I love, love, love chicken tortilla soup. It's loaded with shredded chicken and pico de gallo, and is topped with crispy tortilla strips.
El Pollo Loco is a California based fast food chain featuring "flame-grilled citrus-marinated" chicken. Their ingredients are so fresh compared to most fast food places. If you are ever in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, or Utah, and you spot an El Pollo Loco, you definitely need to visit. To experience the original EPL menu, order the two piece combo with beans and rice. So good.
I spent years in sales, driving around calling on clients and grabbing lunch on the run. El Pollo Loco was a regular stop for lunch. This chain has a special place in my heart.
El Pollo Loco typically offers this chicken soup during the winter and fall months, and it's pretty amazing.
I used grocery store rotisserie chickens for this soup, which made preparing the soup really easy. It also makes up for frying your own tortilla strips (you don't have to, but I love casera (homemade) style corn strips. The only problem is that I could eat them all and have none left for the soup.
For the pico de gallo, I used this recipe, but you can use store bought fresh pico de gallo.
This soup, paired with a salad, is hearty enough for a meal by itself. It's also a fantastic make-ahead recipe.
This month, the Soup Saturday Swappers are making copycat soups. This great theme was chosen by Heather of All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. I'm pretty excited to see what everyone makes this month! Be sure to check them out after the recipe. Your favorite soup might just be featured.
Soup Saturday Swappers, created by Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, get together on the third Saturday of every month and post soup recipes based on a theme.

El Pollo Loco Chicken Tortilla Soup Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (1 1/2 pounds each) rotisserie chickens
- 2 quarts homemade or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 fresh Anaheim or Poblano chile
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup fresh pico de gallo
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Homemade or store bought corn tortilla strips
- Garnishes: cilantro, Cotija cheese, and/or avocado slices
Instructions
- Remove the meat from the chickens and shred it. Place the chicken in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the chicken broth.
- Slice the chile in half lengthwise, remove the stem and seeds, and brush with oil. Place the chile halves on a foil lined baking sheet, skin side up, and broil on the middle rack, until blackened. Place the hot chile in a plastic bag, and let rest a few minutes to steam. Remove the skin and discard, and dice the chile. Add to the chicken in the pot.
- Add the corn, pico de gallo, carrots, celery, and spices, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper, and serve topped with corn tortilla strips and garnishes of your choice.
- For homemade tortilla strips, cut 8 corn tortillas into 1/2 inch strips and fry in 2 cups of 360 degree vegetable oil in batches, until crispy and light brown, about one to two minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
Adapted from here.
If I could reach in and snatch one of those bowls of soup....wow...I am going to love this soup! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy! I hope you like it as much as I do =)
DeleteKaren, I don't even know how to tell you this.... but I've never had chicken tortilla soup.... can you believe it?
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to fix that =) It's really delicious, and perfect when you're feeling a bit under the weather.
DeleteI absolutely love how versatile this soup is...you can do as much or as little work as possible!!! The fact that it's a soup that you could practically eat with a fork doesn't hurt either...I love a soup loaded with lots of goodies!!! Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck - Colleen
ReplyDeleteThanks Colleen! It's still delish with the shortcuts!
DeleteEvery single thing about this soup, I love! And your photo is gorgeous. P~
ReplyDeleteAwww. Thank you! You just put a smile on my face =)
DeleteMmmm, tortilla soup is my fave - and this looks like an amazing recipe. Yummmm!
ReplyDeleteThanks Heather! We were so happy with it.
DeleteMy husband loves chicken tortilla soup. I can't wait to make this for him.
ReplyDeleteOh, let me know what he thinks!
DeleteThe soup sounds amazing and I cannot wait to try this. Those phots had me licking the screen. :)
ReplyDeleteHa ha. You are too funny!
DeleteThe title of the restaurant reminded us of Los Pollos Hermanos (seen Breaking Bad?) :):) But there's nothing funny about this seriously delicious soup. We MUST give this a try ASAP. We'll make our own pico de gallo of course, since this isn't available here, and we bet everyone will love this. You see we're planning a Mexican dinner next week with a couple of friends:)
ReplyDeleteThanx so much dear!
xoxoxo
A Mexican dinner! How fun! I hope you love this recipe!
DeleteI could eat tortilla soup every night! I've never had it at EL Pollo...and now I don't need too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marjory!
DeleteThis is such a filling tortilla soup.. delicious.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to have found this. El Pollo Loco's tortilla soup is one of my favorite things. As it happens, it's Thanksgiving Day, it's cold and rainy, and I'm alone this year. Going to make this for dinner tonight.
ReplyDeleteAwww. Enjoy!! Who needs a turkey anyway!
DeleteI have been making tortilla soup for years but I like El Pollo Loco’s the best. We had it again last night as my husband has a cold. Today I googled for a copy cat recipe and there yours was. I’m making it right now in the crockpot and the only thing I changed was using one can of diced “fire roasted” tomatoes. I already know your recipe will replace my old one. Thank you much!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for letting me know!
DeleteThanks for the recipe breakdown. Curious, how close to the real deal? I have a fond addiction for this soup and I want to brew my own. I enjoy this soup nearly every day of the work week but it is beginning to chip away at my budget.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Michael J Badger
It's been a long time since I've had the soup from EPL, but this one is delicious (as is the original). Try it and let me know how close you think it might be.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this recipe, myy husband loved it. He said that this was the best chicken soup I have ever made. I did not add ready made pico de gallo. I chopped tomato, cilantro and onions and added them to the pot. I also added a cup of home made tomatillo sauce. I also omitted the lime juice. Thanks again. It was great!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteDo you know how many calories per cup this has?
ReplyDeleteI do not. I'll have to run it through a calorie calculator.
DeleteLooks delicious 🥰I have to try this soup
ReplyDelete