Chuy’s Chicken Tortilla Soup {copycat recipe}
This Chuy’s tortilla soup is the perfect meal for any chilly day. Filled with chicken, veggies, garlic, and plenty of spice, this soup tastes almost just like the Chuy’s version – but healthier!
Post updated January 30, 2026
My Obsession with Chuy’s Tortilla Soup
Have you eaten at Chuy’s yet? If not, here’s all the deets on this popular Tex-Mex eatery.
It’s a favorite on my husband’s side of the family. While I enjoyed it (especially their special sauces), I didn’t quite understand what all the hype was about.
That is, until I tried Chuy’s tortilla soup. Arguably the best soup I’ve ever put in my mouth.
Traveling from Atlanta to Kentucky during Christmas, I was sick with a stubborn virus that finally led to a fever. Thankfully, we decided to make a pit stop at Chuy’s because it was one of the only restaurants we could think of that serves soup.
It was my first time trying it, and now I know exactly what I’m ordering from now on!
It was so good, in fact, that I couldn’t wait until our next Chuy’s date to enjoy another bowl. I had to recreate it myself.
Dare I say, this copycat Chuy’s tortilla soup is on a level playing field with the real thing?
Chuy’s Tortilla Soup Ingredients
There are some special ingredients that make this soup extra-yummy:
- Diced avocado – this adds such a unique element that I’ve never had in soup before!
- Fresh jalepeño – spice is necessary, of course. You could also swap jalapeño for a poblano pepper.
- Lots of veggies – carrots and celery (classics in most chicken soup recipes) are usually missing from tortilla soups. This recipe welcomes them warmly.
- Tomatoes & peppers – I used a can of mild diced tomatoes with green chiles. It’s perfect!
- Fresh lime juice – this is KEY to the soup’s flavor!
How to Make Chuy’s Tortilla Soup Copycat
This recipe is really simple to make — it’s basically a classic tortilla soup recipe with a little extra flair.
First, you’re just going to dice your veggies (I like dicing them pretty small, but you can do whatever size you prefer.) If your skin is sensitive, it’s a good idea to wear gloves while dicing the jalapeños.
Add some butter or ghee to a large soup pot and sautè the veggies until translucent. Add garlic & seasonings and sautè for another minute or so. Then pour in the chicken broth. Add the corn, beans, and canned tomatoes/chiles and simmer until everything is soft.
At the end, add your cooked chicken & lime juice. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
The toppings are where this soup recipe really shines! Ladle soup into bowls and top with all your favorites: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, green onions & tortilla chips/strips!
Recipe Notes
- This soup is best made on the stovetop, as sautèing the veggies is an important step. Alternatively, you could make this in an instant pot with the sautè setting.
- I used meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken to simplify a step. You could also grill chicken breasts and shred, or use any type of pre-cooked chicken.
- Adjust the amount of jalapeños (or omit the seeds) if you don’t like a lot of spice.
- Use fresh cilantro if at all possible. You can substitute dried, but this changes the flavor profile, so fresh is best.
- Adding a can of black beans is also a great addition. Not included in the original Chuy’s recipe, but I really like it. I’ve made this with and without, and it’s delicious either way.
- My homemade bouillon cubes added an amazing flavor to this soup – but they’re optional.
- This soup can be made paleo very easily by swapping butter for oil/ghee and omitting the corn, tortilla strips, and cheese.
Tortilla Chicken Soup {Chuy's Copycat}
This Chuy's copycat tortilla chicken soup is the perfect meal for any chilly day. Filled with veggies, garlic, and plenty of spice, this soup tastes almost just like the Chuy's version - but healthier!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 jalepeños, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cubes homemade chicken bouillon*, optional
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles, 14.5 oz
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 lime, juiced
Garnish with:
- avocado, diced
- cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup green onions, diced
- cilantro, chopped
- tortilla strips
Instructions
- Melt butter in a stock pot on medium heat and saute onions, carrots, celery, jalapeños until onions are translucent. Add garlic during the last minute of sautè time.
