This green enchiladas chicken soup has a creamy broth of green enchiladas sauce, cheeses, salsa verde, and tender shredded chicken - so delicious! Make this easy soup in your slow cooker, on a stovetop, or in an Instant Pot. This soup recipe is high protein, low carb, and keto-friendly too!
The Best Green Chicken Enchilada Soup!
Family Friendly
Everyone in our family loves this soup. Because we are a household of five and some like it spicy, and some don't - it's easy to customize so everyone will eat it.
I start by making it mild, which is how the recipe is written below. Those who like it hot can add more salsa or green chili sauce. It is challenging to remove spicy heat, so start with mild.
It's Tasty
Both creamy and zesty, it tastes just like chicken enchiladas - only better! As I mentioned above, start with mild, and each person can build their heat with a green hot sauce or additional green salsa.
3 Ways To Make It
Our family loves Mexican-inspired recipes, and having an easy one-pot Mexican meal that can be made in your slow cooker, pressure cooker, or on the stovetop is just the ticket. Chicken enchilada soup is the perfect solution for cooking on a busy weeknight!
High Protein Low Carb and Keto Friendly
This is a deliciously creamy high protein, low-carb, and keto chicken enchilada soup. There are no added carbs from tortillas, beans, or corn in this soup.
- You can use heavy cream or half in half in this recipe. The rest of the fat mainly comes from the chicken, cream cheese, and Monterey jack. This makes for a creamy, cheesy, and very hearty soup.
- Using chicken thighs instead of chicken breast will increase healthy fat, as well.
What You'll Need
Here is what you will need to make creamy chicken enchilada soup in your slow cooker or Instant Pot:
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs - either one can be used.
- Green Enchilada Sauce - use 1 recipe of our homemade green enchilada sauce (it's so delicious and easy to make) or a 28 oz can of store-bought!
- Chicken Broth
- Half and Half - half and half or heavy cream can be used.
- Monterey Jack Cheese - if you can, grate your own cheese it melts better than packaged.
- Cream Cheese - cubed and very soft. Soften it in the microwave before adding to the soup.
- Green Salsa (Salsa Verde) - make your own salsa verde (it's easy) or use any favorite brand.
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Optional Garnish - avocado, green onion, sour cream, cilantro
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Equipment
- slow cooker or InstantPot
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few ways you can customize this recipe:
- Spice it up by adding hot sauce, additional salsa, or chili pepper flakes.
- Try adding a can of diced green chiles.
- Add drained canned corn and beans like black beans, pinto beans, etc.
- Fresh vegetables are wonderful in this soup. Add mushrooms, zucchini, sliced carrots when you add the broth.
- Add a quick cooking minute rice, or add a half cup of long grain rice with the broth.
How To Make Green Enchiladas Chicken Soup
This soup recipe can be made in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on your stove. See the recipe card for more detailed instructions. Enjoy!
- In a 6-quart slow cooker, add chicken breast or thighs, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth. Cook on Low 6 to 8 hours.
- Remove chicken and shred.
- Add half and half, jack cheese, softened cream cheese, and green salsa. Turn the crockpot to warm and stir until the cheeses are melted.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot.
How To Serve It
- Adjust salt, pepper, and salsa to taste. Use hot sauce to increase the heat.
- Delicious topped with avocado, cilantro, green onion, and sour cream.
- Give your kids some scooped tortilla chips and let them scoop up their soup.
- Crush tortilla chips over the top to add some crunch.
Top Tips
Here are a few extra tips for making sure that your green chicken enchilada soup comes out perfect:
- To add heat, use more green salsa or a green chili hot sauce.
- Make sure your cream cheese is very soft before adding it to the soup. Cold cream cheese will not melt very well. You can even soften it in the microwave before adding it to the soup.
- For best "melt-ability", always grate your own cheese. Pre-packaged grated cheese is often coated in potato starch, which helps prevent sticking inside the package. Unfortunately, this also keeps it from melting very well.
FAQs
Red enchilada sauce is made with red tomatoes, red chili peppers, onions, and other spices.
Green enchilada sauce is most often made of diced green chili peppers (such as anaheim peppers, hatch, jalapeno, etc.), garlic, vegetable stock, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Additional jalapeno peppers may also be added for more spice. Sometimes recipes will add tomatillos as well.
Both use very similar ingredients, but green enchilada sauce is cooked, and salsa verde uses raw ingredients. Not all green enchilada sauce recipes use tomatillos (but some do), whereas most salsa verde recipes use tomatillos.
Typically green enchilada sauce is made of spicy and mild green chili peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, and other seasonings. Sometimes a recipe will add tomatillos as well - but not always.
Yes. Here's how to make Instant Pot Green Enchilada Chicken Soup:
Cook your chicken on high pressure with 1 cup of broth for 8 minutes. Do a quick release after 10 minutes. Remove chicken and shred.
Set Instant Pot to saute medium, and add remaining broth, shredded chicken, green enchilada sauce, salsa, and heat until warm.
Add cheese and remaining ingredients. Stir until cheese is melted.
Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Yes! Here's how to make Green Enchiladas Chicken Soup on your stovetop:
In a large stockpot, add chicken and broth.
Simmer until the chicken is done and can easily be pulled apart.
Remove chicken and shred.
