There's a reason this green chicken enchilada soup went viral-it's easy, cozy, and packed with flavor! Tender shredded chicken, a rich and creamy broth, and just the right kick of zesty green enchilada sauce make this green enchilada chicken soup irresistible. With Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and salsa verde, it's the perfect balance of comfort and spice-plus, it's high-protein and low-carb!
The backstory.
Forgotten Ingredient = New Family Favorite
I was all set to make my favorite green chicken enchiladas-the chicken was prepped, the cheese was ready, and the enchilada sauce was waiting to be poured. But just as I started assembling, I opened the pantry and-no tortillas. Not a single one. I stood there for a moment, debating whether to abandon ship or make a desperate grocery run, but then inspiration (and hunger) took over. Instead of rolling enchiladas, I decided to turn everything into a soup. I tossed the chicken, broth, and green enchilada sauce into the slow cooker, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best.
A few hours later, what came out was pure comfort in a bowl-a creamy, cheesy, flavor-packed soup that tasted just like green enchiladas, only cozier. The chicken was fall-apart tender, the broth was rich and velvety, and every bite had that perfect balance of zesty salsa verde and melty cheese. My family devoured it, and just like that, my go-to Green Enchilada Chicken Soup was born. Now, I make it on purpose-because sometimes, the best recipes happen by accident!
xoxo Kori
The must-make green chicken enchilada soup!
The viral sensation. A few years ago, this soup went viral-millions of views and still holding strong as my #1 recipe. Why? Because it's downright delicious! 🔥
Big flavor, easy prep. Think cheesy, creamy, enchilada goodness-only in soup form! It's rich, satisfying, and ridiculously easy to make with only a few ingredients. Plus, you get to choose your method: slow cooker, stovetop, or Instant Pot!
Super customizable. It's easily adaptable to your family's tastes, pantry staples on hand, or dietary needs! Check out the flexible dietary swaps section below for more information.
What you'll need.
Here is what you'll 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 my homemade recipe (seriously, try it!) or grab a 28 ounce can.
- 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
Special equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker, an Instant Pot, or a soup pot
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Make it yours.
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 hominy, drained canned corn, or beans like white beans (cannellini or great northern), black beans, or pinto beans. Readers love it with hominy!
- 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.
Flexible dietary swaps.
This soup is already a high-protein, low-carb favorite, but it's super easy to tweak based on your preferences or what's in your fridge:
- Dairy-Free? Use a plant-based cream cheese (like almond or cashew-based), unsweetened plain oat milk or coconut milk in place of half and half, and swap in a vegan cream cheese alternative (to keep it creamy). Boom-dairy-free comfort in a bowl.
- Lighter Option? Use fat-free half and half or low-fat cream cheese, and reduce the shredded cheese to 1 cup. You'll still get that creamy vibe with fewer calories.
- Higher Fat/Keto-Friendly? Use heavy cream instead of half and half, add extra Monterey Jack, or top with avocado and a dollop of sour cream for good fats.
- More Veggies? Stir in spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, or riced cauliflower during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. They'll bulk it up without changing the flavor.
- Vegetarian Swap: Sub in white beans (like cannellini or great northern) or chickpeas for the chicken, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Spice Control: Tone it down with mild enchilada sauce or salsa verde-or turn up the heat with jalapeños, hot sauce, or spicy salsa. Your call!
The bottom line: this soup loves a good remix. Make it your own and love every spoonful.
How to make green enchilada 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!
Slow cooker method (easiest)
Slow cook
Add chicken breast or thighs, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth. Slow cook until the chicken is tender and easily shreds apart.
Shred the chicken
Remove chicken, shred and return to the crockpot.
Add remaining ingredients
Add half and half, jack cheese, softened cream cheese, and green salsa. Turn the crockpot to warm and stir until the cheeses are melted.
Instant pot method (fastest!)
- Add chicken, enchilada sauce, and broth to your Instant Pot.
- Seal and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Quick release, shred chicken, stir in remaining ingredients, and enjoy!
Stovetop method (weeknight-worthy!)
- In a large stockpot, add chicken, broth, and enchilada sauce. Simmer until chicken is done and can easily be pulled apart. Remove chicken and shred.
- Add shredded chicken and remaining ingredients. Stir and heat soup until it is warm and the cheese is melted.
