Perfect Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe: Traditional vs. Fancy

Chicken tortilla soup can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be.

A traditional-style bowl can be packed with tender chicken thighs, crispy homemade tortilla strips, bacon, corn, tomatoes, dried guajillo and ancho chilies, avocado, cilantro, and melted cheese. But what happens when you take those same flavors and turn them into a fine-dining dish? That’s where the fancy version comes in.

This recipe demonstrates both approaches: a deeply flavorful traditional chicken tortilla soup and an elevated version built around a crispy tostada, chicken tortilla soup espuma, roasted chicken skin, and crispy guajillo chile.

The traditional soup is hearty, spicy, smoky, cheesy, and full of texture. The fancy version takes those familiar flavors and changes the presentation and texture into something much more refined.

What Makes This Chicken Tortilla Soup Different?

The biggest difference between this recipe and a basic chicken tortilla soup is the way the flavors are developed. Instead of simply combining chicken stock, tomatoes, onions, and taco seasoning, this method builds flavor in several stages. The chicken thighs are first seared until browned. Bacon is then cooked in the same pot, creating flavorful browned bits called fond on the bottom. Onions, Serrano chilies, and garlic are cooked in that flavorful base before cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon, guajillo chilies, and ancho chile are added. The dried chilies are later blended with some of the broth and returned to the soup, giving the broth a deeper reddish-orange color and concentrated chile flavor.

The result is much more complex than simply adding seasoning to chicken broth.

Ingredients for Traditional Chicken Tortilla Soup

Homemade Tortilla Chips

• 20 corn tortillas
• About 1½ quarts vegetable oil for frying
• Salt, to taste

The video recommends frying the tortillas yourself instead of relying on packaged tortilla chips. Freshly fried strips provide a stronger corn flavor and a crispier texture.

For the Soup

• 4 ounces bacon
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Serrano chilies
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 dried guajillo chilies, seeded
• 1 dried ancho chile, seeded
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 ears of corn
• ½ of a 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

For Serving

• 2 avocados, diced
• 3 limes
• Oaxaca cheese
• Shredded cheddar
• Extra tortilla chips
• Fresh cilantro
• Optional extra corn kernels

How to Make Traditional Chicken Tortilla Soup

Step 1: Make the Homemade Tortilla Chips

Start by preparing the tortilla strips. Cut approximately 20 corn tortillas into strips about ½ inch wide. Heat about 1½ quarts of vegetable oil to 350°F (175°C).

Work in batches and carefully fry the tortilla strips until they become golden brown and stop bubbling. Transfer the finished chips to a wire rack to drain. Season generously with salt while they’re still hot.

Why Make Your Own Tortilla Chips?

Packaged tortilla chips are convenient, but freshly fried tortillas give the soup an important texture and stronger corn flavor. They can also be fried slightly longer to develop a deeper golden color and crunch.

Important: Hot oil can cause serious burns. Fry in small batches and use appropriate heat-safe equipment.

Step 2: Sear the Chicken

Place a medium-sized pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

Season the 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs with salt. Sear the chicken in batches for approximately 2–3 minutes per side, until beautifully browned. Don’t worry if the chicken isn’t completely cooked at this stage. It will finish cooking later in the soup. Remove the chicken and set it aside.

Step 3: Cook the Bacon

Reduce the heat to medium. Add 4 ounces of bacon, cut into approximately ½-inch pieces. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until it becomes crispy.

As the bacon cooks, flavorful browned bits will develop on the bottom of the pot. These browned bits are called fond, and they are an important source of flavor for the soup. Don’t discard them.

Step 4: Add the Onion, Serrano and Garlic

Add:

• 1 finely diced medium sweet onion
• 2 sliced Serrano chilies
• 5 finely chopped garlic cloves

Season lightly with salt. Stir everything together and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. The vegetables will pick up the flavors left behind by the chicken and bacon.

Step 5: Toast the Spices

Now add:

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Stir and cook for approximately 30 seconds. This short cooking period helps the spices become fragrant and allows their flavors to bloom in the oil. Be careful not to burn them.

Step 6: Add the Dried Chilies and Corn Cobs

Add:

• 2 seeded dried guajillo chilies
• 1 seeded dried ancho chile
• Corn cobs from 2 ears of corn

The corn kernels will be removed and added later. The recipe uses the corn cobs directly in the broth to contribute additional flavor.

Step 7: Add the Chicken Stock

Pour in approximately 4 cups of chicken stock. As you add the stock, use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot. This loosens the flavorful fond created while searing the chicken and cooking the bacon. Return the chicken thighs to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. As soon as it begins boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low.

