20-Minute Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
As promised, here is your second chicken enchilada soup recipe in one week!
For those of you who missed Monday’s post on Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup, I mentioned that our Gimme Some Oven Facebook seemed split down the middle when I asked whether they would like a slow cooker or 20-minute version of this soup. So I decided to make both! Although to “cheese” things up a bit, I based the 20-minute version off of the chicken enchilada soup I happen to adore at Chili’s.
Yes, I admit it, I love Chili’s. When I was in high school, Chili’s was the first restaurant “hangout” my friends chose once we got our drivers licenses and realized we could eat bottomless chips and salsa for (back then) just $2. Then in my early twenties, Chili’s happened to be right around the corner from the Sunday night church I attended, and all of the hipsters piled in the booths and hung around until midnight to close out the week. And now — my friends all totally judge me for loving Chili’s, so I have made it a tradition to very happily eat at one of those mini-Chili’s whenever I see one in an airport, where I order chicken enchilada soup and a margarita (a must before long flights) and eat chips and salsa to my heart’s content.
Some things never change…
…including this soup. I learned how to make a copycat version of it back in college, and still enjoy cooking it to this day. Although I admit I have made a few tweaks to the recipe over the years, such as replacing Velveeta with real cheese. Here’s how I make it!
The two things about the Chili’s version of chicken enchilada soup that separates it from all others is that it is thick and it is cheesy.
The thickness is due to using masa harina, a corn flour that is available in any grocery store. (Just look for it in the flour section.) It’s the same flour that is used to make corn tortillas, and it gives the soup a velvety thickness as well as some nice corn flavor.
As I mentioned above, I’m pretty sure (although not positive) that the Chili’s version of this soup uses some sort of processed cheese like Velveeta. But I much prefer to use regular sharp (or extra sharp) cheddar. As with anytime you melt cheese in a soup, be sure to buy the block of cheese and then grate it yourself just before using it, because the pre-shredded stuff has a coating on it that doesn’t melt as well.
If you have the time, I also highly recommend making my homemade red enchilada sauce for this soup. It’s also quick and easy to make, and it is packed with my favorite enchilada seasonings. But if you’re in a hurry, the canned stuff will also work. (You may just want to add in an extra 1/2 or 1 teaspoon of chili powder if you use the canned sauce, as its flavor isn’t quite as strong.)
I also enjoy adding in some black beans, fire-roasted diced tomatoes and chopped green chiles to my chicken enchilada soup for substance. But if you want to go the chili’s route, they pretty much just have the thick broth + chicken, which also works.
Once you mix up your soup base, just stir in the shredded cheese one handful at a time. And then this thick and cheesy soup is ready to serve!
You can either serve it plain…
…or load it up with all kinds of toppings. Whatever sounds good.
And for old time’s sake, I have to also recommend serving it with some good chips and salsa. Because…just because. :)
Enjoy!
20-Minute Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
This delicious chicken enchilada soup is thick, cheesy, and ready to go (once your ingredients are prepped!) in just 20 minutes!
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup diced white onion (about 1 small white onion)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup masa harina (corn flour)
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 1/4 cups (or 1 10-ounce can) red enchilada sauce, homemade or store-bought*
- 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices (I prefer fire-roasted)
- 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more/less to taste
- optional toppings: tortilla chips/strips, diced/sliced avocado, grated cheese, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, and/or pico de gallo
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a large stock over medium-high heat. (To save time, peel and dice the onion for the minute or so that the oil heats.) Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until cooked and translucent. Add the garilc and saute for an additional minute until fragrant. Stir in the masa harina and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in half of the chicken stock, and stir until completely combined. Add in the remainder of the chicken stock, and stir to combine. Immediately add in the chicken, enchilada sauce, black beans, tomatoes, green chiles, salt and cumin, and stir until combined. Continue stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the soup does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Then stir in the cheese, one handful at a time, until combined. Taste, and season the soup to taste with salt.
- Serve the soup warm with desired toppings.
If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #gimmesomeoven. I'd love to see what you cook!
Check out these other related recipes too!
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Would make again. first time make enchilada soup. My husband loved it too! Great recipe.
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I made this recipe twice now and I loved it! love love love love! I am a 25 year old whose working multiple jobs while trying to finish school and this was an easy make, I made it in the crockpot. I cooked my meat first(subbed in ground turkey) and added everything to the crock-pot. I omitted some of the juices from the Chiles and Fire roasted tomatoes just to test it out and that worked out perfectly for me. I’d say from Walmart( which I rarely shop) I made this for about 15$ ( buying name brand things and some Great Value) and that yielded me about 3-4 meals ( and I’m a guy who can eat). I love love love loved this recipe.
* I accindetally added in 1/2 tsp of Chili powder ( I thought it was Cumin) and let me tell you, what a WONDERFUL surprise. It added a bit of heat and it worked out perfectly. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I let it sit in the crockpot for about an hour on high, then went to the gym, walked the dog and came home to a glass of wine, some Scandal and this lovely warm soup.
The recipe was really easy and the soup was delicious. I did add chili powder and a little lemon pepper for extra seasoning.
This soup is VERY good! Followed recipe exactly EXCEPT I did not buy the BIG bag of Masa Harina (what else would I use it for?) I discovered that you can put 2 torn up CORN tortillas into a food processor and grind until fine! I measured out 1/2 cup and added that instead of the Hasa Marina. Very good! Served it with quesadillas and a Mexican Caesar Salad. YUM for a cold night :)
I bought Masa Harina a year or more ago, just freeze it.
Loved this! The masa is perfect for thickening – I have passed the reviews around, everyone who has made it -loves it! And who, I ask you, doesn’t luuurve a 20 minute dinner? 🥣
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I’ve been making soup on Sundays off and on for the past three years. This soup been on my list for a while, but I never pulled the trigger because I have a killer tortilla soup recipe that I would always opt to make instead. That said, tonight was the night I finally made this recipe (with the homemade enchilada sauce) and man, this is the first soup in a long time that I can say with certainty I will make again, and again and again. Wish I had tried it sooner! Subbed the chicken for corn since I live with a vegetarian. So yummy!!!
Very tasty. I think the masa harina gives it a great flavor. I will make this again.