Chicken Tomatillo Soup (Video)

Chicken Tomatillo Soup is an easy Instant Pot chicken soup with south-of-the-border flavors and it’s delicious with chunks of avocado! And if you’ve never cooked with tomatillos or had tomatillo soup, you’ll probably love the slightly tangy flavor they add to this low-carb soup!

Pin Chicken Tomatillo Soup to try it later!

This Chicken Tomatillo Soup was inspired by a very old recipe for chicken soup with tomatillos that’s been retired from the blog! The original version had pinto beans, which I probably wouldn’t use in soup now, but recently I remembered that old soup recipe and decided to try creating an Instant Pot version with cauliflower rice instead of beans.

And WOW! Was it ever a winner with Kara and I when we tested the recipe. If you’re a pinto bean fan you can see the old printer friendly recipe for Chicken and Tomatillo Soup here, but if you’re watching carbs I think you’ll love the switch out for cauliflower rice for this recipe, and of course soup is easy to make in the Instant Pot. We spiced up the soup a bit for the new version, and also served it with chunks of avocado on top, which was absolutely great with the flavors in this soup.

And tomatillos are very low in carbs, which is another reason to love the tart flavor they add to this soup. Read on for more info if you haven’t cooked with tomatillos!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• Ro-Tel Tomatoes (affiliate link), or similar tomatoes with green chiles
• tomatillos
• onion
• canned chicken broth (affiliate link) or chicken stock (I used my homemade chicken stock)
• canned diced green chiles (affiliate link)
• Mexican Oregano (affiliate link)
• ground Cumin (affiliate link)
• salt
• fresh-ground black pepper
• diced cooked chicken breast
• frozen cauliflower rice
• fresh cilantro
• fresh-squeezed lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice
• avocados, for serving (optional but highly recommended)
• Fresh lime pieces to squeeze into the soup at the table (optional)

What are Tomatillos?

Tomatillos are an interesting fruit that’s called husk tomato, jamberry, husk cherry, Mexican tomato, or ground cherry in different parts of the world. It’s easily recognizable from the husk that surrounds the fruit, and tomatillos are easy to grow (but you need two plants to pollinate each other.)

Where can you get tomatillos for the Chicken Tomatillo Soup?

You’ll need fresh tomatillos to make this soup, but most any grocery store will have them, or you can also use tomatillos in a can if you don’t find fresh ones.

How else are tomatillos used in cooking?

Tomatillos are the key ingredient in fresh and cooked Latin American green sauces, and the flavor is sharp, slightly lemony, and tart. I’m a big fan of Tomatillo Salsa (with or without tomatoes), and the tomatillo is a key ingredient in Chile Verde, a Mexican stew made with pork. Although tomatillos slightly resemble the flavor of unripe tomatoes, they are much more flavorful and in my opinion green tomatoes aren’t really a good substitute.

What Size Instant Pot Did I Use?

I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for all my Instant Pot Recipes. Check out all my Instant Pot Recipes! Or find more Instant Pot Recipes on my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tomatillo Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Drain Ro-Tel Tomatoes (affiliate link) into a colander placed in the sink.
2. Remove husks from tomatillos, then chop up tomatillos and onion into small pieces.
3. I used Kirkland Organic Chicken Stock, but if you have homemade chicken stock that will be even better!
4. Put drained tomatoes, chopped tomatillos and onions, chicken stock, diced green chiles (affiliate link), Mexican Oregano (affiliate link), ground cumin (affiliate link), salt, and fresh-ground pepper into the Instant Pot.
5. Lock Lid, set Instant Pot to MANUAL, LOW PRESSURE (or use Soup Setting), 20 MINUTES.
6. While Instant Pot cooks the soup base, chop up enough cooked chicken breast to make 4 cups cooked chicken. (We used cut-up rotisserie chicken.)
7. Break apart the cauliflower rice in a 10 or 12 oz. package frozen cauliflower rice and let it start to thaw.
8. When pressure cooking time is up, use QUICK RELEASE METHOD to release the pressure.
9. Add cooked chicken and cauliflower rice to the Instant Pot. Set to SAUTE, MEDIUM HEAT, and simmer 15-20 minutes uncovered, or until soup has cooked down some and flavors are combined.
10. Chop cilantro, cut up avocado (and toss with a little lime juice to keep it from turning brown) and squeeze fresh lime juice. (Bad blogger, forgot to take a photo of the avocado and lime juice.)
11. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice and simmer 2-3 minutes more.
12. Serve hot, with more lime and chopped avocado to add at the table if desired.