How to enjoy 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.
If you love chicken soup, be sure to check out these easy, healthy chicken soup recipes!
Love enchiladas? Make your own homemade green enchilada sauce, try the lighter healthy green chicken enchilada soup, the white bean enchilada soup, or the 6-ingredient ground beef enchilada soup. Craving the real thing? Make these green chicken enchiladas or browse all 15+ cozy enchilada recipes.
Kori's tips.
- To add heat, use more green salsa or a green chili hot sauce.
- No cream cheese clumps. Make sure your cream cheese is very soft (warm it in the microwave a few seconds at a time on low). Then whisk it with a ladle of the hot broth before stirring it into the soup. Cold cream cheese won't melt smoothly and leaves lumps.
- Smooth, not stringy, cheese. Always grate your own Monterey Jack. Pre-packaged shredded cheese is coated in potato starch to keep it from sticking, which also keeps it from melting smoothly. Stir the cheese in over low heat (or on Warm) and don't let the soup boil. High heat makes the cheese tighten up and turn stringy.
- Add the salsa verde and dairy last. Stirring them in at the end keeps their flavor from getting diluted during the long cook.
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:
Add chicken, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth to the Instant Pot. Seal and pressure cook on High for 15 minutes, then quick release. Remove chicken and shred.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and set it to Keep Warm.
Stir in the half and half, very soft cream cheese, jack cheese, and green salsa until the cheeses are 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, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth.
Simmer until the chicken is done and can easily be pulled apart.
Remove chicken and shred.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Stir in the half and half, very soft cream cheese, jack cheese, and green salsa until the soup is warm and the cheeses are melted. Do not let it boil.
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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Can I ask you a favor?
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📖 The recipe.
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 - warm in the microwave if needed)
- 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 for 6 to 8 hours or until the chicken is tender and easily shreds. Remove chicken and shred.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker along with the jack cheese, very soft cream cheese, half and half, and green salsa. Turn the slow cooker to warm and stir until the cheeses are melted.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add hot sauce or additional salsa to taste.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Add chicken, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth to the Instant Pot. Seal and pressure cook on High for 15 minutes, then quick release. Remove chicken and shred.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot and set it to Keep Warm. Stir in the half and half, very soft cream cheese, jack cheese, and green salsa until the cheeses are melted.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add hot sauce or additional salsa to taste.
Stovetop Instructions:
- In a large stockpot, add chicken, green enchilada sauce, and chicken broth. Simmer until chicken is done and can easily be pulled apart. Remove chicken and shred.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Stir in the half and half, very soft cream cheese, jack cheese, and green salsa until the soup is warm and the cheeses are melted. Do not let it boil.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add hot sauce or additional salsa to taste.
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Kori's Tips
Nutrition
© 2026 Seeking Good Eats™
Bridget
This soup is D-lish ! I made mine on the stovetop. Next time I may add some onion and poblano pepper strips and some cilantro at the end. Yum Yum Yum ! Thanks for the recipe...this one is a definite keeper !
Kori
Thank you so much! That is so sweet of you! L0ve your idea with the onion and poblano pepper too. 🙂
Misse Dot
I made this for the second in less than ten days! So easy and so absolutely delicious. My grandchildren loved it topped with slices of avocados. This time I used only a cup of jack cheese and not as much chicken. I love the broth and don’t miss having a lot of chicken. First go around I used cheddar jack cheese.
Thank you for such an amazing recipe and for the varied cooking instructions. I used my Crockpot electric pressure cooker.
Kori
You are quite welcome! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Bluegrass girl
Made this week. Added extra salsa verde for green kick. Yum
Kori
Sounds delicious! So glad you loved it. 🙂
Liz
Made the keto version and added cauliflower florets to add some "meat" to it and make it more filling. My picky kids LOVED it. They even ate it 2 days in a row! This almost never happens. Now to just figure out what more I can add to it to make it less liquidy time. Thank you!
Kori
Thanks! Love you cauliflower idea! Thanks Liz! If it does turn out liquidy next time then pull the lid off and allow it to cook longer on low. The liquid will start to evaporate and the soup should thicken. You could also add more cheese, or a little thickener like corn starch or xantham gum (the low carb keto option).
