Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup–all the flavors of chicken enchiladas in a bowl of soup. The soup is thickened up with a can of refried beans instead of dairy…this soup can be made dairy free if you want it to be. This version is made in your electric pressure cooker in just a few minutes.
Get the SLOW COOKER version of the recipe here
Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
I love enchiladas but sometimes I don’t want to go through all the steps of making them. I’d rather throw everything into a pot and turn it on and walk away. That’s where this recipe for instant pot chicken enchilada soup comes in. It’s one of those throw-everything-in kind of recipes. It takes only about 10 minutes to get it going.
I love serving this soup with a dollop of sour cream and tortillas chips crunched up on top. Major bonus if I have an avocado in the house and I can put a few avocado slices on top.
More Recipes You’ll Love…
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Instant Pot Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup
Slow Cooker Creamy Skinny Taco Chili Soup
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Instant Pot Smothered Green Sauce Chicken Enchiladas
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
For Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I also own the 6 quart Instant Pot IP-LUX60 V3 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker.* They are both great pressure cookers! The first one I mentioned has a yogurt making function but other than that they are fairly similar. The price difference between the two is about $20.
PrintInstant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 7 1/2 cups 1x
Description
All the flavors of chicken enchiladas in a bowl of soup. The soup is thickened up with a can of refried beans instead of dairy…this soup can be made dairy free if you want it to be. This version is made in your electric pressure cooker in just a few minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
- 1 (15 oz) can enchilada sauce (mild, medium or hot…whatever you like)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (16 oz) can refried beans
- 4 oz cream cheese (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- Optional toppings: sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, grated cheddar, tortilla or corn chips
Instructions
- Add chicken broth, black beans, corn, green chiles, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, cumin and chicken into your Instant Pot. Give it a quick stir.
- Cover your Instant Pot and secure the lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and set the timer to 10 minutes. Make sure valve is set to “sealing.” When the timer beeps let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then move the valve to “venting.” Remove the lid.
- Take out the chicken and shred it on a cutting board. Add it back into the Instant Pot.
- Stir in the can of refried beans until the soup is creamy and smooth. If you want, stir in the cream cheese at this point. You can use the saute setting on your Instant Pot to help melt the cream cheese quicker.
- Salt and pepper the soup to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with desired toppings.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. You can also use frozen chicken breasts. The cooking time will remain the same.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
Send Me Free Recipes
Get all my new recipes delivered to your email inbox by signing up below.
This is a free service! Try it out. You’ll eat better and be more inspired to make family dinner happen at your house.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Nick says
This one is a keeper! I only had a 10 oz can of enchilada sauce so I threw in some pico de gallo to make up the difference. I had frozen shredded rotisserie chicken so I used that and skipped the natural release since it had already been cooked. Used the cream cheese as well as the refried beans to thicken it. Put it in a bowl and stirred in cilantro, sour cream and a whole avocado to it. It was quite thick, but I spooned it onto lime tortilla chips and ate it that way. Really tasty meal. Thanks again Karen.
Karen says
YUM! sounds like a perfect dinner to me!
Donna says
Another great recipe!
Went together so quick but tastes like I worked a long time on it
Great for busy days
Karen says
Thanks for the 5 stars Donna!
Caitlin says
This came out wonderfully! Been trying to figure out how to use my Instapot and this was a HIT! My husband loved it, it was super simple and perfect because we can keep most of the ingredients stocked and ready to go whenever we want it again! I did not realize how much chicken I had though and it ended up being 3.25lbs. I used the full 19oz can of enchilada sauce and added a second cup of chicken broth and it worked out well.
Karen says
Nom nom!! Sounds so great! I’m glad it worked out well for you 🙂
Benjamin says
I’ve made this recipe before and love it. I have some leftover shredded chicken and was going to use it in the soup. Any suggestions on how to adjust recipe since the chicken is already cooked? Thanks!
Karen says
I would just cook for 5 minutes instead of 10. Should be great!
Michele Muench says
Any suggestions for a thickener besides refried beans? I cannot stomach them. Thank you
Karen says
You could use a flour and butter mixture. Melt 3 Tbsp of butter. Stir in 3 Tbsp of flour until smooth. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting (after pressure cooking time is up). Add in the mixture and stir until thickened and flour taste is cooked out.
Eliana Jimenez says
I have made this wonderful soup several times and every time we LOVE it! My question is: would the doubled recipe fit into a 6 quart Instant Pot? Have you made it double? Thanks!
Karen says
It might be too much to double in the 6 quart pot. But you could probably 1.5 times the recipe without issues.