Weekend Food Prep:

This soup makes 8 servings, so the recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week! You can also check out Low-Carb and Keto Soups with Cauliflower Rice to find more tasty Weekend Food Prep soup recipes using that ingredient.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

Serve this soup with Tomato Cucumber Salad with Mint and Feta, Tomato Cucumber, and Radish Salad, Spinach Salad with Bacon and Feta, or maybe just a simple Spring Mix Salad with Mary’s Perfect Easy Dressing for a delicious low-carb meal.

More Tasty Tasty Instant Pot Soups with Chicken or Turkey: 

• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Soup 
• Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Chicken Pesto Soup
• Amy’s Amazing White Chicken Chili
• Instant Pot Turkey Rice Soup with Cabbage

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 8 servings

Chicken Tomatillo Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Instant Pot Chicken Tomatillo Soup is a tasty low-carb soup with south-of-the-border flavors

Ingredients

• 1 10 oz. can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles (or similar canned tomatoes)
• 6 medium-sized tomatillos, chopped to make about 2 cups finely chopped tomatillos
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 8 cups chicken stock
• one 4 oz. can diced green chiles (Anaheim chiles, not Jalapenos!)
• 1 tsp. Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. salt (or a little less, to taste)
• fresh-ground pepper to taste
• 4 cups diced cooked chicken breast
• 1 pkg. (10 - 12 oz.) frozen cauliflower rice
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (more or less to taste)
• 1 T fresh-squeezed lime juice (or more, add one tablespoon and taste to see if you want more)
• 2 diced avocados, for serving (optional but highly recommended)
• Fresh lime pieces to squeeze into the soup at the table (optional)

Instructions

1. Dump Ro-Tel Tomatoes (affiliate link) into a colander placed in the sink and let them drain while you chop tomatillos and onion. (We used original flavor Ro-Tel, but you might want to use mild Ro-Tel if you're cooking for kids.)
2. Remove husks from tomatillos, wash if needed, but off end where the stem was,  then chop up tomatillos into small pieces.
3. Chop onion into small pieces.
4. Put drained tomatoes, chopped tomatillos and onions, chicken stock, diced green chiles (affiliate link), Mexican Oregano (affiliate link), ground cumin (affiliate link), salt, and fresh-ground pepper into the Instant Pot. (We used Kirkland Organic Chicken Stock, but if you have homemade chicken stock that will be even better!)
5. Lock Lid, set Instant Pot to MANUAL, LOW PRESSURE (or use Soup Setting), 20 MINUTES.
6. While Instant Pot comes to pressure and cooks 20 minutes, chop up enough cooked chicken breast to make 4 cups cooked chicken. (We used cut-up rotisserie chicken from Costco.)
7. Break apart the cauliflower rice in a package of frozen cauliflower rice (you can do this by pounding it on the counter before you open the package) then put cauliflower rice into a bowl or measuring cup and let it start to thaw.
8. When pressure cooking time is up, use QUICK RELEASE METHOD to release the pressure.
9. Add cooked chicken and cauliflower rice to the Instant Pot. Set to SAUTE, MEDIUM HEAT, and simmer 15-20 minutes uncovered, or until soup has cooked down some and flavors are combined. (If it seems like it's boiling too much, turn Instant Pot temperature down to low.)
10. Chop cilantro, cut up avocado, and cut limes while the soup is simmering. (Toss the avocado with a little lime juice if desired to keep it from turning brown.)
11. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice and simmer 2-3 minutes more.
12. Serve hot, with more lime and chopped avocado to add at the table  if desired.

Notes

I used some of my fresh-frozen lime juice to simmer in the soup.

This recipe is an updated version of a soup that's no longer on the blog, but see the old printer friendly recipe for Chicken and Tomatilla Soup here here if you're curious. Original version created by Kalyn. This Low-Carb Chicken Tomatillo Soup created by Kalyn and Kara.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 336Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 846mgCarbohydrates: 10.2gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 31g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Chicken Tomatillo Soup is a great dish for low-carb, Keto, or low-glycemic diets, and for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. The highest carb ingredient here is the avocado, so go easy on that if you’re wanting fewer carbs.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Instant Pot Recipes for more Instant Pot Soups like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This chicken soup with flavorful tomatillos was first posted in 2019. The recipe was last updated with more informaiton in 2023.

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