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Copycat Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup

Updated on July 18, 2022 | By Dana | 24 Comments

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A tasty restaurant favorite, this Copycat Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup is filling, easy, and super easy to make up for any weeknight meal.

I love a good copycat recipe, and this Chili’s Chicken Enchilada soup, dare I say, is better than the original? Seriously, it is that good – one of our most made soup recipes.

This is one of those soup recipes that we make all year round. I do not think that there is any specific time that this soup is good for except all the time!

With easy and tasty ingredients and toppings, you can really make this your own. It is great for any night of the week and doesn’t take a lot of effort to throw together.

It’s like literally eating an enchilada in a bowl, and trust me that is a good thing. If you are an enchilada fan then you will love this Copycat Chili’s Enchilada Soup.

I always say, why waste your money when you can make some of your favorite restaurant recipes in the confines of your own kitchen.

Some of our other favorite year-round soup recipes we have on our site include: Minestrone Soup, Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Stuffed Pepper Soup.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

This makes a large batch to feed a crowd.
Great for storage so you can make a double batch.
Top with any of your favorite enchilada toppings.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):

Chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Pepper
Vegetable oil
Garlic
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Onion powder
Unsalted chicken stock
Masa harina (corn flour)
Red enchilada sauce
Monterey jack cheese
Sharp cheddar cheese
Optional Toppings: tortilla strips, cilantro, sour cream

HOW TO MAKE COPYCAT CHILI’S CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP:

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper.
Heat a dutch oven over medium-heat. Once hot, add the oil and sear the chicken on both sides, do not crowd the pan, you may need to do this step in batches. Place the seared chicken on a plate, set aside.
Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and the remaining 1 & ½ teaspoons salt and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Reserve 2 cups of chicken stock for later, add the rest to the pot and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes covered.
Take the chicken and thinly slice it. Add it back to the pot.
Mix together the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock and the masa harina until smooth. Slowly stream in this mixture while whisking.
Add the enchilada sauce and mix it in. Bring back to a simmer and simmer for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup will thicken from the masa harina.
Turn off the heat, add half of the Monterey Jack cheese and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir it in until melted. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve with more of the cheeses on top, the tortilla strips, cilantro, and sour cream.

DO I HAVE TO USE MASA HARINA?

The masa harina is what makes this soup special. You can really taste it, and it is a necessary ingredient. You can find it at any grocery store. I always use the Maseca brand.

CAN I USE ANOTHER TYPE OF CHICKEN?

You can use shredded rotisserie chicken in place of the fresh chicken breasts. You can also use chicken thighs if that’s what you have.

WHAT ARE SOME GREAT TOPPINGS FOR THIS?

I love to add tortilla strips, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream on top, but add your favorite taco toppings.

Some other options are sliced avocado, pico de gallo, diced tomatoes, red onion, scallions, etc.

HOW TO STORE:

This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze this, place in a freezer container and it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight until thawed and then reheat.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

To make this spicy you can add ½ teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne pepper. You can also add some diced fresh jalapenos or chopped pickled jalapenos as well.
This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Use any of your favorite taco toppings, some suggestions are above.
If you want to bulk up this recipe you can add corn, black beans, pinto beans, or even rice!
This is great to double to freeze for later.
You can also use shredded chicken for this recipe.

Love a good restaurant recipe but don’t want to make it at home? Then you absolutely need to make this Copycat Chili’s Enchilada Soup.

If you like this recipe you might also like:

If you’ve tried this COPYCAT CHILI’S CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!