Sarah says
This is a delicious and super easy recipe, I love that it is gluten and dairy free! I added 2 sliced jalepeno’s to make it a little more spicy. I have never used refried beans as a thickener, brilliant!
Karen says
I’m so glad you liked it Sarah!
Julie says
This was a delicious recipe! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Karen says
You’re welcome! I am so happy to hear that you liked it. 😊😊😊
Annie says
Wanting to make this tonight but I have 3.25lbs of chicken thighs about to go bad and need to be cooked tonight. Debating on splitting them between this recipe and your homemade chicken and veggies recipe… would it be better to just use them for this recipe? If I’m tripling it, how will it affect the cooking time? Usually when I make Mexican shredded chicken with that amount of chicken it takes around 40 minutes… Thanks!
Karen says
Will it fit in your pot if you triple it?? I would use the same cooking time. It will take a long time to come to pressure!
Annie says
It didn’t fit haha but I figured it out. Very tasty and filling! We’ve also cooked the home style chicken and veggies and it’s amazing! Trying the Salsa verde lime chicken tonight and so excited!
Karen says
Oh haha! I’m glad you figured it out!
Cindy says
I love this soup!
Karen says
ME too! Thanks Cindy!
Sarah says
This was one of the first recipes I tried in my Instant Pot, and it immediately became a regular in our rotation. It could not be easier to make, especially if you use a hand mixer to shred the chicken. I have made this recipe exactly as is, and have tinkered with it with some substitutions/add-ons, and it is always so tasty and filling. I serve this with my favorite cornbread recipe which is perfect for soaking up every last drop.
Karen says
Thanks Sarah! And good call on the cornbread!
Carla says
This is really good! I added half a diced onion, some garlic powder and paprika and it worked great. The only thing I would change next time is that 10 minutes left my chicken slightly overcooked (maybe because I used two chicken breasts instead of three), so I might try 8 or 9 minutes next time. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the cream cheese, so I might try sour cream next time. Overall this was great, thanks for the recipe!
Karen says
Thanks Carla! Glad you liked it!
MaryKate J. says
Great recipe for first timers, and experienced Insta Pot users alike! Super easy to make……I am the first time Insta Pot user. This recipe was so delicious too, talk about packed with flavor! This gets a 5 out of 5 stars for ease of recipe and taste!
Karen says
Thank you! I am glad you liked it! Welcome to the IP world!
Dana Stieferman says
Just made this for lunch and we all loved it. Had to make a few substitutions bec COVID! Anxious to try again following your ingredients – just in case it is better than what we had today. 😃 The refried beans was a great addition; haven’t ever heard of using them like this. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Karen says
Glad it worked out for you Dana!
Kristin says
This was delicious and easy however it has A LOT of sodium with all of the canned ingredients and broth. Especially if you’re going to serve with tortilla chips! Next time I would use water instead of broth since the chicken will add good flavor and there are already a lot of other great flavors. It was a little heavy on the beans for me so I might omit or halve the black beans. Thanks for a great recipe!
Karen says
Glad you liked it Kristin!
Ronald Wallace says
I am trying this tomorrow, but….i have never used refried beans in this type of soup……is it for a thickening?
Karen says
Yep!
Kim says
OMG! This is definitely a keeper. Husband loves chicken tortilla soup at a local restaurant. He said this is even better. Chicken was tender and juicy despite cooking straight from the freezer. We are still under the stay at home order here in Michigan and I didn’t have the exact ingredients. So I had to use picante sauce instead of enchilada sauce and omitted the black beans. But I did have refried black beans. Again, OMG! Thank you!
Karen says
Those sound like great substitutions! Good job 👏👏👏
Cathy Williams says
Made this for weekend supper. Used b/s chicken thighs (which are so hard to find right now). I loved that the canned corn was crisp, gave it an added texture. Topped mine with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. Wish I had some avocado. The only hard part of the recipe was getting the cream cheese to melt even after having cut it into pieces before putting in the pot. A definite keeper at my house.
Karen says
Hi Cathy, could you change the star rating to 5 stars instead of 1? Sounds like you loved it??
Susan says
Tried this tonight and my husband is practically licking his bowl. This one is for sure going in the rotation.
I had chicken thighs so I used those instead of breasts, and used crushed tomatoes as my husband doesn’t like tomatoes that are in chunks (even little ones). Added both the refried beans and the cream cheese and it’s delicious.
Karen says
I like your ideas! I am a big crushed tomatoes fan too. I’ll try it like this next time I make it!
kpace says
Didn’t care for this one. Very heavy for a soup recipe. The enchilada sauce is basically your broth, with refried beans and cream cheese, to thicken. Not appealing. The Chicken comes out dry and bland.
