This Chicken Enchilada Soup is a copycat recipe of Chili’s tex-mex flavored meal, easily made in one pot using the restaurant’s secret ingredient as a thickening agent. This simple soup is filled with chicken, red enchilada sauce, cheese, and spices that simmer on the stove until thick and creamy.
Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup copycat
This homemade Chicken Enchilada Soup tastes just like Chili’s restaurant version, especially because I only incorporate the ingredients that go into the original menu item, including their soup secret, Masa Harina.
Hearty and comforting, you can add your choice of taco toppings to this thick and cheesy dish to create a custom meal filled with your favorite tastes and textures, but don’t forget our delicious spicy sauce.
It’s fun to recreate recipes and turn them into something special. For more twists on the traditional enchilada, check out my Beef Enchilada Casserole, One Pan Enchiladas, Mini Enchilada Cups, and Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas.
Why we love Chili’s Enchilada Soup Recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare in under 15 minutes.
- Uses the same simple ingredients as Chili’s version, but tastes better because it’s homemade.
- Creamy, rich, slightly spicy, and velvety thick.
- Tastes exactly like chicken enchiladas, but served as a soup.
- Big bowl of comfort food, topped with all your favorites.
Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe ingredients
- Chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable oil
- Garlic
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Onion powder
- Unsalted chicken stock
- Masa harina (corn flour)
- Red enchilada sauce
- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Optional Toppings: Tortilla strips, fresh chopped cilantro, sour cream, or any of your favorite taco toppings will pair perfectly with your soup.
Chili’s Enchilada Soup Recipe tools
- Dutch Oven
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring tools
- Whisk
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
Chili’s Enchilada Soup substitutions
- Add-Ins: If you want to bulk up this recipe, you can add corn, black beans, pinto beans, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, chopped green chiles, or even rice! Since this is a Chili’s copycat recipe I only used what Chili’s puts in their enchilada soup, but feel free to add some substance.
- Tasty Toppings: I love to add tortilla strips, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream on top, but feel free to add your favorite taco toppings. Some other options are sliced avocado, pico de gallo, diced tomatoes, red onion, scallions, etc.
- Add Some Spice: To make this spicy, try adding ½ teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne pepper. You can also add some diced fresh jalapeños or chopped pickled jalapeños as well.
- Choose Your Chicken: You can use shredded rotisserie chicken in place of the fresh chicken breasts or use chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Soup
Chicken Enchilada Soup tastes just like your favorite cheesy enchilada, but served as a soup. This simple recipe makes it so easy to recreate the restaurant dish at home–no traveling to Chili’s required!
- Cook The Chicken: Season the chicken breasts and sear them in oil in a dutch oven over medium-heat.
Pro Tip: Do not crowd the pan. You may need to do this step in batches. - Season and Simmer: Add the additional seasoning and cook until fragrant. Add chicken and chicken stock bring to a boil and simmer.
- Slice: Thinly slice the chicken and add it back to the pot.
- Make the Masa Harina Mixture: Mix together the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock and the masa harina until smooth. Slowly stream in this mixture while whisking.
- Simmer: Mix in the enchilada sauce, return to a simmer stirring occasionally. The soup will thicken from the masa harina.
- Add The Cheese: Turn off the heat, add half of the Monterey Jack cheese and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir it in until melted. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve: Serve with more cheese on top, plus the tortilla strips, cilantro, and sour cream.
Chicken Enchilada Soup tips
- The masa harina is what makes this soup special. You can really taste it and it is a necessary ingredient.
- Masa harina is usually found in the baking aisle by the flour or in the Mexican/ethnic food aisle in most grocery stores. I always use the Maseca brand.
- You can make a homemade enchilada sauce if you prefer.
How to serve this Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Serve Chicken Enchilada Soup hot, topped with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and some chopped cilantro for garnish. Tortilla chips or a slice of cornbread make great sides for dipping!
Storing this Chicken Enchilada Soup
- To Store: Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months if placed in an airtight freezer-safe container.
- To Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup FAQs
Masa harina is most commonly known as cornflour. It is technically corn dough that is dehydrated and ground into a flour so when you combine it with water, you have corn dough. That dough is usually used to make tortillas.
Cornmeal is ground-dried corn and usually has a coarser consistency. It’s used to make polenta and pizza crust. Masa harina is ground more finely and is often used to make dough for tortillas and tamales
Yes, you can freeze this soup. Follow the recipe except do not add the cheese. Allow the soup to cool, and store it in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat over medium-low heat. Once heated, add the cheese, mix to combine, and enjoy!
Other Easy Copycat Recipes
- KFC Coleslaw
- Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme
- Bang Bang Shrimp (Copycat Bonefish Grill)
- Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
- Homemade Nutter Butters
Copycat Chili’s Enchilada Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 tsp kosher salt divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 96 ounces (3 32-ounce boxes) unsalted chicken stock divided
- 1¼ cups masa harina (corn flour)
- 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese divided
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- Optional Toppings:
Tortilla strips, fresh chopped cilantro, sour cream
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts on both sides with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper.
- Heat a dutch oven over medium-heat. Once hot, add the oil and sear the chicken on both sides, do not crowd the pan, you may need to do this step in batches. Place the seared chicken on a plate, set aside.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and the remaining 1 & ½ teaspoons salt and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Reserve 2 cups of chicken stock for later, add the rest to the pot and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes covered.
- Take the chicken out of the pot and thinly slice it. Add it back to the pot.
- Mix together the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock and the masa harina until smooth. Slowly stream in this mixture while whisking.
- Add the enchilada sauce and mix it in. Bring back to a simmer and simmer for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup will thicken from the masa harina.
- Turn off the heat, add half of the Monterey Jack cheese and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir it in until melted. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve with more of the cheeses on top, the tortilla strips, cilantro, and sour cream.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months if placed in an airtight freezer safe container.
- To Reheat: Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
- The masa harina is what makes this soup special. You can really taste it and it is a necessary ingredient.
- Masa harina is usually found in the baking aisle by the flour or in the Mexican/ethnic food aisle in most grocery stores. I always use the Maseca brand.
- You can make a homemade enchilada sauce if you prefer.
