Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup
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This slow cooker chicken fajita soup makes for a comforting and healthy meal that’s packed with flavor and a hint of spice. It can be made in your slow cooker or Instant Pot!
Do you know what makes me incredibly happy? Getting done with work for the day only to realize that dinner has finished cooking and is ready to serve. That’s why I LOVE slow cooker meals!
Overall, this recipe is pretty straight-forward. It’s basically all the ingredients you typically use for fajitas, just a bit more liquid to make it into a soup. After slow cooking for several hours the chicken gets tender, the peppers soften and the broth develops a robust, spicy flavor.
We ended up eating this soup for dinner two nights in row and like most soups it was even better the second night. Isaac mentioned how good it was several times so I have a feeling I’ll be making it again soon!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Packed with flavor – The classic fajita spices, fresh salsa, and lime juice make this soup bold, zesty, and downright delicious.
- Customizable – You can adjust the spice level, switch up the toppings, or add your favorite grains for a soup that’s totally your own.
- Healthy and satisfying – Loaded with veggies, lean protein, and warming spices, this soup is a wholesome meal that leaves you feeling full and happy.
- Great for meal prep – The leftovers taste amazing and reheat beautifully, making it perfect for lunches or quick dinners all week long.
Healthy Fajita Soup Ingredients
- vegetables – yellow, green and orange bell peppers, yellow onion, jalapeño pepper and garlic.
- salsa – if you don’t have salsa on hand, you can make your own or just add 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, 2 additional cloves of garlic to the soup.
- chicken – I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs to add a bit of fat and flavor. If you prefer white meat, feel free to use chicken breasts. You may just want to add an extra teaspoon of olive oil.
- chicken broth – I recommend low-sodium broth so you can control the salt level. Vegetable broth works too!
- seasonings and spices – chili powder, cumin, paprika, sea salt and ground pepper
- toppings of choice – chopped avocado, jalapeño slices, cilantro, more lime juice, tortilla chips or crackers
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Fajita Soup Variations
- Less spice – If you’re not a fan of spice (or serving kiddos) simply leave the jalapeño pepper out. The soup has plenty of other spices to make it flavorful.
- Vegan – Make this soup vegan by using vegetable broth and 1-2 cans of rinsed and drained chickpeas in place of the chicken.
- Add grains – Make this soup heartier by adding in cauliflower rice or cooked brown/white rice. You can stir frozen or fresh cauliflower rice or cooked white/brown rice directly to the soup once it’s done cooking and warming in the slow cooker. Stir and let warm until soup is warm throughout.
How to Make This Soup in the Instant Pot
This soup originated as a slow cooker recipe, but we recently got an Instant Pot (air fryer combo!!) and we’re obsessed! Here’s how to make this soup in the Instant Pot:
Sauté onion and garlic – Start by adding olive oil to the Instant Pot and put it on sauté setting. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Pressure cook – Add the remaining ingredients (besides the rice and toppings) to the Instant Pot. Place the lid on the pressure cooker, lock lid and make sure the pressure release valve is closed. Press cancel to stop sautéing and then press the soup/stew button and set the time to 30 minutes.
Quick release – Once the timer reaches 0, the cooker will switch to “keep warm”. Carefully switch the pressure release valve to open to quick release the pressure. Be super careful during this! I recommend using a towel over the valve or use tongs so you don’t burn yourself with the steam.
Shred chicken – Once the steam is released, remove the lid and use a fork to shred the chicken.
Add rice and serve – If you’re adding rice to the soup, add it to the Instant Pot while it’s still set to warm. Once warmed through, portion the soup into bowls, top with toppings of choice and enjoy!
What to Serve with Fajita Soup
This chicken fajita soup is flavorful and filling on its own, but pairing it with the right sides and toppings makes it even better. Here’s what I’d recommend:
- Tortilla chips or crackers: Serve with crunchy tortilla chips for dipping or crumbling on top. My almond flour crackers would also work as a grain-free option.
- Homemade guacamole or salsa: Pair with my healthy guacamole or a fresh batch of pico de gallo for dipping chips or adding to the soup.
- Rice: Serve with a scoop of cilantro rice or mix in some cauliflower rice for a lighter option. https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/cauliflower-rice/
- Side salad: Balance the bold flavors of the soup with a light, refreshing spinach salad or this Mexican street corn kale salad would be an excellent pairing.
