Description
This Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Taco Soup is a deliciously hearty and comforting dish perfect for a busy weeknight. Featuring tender shredded chicken, chili-style beans, sweet corn, and flavorful salsa, all slow-cooked to perfection and finished with a touch of creamy richness. It’s an easy, savory soup that brings Mexican-inspired flavors to your table with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
- 1 can chili-style beans (398 ml or 14 oz)
- 1 can corn (with juice, 341 ml or 12 oz)
- 1 ½ cup water
- 1 cup jarred tomato salsa
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
Cream
- ½ cup heavy cream
Seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place the chicken breasts, chili-style beans with their sauce, corn with its juice, water, salsa, and taco seasoning into a 3 to 4-quart slow cooker. This creates the flavorful base for the soup.
- Cook on Low: Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. The chicken will be cooked and tender in about 3 hours, but you can cook a bit longer if desired without issue.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and shred them using two forks until the pieces are bite-sized and tender.
- Return Chicken and Add Cream: Stir the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker along with the heavy cream. This adds a rich and creamy texture to the soup.
- Heat Through and Adjust Seasoning: Cover the slow cooker again and heat the soup until warmed through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed to suit your preference, then serve hot.
Notes
- Chicken Substitutions: You can easily swap the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs or cooked ground beef. Leftover taco meat would also work well.
- Bean Options: Any unflavored beans can substitute the chili-style beans, such as black beans. If using unseasoned beans, consider increasing the taco seasoning to enhance flavor.
- Corn Tips: Canned corn with juice is preferred for its sweetness complementing the spice; however, frozen corn works as a quick substitute.
- Salsa Alternatives: Salsa contributes flavor and texture from tomatoes, peppers, and onions. You can replace it with chopped tomatoes plus sautéed peppers and onions but add additional seasoning to maintain flavor balance.
- Cream Choices: Heavy cream is recommended as it doesn’t curdle with acidic ingredients and can be added at the start or end of cooking. If using light cream, add it only at the end to avoid curdling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