Step 8: Simmer the Chicken Soup

Allow the soup to simmer for approximately 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. During this time, the dried chilies will soften and the flavors from the chicken, bacon, aromatics, spices, and stock will combine. The soup should become deeply savory and aromatic.

Step 9: Blend the Dried Chilies

This is one of the most important techniques in the recipe. Once the dried chilies have softened, carefully remove them from the broth. Place them in a blender.

Add approximately 1½ cups of the hot broth. Blend the chilies until the mixture becomes extremely smooth and develops a bright orange-red color. Pour the blended chile mixture back into the soup.

Why Is This Step Important?

Blending the softened chilies with broth does more than add heat. It brings concentrated chile flavor into the soup and gives the broth a beautiful deep reddish-orange color. The technique is specifically highlighted in the original tutorial as an important step that shouldn’t be skipped.

Step 10: Add the Crushed Tomatoes

Add ½ of a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes to the broth. Stir well. Allow the soup to simmer and reduce while you prepare the chicken. The tomato adds acidity, body, and another layer of flavor to the chile-based broth.

Step 11: Shred the Chicken

Remove the cooked chicken thighs from the pot. Use two forks to shred the chicken into small pieces. The smaller pieces are ideal because they distribute throughout the soup and fit easily into each spoonful.

Step 12: Reduce the Soup

Continue simmering the broth for approximately 5 additional minutes. This allows some of the liquid to evaporate and concentrates the flavor. Once the reduction is complete, turn off the heat.

Step 13: Add the Chicken and Corn

Return the shredded chicken to the pot.

Add the corn kernels removed from the two ears of corn.

You can reserve some fresh kernels for garnish if you like.

Stir until everything is hot.

Important: Don’t Boil the Chicken Again

Once the chicken has been shredded and returned to the soup, don’t bring the soup back to a hard boil. The tutorial specifically warns that boiling the chicken again can make it rubbery. Keep the heat gentle and simply allow everything to warm through.

Step 14: Finish With Cilantro and Salt

Taste the soup. Add additional salt if necessary. Then stir in approximately 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped cilantro. The cilantro adds a fresh note that balances the rich, spicy broth.

Step 15: Build the Traditional Bowl

Now it’s time to assemble the soup. Add a generous amount of crispy tortilla chips to the bottom of a bowl.

Top with:

• Shredded bacon
• Oaxaca cheese
• Shredded cheddar

If you have a kitchen torch, you can gently melt the cheese. Otherwise, the heat from the soup will naturally soften and melt it. Ladle the hot soup into the bowl.

Finish with more tortilla chips, diced avocado, optional fresh corn kernels, and fresh cilantro leaves.

What Does Traditional Chicken Tortilla Soup Taste Like?

This version is designed to have layers of flavor and texture.

You’ll get:

• Smoky bacon
• Savory chicken
• Earthy cumin
• Warm coriander
• Smoked paprika
• Cinnamon
• Fruity chile flavor
• Sweet corn
• Tomato acidity
• Creamy avocado
• Melty cheese
• Fresh cilantro
• Crispy tortilla chips

The homemade tortilla chips also change texture as they sit in the soup.

Some remain crunchy while others soften slightly and become almost noodle-like, creating another layer of texture.

How to Make the Fancy Chicken Tortilla Soup

The fancy version takes the flavors of the traditional soup and turns them into an elevated dish.

Instead of serving the soup in a bowl with tortilla strips, the recipe creates a chicken tortilla soup espuma tostada. The result combines a crisp tostada base, creamy chicken tortilla soup espuma, crispy chicken skin, fried guajillo chile, and fresh herbs.

Ingredients for the Fancy Version

• 3–4 fried corn tortillas
• 3–4 chicken skins
• 100 ml cream
• 150 ml chicken tortilla soup
• 35 g tomato paste
• Salt, to taste
• 1 guajillo chile
• Fresh herbs for garnish

The fancy preparation uses some of the finished chicken tortilla soup as the base of the espuma rather than preparing an entirely separate soup.

Step 1: Make the Tostada Base

Instead of cutting the tortillas into strips, fry a whole corn tortilla.

Heat the oil to approximately 350°F (175°C).

Fry the tortilla until it becomes crisp and golden.

Remove it and drain it on a wire rack.

Season with salt.

This becomes the crunchy base for the fancy presentation.

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Step 2: Make the Chicken Tortilla Soup Espuma

For the espuma, combine:

• 35 grams tomato paste
• 150 ml chicken tortilla soup
• 100 ml cream

Place the ingredients in a blender.

Blend until completely smooth.

If the mixture is too thick, add a little more soup to loosen it.