Donna G
I’ve made this soup twice in 2 weeks and have a request to take it to a church dinner! It’s delicious!! I’m wondering what brand of green enchilada sauce you use for Keto? I forgot to check ingredient label and think I may have used one that doesn’t have “clean” ingredients for Keto. Thank you for your help and the recipe!!
Kori
That was so nice of your friend to make you soup! 🙂 Hope you are feeling better. So glad you loved the recipe
BLF
My husband saw this recipe on Facebook & asked me to make it. I was a little apprehensive, but it is delicious! We are not following Keto, so I did sprinkle a couple crushed up tortilla chips on top. So good!
Kori
Yay! So glad you loved it! 🙂 The tortilla chips were a great idea
Johanna
The soup was delicious, but I think I used the wrong type of cheese. It clunked up as soon as I added it and just stuck to everything. I used pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend. What cheese should I be using? I’m definitely making this again. Thank you!
Kori
Hi Johanna! 🙂 Pre-shredded cheese is coated (with potato starch) to keep it from sticking. Unfortunately, this also keeps it from melting as well as fresh grated cheese.
Johanna
The soup was delicious, but I think I used the wrong type of cheese because it clunked up s as soon as I added it and just stick to everything. I used pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend. What cheese should I be using? I’m definitely making this again. Thank you!
Bonnie Jensen
So good!! Had baked a chicken and saved the bouillon! This will be a soup to keep making!
Susan Zimmerman
Can someone please tell me the secret to getting the cream cheese to melt and incorporate into the liquid? I followed the directions for the stovetop recipe exactly, and have been squashing clumps of cream cheese for 20 minutes.
Kori
Use room temperature cream cheese. Cream cheese can be hard to incorporate sometimes.
Alice
Anybody have trouble with the cream cheese dissolving? I fixed it in the ISP,cut the cream cheese in small chunks,but it didn't dissolve. The soup was good though.
Kori
Hi Alice, cream cheese is hard to dissolve. I use room temperature cream cheese and on occasion, I have been known to warm in the microwave to really soften it. Sometimes I think it can be the brand of cream cheese too. I don't know why, but I've noticed a difference.
Jerry
Looks yummy yet I have one in the home who is severely lactose intolerant... any suggestions ?
Margie shelton
I made it today for Super Ball but couldn't wait and had it for lunch. Will make it again for sure. Thanks.
Julie
Can I use red instead of green?
Kori
It will change the taste, but you can give it a go! I am developing a recipe to make the red version instead of the green. 🙂 Hopefully I can get it out soon!
M
Between the chicken broth & the cheese on the Ingredients, it says "1 cup half and half" - 1 cup half and half of what?
Kori
Hello! Half and half is the ingredient, you need 1 cup of it. Hopefully that's what you were asking? Half and half is in the dairy aisle usually near the heavy cream.
Wendy Richmond
Loved this soup! Makes me not miss Enchiladas on my low carb eating plan.
Kori
Thanks! That's what I think - it's so good you don't know you're sticking to your eating plan. LOL!! 🙂
Melissa
This soup is sooo good. Just made it last night. I was a little impatient and used my immersion blender at the end to get the cream cheese melted quicker. Super flavorful and filling without making you feel too full...if that makes sense.
Kori
It totally makes sense! Good idea with the immersion blender. I'm going to try that.
Darlene Gordie
The soup was absolutely delicious even my 10 12 and 14 year old loved it I did change up the recipe a little bit I cook the chicken in the instapot and then poured it into a pot to finish the process.absolutely a hit it did not take long to make will definitely be making this a lot.
Kori
Hi Darlene! Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed! My 3 boys and husband get to be my taste testers and this is one of their favorites! If it is teen and husband approved you are okay! LOL
Kayla
So delicious but why ladle out the soup and put it back in? I don’t understand.
Kori
Hi Kayla! It's so the half and half doesn't curdle when added to the hot liquid, but if you add the rest of the ingredients first then add half and half! Actually, I made the recipe again last night for dinner and skipped that step. I am in the process of re-wording the recipe so it will even be simpler! 🙂
Kayla
Ahhhh good to know! Regardless I’ve been raving about it to everyone I talked to! 10/10 for flavor!!
Kori
That is so sweet! Thank you Kayla! 🙂