Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita and Rice Soup—chicken and rice soup with a fajita spin on it. An easy soup with awesome flavor. This soup can easily be gluten and dairy free.
Related: INSTANT POT Chicken Fajita and Rice Soup recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita and Rice Soup
I think you’re really going to enjoy this chicken fajita soup! It has tons of flavor thanks to plenty of seasonings, crushed tomatoes, green chilies, peppers and pepper jack cheese. The texture is similar to the consistency of enchilada sauce…not too thick and not too thin. It’s such an easy recipe and comes together quickly.
A few notes about the ingredients:
Chicken–I used frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts from a big Costco bag. Another great option would be to use boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can also use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.
Peppers--I used 3 different colors of pepper for a fun variety. Really you could use 3 bell peppers of whatever color you like. I do love the orange and yellow peppers over a green bell pepper.
Beans–I threw a can of black beans in the soup but really you could use whatever type of beans you want. Pinto beans are another good choice. If you want to use dried black beans you’ll need to soak them first. Soak ¾ cup of dried black beans in plenty of water for 8-12 hours. Once they are soaked rinse them well. Add them into the slow cooker with the other ingredients only do NOT add in the tomatoes. Add in 1-2 extra cups of chicken broth. Slow cook as stated in the recipe. Then add the tomatoes in when you add in the peppers. The tomatoes have a lot of acid in them and will prevent the beans from getting soft.
Rice–I love brown rice and try to eat it over white rice. If you want to use white rice, you can. Just add in the ¾ cup of uncooked white rice in the place of brown rice. Then cut the chicken into tender size. This will ensure that the rice and chicken cook at the same rate. Slow cook the soup for 3-4 hours on low.
What equipment do I need?
I used my Ninja Auto-iQ 6 Quart Slow Cooker.* My favorite feature of this slow cooker is that it has a stove top function. This is perfect for sauteing the onions before slow cooking.
Lately, I’ve been using this tool to chop my chicken* and I love it!
I use a paring knife* to core my peppers and slice them into strips. And I use a larger santoku knife* to dice the peppers and onions.
What to serve with Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita and Rice Soup
The toppings are a delicious and fun part of the soup! Some of my favorite topping ideas are tortilla chips, tortilla strips, fritos, cheese, sour cream or plain yogurt, chopped cilantro, chopped green onion, diced avocado or guacamole, pico de gallo or diced fresh tomatoes and if you’re a spice lover then some diced jalapenos.
Besides the toppings I love serving this Instant Pot chicken fajita and rice soup with a slice of my favorite cornbread of all time. It’s not my recipe but it’s the only recipe I use. Another option would be to make homemade bread sticks. I often use this 1 hour bread stick recipe.
Is this soup spicy?
Not at all! It is kid friendly. If you want to make it more spicy add in some diced jalapenos or some hot sauce to each individual bowl.
Can I freeze this soup?
I would not recommend freezing this soup because both the rice and the bell peppers do not freeze well. You can halve the recipe if needed. Cut all ingredients in half and reduce cooking time by 15%.
More Slow Cooker Soup Recipes with Chicken…
Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Slow Cooker Lentil Lemon Chicken Soup
Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken Orzo Soup
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Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita and Rice Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Description
Chicken and rice soup with a fajita spin on it. An easy soup with awesome flavor. This soup can easily be gluten and dairy free.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen is okay)
- 1 (14.5) oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (4 oz) can green chilies
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water
- 1 1/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese
- Topping ideas: tortilla chips, diced cilantro, sour cream, avocado or guacamole
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium high heat and melt the butter. Add in the onions. Saute for 4 minutes then add in the garlic and saute for 20 seconds. Add into the slow cooker.
- Add in the broth, salt, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, pepper, oregano, brown rice, chicken, beans, green chilies and crushed tomatoes.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add in the peppers. Make a cornstarch slurry–in a small bowl stir together 2 Tbsp of cornstarch with 2 Tbsp of water, until smooth. Then pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Turn your slow cooker to high. Cook for 30 more minutes.
- Remove the chicken and chop it up*. Add it back into the pot.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with 2 Tbsp of pepper jack cheese and your desired toppings.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
*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.
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