Transfer the hot mixture into an iSi-style whipped cream canister.

Close the canister and aerate it with one charge.

Give it a gentle shake.

You now have the chicken tortilla soup espuma.

What Is Espuma?

Espuma is essentially a light, aerated foam.

Here, it transforms the familiar soup into a lighter and more refined texture while retaining its chicken tortilla soup flavor.

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Step 3: Make Crispy Chicken Skin

Take several chicken skins and roast them at approximately 350°F using convection heat until golden and crisp.

Transfer them to paper towels.

Season generously with kosher salt.

Allow them to cool.

The result is a crispy chicken-skin garnish with an intense chicken flavor.

It acts almost like a chicken-flavored chip.

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Step 4: Make Crispy Guajillo Chile

Take one guajillo chile and cut it into very thin strips.

Using the same hot oil used for frying, quickly fry the chile strips.

They only need approximately 15 seconds.

Immediately remove them and drain on a paper towel.

Season with salt.

Because the strips are so thin, they cook extremely quickly, so watch them carefully.

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Step 5: Assemble the Fancy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Now comes the fine-dining presentation.

Start with a clean stoneware plate.

Place the fried whole corn tortilla tostada in the center.

Add the chicken tortilla soup espuma on top.

Arrange the crispy roasted chicken skin around the espuma.

Add the crispy fried guajillo strips.

Finish with fresh herbs.

The result is a completely different presentation of the same familiar soup flavors.

Traditional vs. Fancy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Feature	Traditional Version	Fancy Version
Base	Chicken tortilla soup	Chicken tortilla soup espuma
Tortilla	Fried tortilla strips	Whole fried tostada
Chicken	Shredded chicken thighs	Crispy chicken skin
Chile	Guajillo and ancho in broth	Crispy guajillo garnish
Tomato	Crushed tomatoes	Tomato paste + soup
Cream	Not required	100 ml
Cheese	Oaxaca + cheddar	Not the main focus
Avocado	Yes	Not highlighted
Corn	Mixed into soup	Not the primary garnish
Presentation	Hearty bowl	Fine-dining plate
Texture	Crunchy, chewy, creamy	Crisp, airy, creamy, crunchy

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What Is the Difference Between Traditional and Fancy Tortilla Soup?

• The traditional version focuses on making a deeply flavorful soup and loading it with contrasting toppings.
• The fancy version takes those same flavor ideas and changes the textures and presentation.
• Traditional chicken tortilla soup gives you:
• Broth + chicken + corn + chile + tomato + cheese + avocado + crispy tortilla
• The fancy version transforms those components into:
• Tostada + soup espuma + chicken skin + crispy guajillo + herbs
• The flavors remain recognizable, but the eating experience becomes completely different.

Best Toppings for Traditional Chicken Tortilla Soup

The recipe’s traditional bowl is especially good with:

• Crispy Tortilla Chips – The essential crunchy element.
• Oaxaca Cheese – Provides a soft, melty texture.
• Cheddar – Adds a stronger cheesy flavor.
• Avocado – Adds creamy richness.
• Fresh Corn – Provides sweetness and extra texture.
• Cilantro – Adds freshness.
• Bacon – Adds salty, smoky richness.
• Lime – A natural finishing option that brightens the rich flavors.

Tips for Making the Best Chicken Tortilla Soup

1. Don’t Skip Searing the Chicken: The browned chicken creates flavorful fond that becomes part of the broth.

2. Make Fresh Tortilla Chips: Freshly fried tortilla strips provide a better crunch and stronger corn flavor.

3. Toast the Spices Briefly: Thirty seconds is enough to make them fragrant without burning them.

4. Blend the Dried Chilies: This is one of the defining techniques of the recipe. Blending them with broth creates a smoother, richer, more intensely flavored base.

5. Don’t Boil the Chicken After Shredding: Once the chicken is returned to the soup, warm it gently rather than boiling aggressively.

6. Taste Before Serving: Adjust the salt after the soup has reduced.

7. Keep Crispy Elements Separate: Add tortilla chips and other crunchy garnishes just before serving so they don’t become completely soggy.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe at a Glance

Stage	Main Action
1	Fry corn tortilla strips
2	Sear chicken thighs
3	Crisp bacon
4	Sauté onion, Serrano and garlic
5	Toast spices
6	Add dried chilies and corn cobs
7	Add chicken stock
8	Simmer chicken
9	Blend softened chilies with broth
10	Add crushed tomatoes
11	Shred chicken
12	Reduce broth
13	Add chicken and corn
14	Finish with cilantro and seasoning
15	Garnish and serve

Frequently Asked Questions