- Add chicken broth, corn, canned tomatoes & chiles, cumin, salt, and pepper to the pot. Boil gently until all veggies are soft, about 15-20 minutes.
- After veggies are cooked, add cooked chicken & lime juice. Add more salt to taste if needed.
- Before serving, garnish with avocado, cheese, green onions, cilantro, and tortilla strips.
Notes
*Sometimes I add a can of black beans, which is also delicious.
*You can get the recipe for homemade chicken bouillon cubes here!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 214Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 1744mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 13g
More family favorite soup recipes to try:
- Italian Meatball Soup
- Creamy Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Leek & Potato Soup
- Spicy Potato Bacon Soup
Will you make this soup? If so, leave a review and tell me how it turned out in the comments!
Hi Mary, Best Soup Ever! After I read this blog, I couldn’t wait to get to the store and buy the ingredients. I made the soup yesterday, and let me say you did not over-promise on your soup recipe! We love it!!! Since we are older and trying to reduce our sodium, I did not use any bouillon cubes and even reduced the salt some in the recipe. It still had plenty for us. Every single item in this soup gives it incredible flavor and zip. I had some leftover black beans from the day before, which I added. Great option if you want to try it. Also, I have an amazingly flavorful, very simple, chicken recipe that I make when we are in the mood for chicken burritos. Knowing I wanted to make the soup, I made the chicken earlier in the week, and we had burritos. Then I saved the rest to make the soup yesterday. It really added to the soup’s flavor. Let me know if you want the chicken recipe. One question I have: Can you buy tortilla strips in the grocery store? I have only had them in restaurants. We crunched up tortilla chips, which worked, but the strips would be prettier and neater. Thanks, Mary!
That is awesome Aunt Darla, I am so happy y’all enjoyed it! That chicken sounds really good, I’d like to hear how you made it. I also love the idea of adding black beans! I’m honestly not sure about the tortilla strips, but you could cut corn tortillas with a pizza cutter and that might work. Thanks so much for your sweet comments!
I can usually find tortilla strips by the salad fixings or toppings.
Mary how does this soup freeze? I was thinking of making a double batch!
It will freeze great! I would just avoid adding the avocado and cilantro until just before serving.
I’m so happy to have found this reciple!! Chuy’s soup is my absolutely favorite- searched for a similar recipe and it did NOT disappoint. This was soooooo easy to make and it was just as yummy as Chuy’s, maybe even better. Thank you so much for an amazing recipe- I have already forwarded it to my mom and dad who also love Chuy’s soup!
Yay, I am so happy you are enjoying it! Thanks so much for the positive review! God bless
Scout’s mom here…she did share the recipe and I made it tonight. FANTASTIC! Just as good if not better than chuy’s! Thank you Mary! This will be a staple in our home!
I am so happy to hear this!! Thanks so much for the kind comments. Enjoy!
I haven’t tried your version yet, but did you see that they actually gave the recipe on a news cooking show? It might be fun one night to make them both and compare.
https://wtvr.com/2014/03/14/chuys-hot-hearty-chicken-tortilla-soup/
Wow, that is really interesting! I wonder what the ingredient for “chicken base” actually is? Thanks for reading.
This soup was so easy and amazing! I just used canned chicken. Major time saver. I will make this again and the kids loved adding the toppings on to “make” their own soup! Thanks again!
I’m so glad y’all enjoyed it!
My son recently had the tortilla soup at Chuy’s. It looked so good and I wanted to try it, so I searched online and found yours. My son said this recipe was better than Chuy’s, and I believe he said it tasted healthier. He did not know that was one of your goals! We, along with my in-laws enjoyed it very much! I did tweak it a little…no jalepenos, but extra can of chili peppers and no bouillon cubes (you kind of scared me on that on 🙂 But still very flavorful!! Thank you!
Very glad you enjoyed it! (I have a homemade bouillon cube recipe on the blog, because I don’t like the store bought ones either.) Nourishing Homemade Bouillon Cubes (from Stock Leftovers)
Thanks for the comment!
Just made this with some left over rotisserie chicken and it was so good.
It really does taste like Chuy’s. Thanks so much!!
So glad! Enjoy!