Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
by Sommer Collier — on Jan 19, 2026 My green chicken enchilada soup recipe combines the tangy flavor of enchiladas verdes with the convenience of a one-pot dish for an easy, creamy, and cozy soup. It’s great for a quick weeknight dinner that’s packed with bold flavors and toppings, but takes less than an hour, and almost no effort.
I’m a big fan of enchiladas. I’m also a big fan of chicken soup recipes of all kinds. Because I have great taste like that. And I imagine that if you’re here, you too, have exceptional taste and are looking for an exciting combination of flavors from some of your favorite Tex-Mex inspired dishes. Well friend, have I got a great soup for you! This silky, spicy (but not too spicy) green chicken enchilada soup recipe is made with green enchilada sauce, canned green chilies, and cream cheese for a vibrant, perky, and rich flavor. It’s similar to my favorite creamy white chicken chili with green chiles, but with an even more robust chile flavor from the green enchilada sauce. It’s easy to make and even easier to love!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Amazing Taste – This creamy soup is Tex-Mex savory (I know you know that fabulous cumin and chiles taste I’m talking about) with a nice balance of sweetness from the corn. I seriously crave this combination constantly, and my chicken chile soup recipe always delivers. And the smell of it cooking… O.M.G. In fact, I’ve never heard of anyone making this soup only once.
Simple One-Pot Meal – Soups are the mother of all one-pan recipes, with everything cooked together in, well, one pot. In this recipe, I saute the aromatics, poach the chicken, and simmer the beans and corn in the same pot. Boom, easy.
Quick Dinner Winner – I add everything to the pot in layers – first the aromatics, chicken, broth, and chiles, then beans, corn, and cream cheese – with little time between each ingredient getting dumped in. From start to finish, it takes me less than 45 minutes to have bowls loaded with all kinds of toppings on the table, without breaking a sweat!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Butter – I prefer unsalted butter, so I have complete control over the amount of sodium in the recipe.
- Onion and garlic – The flavor power duo of any savory dish.
- Chicken – Use bonless chicken breasts, thighs, or a combination of both. Chicken breasts are leaner while the thighs are more fatty, which is why I like to use a few pieces of each for balance.
- Green enchilada sauce – Sure, you can buy a can from the store. OR you can make your own delicious and wholesome green enchilada sauce from scratch!
- Green chiles – Those little cans of chopped green chiles, your choice of mild or hot.
- Chicken broth – Use a box to save yourself some effort, or mix together water and bullion for a DIY broth.
- Pinto beans and sweet corn – This recipe uses one can of each.
- Cream cheese – I use full fat cream cheese, but you can use low fat if you want. Either way, let the cream cheese soften on the counter for 15-20 minutes before cubing and adding to the soup.
- Cilantro – You need fresh cilantro to stir into the soup as it cooks, and I like to set some aside to also sprinkle on top of each serving as a garnish.
- Spices – Just ground cumin, salt, and pepper.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Get it Started – First, I do all of my prep work to make the cooking process fast. I chop the onion, mince the garlic, use a can opener to pop the tops off the canned ingredients, and drain the beans and corn. When everything’s ready to go, I place a large 6-8 quart pot on the stove over medium heat, and sauté the onions and garlic in butter for about 5 minutes.
Once the onions are soft and translucent, I add the raw pieces of chicken and broth to the pot.
Stir and Simmer – Then in go the chopped green chiles, cumin, and a bit of salt and pepper. Give everything a gentle stir, and don’t worry, the broth is supposed to just barely cover the chicken.
Bring the soup base to a gentle simmer on medium-low heat, partially cover the pot so the steam isn’t getting trapped under the lid, and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.
Pull Out the Chicken – Once the chicken is done, I use tongs to carefully remove the pieces of chicken without burning the heck out of myself. (You only make that mistake once or twice!)
Make It Creamy – The chicken goes onto a cutting board to cool a bit. Meanwhile, I add the beans, corn, cilantro, and cream cheese to the pot.
I stir the soup gently and constantly, until the cream cheese totally melts into the base.
