Keto Chicken Taco Soup is a little smokey, a little spicy, and 100% delicious! Just add your favorite toppings and dig in to a bill bowl of comfort and flavor.
A soup can be tasty, but if it doesn’t fill you up, it can’t be the star of the meal. So when we’re in the mood for a big bowl of comfort that will fill us up, this keto chicken taco soup never lets us down!
So what qualifies a soup as a full, hearty meal instead of a snack or side? We have a few thoughts about this.
- It needs to be full of complex flavor that makes you look forward to every spoonful.
- It has to be packed with enough protein and healthy fat to leave you feeling perfectly satisfied.
SMOKEY, SPICY, WITH JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF LIME
The complex flavor of this low carb taco soup is what makes the recipe such a winner. First, it’s got a little spice to it without being too spicy.
Caution: This might be a little spicy for tiny mouths whose tastebuds have’t been broken yet. Just don’t think that this is a mild soup, it’s got some heat for sure. Which we’ll discuss how you can dial it back if need be.
It keeps things interesting for sure but the cream cheese really helps add some coolness while also making the soup texture nice and creamy. Of course, if you love to bring even more heat, you’re welcome to add a little cayenne or hot sauce to kick things up a notch!
How to Make Keto Chicken Taco Soup with Rotel
The soup also has a subtle smokiness thanks to the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. These peppers are dried and smoked jalapeños in a sauce that’s a little sour and slightly sweet, and the flavor is so powerful that you only need to use half a can.
Throw in the onions, bell peppers, a can of our beloved Rotel tomatoes, and seasoning, and you have yourself a robust soup that will delight your taste buds!
Which brings us to the lime. While this ingredient is often seen as an optional garnish, we consider it mandatory for this recipe. The tart lime juice plays a major role in balancing out the rest of the flavors, so don’t make the mistake of leaving it out! It really brings everything together into one perfect bowl of chicken taco soup.
BIG FLAVOR FROM JUST ONE POT
So how exactly do we make this tasty dish? It’s easier than you might think… in fact, everything comes together in one pot!
Start by adding your olive oil to a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot and glistening, throw in the diced onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft, which should take about five minutes.
Next, add the seasoning and chipotle mixture, stir for a minute, then add the diced chicken and the tomatoes. Stir again so the chicken is coated in the mixture, and then allow it to cook for 10 minutes so the chicken browns.
Now it’s time to create the creamy broth. Add the stock to the hot mixture, stir, and allow everything to come back to a simmer. Once it’s slightly bubbling, add the cream cheese, stirring to help it break apart and melt into the broth.
Let it all cook for another 10 minutes. Right before you’re ready to serve, add the juice of one lime and stir to combine. This is an important step to balancing the flavors, so don’t leave it out! Then, your low carb taco soup is ready to enjoy.
AND NOW TO TOP IT ALL OFF
So what toppings should you add to your taco soup? We recommend drawing on your perfect taco for inspiration! For us, we like to keep things simple with some avocado for extra fat and creaminess plus some cilantro for flavor. But if your perfect taco includes sour cream and shredded cheese, then you know what to do! Make your taco soup your way, because you deserve a smoky, spicy, hearty bowl full of all your favorite flavors.
The good news is that this recipe makes 8 servings, so unless you’re feeding a crowd, you’ll probably have some leftovers. That means you can try out a few topping combinations until you find your perfect bowl of soup. Honestly, we can’t think of a tastier experiment!
HOW MANY CARBS IN KETO CHICKEN TACO SOUP?
7 Net Carbs per bowl of soup. We calculated this based on the ingredients listed in this recipe, which does not include any optional toppings. Be sure to factor in any avocado, cheese, sour cream, or other additions into your macros.
If you are new to this Low Carb/Keto lifestyle and are unsure what we are talking about please feel free to read up more on Net Carbs. Or start at our Low Carb & Keto 101 Starter Page.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
- Bacon Avocado Soup Recipe
- Keto Zucchini Taco Boats
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Low Carb Taco Salad Recipe
- Easy Taco Sauce from It’s Yummi
Keto Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion , diced
- 1 bell pepper , diced
- 2 tablespoons low carb taco seasoning
- 3 ounces Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce , chopped
- 1½ pounds chicken breast , diced into half cubes
- 10 ounces Rotel tomatoes with peppers or garlic
- 32 ounces chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- juice from 1 lime
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil until glistening or hot. Add onions and peppers to oil and cook until onions become translucent and peppers become soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add seasoning and chipotle peppers to onion mixture and stir just a minute.
- Add diced chicken and rotel diced tomatoes. Stir to coat chicken. Cook for 10 minutes to brown chicken.
- Add stock to hot pot and stir.
- Allow to come back up to a simmer in temperature and add cream cheese. Stir the cream cheese to break apart and melt into the soup, about another 10 minutes.
- Just before serving, add juice of one lime to the soup. Serve with extra lime, cilantro, and avocado wedges.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! Extremely flavorful & spicy enough for my hubby but not too spicy for me. He said it was “the BEST recipe” I have ever made! The flavor is AMAZING.
So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