Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup Instant Pot
Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup Instant Pot Recipe is unlike a regular enchilada soup that contains beans and corns. This Chili's copycat Enchilada Soup has a smooth, creamy, texture free Masa based soup base and super juicy chicken. Loaded with enchilada flavors, this soup is amazing!
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Servings: 4 people
Calories: 401kcal
Cost: $5
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Frozen Chicken Breasts **boneless skinless breasts. Yields about 2 cups cooked shredded chicken. For fresh chicken breasts read NOTES below.
- 1 cup onion **yellow onion roughly chopped.
- 1 tbsp garlic **minced
- ½ cup Masa Harina
- 8 ounce El Pato Hot tomato sauce **for spicy soup. Use regular tomato sauce for non-spicy soup.
- 10 ounce Red Enchilada Sauce **we used El Paso Enchilada Sauce. It's the best!
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil **or any neutral oil.
- Salt **according to your personal preference.
Seasonings
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder **ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder **skip if heat intolerant.
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Dairy
- 2 cups cheddar cheese **we used pre-shredded sharp cheddar.
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream **slightly warm it in microwave oven.
Liquid
- 3 cups chicken stock **or 2 tbsp Better Than Bouillon paste diluted in 3 cups hot/warm water. We always use this.
Instructions
- Saute Aromatics & Seasonings: Set the Instant Pot on SAUTE function and set it on HIGH heat. Add oil and when the oil becomes moderately hot gently release the onion & garlic and saute until the onion becomes limp. Add salt to quicken the process. Now, add the seasonings and saute for just 30 seconds.
- De-glaze Pot: Add the chicken stock and de-glaze the pot very well scraping the sides & the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. This is to loosen any stuck food particles from the bottom of the pot. This will prevent the BURN error. So, DO NOT rush this step.
- Add Sauces & Chicken: Now, add the enchilada sauce and the tomato sauce. Give everything a good mix and than add the frozen chicken directly into the pot. No need to thaw! You can also use fresh chicken, but the cook time will change! Check time below.
- Pressure Cook: CANCEL the SAUTE function. Secure the lid, seal the valve and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 10 mins (frozen chicken) and 5 mins for fresh chicken. Once, the pressure cooking cycle is over the instant pot will begin to beep, wait for 5 mins Natural pressure release (NPR) & than release the rest of the pressure manually by moving the valve from the sealing to the venting position.
- Shred chicken: Open the lid carefully. Fish out the cooked chicken breasts and shred them with the help of a pair of fork. Set them aside.
- Prep Masa Harina: Now, take the Masa Harina in a large enough bowl and add enough hot soup from the pot to the bowl. Whisk immediately until the Masa reaches a smooth and almost a lump free consistency. This will take some time.
- Thicken Soup: Hit the SAUTE function & set it on LOW heat. Now, add the Masa paste in 2-3 slots stirring vigorously every time. It should completely blend well into the soup. DO NOT stop stirring briskly otherwise the paste will form lumps. Simmer the soup stirring frequently until it thicken to your desired consistency.
- Add dairy & Chicken: TURN OFF the Instant Pot. Add the slightly warmed up heavy whipping cream into the soup. Mix well. Add the shredded cheddar cheese in 2-3 slots and mix well until the cheese completely melts and incorporates into the soup. You will have a pretty thick and smooth soup base. Finally, transfer back the shredded chicken into the pot. Mix well.
- Serve with toppings: Serve the Chili's copycat Chicken Enchilada soup with your favorite toppings. We used some chopped yellow onion, jalapeno, roma tomatoes, cilantro, lime, tortilla chips and shredded cheddar as toppings.
Video
Notes
- Soup consistency: Smooth, thick. Chili's Enchilada soup has no beans, corns or tomato chunks in it.
- Slow Cooker option: I've mentioned the detailed method of making the soup in the slow cooker in the post. Do check it out.
- Is this soup spicy: Yes, today's recipe is spicy because we used El Pato hot tomato sauce & also chili powder.
- Non-spicy Soup: Sub the hot tomato sauce with regular tomato sauce and also skip using the chili powder. You can also increase the amount of brown sugar (use 2 tbsp).
- Can I use pre-cooked or rôtisserie chicken? Yes, you can sued pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken to make this soup.
- Fresh Chicken Breast cook time: High Pressure 5 mins / NPR 5 mins.
- Masa Harina: DO NOT add the Masa directly to the hot soup, it'll form lumps and you'll have a hard time incorporating those innumerable masa lumps into the soup. Make a masa paste first using the hot soup and than add it into the soup in 2-3 slots.
- What can I use instead of Masa Harina? Now, people do use corn tortillas ground to a fine powder to thicken this soup. However, I've not tested it in my test kitchen, so I am not able to come up with the exact quantities right now. You can certainly experiment with corn tortillas. We'll be happy to hear about the outcome in the comments section below.
- Toppings we used: Avocado, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, yellow onion, roma tomatoes, lime wedges, cilantro, jalapeno. You can pick your favorite toppings.
Nutrition
Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 826mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1193IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 313mg | Iron: 2mg