- Roasted veggies: Add a side of air fryer zucchini or roasted bell peppers for extra veggies to complement the soup.
Finish your bowl with plenty of avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice, and you’ve got a meal that’s bursting with flavor and texture! Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to tweak!
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerator: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: For longer storage, place the cooled soup in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Warm the soup on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally. If it’s thickened too much, add a splash of water or broth. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Chicken breasts work just as well and are a great leaner option. Just be careful not to overcook them, as they can dry out more easily than thighs.
Yes! Swap the chicken for black beans or chickpeas and use vegetable broth. You’ll still have a hearty and flavorful soup.
You can shred the cooked chicken easily with two forks, or for an even quicker method, use a hand mixer to shred it in seconds.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Taco Soup
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
- Detox Soup
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Healthy Brunswick Stew with Shredded Chicken
- Grilled Curry Chicken
- Healthy White Bean Chicken Chili
Be sure to check out all of my soup recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Chicken Fajita Soup
Ingredients
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ½ jalapeño pepper, sliced
- 1 cup fresh salsa*
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lime
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, chicken breasts work too
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- cauliflower rice or cooked white/brown rice, optional
- toppings of choice: chopped avocado, jalapeño slices, cilantro, more lime juice, tortilla chips or crackers
Instructions
Slow Cooker:
- Put all ingredients (besides rice and toppings) into a slow cooker.
- Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. The chicken should be cooked through and will just fall apart. Once this happens turn the slow cooker to warm and enjoy whenever you’re ready. If adding rice, add it to the slow cooker while set to warm.
- To serve, top each bowl with avocado, jalapeño slices, cilantro and serve with tortilla chips and a slice of lime.
Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker:
- Add olive oil to Instant Pot and put on sauté setting. Add onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add remaining ingredients (besides rice and toppings). Place the lid on the pressure cooker, lock lid and make sure the pressure release valve is closed.
- Press cancel on the pressure cooker and then press the soup/stew button and set time to 30 minutes.
- Once the timer reaches 0, the cooker will switch to keep warm. Carefully switch the pressure release valve to open to manually release the pressure. (I use tongs for this). Once the steam is released, remove the lid and use a fork to shredded chicken. The chicken should be cooked through and will just fall apart.
- If adding rice, add it to the Instant Pot while set to warm. Once warm throughout, portion soup into bowls.
- To serve, top each bowl with avocado, jalapeño slices, cilantro and serve with tortilla chips and a slice of lime.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have salsa on hand, you can make your own or just add 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, 2 additional cloves of garlic to the soup.
- To add more bulk to the soup, I like adding cauliflower rice or cooked brown/white rice. You can stir frozen or fresh cauliflower rice or cooked white/brown rice directly to the soup once it’s done cooking and warming in the slow cooker. Stir and let warm until soup is warm throughout.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
Brittany, do I cut up the chicken thighs before I put them in my crock pot? I adore all of your recipes. So does my family. Can’t thank you enough for helping me cook in a healthy way. Bless YOU!
Hi Kathy – You can leave the chicken thighs whole and just shred them right in the slow cooker once they’re done cooking. That’s what I usually do and it makes things super easy. I’m so happy to hear you and your family are enjoying the recipes. Thank you so much for the kind words, it truly means a lot.
Very nice recipe, if a little time consuming to put together. But, the flavor was delicious. We served with crushed tortilla chips. Great comfort food!
Amazing! I am so glad you enjoying this cozy soup and it turned out great for you, Heather. Thanks for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
I just made this recipe on the stove top. I didn’t change a thing, which is unusual for me. Delicious!
YUM! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and that it turned out great. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!
We could eat this soup every week. I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change anything. It made enough for a couple of days of meals. Dolloped sour cream and sprinkled some cheddar cheese on top.
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, Laurie! Thanks so much for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it.
Loved the soup, will certainly make it again. All the ingredients blended beautifully. Thankyou😊
I’m so glad this recipe turned out for you, Pat! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. It means the world to me.
This soup is so yummy and easy to make! We made it in the Instant Pot. It had some kick and was perfect on this cold night we’re having in New England. Topped it with green onions, cilantro, cheese, tortilla chips and jalapeños. Thanks, Brittany!
