Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Brownie Bars
Two years ago: Whole Grain Brownies
Three years ago: For the Love of Peanut Butter and Cinnamon
Five years ago: Homemade Soft Pretzels
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (40 g) minced white onion
- ¼ cup (14 g) mined Anaheim pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 cups (940 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cooked skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-size pieces
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 6-inch corn tortillas, minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup (60 g) canned diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- Tortilla strips, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add the minced onion, pepper, and garlic and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the minced onion begins to turn translucent.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth, then add the broth mixture to the pot, along with the chicken, cheddar cheese, minced tortillas, lime juice, diced tomatoes, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, and salt.
- Increase the heat to medium and stir constantly to help the cheese melt. When the soup begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Serve the soup topped with tortilla strips and extra shredded cheese. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, in a covered container, for up to 4 days.
Notes
- To freeze this soup, allow it to cool completely, then place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat over low heat on the stove, or in the microwave.
- Poblano pepper can be substituted for Anaheim.
- If you cannot find Mexican oregano, you can substitute regular.
- You can use half cheddar cheese and half Monterey Jack for a varied flavor.
- This soup is an excellent candidate for the slow cooker! Complete step 1, then transfer all of the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in February 2012. It was updated in October 2018 with new photos and additional recipe notes.
[photos by The Almond Eater]
Made it this evening & love it! Amazing that it’s so creamy w/o using cream! I found Mexican oregano at Wegman’s.
Michelle, do you use the seeds from the pepper,, when making this? I took them out, but next time will keep some in for more heat. I wasn’t sure when making this whether to include them or not.
Hi Renee, I’m so glad you enjoyed this! I usually remove the seeds, but that’s totally a personal preference based on how spicy you’d like it!
Never mind my question about mincing tortillas. I read further down into the comments and found the answer. Gonna make it this weekend!
Pardon my culinary ineptitude, but how does one go about mincing a tortilla?
I saw this recipe at 6:00 this morning and it’s all ready for dinner tonight. It’s delicious…..and certainly better than the version you copycatted 😉!
Hi Sharon, Oh that’s so awesome to hear! I love when someone sees a recipe and makes it immediately (and loves it)! :)
I just had this soup on Sunday. We went to the Max & Erma’s in Robinson. I forgot how much I LOVE it! Now i cant wait to try your recipe. Although my family’s favorite is till your chipotle chicken corn chowder!
Hi! I love this recipe!! Do you happen to know if it freezes well??
Hi Frances, I’ve actually never frozen it myself, but I think that it would!
Michelle, this soup was divine!!! We all loved it!! So much flavor. I added beans and corn. Just perfect!
I want to make this a day ahead then warm it in my crockpot for a luncheon where I will be arriving with my guests. I’m thinking I should wait to add the corn tortillas when I put it in the crockpot in the morning. Will 4 hours on the low setting work? Is it too long? Will the tortillas be gummy? How does this soup taste the next day?
Hi Sonia, I think that will work just perfectly. The tortillas should not be gummy. This soup is wonderful reheated.
How do I mince the corn tortillas?
Hi Maggie, With a knife – mince means very finely chopped.
Would Rotel canned tomatoes be an insult to the recipe?
I don’t think so :)
thanks
I made this recipe pretty much exactly, with the exception of leaving out the minced tortillas (didn’t have any on hand) and chicken (was too impatient to make the soup so I didn’t prepare any :). It was absolutely delicious. It was a tad on the thin side so next time I might add a bit more cornstarch, and I’m sure the addition of the tortillas and chicken will help make it heartier, but even as I made it I was impressed by how tasty and spot on to the Max and Erma’s original it was. I think the key ingredient was the lime juice.
Why the minced tortillas? They aren’t in M&E’s soup, are they?
Hi Steve, I have no idea what’s in Max & Erma’s soup, as I’ve never been given the proprietary recipe. This is simply an attempt at a copycat; the minced tortillas help to thicken the soup and give it some corn flavor.
Would I be OK to make this 1-2 days before eating? Wondered how it reheats with the cheese & tortillas? Love your recipes and photography- I look forward to checking your blog every morning :)
Hi Molly, Yes, this would be okay to make ahead. I’ve reheated it for a few days and it’s just as good!
Hi there! Quick question about the cheese. What brand do you use? I just grated a block of Kraft mild cheddar and the cheese always turns out kinda waxy. As in, I can literally chew it like chewing gum. Any suggestions? Love your site, btw! You always have the most amazing recipes!
Hi Meghan, I’ve used Kraft in a pinch, but it’s definitely not my ideal choice. I like Cabot, Cracker Barrel, and Helluva Good cheeses.
Ah, you’re a goddess! Thank you so much! :D
OK – we don’t do much Mexican here in New Zealand so I am hoping you will excuse me for having to ask, but how do I mince tortillas?