Shred – As the soup simmers and thickens, I shred the chicken on the cutting board. I find the easiest way to shred pieces of chicken is to use two forks like little claws to pull the meat apart.
Now back into the pot goes the shredded chicken. Stir and let the chicken get warm before serving.
Expert Tips
- The best way to avoid rubbery chicken is to make sure it’s not boiled or cooked for too long. The soup should be set at medium-low heat so it’s at a strong simmer, but not boiling.
- How to Test for doneness: Use tongs to carefully take a breast out of the broth at the 15-minute mark and check for doneness. If you’re using a meat thermometer (I highly recommend having one of these in the kitchen), the chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Otherwise, you can use a sharp knife to slice a bit into the meat and see if it’s pink. As soon as it hits the mark of just being done, pull the pieces of chicken out of the broth and continue with the recipe.
- Need to save some time? Use leftover shredded chicken pieces or rotisserie chicken!
Serving Suggestions
There are a lot of incredible flavors and textures in this soup as-is. But if you want to kick things up a few notches, consider loading on some enchilada toppings like:
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Chopped scallions
- Pico de gallo
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced avocado (a must-have in our house)
- Sour cream
- Sliced fresh jalapeno or pickled jalapeños
- Tortilla strips
- Crushed red pepper
No matter what toppings I toss on, I also always have a bowl of tortilla chips on the side, too! They are perfect for scooping, and I love the crunchiness with the creamy soup.
Storage Notes
Once the soup has cooled completely, I transfer it into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat leftovers on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, stirring often, until it’s hot all the way through.
I do not recommend trying to freeze enchilada chicken soup. There is a lot of cream cheese in here (yay!), and the soup’s consistency will get pretty ick if frozen, thawed, and reheated (boo).
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make my chicken enchilada soup recipe with either mild or hot green chiles. Go with hot if you want a spicy dish, obviously. However, you can also use mild chiles and then a pinch of cayenne pepper with the cumin to have more control over the spice level. I also suggest sprinkling crushed red pepper over the soup when serving to add a serious bump of heat.
Yes, you can, but keep in mind that frozen corn will take longer to cook and drop the temperature of the soup as it cooks… By, like, a lot. So I’d add it to the pot right after removing the chicken, then let the corn simmer for a good minute or two before adding the beans and the rest of the ingredients.
I add a splash or two of broth at a time to thin out the soup if it gets too thick. If it’s not thick enough, I make a quick slurry by whisking together 1 tablespoon of cold broth with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Stir this in slowly, bit by bit, while the soup is simmering until it reaches the perfect thick consistency.
Sure! Use veggie broth and sub the chicken with an extra can of pinto beans to make a creamy vegetarian enchilada soup.
More Soup Recipes
Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
- 20 ounces green enchilada sauce two 10 oz cans
- 8 ounces chopped green chiles mild or hot
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 15 ounces canned pinto beans drained
- 15 ounces canned sweet corn drained
- 8 ounces cream cheese cut into chunks
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper
- Optional enchilada soup toppings: fresh chopped cilantro, tortilla chips or tortilla strips, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, chopped scallions, sliced avocado, crushed red pepper.
Instructions
- Set a 6 to 8 quart pot over medium heat. Add the butter, chopped onions, and garlic to the pot. Sauté and stir for 5 minutes until the onions are soft.
- Add the raw chicken pieces to the pot, followed by the green chili sauce, chopped green chilies, ground cumin, and chicken broth. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper, then stir to combine.
- Partially cover the pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken pieces are fully cooked. Use tongs to remove the chicken pieces and place them on a cutting board. Add the canned pinto beans, canned sweet corn, cream cheese chunks, and chopped cilantro to the pot. Stir to combine and allow the mixture to simmer and thicken.
- Meanwhile, use two forks to shred the chicken, or alternatively chop the chicken and two small half-inch pieces. Place the chicken back in the pot and stir.
- Allow the soup to simmer for another 5 minutes, until the cream cheese is fully melted and the soup is thick and smooth. Taste, and salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve with any enchilada topping you like!