Woo!! Happy to hear this fajita soup was a success, Lauren. Thanks so much for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. It means so much to me!
Just made this and it was delicious! I made it on the stovetop instead of a slow cooker or pressure cooker. I also added some kidney beans! Great recipe!
This soup is sooo good. It’s one of my husband’s favorites. I make it in the Instant Pot so dinner is on the table in less than an hour! Such a good soup when the weather is cold. Yum.
I’m currently making this and I have a ninja foodie instead if an insta pot. It doesn’t have the soup function so I’m trying to figure out how to make it. Any thoughts?
hmmm!! I’m not familiar with the Ninja Foodie, but I’m thinking you could pressure cook on high for the same amount of time. Let me know how it turns out!
Ate it with chips and guac – loooooved it!
So glad you loved this soup, Abbey! Thanks for the review, I appreciate it.
Just made this soup for lunch today! It is SO good and SO easy! I used a rotisserie chicken from Target because I was lazy. But I highly recommend this soup, it is super tasty! (especially with the avocados on top!)
So glad you loved this soup, Whitney. Nothing wrong with rotisserie chicken!! Thanks for the review. I appreciate it!
This was so awesome! Did it in the crockpot and everyone in the family loved it, including 2 picky eaters!!
So glad this soup was a hit with your family, Evelyn! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
Delicious! I made double the amount of spice mix and used half to rub down the chicken thighs the night before. The broth is light yet also rich and warm with spice. My toddlers loved adding all the toppings – but it’s so good that I ate the leftovers without any toppings for lunch. Adding it to the rotation!
So glad this soup was a hit, Steph!! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
This is delicious! I made it in my Instant Pot and it was so tasty. Used chicken breast and a can of black beans. Will definitely make it again!
Woo!! So glad you loved this soup. Thanks for the review, Kara. I appreciate it!
Tasted great and so easy! I used frozen fajita vegetables which made it super easy.
I’m glad you enjoyed this soup, Kacie. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
This looks incredible! I’m always looking for something quick and easy to throw together that’s also healthy! And if it can go in the slow cooker – mega bonus!
This soup was perfect for a cool day and the easiest Monday meal prep! It was so incredibly flavorful and delicious!! I served it deconstructed to my little ones and they devoured the chicken because it was so juicy. A great, comforting meal!
So glad you loved this soup, Jen! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Easy and amazing. Family loved it. Will be cooking it again and soon. We put it over cauliflower linguini. Yummy
Woo!! So glad this soup was a hit. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review, Ragin. I so appreciate it. 🙂
If I use the instant pot do I change any of the ingredient quantities? I’m mostly curious if I should reduce the chicken stock because when you pressure cook it makes so much juice already. I’ve never used the soup setting but I’m assuming it’s the same principle. Why not just use the slow cooker feature on the instant Pot?
This was absolutely amazing! Definitely going to become a staple when people are coming over as it is so easy to make and super tasty! Loved this so so much.
Woo!! So glad you enjoyed this soup, Vanessa. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. 🙂
I love how easy this is!
I skipped the chili powder and jalapeno (because we are a family of South TX sissies when it comes to spicey foods), and while the rest of the fam topped it off with flax seed tortillas chips and cheese, I settled for creamy avocado and a pinch of Himalayan pink salt.
I have to say that I liked it the first day, but I LOVED it the second! Definitely will be making this again.
Soup leftovers are the best!! I’m so glad this soup was a hit, Stacy! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. The reviews are SO helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it.
My whole family loved this! I’ve made it twice and we ate every last bite of it. That’s saying a lot because I have kids who won’t eat a lot of vegetables. This was a wonderful option.
That’s definitely a win when the kids love it!! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit with the fam, Brittany. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Incredible flavor! This is my go to meal when I need something quick. A big factor to recipes for me is cost, and this is definitely a budget friendly meal. Leftovers heat up perfectly as well! Thanks Brittany!
I have made this recipe several times, delicious! I liked it better with jarred salsa rather than fresh, but it could just be the salsas I picked each time. I do take out the chicken and shred and put it back in. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Emily. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I so appreciate it!
