This Instant Pot Creamy Green Enchilada Chicken Soup is a quick, comforting, and flavor-packed meal made with tender chicken breasts, chicken stock, onion, garlic, jalapeno, salsa verde, warm spices, cream cheese, and cannellini beans. It has all the cozy flavor of green chicken enchiladas in a creamy soup that comes together easily in the Instant Pot. Serve it with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar, sour cream, tomato salsa, and cilantro for a hearty dinner the whole family can enjoy.
Instant Pot Creamy Green Enchilada Chicken Soup is warm, rich, and satisfying without being complicated. If you enjoy Mexican-inspired recipes and easy pressure cooker dinners, this soup is a practical recipe to keep in your regular rotation. The Instant Pot makes the chicken tender enough to shred with two forks, while the salsa verde and spices create a bright, savory broth.
This recipe is especially useful for busy days because most of the cooking happens in one pot. You start by sautéing the onion, garlic, and jalapeno, then add the chicken, stock, salsa verde, and seasonings. After pressure cooking, the chicken is shredded and returned to the soup with cream cheese and beans. The result is creamy, hearty, and full of green enchilada flavor.
The soup is filling on its own, but the toppings make it even better. Crunchy tortilla chips add texture, cheddar cheese melts into the hot broth, sour cream gives it a cool finish, and cilantro adds freshness. You can use mild, medium, or hot salsa verde depending on how much heat you like.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This Instant Pot chicken enchilada soup uses simple ingredients that work together to create a creamy, flavorful meal. Gather everything before you start cooking so the recipe moves quickly and smoothly.
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Jalapeno
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Reduced sodium chicken stock
- Salsa verde, mild, medium, or hot
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Dried oregano
- Cream cheese
- Cannellini beans
The salsa verde is the main flavor base, so choose one you enjoy. Mild salsa verde keeps the soup family-friendly, while medium or hot versions add more heat. Cannellini beans make the soup heartier and add a creamy texture that works well with the cream cheese.
Expert Tips
A few simple steps help this creamy green enchilada chicken soup turn out rich, smooth, and full of flavor every time.
- Use the sauté setting on the Instant Pot to soften the onion, garlic, and jalapeno before pressure cooking. This builds a better flavor base for the soup.
- Add the chicken breasts whole. They will become tender during pressure cooking and can be shredded easily after cooking.
- Cook the soup on high pressure for 24 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before opening the lid.
- Shred the cooked chicken with two forks on a cutting board. The chicken should pull apart easily.
- Stir in the cream cheese until it melts completely into the broth, then add the beans and shredded chicken back to the pot.
- Taste before serving and adjust your toppings based on how creamy, spicy, or crunchy you want each bowl to be.
What to Serve with This Recipe
Tortilla chips are a classic topping for chicken enchilada soup, and homemade tortilla chips are easy to make in about 10 minutes. They add the perfect crisp texture to the creamy soup.
- Use extra flour or corn tortillas. Spray the tortillas with cooking spray, sprinkle with kosher salt, and cut them into wedges.
- Place the tortilla wedges on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 5 minutes.
- Flip the chips and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Watch closely so they do not get too dark. The chips should be lightly golden brown.
Serve each bowl of Instant Pot Creamy Green Enchilada Chicken Soup with homemade tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tomato salsa, and cilantro. The toppings add color, flavor, and texture, turning a simple soup into a complete meal.
Just One More Thing
If you make this Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup, leave a comment or rating to share how it turned out. It is always helpful to hear what you served with it, how spicy you made it, and which toppings your family liked best.
Recipe
Instant Pot Creamy Green Enchilada Chicken Soup
Equipment
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Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced, about 2 cups
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 medium jalapeno, chopped
- 2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
- 1 16-ounce jar salsa verde
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- Tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tomato salsa, and cilantro for serving
Instructions
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Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Sauté until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
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Add the chicken breasts, chicken stock, salsa verde, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano. Stir to combine.
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Secure the lid and make sure the valve is set to the sealed position. Pressure cook on high for 24 minutes according to the manufacturer’s directions.
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When the cooking time is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
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Remove the lid carefully.
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Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with two forks.
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Add the beans and cream cheese to the soup. Stir until the cream cheese melts into the broth.
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Return the shredded chicken to the Instant Pot and stir.
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Serve in bowls with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tomato salsa, tortilla chips, and cilantro.
Notes
- Spray tortillas with cooking spray, sprinkle with kosher salt, and cut into wedges. Place on a baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 5 minutes.
- Flip the chips and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Watch carefully and remove when the chips are lightly golden brown.