Add shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, half and half, jack cheese, cream cheese, and green salsa to the pot. Stir and heat soup until it is warm and the cheese is melted.
Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with additional green salsa, hot sauce, and sour cream on the side. Enjoy!
Yes. This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe, airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat slow. Fats from the dairy may become separated; add additional milk or cream as needed.
Yes. You can use fat-free half and half and you can reduce the cheese to 1 cup without sacrificing taste.
Adding olive oil and additional cheese will increase the fat in this recipe. You can also use heavy cream in place of half and half. Topping the soup with avocado and sour cream will also increase the fat.
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Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 recipe green enchilada sauce (or a 28-ounce can store-bought sauce)
- 24 ounces chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese (cubed and softened)
- 4 ounces green salsa (salsa verde)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- In a 6-quart slow cooker add chicken breast or thighs, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth. Cook on Low 6 to 8 hours.
- Remove chicken and shred. Add shredded chicken, jack cheese, cream cheese, half and half, and green salsa to slow cooker. Turn slow cooker to warm and stir until cheeses are melted. Add hot sauce or additional salsa to taste.
- Serve and enjoy! Delicious topped with avocado, cilantro, green onion, and sour cream.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Cook your chicken on high pressure with 1 cup of broth for 8 minutes. Do a quick release after 10 minutes. Remove chicken and shred.
- Set pot to saute medium, and add remaining broth, shredded chicken, green enchilada sauce, salsa, and heat until warm. Add cheese and remaining ingredients. Stir until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Stovetop Instructions:
- In a large stockpot, add chicken and broth. Simmer until chicken is done and can easily be pulled apart. Remove chicken and shred.
- Add shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, half and half, jack cheese, cream cheese, and green salsa to the pot. Stir and heat soup until it is warm and the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with additional green salsa, hot sauce, and sour cream on the side. Enjoy!
Video
Kori's Tips
- This recipe makes a mild to medium spice soup. To add spice, use additional green salsa or a green chili hot sauce or diced jalapenos.
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened before adding it to the soup. The quickest way to soften is to remove it from the package and place in a microwave-safe bowl for a few seconds at a time on low - until very soft.
- MUST TRY: Be sure to try our new homemade Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe - it's easy and delicious!
- VARIATIONS: Feel free to add diced vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, or onions. Add jalapeno pepper if you like more heat. You can also add black beans, white beans, or corn. So many possibilities!
Nutrition
© 2025 Seeking Good Eats™
Be sure to check out these three Mexican-style chicken soups - hearty and delicious Chicken Enchilada Soup (with red enchilada sauce) and Chicken Fajita Soup and 7 Can Taco Soup all of your favorite enchilada, taco, and fajita flavors in a snug bowl of tasty goodness! 🙂
More Soup Recipes
Here are a few of my favorite Mexican-inspired soups:
More delicious soup recipes I think you'll LOVE:
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
- Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Low Carb and Keto Chicken Soup
- Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup with Beer Brats
- Easy Tomato and Basil Soup
- Creamy Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe
- Do you love enchiladas? Be sure to try these green enchiladas with chicken, and this lightened up version, as well as seafood enchiladas, and carne enchiladas.
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Creamy green enchiladas chicken soup is so tasty and easy to make in your Instant Pot or crockpot. Chicken enchilada soup is the perfect weeknight dinner recipe. Easily adapted Instant Pot recipe so you've got even more options. A perfect Mexican recipe for taco Tuesdays! The best keto soup! #keto #mexican #soup #tacotuesday #slowcooker #crockpot #lowcarb #sugarfree #healthychicken #instantpot #chicken #chickensoup #dinneridea #healthyrecipe #enchiladas #souprecipe #easyrecipe
Malinda
Tasty recipe. I followed the suggestion of some commenters who said that there was too much broth. I started by adding a can of corn and one can of drained black beans. It was still a little thin, so I removed about a half of a cup of broth, only added 1/2 cup of cream, and added one more can of black beans. Definitely would make again!
Krista
This recipe is excellent. I had some salsa verde in the freezer from this summer’s harvest and this was a very tasty way to use it. I did a bit of a fridge/freezer clean out and added onions, celery, jalapeños, sweet corn and pinto beans. I also doubled the jack cheese. My family loved it and we will for sure make it again. Thank you for the recipe.
Suzi
Excellent!! Will make this one often!!
Sue
This looks fabulous and I will be making it this week. Making 2 major changes to reduce calories. Substituting a container of blended 1% cottage cheese blended and 8 more ounces of chicken broth/stock. I don’t use half and half or heavy cream and cream cheese. I will let you know how it tastes with the substitutions.
Amanda
I’ve made this twice now and it is fantastic!!! I would t change a thing!
Lori
I have made this soup several times and it’s a big hit at our house. However, tonight I made it with the homemade green enchilada sauce and it definitely takes it up a notch improving the flavor of the soup!
Alishia
Who knew with such simple ingredients and very minimal work would create a delicious soup. The whole family enjoyed it! Thank you!
Crystal
Just finished this recipe, I didn’t have time for the slow cooker and made double the recipe on the stove, I added avocado, roasted chilis, and a sautéed onion. Turned out amazing. 🤩
karen
I added no canned sauces...made it all..Oh my...it was so good!! This is definitely a keeper!! Thank you!
Heidi
So delicious! The homemade enchilada sauce was super easy to make and the soup was, too! My family loved it.