This big crowd recipe has been in my family for a while now, and I have tweaked it over the years to get it to the point where it wins over just about all ages despite the vegetables involved! I hope you enjoy, and please let me know if you make it! I would love to hear how it turns out for you.
I totally forgot to snap prep pics while making this recipe, so apologies for not showing you what the sauté part of the process looks like! This is a great recipe to simmer all afternoon, and fill your kitchen with a delicious aroma on a Sunday. (Well in my case being pregnant, they are all the smells I can’t really tolerate in the evenings – ha!)
You can prep the chicken in a crock pot all day, or in twelve minutes in an insta pot! I also am so used to just simmering it in a large pot for an hour or two till it’s falling apart with tenderness. Mmmmm yes. The only way to eat chicken!
My kiddos are just like most- they prefer no vegetables. Dinner is the time they know they got it tough it out though. I try to sneak them in when I can so that even the toddlers will eat them. This is one of those recipes that gets them on board because they get to add their own toppings, and they feel all proud of themselves for it;)
I wrote out the recipe below so it’s easy for you to see it all in one place. Let me know if you have any questions! Hope you enjoy your Sunday!
- 8-10 chicken breast strips (thawed)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 packet ranch dressing seasoning mix
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1-2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 dash pepper
- 1/2 onion (chopped)
- 3-4 tomatillos (chopped)
- 2 quarts organic chicken broth (you can also use water + chicken bouillon if you don't have stock on hand)
- 1 can corn
- 1 can diced chiles and tomatoes
- 2 cans Pinto Beans
- 10 corn tortillas (cut into strips)
- 2 avocados
- 2-3 cups shredded cheddar
- sour cream
- In a large pot, pour olive oil on the bottom and heat on medium-low.
- Place chicken breast strips on the bottom of the pot followed by all seasonings. Cover and simmer on medium low for at least an hour until super tender.
- In a separate pan, pour a few tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet and heat on medium. Chop your onion and tomatillos and sauté in the skillet until onions are clear and carmelized.
- Once chicken is tender, shred it into pieces with two forks while still in the pot. Add the chicken stock, beans, corn, diced tomatoes and chiles, and the sautéed onions and tomatillos to the pot and simmer on low for 20-30 minutes to allow the spices to flavor the soup. (You can also leave the onions and tomatillos as an optional side.)
- While the soup is simmering, cover the bottom of a skillet with olive or avocado oil and sauté corn tortilla strips till crispy. Set aside in a bowl.
- Serve soup hot and top with optional toppings: tortilla strips, avocados, sour cream, and cheddar.
- Refrigerate leftover soup, and re-heat on low for up 5-6 days after!
This recipe has a few short cuts you can do if you are running low on time. Replace corn tortillas strips with crumbled tortilla chips! Leave out the onion and tomatillos and it is still just as delicious. Place your chicken with all of the seasonings + 1/2 cup broth in an instant pot and cook on high pressure till tender for 12 minutes.
