Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Tortilla

Name: Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Tortilla
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; ½ onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 14 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes; 2 jalapeno peppers, membranes and seeds removed, minced; 2 pounds chicken breast, chicken tenderloins, or chicken thighs (a mixture gives the best flavor); 4 cups hot chicken stock or broth; 1 cup hot water; 2 teaspoons cumin; ½ cup (4 ounces) cream cheese; 1 cup tortilla chips, broken

Recipe by Sam Rivera · Updated May 2026

Instant Pot Chicken

This creamy chicken tortilla soup comes together quickly in the Instant Pot with tender chicken, tomatoes, and a touch of jalapeño for a little kick.

⏱ 45 mins

Tex-Mex

Servings 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoonsolive oil

½ onion, diced

3 clovesgarlic, minced

14 ouncesfire roasted diced tomatoes

2 jalapenopeppers, membranes and seeds removed, minced

2 poundschicken breast, chicken tenderloins, or chicken thighs (a mixture gives the best flavor)

4 cupshot chicken stock or broth

1 cuphot water

2 teaspoonscumin

½ cup(4 ounces) cream cheese

1 cuptortilla chips, broken

Nutrition

235 caloriesCalories

Per serving · Values are estimates

Instructions

Turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode and pour in the olive oil. Once it’s shimmering hot, toss in the diced onion and minced garlic. Cook, stirring often, until they soften up—about 3 minutes.

Toss everything else into the pot except the cream cheese, then hit cancel to stop the sauté setting.

Secure the lid, lock it, and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 15 minutes. Make sure the venting valve is closed.

When the timer beeps, let the pressure drop naturally for 10 minutes, then release the rest quickly by turning the valve.

Switch the Instant Pot to warm. Stir in the cream cheese and let it melt into the soup for about 10 minutes, stirring once in a while.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crumbled tortilla chips and any extras you like—avocado slices, fresh cilantro, crumbled Cotija cheese, salsa, or hot sauce.

For the slow cooker version, start with the chicken on the bottom, then layer in the rest of the ingredients (skip the chips and cream cheese). Cook on low for 7–8 hours. Stir in the cream cheese during the last 10 minutes and top with chips before serving.