I never comment, but I found this recipe, and as a result, your website, by searching for high protein soup recipes. I recently had surgery and have been having trouble keeping anything down so have been forced to eat what is a basically liquid diet and man, have I been jonesing for something tasty. I can’t eat very much, so I only made half of the recipe, and then I had to purée it (I realize that sounds gross, but it’s my life right now!), and it’s delicious. So happy to have something I can eat that is tasty and easy to make. I look forward to making it without puréeing in the future! Thank you so much.
I’m so glad you found and enjoyed this recipe, Naseem!! I really appreciate you coming back to leave a comment and star rating, it means the world to me! <3
I love your site and the recipes and am so happy to have found you!
Bird food is delicious, except quinoa, lol.
Haha! I’m glad you found me too. Hope you enjoy my recipes. 🙂
This soup is amazing! I’ve made this serval times to the T ( Execpt I use jar salsa) and I’m in love and now share your recipes with others. I put a sprinkle of shredded cheese on top to melt into the soup with fresh avocada, cilantro and a small squeeze of sour cream sometimes extra dash of lemon. Which means it isn’t dairy free anymore… but the flavor is so worth it! I love to make a double batch and jar it up as a lunch Togo during the week!
Thank you for sharing a favorite! <3
Can you use frozen chicken or does it need to be thawed?
Hi Becca. I haven’t tried it with frozen, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work!
Can you make this soup without using a crockpot or slow cooker?
Hi Shelby! I haven’t tried this on the stove-top but I’m sure it will work. Add ingredients to a stock pot, let mixture boil and then simmer on medium/low until chicken is cooked and easily shreds. It shouldn’t take longer than 30-40 minutes. For extra flavor, you can sauté the pepper, onions and garlic in a little olive oil first, add the spices and then the broth, salsa and chicken. I hope this helps! Let me know if you try it. 🙂
I made this today. Omg, this was so GOOD! I will definitely be making this again. Thank-you for sharing.
About how much is one bowl? 1 cup? 2 cups?
Made this. Loved this. Posting tomorrow on my blog 🙂 Thanks!!
Woot woot! 🙂
This was such an easy recipe and so very tasty! Will be making this again!
I’m really excited to try this, but I LOVE mushrooms and want to add them in. How much should I add and would I have to adjust the other ingredients, especially the liquid ones? If so, by how much? Thank you!!
Hi Erin. I apologize for the delayed response, but I think mushrooms would be a great addition. Adding about 1 cup of mushrooms should be fine and shouldn’t alter the recipe too much. Let me know how it turns out.
I made this last night… it was so easy and delicious! Even my (sometimes picky) teens LOVED it! I really threw everything in the Crockpot around 2pm, turned it on high and it was finished by 5:30pm… just perfect. The avocado mellowed the spiciness of the salsa I used. Thanks for posting!
I’m totally making this for dinner this week!
This looks delicious! How perfect for fall!
Yummy! Sounds perfect to enjoy throughout this season.
I’d love a post of the slow cooker veggie soup. You can never have too many of those! Thanks Brittany!
Your wish is my command. I already have a vegetarian slow cooker recipe ready to post in the next couple weeks! We actually ate it for dinner tonight. 😛
Love the slow cooker! Have dinner cooking in there right now 🙂
Me too! Doing a veggie soup this time.
This looks amazing- love your blog!
Question- can you use jarred salsa or is the fresh salsa best for this recipe? Just wondering as I have all of these ingredients but just not fresh salsa on hand!
Thanks!
Thanks Olivia. I bet jarred salsa would work fine! I just put fresh salsa because that’s what I used. Let me know how it turns outs!! 🙂
I am all about my slow cooker lately. Right now I have some apples in there with red wine and spices. I went apple picking yesterday and need to figure out what to do with some of the apples!
Oh, that sounds amazing. I’m going apple picking next week!! 🙂
Haha, the slow cooker smell when you’re home all day is partly why I find it hard to get into slow cooker recipes! It’s like torture for 6-8 hours every time!
Even more reason to bust out my crock pot!!
This looks delicious! I’m a big fan of slow cooker meals, too!
I lovelovelove anything Mexican, so this soup is definitely calling me name! I can practically smell my house it cooks – great recipe girl! Pinned!