Hi Natalie, Just put them in a stack and cut them into tiny pieces. I cut them into thin strips, then turn the stack and cut small strips in the other directions. I hope that helps!
I love soups and I love chicken and tortilla !! This looks like a hearty and flavorful soup! Thanks for sharing!
This soup was wonderful! My husband is usually not a fan of soups and he went for seconds. I used a Jalapeno pepper instead of Anaheim, since that is what I got in the CSA box. I also just added a pinch of cayenne so my 1 year old could eat it (he also had seconds!). I shredded the Cheddar cheese right before adding and didn’t have any issues in clumping. I topped the soup with additional cheese and some chopped green onions.
First Off – It was really tasty and I am glad I found this recipe, so thanks Brown-Eyed Baker!
I crave Max and Ermas Tortilla Soup on occasion and tonight the craving kicked in, but I didn’t feel like going out for it; so I searched for a recipe that had ingredients I had on hand. I had to quick thaw my chicken in the micro, so the chicken texture could have been better. I then boiled the breasts in some broth that I strained and used in the recipe. (I think I would still cook the chicken in the broth again, but only if thawed properly or fresh).
As another reviewer stated, the cheese did glom onto the chicken, so I will make sure the cheese is completely melted next time (and there WILL be a next time), before adding the chicken.
Also – I didn’t seem to have the right consistency so I added a can of “condensed cream-of-chicken soup”, and I will do this again next time but leave out the salt.
I only had flour tortillas on hand and my deep fryer was already out so I did those instead of corn tortillas. I will use the corn ones next time because the flour ones didn’t seem right.
Also I didn’t have lime juice and substituted lemon, and I did not add the tortilla strips to the soup, but put them in the bowl with some extra cheese (like they do at my local Max&Erma’s).
I will use lime next time but I don’t think it hurt to use lemon because it was excellent.
Do you have the nutrition information for this recipe?
No, I don’t have nutrition information.
Thought this was just OK. I doctored it up a bit and it turned out delicious. I increased the diced tomatoes to a full can, added a full can of whole corn and diced up a couple slices of roasted red peppers. Add more garnishes, crushed corn tortillas chips, Tbs sour cream, diced avocado and some chopped cilantro
So very happy to find this recipe as I too was turned off by the 8 cans of creamed soup other recipes called for. Delicious! I did heat up the broth before adding cheese, did a lot of stirring. So excited to share this soup, thank you for sharing.
Helo again! Same Lisa from previous post. Made the tortilla soup for dinner tonight and i had a clumping problem. I did not use pre-shredded cheese I shredded it on a box grater and did a fine grate The cheese clumped together but alo seemed to clump to pieces of chcken too. I’m wondering if next time I should put the broth in and heat it up a bit and then add the cheese and melt it and then the rest of ingredients. The favor was still very good, just the texture was a bit off. Thank you.
I am trying this recipe tonight. We are a soup-loving family especially during the winter months. Max & Erma’s tortilla soup is one of my favorites. I will double the recipe so I can have some leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Love your website. Found it in early December and it is my go-to site for recipes these days.
Will never go to your site again. Won’t allow me to cut and paste it to Word.
Jeff, I’m sorry to hear you’re frustrated, but I just tested out copy/cut/paste into Word and it appears to work just fine. I had no issue. Is there something additional you’re trying to do in Word?
I’ve tried quite a few of your soup recipes, and this one is, hands down, the best one out there. Seriously, the taste is nothing if not amazing. I eat it like a goldfish. I eat it like I used to eat tomato soup when I was a kid – if there weren’t other family members to consider, I could probably eat the whole pot! :D In my cooking, I tend to make more new things than old things (because why lose time on repetition if there are so many new, exciting recipes to try out?), but I’ve already made this soup five times, and the fifth one definitely wasn’t the last one. This soup is now an official staple in our “cold weather menu”. Thanks!
(you cannot buy Anaheim pepper here, so I use various combinations of red bell peppers, piri-piris and jalapenos, depending on what I have at hand. I also tend to increase the amount of pepper, tomatoes and onions at least twice, because we like our soups with lots of texture)
How do you mince the tortillas? Would love to know as I want to make it this weekend….thanks!
Hi Christy, I just stacked them up and then diced them super small with a knife… cut skinny strips in one direction, then diced across in the other. Enjoy the soup!
A pizza cutter is nice too!
I made this for the second time tonight. Both times were delicious, thanks for the recipe! The flavor is amazingly similar to Max and Erma’s which I love.
I am a only a kid of 13, I’m ADDICTED to this kind of food! I will save this webpage! I love almost all things soup with chicken (And the occasional tomato basil)!
This is my favorite soup. I have made it at least 6 times. The only thing I do different is to fry strips of corn tortillas in oil and put them on top of the soup instead of adding them during cooking.