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Top-down view of McAlister's chicken tortilla soup copycat in a bread bowl surrounded by tortilla chips.

McAlister’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

mylifeinbalancegroup.com/mcalisters-chicken-tortilla-soup/
A perfect copycat for McAlister's famous chicken tortilla soup - creamy, a little spicy, and perfect with a giant sweet tea.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Total 1 hour
Recipe Makes (Approximate): 6 servings

Equipment

  • medium stockpot
  • Large wooden spoon
  • small mixing bowl
  • whisk

Ingredients

For the Chicken Soup

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup minced yellow onion (approximately half of 1 medium yellow onion)
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (approximately 2 large cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes (undrained)
  • 3 ½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese blend (at room temperature)
  • 1 10.5-ounce can cream of chicken condensed soup
  • 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles (undrained)
  • ½ tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

For the Cornstarch Slurry

To Serve

  • chopped green onions
  • white corn tortilla chips

Instructions

  • Heat medium stockpot over medium heat. When stockpot is hot, add 2 tablespoons butter to pot. Heat butter, swirling pot occasionally to distribute butter evenly around bottom of pot, until butter is melted.
  • Add ½ cup minced yellow onion and 2 teaspoons minced garlic to pot with melted butter. Sauté until onion and garlic have softened, approximately 5 minutes.
  • Once onion and garlic are soft, add 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes, and 3 ½ cups chicken broth to stockpot. Stir to incorporate ingredients. Let mixture simmer while preparing cornstarch slurry.
  • Add ½ cup chicken broth and ¼ cup cornstarch to small mixing bowl. Whisk until fully incorporated, then pour slurry mixture into stockpot. Stir to incorporate.
  • Increase heat under stockpot to medium-high. Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until broth is slightly thickened.
  • Move stockpot to cool stovetop burner. Let mixture cool slightly, then add 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese blend. Stir until heavy cream is incorporated and shredded cheese has melted.
  • Once cheese has melted, return stockpot to heat. Add 1 10.5-ounce can cream of chicken condensed soup, 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken, 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, ½ tablespoon chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir until ingredients are fully incorporated, then let mixture simmer 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with chopped green onions and serve warm with white corn tortilla chips if desired.

Recipe Notes

  • Cold dairy products can clump, seize, or curdle when added to hot liquid, so make sure they’re at or close to room temperature before you begin. They can also have those reactions if they’re heated too quickly, so be sure to remove the skillet from the hot stove burner before adding in the cream and cheese.

Nutrition Information (Approximate)

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 375calProtein: 15gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1488mgPotassium: 201mgTotal Carbs: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gNet Carbs: 15gVitamin A: 1114IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 187mgIron: 3mg
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
https://mylifeinbalancegroup.com/mcalisters-chicken-tortilla-soup/