Crazy Good Low Carb Chicken Taco Soup (2024)

Published January 23, 2019 by Abbie Brooks, Updated February 15, 2019 — 10 Comments

This amazing chicken taco soup recipe is loaded with tender pieces of chicken, hearty vegetables and cheesey goodness making a delicious and filling dinner all on its own. Make this easy, keto soup with just one-pot and in 30 minutes flat.

Healthy, low-carb food doesn’t get much better than this, folks! Grab your stock pot or dutch oven and cook up this incredible, keto-friendly taco soup tonight. With 10 minutes prep time and around 20 minutes to cook, you’ll be serving this comforting but vibrant soup in no time at all. You know I love a quick soup and this one is my favorite yet!

I’ve been craving Mexican food lately but sometimes myKeto Taco Bowl just doesn’t hit the spot. This is where a kick-ass chicken taco soup comes in.It brings together all your favorite Mexican flavors into one, easy to cook soup. And the fact that it can be made using one pot, makes it a hands down winner in my household for a quick weeknight meal.

You’ve got tender chicken thighs, jalapeno peppers for spice, hearty zucchini and tomatoes swimming in a delicious broth pimped with cream cheese and cheddar. The toppings are up to you! Go with the loaded version and add diced avocado, shredded cheese and cilantro or just sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro for a version that’s lighter on carbs and calories.

This Mexican inspired soup is just perfection if you are following a keto or ketogenic diets and it’s also gluten-free. It can easily be made vegetarian by just leaving out the chicken and using vegetable broth or stock instead of chicken.

Enjoy and be sure to let me know if you make taco soup in the comments below and especially how you put your own spin on it!

How to make Low Carb Chicken Taco Soup

Start by chopping up the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.

Sautee the diced onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes until tender.

Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes until almost cooked through.

Mince the garlic, adding directly to the chicken and cook for 2 minutes.

Now add the zucchini, taco seasoning, green chilis if using, and tomatoes.

Pour in the chicken broth and stir well.

Add the cream cheese and ONLY half a cup of the cheddar and stir through the soup. Simmer until melted and heated well (8-10 minutes)

I made the soup with white cheddar in the image below. If you use orange or yellow cheddar, the color will appear richer and golden.

Voila! This is what the soup looks like when you use yellow cheddar (below)!!

Cooking Tips & Tricks for Creamy Keto Chicken Taco Soup

• Leftover soup? Store soup without toppings in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
• Like a thicker soup?The soup will thicken slightly after removing from the heat but you could also add less broth to the soup
• Chicken not cooked through? Look for a high-quality chicken as some chicken has a water solution injected and this will add to the cooking time. Chicken breast can also be used as it will cook quicker.
• Homemade or store bought taco seasoning?Try this easy recipe from Low Carb Maven for Taco Seasoning. Make a triple batch and keep in a jar to have at the ready for Taco Tuesday!If using a store boughttaco seasoning, check the labels for carb counts. Ideally no more than 1.5g net carbs per tablespoon.
• Cream cheese not at room temperature? Zap in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften. If the cream cheese is too cold it will stay in a big lump and be difficult to stir through the soup
• Make vegetariantaco soup?Simply skip the chicken and use vegetable broth or stock
• Want fewer carbs or calories? Skip the avocado and other toppings to reduce carbs and calories.

WHAT SOUPS ARE KETO?

It’s easy to make a keto soup as broth (stock) is low-carb and this is one of the key ingredients in soup. There are hundreds of ketogenic or keto-friendly soup recipes to choose from. Look for soups that include meat proteins or seafood, non-starchy vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli and full-fatdairy foods such as cream cheese, heavy cream or cheese. High carbohydrate ingredients to avoid in soups include pasta, high-carb vegetables like potatoes and carrots and all beans. Oils such as coconut oil, olive oil and MCT oil can be added to soups to increase the fat content in keeping with the high-fat macronutrient requirement of ketogenic diets. Popular keto soups include Cheeseburger Soup, Cauliflower Cheese Soup, Chicken Zoodle Soup and Buffalo Chicken Soup.