Julie Wuerth says
Made it verbatim per the recipe but left out the cream cheese… OMG, sooo yummy!
Karen says
Glad you liked it Julie!
Gaye Somerton de Jimenez says
I thought there must have been a typo with a soup recipe with only 1 cup of stock – so I added a litre. It was wonderful!
Karen says
Glad your version worked out!
Jane says
Sounds yummy!! Nutrition info please!!
Karen says
Just added it in!
Renee says
Awesome soup, didn’t change a thing! Do you know if leftovers can be frozen?
Karen says
Thanks Renee, I’m glad you liked it! Yes you could for sure freeze the leftovers.
Renee says
Thank you! And thanks for the recipe, we loved it! Didn’t end up having to freeze the leftovers, my husband ate it all!
Karen says
Haha that’s great 🙂
Alicia says
Hello, is the cream cheese’s purpose to thicken the sauce? Is the refried beans the substitute for the cream cheese? Sorry a little confused on the cream cheese.
Joni says
I use both and it’s creamy and delicious. You could leave out the cream cheese though if you didn’t want it.
Karen says
HI Alicia, the cream cheese is for pure taste factor and it tastes so good! You could leave it out if you want though 🙂
emily says
This was my first instant pot use, and couldn’t be more thrilled! The chicken breast was ridiculously tender and shredded easily with a fork. I used my favorite homemade enchilada sauce to get the spice intensity just where my husband and I like it. This made it to the “make it again” list, and can’t wait to have the leftovers tonight. Thank you, Karen!
Karen says
I bet it was amazing with the homemade enchilada sauce!
Kaia says
Should I cook the chicken separately first?
Karen says
No need to! The chicken will pressure cook along with everything else 🙂
Daniel Berman says
Loved it! Followed your instructions and it was just delicious. My first instant pot attempt and it turned out beautifully. Thank you so much!
Karen says
Awesome! Welcome to the Instant Pot world 🙂
Kelly T. says
This is my favorite instant pot meal. Can you double the batch. If so does the cook time remain the same?
Karen says
Same cook time. You can double just make sure it doesn’t go over max fill line!
Margy says
Thank you for this recipe. I doubled it and it worked perfectly. Three generations of people together and we all liked it. Those who wanted more heat added hot sauce or jalapenos on top. And it was mild enough for the little ones. Very nice!!
Karen says
Oh how great! I love to hear this Margy!
Amy says
If I triple the batch do I need to adjust the cooking time?
Karen says
Nope.
Cindy says
Made it tonight. Delish! However -dinner was late. I put in 2c of Chx broth instead of 1 and about 2.5 lbs of chx breast and cooked for prescribed time and my chicken wasn’t done. Put the lid beck on and tried again for 3 more min. And slow release pressure for 3min. Came out great. Yummy!! Thanks for all your recipes.
Karen says
Glad it finally worked out. I wonder if the chicken was frozen or if it was in a big chunk and that’s why it took a longer amount of time to cook?
Susie says
The same thing happened to me! There were two frozen thin slices of chicken i threw in there and i guess they were stuck together and the chicken was definitely not fully cooked so i put it back in for 3 mins and it turned out great!
Kelsey says
What a delicious recipe! Topped with lime juice, chips and cheese….Perfection!
Karen says
Glad you liked it Kelsey!
elizabeth boyd says
Used frozen chicken and didnt adjust the time for pressure cooking on the IP as it said it was not needed. After all was done and I was about to shred the chicken, the chicken was very raw (defrosted but raw). Very disappointed cus it’s now not ready in time for dinner.
Erin says
Frozen chicken breasts need about 21 minutes in the IP which is really frustrating to me as my stove stop pressure cooker only 15 minutes. Frozen chicken can cook in 15 minutes in the IP but it not shredded.
Lacey Strand says
Docked a star because it says to add beans in first step so I added refried and black and got a burn notice 🙁
Karen says
oops sorry about that. I just edited the recipe and clarified that it is just the black beans initially.
Barbara says
This soup was everything! It tasted even better the next day. I did the refried beans with chorizo added, used grilled diced tomatoes with onions and garlic, and some pepper flakes. delish!
Karen says
Sounds fantastic! Glad you liked it!
Bee says
Not only is this a great Instant Pot recipe, it’s also low calorie! Yes.. I cannot wait to make this
Karen says
Hope you like it!
Nancy F says
This is an excellent dish – more like a stew than soup and freezes well (there is only one of me). Do not like chicken breast but thighs work well in all your recipes so far. Living in southern California with many greet authentic Mexican restaurants nearby, this dish rates very high. Served with warm buttered fresh flour tortillas which I always have on hand and no need to refrigerate them.
Karen says
I like the sound of those tortillas Nancy!
Tuesday says
This soup is very tasty! I did not add sour cream into the pot, but I put a small dollop on top of my personal bowl. Love the idea of adding the retried beans. I think it could be a little healthier – next time, I’ll add some fresh peppers. Also, could you add fresh tomatoes and frozen corn instead of canned tomatoes and corn? I’m worried about the sodium level of this recipe. Thanks! It tastes delish!
Karen says
yes I think the fresh tomatoes and corn would be great!
Tuesday says
The only thing is – the canned tomatoes have liquid in them. If I did fresh, we’d lose the liquid. Is that a problem, do you think? How should i adjust?
Karen says
No it will be just fine.
Sherri says
Mine is cooking now, I can’t wait to taste it! This is the first time I have used my cooker, so I am nervous…lol I doubled the batch and tweaked it a little. I added jalapenos, an onion, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Karen says
I bet it will be great!!
Sherri says
It turned out wonderful, after I figured out the pressure cooker…lol My 19 year old son approved also.
Fay Davis says
Love my InstantPot and so grateful I’ve found your site. I am gluten AND nightshade (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers) intolerant. I can find gluten free pastas, but haven’t tried the recipe I found for “no-mato” sauce. Any suggestions for a tomato substitute?
Karen says
for this particular recipe you could leave out the tomatoes.
marcia says
Yum! Another delicious recipe. Thanks Karen! I doubled the recipe and used a combo of chicken thighs and breasts. Made homemade enchilada sauce, used home canned tomatoes and followed the rest of the recipe exactly. Loved the way the refried beans thickened the soup. Really hit the spot for dinner in this cold weather we are having. Thanks again.
Karen says
Wow yours sounds so amazing with the homemade enchilada sauce and canned tomatoes!!!
Colby says
Delicious!!! I made a few adjustments. Instead of diced tomatoes I used 1 can rotel original. Instead of refried beans I used 8oz sour cream. Instead of chicken breast I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. It was a huge hit with the family! I will add another can of black beans and another can of corn next time. Thank you for this!
Karen says
Yum! Your changes sound great 🙂
Erin says
Does this really only need 1 cup of broth?
Karen says
yes
Shannon says
Anything I could put in to substitute the refried beans or will it be ok without? Not a fan of them.
Karen says
Just leave them out and add in a cup of sour cream.
Shannon says
I made it tonight and it was delicious. Thanks for responding!
Laura says
Made this today! Awesome soup…topped with avocado, served with chips. Wonderful and plenty for lunches!
Karen says
I love this one as well!
Todd Cook says
Big hit with the whole family! Lots of flavor (I added Valentina sauce and cheese to mine). Only 2 Weight Watchers points per cup ( without cheese or chips). This will be a regular dish served at my house!
Karen says
Glad you liked it. What is Valentina sauce?
Mary says
I made this Chicken Enchilada Soup for dinner last night. It was amazing! My husband and I both loved it! Thank you for all your GREAT recipes!
Karen says
Yum! I love this one too 🙂
Joyce Pruhs says
Love this soup! So creamy and delicious!
Next time I will use store bought Enchilada Sauce as I did not like the flavor of the home made version. But will try to make the sauce again with less chili powder.
Thanks for posting a great recipe. Joyce
Karen says
You are welcome Joyce! Have a great day 🙂
Joyce Pruhs says
Karen, How can I keep ads out of the recipe I want to print?
Chicken Enchilada Soup printed with a Smith’s ad on the bottom of the first page and Smoky Bear ad onthe back. Very frustrating!
Joyce
Karen says
Sorry! I will contact my ad company and see if they can stop that.
Sara says
What level of pressure would you use on the Instant Pot?
Karen says
high pressure.
Kris says
this sounds sooo good. Refried beans? Yes please (fat free). I assume fat free cream cheese works?? If I use cooked rotisserie chicken, will the chicken turn to mush or get tough? I’m new at this.
Karen says
You could use fat free cream cheese, if you want. If you use cooked rotisserie chicken you’d only need to pressure cook for 2 minutes as opposed to 10.
Kris says
This is really good the next day. I used all fat free ingredients. Used mild encha sauce. Next time will use medium. Used shredded rotisserie chicken, so pressure cooked for only 2 min. Topped w cheese, greek yogurt (tastes just like sour cream) crushed tortilla chips and jarred jalipenos… superb!!!
Karen says
Nice! Glad you liked it 🙂
Court w says
Is this correct, only cook for 10 min?? I’m new to using please reassure cooker.
Karen says
Yes it is right!